Toilet Seat Foam

Just where does all that scientific time and energy (not to mention money) go? The way James Walsh vice president of chinaware and commercial products at toilet maker American Standard sees it toilets can be broken down into two categories: practical and pamper me.

Shane Allis director of sanitary product marketing at Kohler says the integrated bidet function is something the company had in its Numi model six or seven years ago and is now becoming common in newer less-expensive lines a trend he expects to continue in the

Guy says the amperage needed for a smart toilet is very low and having an electrician run an outlet near the toilet is pretty straightforward and easy. In the worst case scenario you can install a wire along the wall with a casing over it.

Other areas of focus are on products that help bedridden people and disabled children use the restroom. But if you want to think further into the future a big area of excitement is in biometrics. The idea is that sensors in the toilet could analyze

Installation will become easier too. Systems such as ReadyLock from Kohler allow toilets to be installed without the need of additional drilling into the floor. “If you talk to plumbers there’s nothing they hate more than drilling into a marble floor” Allis says. “With our

The other roadblock is outlets. Smart toilets need electricity and most bathrooms don’t come with an outlet near the toilet. “The single biggest angst that consumers have about smart toilets is ‘How am I going to plug this in?’” Strang says. Toto encourages builders and

For some American Standard models surface technology is fired directly into the chinaware to help resist dirt buildup and make the toilet easier to clean. The company also has cleaning systems built into toilets such as the ActiClean. A button independent of the flush releases

Jean-Jacques L’Henaff vice president of design at American Standard continues to push for simpler surfaces that make the toilet easier to clean. Rather than the exposed trapways on traditional toilets (think of that tube-like protrusion below the bowl) newer models have smooth-surface skirts that leave