toilet seats, reinvented

t h e m e d i a’ s r e s o u r c e f o r w r i t i n g k i t c h e n a n d b at h t r e n d s a r t i c l e s
Trends Talk
toilet seats, reinvented
Kohler introduces quiet, functional, beautiful new toilet seats
An interview with
SHANE ALLIS
Senior Product Manager – Toilet Seats
Kohler Co.
Q: What’s new in KOHLER toilet seats?
Allis: Most people think a toilet seat is a toilet seat — just a
barrier between the person and the porcelain toilet. But
Kohler engineers and designers have once again proven
that even products thought to be mature in the marketplace
can be refined and enhanced to the point where they have
essentially been reinvented. Kohler has made toilet seats more
convenient, functional, comfortable, versatile and beautiful
— and perhaps even safer. In fact, KOHLER toilet seats have
probably changed more over the last five years than they have
since they first made appearances on early toilets.
Q: How can a toilet seat be made more “convenient”?
Allis: The KOHLER Cachet Quiet-Close toilet seat with QuickRelease functionality was developed in response to consumer
feedback. Homeowners didn’t like toilet seats that slammed
shut, and they wanted a seat that was easier to clean,
especially around the hinges. With Quiet-Close rings and
lids, you’ll never have another toilet seat slam.
You don’t have to hear any noise, and parents
don’t have to worry about children pinching
their fingers. Most importantly, though, a
Quiet-Close toilet seat is convenient.
Responding to the slightest touch, the KOHLER
Cachet toilet seat slowly and silently closes.
And consumers tell us that the first time they see Quiet-Close
technology in action, they just enjoy watching it. It’s cool.
For easy cleaning of both the seat and the hinge area,
KOHLER Quick-Release toilet seats offer easy-open hinges
— just pop up two hinge caps and the entire seat can be
removed. No need to hang on to those old toothbrushes!
KOHLER Cachet Quiet-Close toilet seat
with Quick-Release functionality (above and right).
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Q: You mentioned making the toilet seat more
comfortable; how does Kohler do that?
Allis: Technology continues to filter into all aspects of our
lives. In the bathroom environment, it’s now common to see
a media mirror — that is, a bathroom mirror that includes a
television screen. Or an Internet connection. Even products
that may seem technically inert — like a toilet seat — are being
completely reevaluated. How? The Kohler human factors group
has borrowed a practice from manufacturers of office chairs
and automobile seats, and for the past three years has been
extensively using pressure mapping technology to study how we
sit. We’re not aware of anyone else in the toilet seat industry
using this advanced technology. Pressure mapping studies,
along with test-group interviews, have led Kohler designers to
make ergonomic design modifications to the shape and contour
of Kohler toilet seats to make them more comfortable for more
KOHLER French Curve Quiet-Close toilet seat.
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users. The result? KOHLER technology has literally reshaped the
toilet seat.
Q: Has Kohler designed or modified a toilet seat
based on pressure mapping data?
Allis: Kohler now offers three different shapes within our plastic
toilet seat line. The French Curve toilet seat represents the most
influence of the pressure mapping studies. Take even a quick
look at the seat, and you can easily see that there’s a great deal
of contour to the surface area. One of the things that Kohler
“Pressure mapping studies, along with
test-group interviews, have led Kohler
studies have found is that men will typically sit back further on
the toilet seat than women — so elongated seats and some
particular design shapes will tend to be more comfortable for
designers to make ergonomic design
men than women. But it’s much more than just a gender issue.
modifications to the shape and
A user’s height and weight and body type also substantially
contour of Kohler toilet seats.”
SHANE ALLIS
influence what is more comfortable to whom. Despite all these
variables, Kohler engineers and designers have found ways to
shape toilet seats that are surprisingly comfortable to as many
people as possible.
Q: What is the newest trend in toilet seats?
Allis: We’re seeing an overall trend in the bath to do more than
just “get clean.” Consumers want more than that. The master
bath is being transformed into a special place — a personal
sanctuary where it’s about the experience you have while you’re
getting clean. Whirlpool baths and the great new performance
showers with digital technology are all about “experiential”
bathing and showering. The same principles apply to bidets or
to the new KOHLER C3 toilet seat with bidet functionality. The C3
name reflects the key benefits to the homeowner: cleanliness,
comfort and convenience.
