Turn on the Variety

Of course it’s not just about the look of the faucet, but also about the functionality. Kober notes that in today’s climate, time savings is important, so she expects ease-of-use features to increase in demand. She adds, “I think electronics – such as touch-less or user interfaces – will become a bigger part in bath faucets…as incorporation of ease-of-use features become the norm.”

However, not everyone is jumping on the technology bandwagon. Robles points out that technology has to not only work well, but also provide enough value to be worth the increase in cost, and that’s not always the case. As an example, Robles cites the touchless technology that is becoming standard in public restrooms. He notes, “Touchless technology is something that has not made the transition from public use to residential use. And one of the biggest factors is the cost of the faucets. Faucets tend to be expensive to begin with, but touch-less technology raises the cost by hundreds of dollars.” In the current economic climate, he points out that this product simply may not have enough appeal to warrant the increased financial outlay.

Flowers, however, is convinced that technology will gain a larger role in the design of bath faucets going forward, noting that this trend mirrors what’s going on in the home right now.

Flowers states, “The biggest thing in the bathroom is the introduction of new technologies, namely digital enhancements. These are the kind of improvements, whether time-saving or quality of life, that one might have as a result of a digital shower or faucet,” he says.

He concludes that this technology could ultimately change how people interface with water. “[Digital] can really increase the experience while reducing overall consumption, whether by creating better experiences with programmable features or simultaneously reducing consumption by managing energy and water for optimum performance,” he says. KBDN