In the past few decades, technology has been creeping into every facet of our homes. This has culminated in the concept of the smart home, which brings everything from voice control to automatic doors and smart kitchens. If you’re looking for ways to incorporate technology in your bathroom, you’re in the right place.
Whether you’re looking for luxurious, eco-friendly, or practical options, many different smart technologies can be incorporated into a modern bathroom according to O’Connor Carroll Bathrooms. The latest technology used in bathrooms is making them cleaner, smarter, and sleeker.
What is a Smart Bathroom?
Bathroom technology refers to a modernized way of engaging with your bathroom, which may essentially let you customize your overall experience. Most of the technologies make it easy to personalize the settings for the different appliances and fixtures in the bathroom. Other options enhance convenience, reduce waste, and increase safety.
The following are some of the most popular technologies that homeowners are choosing to have in their bathrooms:
1. LED Mirrors
An LED Mirror (or smart mirror) is a mirror with an in-built display that shows things like time, weather forecasts, reminders, traffic reports, news updates, and upcoming items on your calendar. Some of the mirrors also offer voice interaction, where you can ask the mirror questions and have it control other smart gadgets in your home. They also give your bathroom a futuristic look and make your daily morning routines a lot more fun.
For instance, if you’d like to make your cup of coffee while you’re brushing your teeth, you can turn your smart coffee maker on from the mirror. Some mirrors go a step further and let you watch videos online to master a favorite makeup or catch up with your news.
2. Smart Toilets/Bidets
The humble throne has become a lot more clever these days than you may think. They can now connect to your phone via BlueTooth and some even come with a remote control. Other technologies that come with smart toilets include:
Automated lid opening/closing
Automatic flushing
Seat temperature control
Self-cleaning features
Anti-bacterial cleaning
Personalized drying and washing
Automated deodorisation
Night light and speakers
Smart toilets are generally better designed and compact than conventional toilets. They are also more hygienic as they are often touch-free and most of them are self-cleansing. They also offer significant water savings.
3. Smart Showers
These let you set the flow rate, water temperature, shower duration, and a lot more through the smart device of your choosing. Some of the main benefits of smart showers include enhanced safety, consistent water temperature, along with energy and water savings.
Smart showers essentially use a thermostat to keep the flow of water steady and prevent sudden changes in the temperature. They also provide limits on how hot (or cold) the water can get to make sure you and your loved ones stay comfortable during showers.
4. Smart Faucets
These typically use efficiency sensors and temperature gauges that let you control water usage in your bathroom. Some smart faucets will also cool or heat the water to your specifications before the faucet turns on. This helps reduce the amount of water wasted, which improves your bathroom’s efficiency. Some have a hands-free feature that lets you minimize the amount of germs spread while washing your hands.
5. Adjustable Privacy Glass
Smart privacy glass lets you adjust the opacity of your bathroom mirrors, which provides privacy where needed while allowing as much natural light as possible. They can automatically change the glass from frosted to transparent at the click of a button, or via a voice assistant or smartphone app.
These glasses are often designed to sync with your other devices, including your smartphone so that you can always stay on top of your privacy. They give your bathroom a modern and sleek feeling while adding versatility, privacy, and energy efficiency.
6. Floor Heating
Floor heating systems typically use thermal radiation to generate heat that should keep your feet warm during those cold winter months. With floor heating, your floor will heat much sooner compared to the traditional radiator technology, and you’ll experience a more controlled temperature. The temperature will also be more consistent and comfortable throughout the bathroom.
If you’re replacing a traditional radiator, radiant floor heating is a lot more energy efficient, requiring less electricity to keep your bathroom warm. It will also use less space.
7. Smart Washer/Dryer
Modern smart dryers and washers connect to your other smart home devices to enhance your laundry experience. You can automatically start and stop wash cycles and adjust different settings right from your phone. You will also receive notifications for everything from when a cycle is ready to when the machine requires repair or maintenance.
Smart dryers and washers can also monitor the amount of energy they’re using and even auto-start cycles during off-peak hours. These features can make your life a lot easier and help you save money on energy and water bills.