When you really think about it, using toilet paper isn’t the best
approach to getting clean. In fact, it’s interesting that the one
situation where we should be using water to ensure cleanliness
is the one where we use paper instead.
At any rate, the water-based cleansing of a bidet offers increased
comfort and overall wellness — a much better “experience” with
more hygienic results. Kohler has attractively and seamlessly
infused bidet functionality into the new C 3 toilet seats, and
KOHLER C3 toilet seat with bidet functionality.
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— like the sophisticated DTV showering technology — put the
user in control of the experience. The C3 200 model includes a
remote control with a simple interface for fingertip control and
“Consumers love the result: a shower-fresh
feeling after every visit to the bathroom.”
SHANE ALLIS
programmable settings for water temperature and pressure, as
well as the temperature and air speed of the warm air emitted
from the seat to initiate partial drying.
To use the bidet function, the user chooses one of two extending
wands to receive gentle water-based cleansing. The back wand
is designed for use by the whole family; the front wand offers a
C3 NIGHTLIGHT
softer water delivery for women. Both wands are constructed
A soft blue light
illuminates the bowl
giving users the option of
keeping bright lights off
when making nighttime
trips to the bathroom.
before and after each use. The wands offer varying levels of
of anti-microbial material and undergo a self-cleaning process
either an oscillating or pulsating water flow and can be precisely
positioned for optimum user comfort. Consumers love the result:
a shower-fresh feeling after every visit to the bathroom.
When Kohler designers unobtrusively integrate bidet functionality
into a toilet seat, incorporate a deodorizing fan option and have
the imagination to integrate a soft blue nightlight, I think you can
say that Kohler has reinvented the toilet seat.
Q: Any other new ideas?
Allis: Also new is the KOHLER Transitions toilet seat, an
ingenious offering that allows both adults and small children to
use the same toilet without the hassle of swapping in and out
a “child-friendly” seat. Instead, Kohler designers have created a
toilet seat with two rings — one for adults, and a smaller, nesting
seat with a comfortable forward position for children. Both seats
offer KOHLER Quiet-Close and Quick-Release technology so
parents do not need to worry about heavy rings slamming on
little fingers — plus, everything cleans up easily. In addition to
KOHLER Transitions Quiet-Close toilet seat
with Quick-Release functionality.
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toilet training your children, another
dimension to the Transitions toilet seat
is that grandparents are buying them for
visits from grandchildren. The Transitions
seat looks great and the functionality of the
adult seat is really no different than any
other Quiet-Close, Quick-Release seat in
the Kohler line.
KOHLER Haiku toilet seat (left).
KOHLER Ostera toilet seat (center).
KOHLER Surprise toilet seat (right).
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Q: You mentioned making toilet seats more beautiful?
Allis: Homeowners are always looking for more ways to express
individuality in the bathroom, so the Kohler industrial design
group has created five new designer toilet seats in an array of
colorful and expressive designs that will effortlessly integrate
with designer-inspired bathroom decors.
For example, the KOHLER Ostera toilet seat offers a simple,
elegant floral pattern that isn’t bold enough to make a statement
on its own. Instead, it acts as a nice accent to carry the colors
How to request photos
High-resolution versions of product
photos suitable for press use and
print reproduction are available
via the Internet. Please contact the
Kohler Public Relations Department
for access to the online photo library.
and shapes of other decorative items throughout the bathroom.
The subtle KOHLER Haiku toilet seat has Asian design
influences.
There are three other designs, including a consumer favorite.
Have you ever received a relatively plain gift box that, when you
open it, delights you with a surprisingly colorful interior? Well,
then you should see the KOHLER Surprise toilet seat!
About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wis., Kohler Co. is one of
America's oldest and largest privately held companies. Kohler is a global
leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products, engines and power
generation systems, cabinetry, tile and home interiors, and international host
to award-winning hospitality and world-class golf destinations.
For additional
consumer information,
For additional
press information,
call 1 800 4 KOHLER
contact the Kohler
Public Relations Department
(1-800-456-4537)
920-457-4441