Imagine your Nespresso coffee machine and shower head had a baby…
Kohler unveiled what it believes to be the ‘future of bathing’ at this year’s CES – a shower infusion system that relaxes and rejuvenates you as you bathe. The way Kohler does this is simple – the Sprig Shower Infusion System includes a device that can be attached to any showerhead, which lets you add ‘Sprig Shower Pods’. Unlike your Nespresso, these pods don’t turn shower water into coffee… however, they do infuse the water with pleasant and calming aromas that give you a therapeutic experience as you bathe. Think scented candles and bath salts, but without the bathtub.
Designer: Kohler
Kohler is building on this system with a range of pods that offer a variety of fragrances like eucalyptus, chamomile, rose, lavender, lemongrass, along with minerals and ingredients that are supposedly good for your skin, like hyaluronic acid and sodium. According to The Verge, each pod provides infusions for “several minutes.”
The Sprig Shower Infusion System works with any existing shower head by sitting between the head and the water outlet in the wall. Water passes through the pod, picking up its eclectic blend of fragrances and chemicals, and then exits the shower head in the form of an aromatic spray of water. There is a catch, however. You can only use Sprig Shower Pods with this system, and there’s currently no way of breaking away from Kohler’s tight ecosystem. It feels a lot like the kind of business model Nespresso and Keurig built (first popularized by printers who bundled cartridges with hardware), with Kohler charging $21 for a 6-pack of single-use infusion pods. I’d keep them for special occasions, if I were you.
