We may not pay attention to our bathrooms very often, but the truth is they’re the little alcoves we spend a substantial amount of our time in, carrying out our personal activities. It’s probably the only time we’re ever truly alone, and bathrooms are like our own personal zones. Hence amping up our bathroom with essential accessories and handy product designs is quite important. These little products can make a huge difference in our everyday bathroom experience. They not only help us carry out our personal and grooming activities even more easily, but they also help us take care of ourselves and our washrooms a little better! From an unconventional weighing scale designed to look like a set of tiles to a smart eco-friendly shower with a pressure-sensitive floor panel – we’ve curated a whole collection of innovative and functional bathroom accessories for you!
1. Air Spa
You know that age-old trend of drying yourself with a towel after a shower? Boring, no? And pretty time-consuming too, if you ask me. I mean it’s 2021, we definitely need a cooler way of drying ourselves. I guess BDCI Design thought the same because they designed ‘Air Spa’…a body dryer! Yes, you read that right. The South Korean design consultancy created a dryer for your body, and defines it as a “refreshing bathroom experience”. The tall vertical appliance blows out air to dry your body after you take a shower.
Why is it noteworthy?
So, where does the spa bit of ‘Air Spa’ come into play? The appliance’s unique form and height support various little holes that blow out air. These ‘air holes’ feature multiple layers, and can be positioned vertically or horizontally, however you prefer. So, you have air blowing at you from different angles and positions, mimicking the experience of a massage or spa. It’s almost like a wind bath if you ask me. And, it could be the ultimate last step in unwinding after a long day at work.
What we like
- Air Spa’s interesting height makes it perfect for users of all ages. The vertical appliance can be used for children and adults alike
- Reduces our laundry load!
What we dislike
- Unsuitable for tiny bathrooms with space constraints
2. The Shower Scrubber
With a dual-sided design that lets you choose between a softer massaging side, and an effective exfoliating side, the Shower Scrubber comes from the folks at Casamera, who shook up the industry with their ridiculously comfortable and absorbent bath towels and robes earlier this year. The Shower Scrubber comes with a radical new redesign, sporting a honeycomb pattern on one side, to open your skin pores, and a walnut-shell textured surface on the other side, for scrubbing off dead cells to leave your skin shining.
Why is it noteworthy?
While Konjac sponges aren’t new (the internet’s absolutely littered with them), the Shower Scrubber unlocks its true potential with its design and the various infusions. The large guitar-pick-shaped design comes with a honeycomb texture on one side, inspired by Casamera’s waffle-textured towels. The honeycomb texture helps gently massage and pamper the skin (especially around the face), open the pores, and more importantly, is incredibly effective at building up a lather. The other side, however, is a textural contrast, as the sponge comes with particles of walnut shells suspended within the surface, offering an exfoliating experience that’s great at removing dead skin on your body to reveal shining, supple, radiant skin underneath.
What we like
- Dual sides to meet the different needs of your skin
- Biodegradable
What we dislike
- Not sure how well it would work on sensitive skin
3. The‘At the Same Time Body Dryer’
The ‘At the Same Time Body Dryer’ is an attempt to make public bath facilities more convenient, efficient, and fast. Speedy bathing and drying are possible with this concept body dryer as more can dry off at the same time.
Why is it noteworthy?
The name alone tells us its unique selling point. The round square shape of the dryer allows four persons to stand and be dried off. The four parts are separated by an opaque transition that offers privacy. They may be facing each other but private parts are still covered. The footrest in whole features concentric circles that provide a softer surface for the feet. The footrest is divided into four equal parts and each part can be removed for cleaning. The water doesn’t stay on the footrest as it drips.
What we like
- Hastens drying time
What we dislike
- It’s still a concept!
4. Smart Shower
Designer Natasha Jadhav decided to create a ‘Smart Shower’. This shower is truly smart, interactive, and not to mention aesthetically pleasing too! Jadhav struck the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality with this design. Jadhav’s smart shower consists of the actual shower on the ceiling of the bathroom, a sleek white console that holds panels, and a hand shower, as well as a pressure-sensitive panel on the floor.
Why is it noteworthy?
Did you know that around 2.5 gallons of water are wasted at home while taking a shower? Imagine the amount of water wasted after an entire month or year of showering. Tremendous, and quite alarming! Now, showering isn’t something we can particularly avoid, hence designer Natasha Jadhav created a ‘Smart Shower’.
What we like
- Pressure-sensitive floor panel that turns off the water once you’re done showering
- Intuitive controls
What we dislike
- The shower automatically switches off after five minutes of zero activity – the wait period could be shorter
5. The YOKU Towel
There exist two schools of thought with towels (and we’ve covered them both). Some prefer a coarse towel that’s designed to exfoliate as it dries your skin, others prefer a towel that’s absorbent, but also as soft and gentle as your favorite comforter or fuzzy winter sweater. Designed to fit squarely into the latter school of thought, the YOKU towel feels like hugging a polar bear. Made from the softest and finest Suvin cotton (often referred to as White Gold), the towels are devotedly hand-crafted in Imabari, a Japanese town that’s perfected the art of towel-making.
Why is it noteworthy?
