LAS VEGAS — Kohler Co. has come out with a polypropylene toilet seat that's equipped with a deodorizer to be used in "loo" of candles and sprays.
Called Purefresh, the new product retails for $119.
Before you poo-poo the need for the latest bathroom technology, Kohler spokeswoman Jen Staundinger says to consider this: “Candles and sprays? That's not doing anything but masking odor. The Purefresh toilet seat has a built-in filter system. When you sit down a fan automatically pulls the air in, cleanses it and feeds it back out. It actually deodorizes.”
Powered by two D-batteries, the carbon filter can neutralize odors by itself for six months or be used in tandem with scent packs with scents such as “garden waterfall,” “avocado spa” and “fresh laundry,” which last about a month.
“Some people like the clean scent. Some people don't want to smell anything,” Staudinger said.
Either way, the Purefresh seat is an innovation along the lines of the no-touch flush toilets, she added. Those toilets are equipped with sensors that allow users to simply hold their hand over a button to flush, which reduces the chance of picking up germs or leaving them behind.
Kohler bills its toilet technologies as improving people's experiences in the most personal of spaces.
“People like Purefresh for the same reasons that inspired touchless,” Staudinger said. “They want it clean. They want their guests to feel comfortable using the bathroom. They don't want anyone to worry. They want clean, good-smelling bathrooms.”
Purefresh was a big draw at Kohler's sprawling exhibit at the International Builder's Show in Las Vegas. Launched late last year, it proved to be a hot seat during the holidays — often as a gift for dad.
However, Staudinger said Purefresh offers a lot of features that make it a good upgrade for bathroom remodeling projects, such as quiet-close technology, which prevents slamming by little ones, and a dual LED nightlight that functions as a guide light when the lid is down and a “task light” when it's lifted.
