Announced over a year ago, the bot took more time than expected to arrive on the market, some customers complaining of unpaid pre -orders or wondering if the product is vaporware. The reason for the delay, explains Goswell, was due to the lack of lush experience in electronics. The product was ready, but they had not realized how long it would take to obtain the necessary certifications for the sale of such a device. The Bath Bot is now available in the United Kingdom, in the European Union and will soon be in the United States (with the exception of California, which has additional regulations).
Some compromises still had to be made during development. “The components they contain are not what we consider 100 %ethical, but we have done our best,” says Goswell. The team wanted to use recycled materials for environmental concern, but had to opt for virgin plastic to maintain the waterproof device. The end result East Recyclable, however, and Lush says that buyers will be able to bring theirs to repair if necessary.
The manufacture of electronic products inevitably leads to a carbon cost, but Goswell believes that that of the Bath Bot is justifiable. “If it was a single -use device or a cheap disposable device that broke down within six months, I think that would be another question, but we did it to last”, he said.
Indeed, it is not a cheap device. The price of £ 150 has been raised even among fervent lush fans on forums such as that of 115,000 members. SUB-REDDIT R/LUSHCOSMETICS. As a “lushie” said, “Why would I buy a $ 200 speaker in a bath product store? »You can get a waterproofed Bluetooth speaker from brands established for much cheaper, probably with better sound quality: the Ultimate Ears float WONDERBOOM 4 sells for about $ 100 (and often sells for cheaper), while JblThe cheapest watertight speakers can sell for as little as $ 40-you can find even cheaper on Amazon.
According to Goswell, the reasons for this high price include the fact that it is Lush’s first technological product and that the company does not make much, which increases costs. Trying to choose more ethical components increases the price, as is manufacturing in the United Kingdom. In the end, he says, Lush does not want to compare the Bath Bot to other Bluetooth speakers, but rather considers it as a lifestyle accessory, similar to something like a Philips Hue lamp. Although it is designed to be used in the bath, he also likes to take it with him in the hotel rooms for ambient lighting.
I decide to test the Bath Bot in its planned environment, by pouring a bath and configuring the Lush application ready to connect. Bathtub pulled, I drop the bath robot into the water where it floats, passing by colorful lights which give the illusion of dyeing the water from the bath around me. Available in black or white, the Bath Bot has only four buttons: on/off, reading/pause and two volume commands. When I turn it on, it emits a particularly pleasant start -up sound with bird songs and some sweet guitar notes.
