Every spy movie I’ve ever seen has convinced me that the shower is the only place you’re safe from hidden microphones. But Kohler has now shattered that illusion with the introduction of the Moxie shower head, which lets you chat to Alexa as you perform your morning ablutions.
The unique design features a waterproof, Alexa-enabled speaker that sits snugly inside a ring-shaped shower head. Yes, you read that correctly.
Related: Best smart home devices
Cleverly tuned to ignore the white noise of the shower, Moxie should be able to decipher your garbling over the sound of running water.
In terms of use, Kohler has suggested that bathers ask Alexa to play their favourite song in the morning or fill them in on the day’s news. If you have a smart bathroom, you can also use it to start up your shower or control your taps.
Sadly (?), most of us cannot afford to install grandiose and completely unnecessary smart bathroom gadgets, but we can add this shower head to our long list of ‘things I definitely wouldn’t buy even if I was filthy rich’.
The Moxie does, however, have a pleasingly clever design. The speaker docks magnetically into the circular shower head, which has an IPX67 waterproof rating. It also comes with a cordless charging dock, so you should be free from any nasty shocks.
And the setup isn’t actually that expensive. There are two versions that Kohler is selling: a Bluetooth set-up and the Alexa-enabled AI version. The former will cost around $169 with the shower head, and the latter around $229. You can also buy just the AI speaker for around $159, but it would look a little lonely (read: pointless) without its shower head buddy.
Related: Google Home vs Amazon Echo
Other Kohler products announced for CES 2020 include the Numi 2.0, which is an Alexa-enabled toilet (anyone remember that episode of Bob’s Burgers?) and the Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror, which is also Alexa friendly.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.