As the living environment of modern people improves and the concept of health deepens, more attention is being paid to bathrooms during home renovations. Today's bathrooms are no longer just places for bathing, but private spaces for complete relaxation and showcasing individuality. With the advancement of technology, bathroom products are also developing towards humanization and intelligence, with smart toilets being one of the representatives.
The market for smart toilets is still in its slow heating period. Reporters found that many well-known bathroom brands such as TOTO, VV, Kohler, Faenza, and Dongpeng have all launched smart toilets or toilet covers. The mainstream prices range from 2000 to 7000 yuan, each having features like "seat heating", "warm water cleaning", "warm air drying", "smart remote control", "automatic deodorization", and "automatic flushing".
"High-tech products always bring new elements to a comfortable life. The humanized design of smart toilets allows users to experience the benefits that technology brings to daily life," said Mr. Teng, a veteran industry insider who has been in the bathroom business for 11 years and witnessed the development of smart bathrooms in Changsha city.
Teng introduced that TOTO, as a well-known bathroom brand, introduced smart bathroom products in 2000, pioneering the domestic smart bathroom trend. Before 2000, there was a void in the domestic market for smart bathrooms, which brought a completely new bathroom experience when it collided with traditional bathroom concepts. However, although smart toilets have been in China for some time, their scale and popularity have only started to grow in recent years, and they are still in a slow heating phase.
New products entering the market will always have an adaptation period, going from unfamiliarity to familiarity, and then acceptance. Smart toilets have numerous functions and belong to revolutionary, next-generation products. It takes time to change users' old habits, requiring a shift in mindset.
Mr. Hu, the general agent for Fasen in Hunan province, told reporters that Fasen has been producing smart toilets for over three years, but sales in second-tier cities like Changsha haven't been as good as "imagined". "Price is the main reason; middle and low-income families can only look at the substantial 'price tag' of smart toilets and step back. Therefore, the smart toilet market isn't selling well to individuals, mainly due to people's mindsets," he explained: "People have long been accustomed to using toilet paper, and this habit didn't form overnight—it's deeply ingrained."
Rational consumption allows technology to serve us. Smart homes have become a trend, and smart toilets, as tech-savvy, convenient, and hygienic products appearing in the home market, have changed traditional toileting habits, making their popularity inevitable. "Although smart toilet products currently only account for about 10% of the market share, as personalized bathroom products, their market potential cannot be underestimated," said Mr. Hu, the general agent for Fasen in Changsha, who is quite optimistic about the market prospects for smart toilets. "Smart toilets allow users to achieve the realm of toileting, health care, and enjoyment simultaneously, improving the hygiene and civility levels of modern people, making them essential high-tech products for modern family sanitation."
Various brands of smart toilets on the market offer different levels of quality and functionality, with continuous innovation and upgrades creating a dazzling array of options. Consumers often favor products with more functions, believing that more functions mean better value. "Smart toilets cost anywhere from several thousand yuan to tens of thousands of yuan. When purchasing, consumers should still choose appropriately based on their budget. Generally, smart toilets equipped with seat heating, warm water cleaning, warm air drying, and automatic deodorization functions are sufficient," a bathroom product guide introduced.
Reporters saw that many high-priced smart toilets come with special functions. For example, the Weiwai intelligent toilet Zhi Duoxing "3" series added luxury intelligent remote control, intelligent induction, and MP3 music playback functions on top of existing ones. Kohler's Qing Shu Bao intelligent toilet cover offers personalized function choices such as light sensing start-up, LED intelligent night light, and nozzle front-to-back five-level positioning, catering to different consumer needs.
"In the purchasing crowd, middle-aged people in their thirties and forties outnumber younger people," Mr. Hu introduced. Although young people born in the 80s and 90s are attracted by the personal and fashionable aspects of smart toilets, the higher price often restricts their purchases. "Middle-aged people have a certain economic foundation and pay more attention to personal health care issues, naturally showing stronger purchasing power for smart toilets."
The market learned that many female consumers are interested in smart bathroom products. Miss Chen, who was selecting a smart toilet at Wan Jia Li Building Materials Plaza, told reporters that smart bathrooms indeed have many advantages, especially the specialized functions for women that feel very considerate, making smart toilets particularly eye-catching and likely to become the first choice for family bathroom renovations.
Consumer Mr. Xu is very fond of smart toilets. "Smart toilets should attract women more. There's already one at home that has been used for over a year, and my wife loves it. This time, I was specifically instructed by my wife to buy a smart toilet for my parents." Ms. Xu, the guide for Weiwai fully automatic smart toilets, introduced that the induction lid opening, automatic flushing, and nighttime soft lighting functions of smart toilets make it convenient for elderly friends without the trouble and discomfort of bending down to lift the toilet lid. Its excellent health care function means that children often buy smart toilets as gifts for their elders to show filial piety.
Industry insiders analyzed that as the functions of smart bathrooms become increasingly perfect, people's "favorability" towards them will continue to increase, and their market prospects should be optimistic. Moreover, as they become more widespread, prices will decrease, and after-sales services will improve, leading to an increase in penetration rates in the coming years.
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