With a history in towel-making spanning over 120 years, it’s safe to say that the craftspeople in Imabari know a thing or two about towel-making. Designed to be the equivalent of silk clothing, the Yoku towels wrap you in soft luxury. They’re so soft that they come recommended for babies too, and are designed to be extremely gentle on their delicate skin. The towels are meant for wiping, but they’re also meant for everything else. They act as comforters, are soft enough to be hugged, or even used as security blankets.
What we like
- Hand-crafted in Imabari, a small town in Japan
- Weaved using 100% Suvin cotton
What we dislike
No complaints!
6. The Tiles Weight Scale
It takes a keen eye to be able to question the design of products we take for granted. Why are certain products like weighing scales designed the way they are? Given that they’re just literally a platform to stand on, why can’t they look more in tune with their surroundings? Designer Sije Chen found himself questioning that logic, which led to the design brief behind the Tiles Weight Scale. Simply put, the bathroom scale looks literally bathroom-inspired. With a glossy, tiled design, the product fits perfectly into the contemporary bathroom, looking more like functional decor than an appliance. Rather cool, no?
Why is it noteworthy?
A finalist at the Spark Awards last year, the Tiles Weight Scale looks like a panel of your quintessential ceramic bathroom tiles. They aren’t made from ceramic, which means they aren’t slippery, and the white panel has an LED display that shines through the material, activating the moment you stand on it. That way, it serves its purpose wonderfully when it needs to, and blends right into the bathroom’s decor when not in use!
What we like
- Perfectly blends into your bathroom
- Non-slippery
What we dislike
- Has more of an aesthetic purpose, than a functional one
7. The PURE 2-in-1 Electric Oral Care Kit
This Dyson-inspired oral care essential system is promised to have long-lasting durability. It doesn’t just look like something Dyson would introduce in terms of the colors and aesthetics; it also practices the same sustainability principle. It’s an electric toothbrush and water flosser in one.
Why is it noteworthy?
Like any Dyson product, the PURE 2-in-1 Electric Oral Care Kit offers innovation, reliability, and functionality. It is a creative system that saves space and allows more straightforward operation. You can use it either as a toothbrush or a water flosser when you need to deep clean your mouth. Just change the head module if you want to use the water flosser mode. There is a built-in airflow fan that can keep the brush head clean. It also prevents moisture so you can be confident your toothbrush is not contaminated.
What we like
- It comes with a built-in water container for the water flosser
- The brushes and the handles are stored inside to keep your bathroom clutter-free
What we dislike
- It’s still a concept!
8. Lucere
Lucere mimics that perfect vanity-lighting experience without racking up an electricity bill. It features a pair of portable lights that attach directly to your bathroom mirror to give you bright, bi-directional light without casting sharp shadows. The Lucere comes with a mount that adheres to your mirror, allowing you to magnetically snap the lights on or off whenever you need them. Both the lights come with touch-sensitive on-off switches and the ability to set them at your desired brightness using simple +/- controls. The lights charge via a standard MicroUSB cable and last for 3 hours on medium brightness.
Why is it noteworthy?
Lucere, like most good ideas, come from a common consumer pain-point of having to apply make-up, or shave your beard in less-than-desirable lighting conditions. Designed to simply snap onto the sides of your mirror using an adhesive silicone base and magnetic attraction, Lucere gives you studio-quality vanity lighting that’s perfect for applying makeup before stepping out, or for shaving without worrying about accidentally nicking yourself because you couldn’t see the underside of your jaw properly. I mean, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for proper lighting, right?
What we like
- Gives you studio-quality vanity lighting
What we dislike
- Only lasts for 3 hours on medium brightness
9. BrushPro
BrushPro is extremely convenient to use compared to its forerunners. The extendable handle allows you to reach narrow spaces without having to perform advanced yoga poses on the floor and minimizes your direct contact with the dirty brush. The handle also has slits that give the brush head some flexibility while cleaning – a great universal design that takes into account the experience of the differently-abled demographic as well.
Why is it noteworthy?
The brush head includes rubber as well as fiber for more efficient cleaning. Another brilliant detail is the slot for the detergent bottle, so you can simply refill and reuse the detergent bottle instead of buying more plastic spray bottles – it also frees up your hand as it combines both cleaning products in one!
What we like
- A slot for the detergent bottle
- Combines two cleaning products in one
What we dislike
No complaints
10. Clip
Whichever toothbrush you prefer, replacing frayed bristles comes at a price. It’s costly, wasteful, and inconvenient. That’s why Edo Kim and Yeseul Kim, designers based out of London, designed Clip, a minimal toothbrush with a replaceable head.
Why is it noteworthy?
Citing the high number of materials used to create conventional toothbrushes, Edo and Yeseul made sure to design Clip so that far fewer materials are needed for manufacturing. Made from recycled polypropylene, Clip takes on the traditional shape of manual toothbrushes. Clip’s hollow unibody also remains intact over time and use due to polypropylene’s highly durable, long-lasting makeup. Compared to manual toothbrushes on the market, Edo and Yeseul decided to use far less plastic and nylon, replacing both materials with recycled thermoplastic.
What we like
- Replaceable head
- Made from recycled materials
What we dislike
- There are other similar designs on the market
