Toilets of the future: high-tech options that will make your life easier

Our modern world is developing at a rapid pace. Technology has been integrated into all aspects of daily existence and has made a significant impact on the design features in our homes.

Smart homes assist homeowners by making life simpler, and nearly every room can now be equipped with high-tech utilities that privilege convenience and comfort.

The bathroom is a space where modern gadgets can revolutionize the way we live, and why not start with the most important utility: the toilet.

The toilet is a necessary utility to maintain, and as technology develops, so do new toilet options on the market. Bathrooms are often renovated to incorporate elements that aid in daily living, and why wouldn’t the homeowner want to include the latest technology. If you’re curious about what’s out there on the market, we’ve done some research to determine the features of the toilets of the future, and all of the high-tech options that will make your life easier.

Here's our breakdown of the high-tech toilet

Smart Toilets

The Japanese are ahead of the game when it comes to high-tech toilets, however, some of this innovation is making its way overseas towards North America. Firstly, these toilets are beneficial in that they look great, but also make time spent in the bathroom much easier, especially for those who aren't able-bodied or others with small children.

Further, some models respond to the need for more environmentally friendly bathroom utilities. However, these thrones don't come cheap, and often ring in at a higher price than the average homeowner may be willing to spend. Though these toilets come at a high price, they have many immediate and long-term benefits, and we’ll go over a few of these:

Flickr- Rob Lee

Hands-Free Flushing

You’ve likely seen this type of toilet in mall washrooms or when you’ve been out and about, but now self-flushing toilets are being integrated into the modern home. Certain high-tech toilets come equipped with hands-free flushing, in that they flush without being touched. Each toilet has a sensor that activates the flushing mechanism.

Generally, the mechanism works by sensing when the body has left or moved away from the toilet, activating the flush. This sensor is ideal for a household with family members or roommates who constantly forget to flush. Further, having a sensor rather than a handle means that there is less likelihood to transfer germs. However, for homes with small children it might be important to teach them how to use a flush toilet before incorporating this technology into your bathrooms’ decor.

Self-Cleaning Toilets

Another popular feature of the smart toilet is self-cleaning. Some high-tech toilets can clean and sanitize their own bowls. Most of these toilets are made of a smooth ceramic that’s been fortified with zirconium, a non-stick coating which works to prevent mineral and waste buildup. The toilet self-cleans by spraying a mist inside the bowl, lubricating the surface so that waste does not stick. Other brands and models have ultra-violet lights that work to kill odour-causing bacteria, operating in automatic cleaning cycles to keep things fresh. Regardless of the one you choose, a self-cleaning toilet is the epitome of convenience. 

source: Pixabay, sferrario

Overflow Protection

Overflow protection is ideal for homes with small children, as clogging toilets often happen because of the use of too much toilet paper by small hands. This type of technological advancement also stops you from being able to flush if the toilet is clogged. Thus, high-tech toilets that incorporate this feature have reduced plumbing issues, keeping water levels low in the bowl until the problem has been neatly dealt with.

Eco-Friendly toilets

For the homeowner focused on cultivating an environmentally-friendly home, smart toilets work to save water. They use as little as 0.6 gallons per flush, a full gallon less than the average flush toilet. Further, the models that act like a bidet help users to do away with toilet paper altogether, meaning trees are spared their lives. Some models do not even require chemicals for cleaning.

However, it is important to keep in mind that smart toilets use electricity while saving water and toilet paper, so this can sometimes run up the cost of your energy bill. There are a few models that operate with battery power, this way you can experience electrical and water savings simultaneously.

Would you like to discover the different options for eco-friendly toilets? Read our article Everything you need to know about eco-friendly toilets.

Digital Bidet

If you’re comfortable with your average flush toilet, but want another technological upgrade, why not consider a digital bidet? While they have been popular in Europe for quite some time, bidets are becoming more common in North American homes.

Newer digitized bidets are beginning to include features such as self-sterilizing, stainless steel nozzles, aerated streams that clean gently as well as programmable temperature and pressure controls. Even if you have your average flush toilet, you'll definitely feel fresh and clean choosing this option!

Would you like to continue reading on the subject? We have two articles to suggest: 

• A RenoQuotes.com Guide to Choosing a Toilet

• Bathroom Renovation Project: Checklist of the Steps to Follow