Numi, Kohler's Luxury 'Smart Toilet,' Promises 'New Standard Of Excellence' In The Bathroom

It's a porcelain throne fit for a queen.

Numi, Kohler's "smart toilet" set to debut at the end of the month, brings a new level of luxury to the lavatory. The opulent appliance features hands-free motion sensors that open and close the lid, embedded deodorizers, a heated seat and foot warming system and even built-in speakers with pre-programmed radio stations. And the whole thing is controlled by a detachable remote.

Numi will be enjoyed by "those consumers who want the best -- they want the latest in design and technology [and] want a fashion statement in their home," David Kohler, the company's president and chief operating officer, told USA Today, adding that "the luxury [toilet] market is coming back" in America and remains "very strong in other parts of the world." According to Kohler, it took five years to develop the product.

"The Numi toilet combines unmatched design, technology and engineering to bring you the finest in personal comfort and cleansing," its website reads. "From its striking form and features to its unrivaled water efficiency, the Numi toilet marks a new standard of excellence in the bathroom."

A new standard of cost, as well -- interested parties must fork over $6,300 to call Numi their own. Expensive, yes, but far from the priciest pot in the world: The Independent reports that Hang Fung Gold Technology created a 24-carat gold toilet in Japan worth roughly $37 million.

Gizmodo's Sam Biddle videotaped his experience testing out the lavish loo and subsequently declared, "it changed my life." Watch the event unfold here.

Would you shell out the dough for such a decadent device? Weigh in below.

Quick Poll

Would you invest in the world's first "smart toilet"?

Absolutely not! That kind of luxury doesn't belong on a toilet.

Sure! Numi would really bring my bathroom to the next level.

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Comments

[Just a regular joe]

08:20 AM on 04/22/2011

This is what happens when rich people run out of stuff to buy.

[PaulMuaddib]

02:21 PM on 04/20/2011

Yeah but can I get online with this thing?

[GirlInNYC]

02:45 AM on 04/20/2011

And I thought it was cool that my Kohler closed by itself.

[AngusC]

12:14 AM on 04/20/2011

If I ever met anyone who bought this, I would laugh at them every time I saw them.

[ghag17]

07:09 PM on 04/19/2011

rofl this is crazy.
you can paint it pretty colors, put seat heater on it, cover it in gold, but it's still just a toilet. doesn't matter what you do, it's still a place in which you pee and poop.

[redneck hillbilly]

05:11 PM on 04/19/2011

Is a smart toilet for dumb people?

[wsr1500]

04:42 PM on 04/19/2011

I love my Toto. Cost about $1500. Installed myself with help from my son. 1.2 gpf no plunger needed

[wallyjo45]

04:31 PM on 04/19/2011

For people with more money than brains!

[LaRee Gonzalez]

02:45 PM on 04/19/2011

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Why don't they use their brains and technology to invent something useful?

[eahrefi]

02:00 PM on 04/19/2011

Does it have an automatic wiper?

[SpursBroken]

05:48 PM on 04/18/2011

Hmmmm, I would like to think I am going to be on the seat for as short a time as possible. The idea of having all that luxury, especially music, doesn't sit well with the idea "go in, drop trow, and get'er'done!' The bathroom is my least favorite room in the house, I don't even 'READ' when I take a major #2, I just want to focus and finish!

Many many many old folk have an issue where they spend too long on the toilet, usually due to some complications, and a leg will go to sleep. They stand, fall, and break something. How will this 'luxury loo' help with that?

I'd rather have my luxury elsewhere in my world.

[TYRANNASAURUS]

05:19 PM on 04/18/2011

Heated Seat, Foot Warmers, Built-In Stereo, And More............

Wow......the only thing missing is a fridge full of food so you can keep warm while you listen, eat and crap without ever leaving the bathroom...............forever.

[xtiangodloki]

01:28 PM on 04/18/2011

Ah, anyone who has been to Japan can tell you that this kind of "smart toilet" technology has been out for years.

Also, this technology doesn't have as much to do with the toilet as the toilet seat.

[Wayne Caswell]

11:41 AM on 04/18/2011

Maybe Kohler's "smart toilet" should be called Newbe and not Numi. Japan had smart toilets 10 years ago that did more. See "Smart Toilets, a royal flush for Home Healthcare?" at http://www.mhealthtalk.com/?p=478. Panasonic and Toto models could learn who you are by estimating your weight and percent body fat and then chemically analyze your output and report it to a health monitoring service.

[TWdamu]

01:25 PM on 04/18/2011

Very true.
We've used these toilets (by Toto) in NYC since 1999. It includes all these things that Kohler think are revolutionalry, plus the bidet and dryer functions.
I guess this is a sales pitch to the absolute unexposed ignorant.

[Natems86]

11:05 AM on 04/18/2011

I think someone's technological mind was set to the wrong product, or wrong beat for that matter.

In an economic collapse and down turn, someone out there is pumping out luxury toilettes. Hmmmmm