Technology Tuesday: Shower Out Loud! Kohler Moxie Showerhead

I love how easy it has become to effortlessly and easily bring tunes anywhere you go. We’ve highlighted tons of gadgets from earphones to headphones to Bluetooth speakers to whole house sound and even a way to stream right to your car. We’ve covered desktop and bookshelf speakers and even a way to turn a cardboard box into a speaker. However, bringing tunes or podcasts into the shower has always been problematic. Non-waterproof speakers have difficulty handling the condensation of a bathroom. Further, placing them outside a shower and you often have terrible sound battling with the acoustics of the shower walls and sound of the shower itself. Waterproof speakers can be a viable option of course, but choices there are limited and placement can also be an issue – where do you place it? Precariously balanced on the towel bar? The floor?

Anyway, Kohler looks to solve all these limitations and has designed a wireless speaker and showerhead combo. It has surprisingly good sound, is rechargeable and has an innovative design. The 1.5W speaker is a magnetic cone that easily pulls out and pops back in for recharging. It pairs with your mobile device via Bluetooth and has great range. In addition to being a good speaker, it is a darn good showerhead to boot. Kohler, of course, is known for extremely high quality faucets and showers so this is no surprise I guess. Read on to learn more about this fantastic little luxury.
 

Moxie Showerhead


Basics Yeah, this is quite a luxury. I get that. It is actually an irresponsible purchase because it will likely run your showers a few extra minutes needlessly as you finish up the jam you are enjoying. However, if you love waking up to music, podcasts or anything else you can stream from your mobile device, this can be a terrific way to start your day and a nice touch to add to your bathroom. While the suggested retail price is $199 direct from Kohler, you can find this much cheaper if you shop around. Amazon has it for $149 and “Buy It Now” listings on eBay for $129. What you get for this is both a 60-nozzle showerhead (that comes in a choice of either 2 GPM or 2.5 GPM flow rate) and a Bluetooth wireless speaker that is rechargeable.

Installation and Design Like any modern shower head, installation is a snap. No plumbing experience is needed. Simply twist off the old head (you’ll need a wrench), wrap a bit of Teflon tape around the threads of the arm to prevent drips, hand tighten the Moxie head and finish up with a twist of the wrench. The conical speaker sits perfectly in place with its magnetic design. This allows for easy charging via the supplied USB cable after the approximate seven hours of battery life. The design is sleek and modern and offered in a few different choices of finish (Chrome, Nickel, Bronze and White).

Use Pair with a Bluetooth device and the range is about 30′ which is pretty typical and even allows you to pair with a Bluetooth enabled laptop in another room. Pairing is effortless as you only need to hold the single button on the speaker face to enter pairing mode. You need to control volume from your device as there is no volume dial on the Moxie itself.

Magnetic Cone

[Removable speaker cone for easy charging and playing in other rooms]

Volume and Audio Quality The sound is quite good from this little speaker with reasonable volume. Kohler advertises the speaker also as a ‘stand alone’ device that can be enjoyed anywhere. While it is easy to carry-along and get in and out of the showerhead, I’m not quite sure many would think the sound was good enough to warrant using outside of the bathroom. Shower walls and bathroom acoustics in general seem to help add to the overall sound of the Moxie. The sensation of the sound coming from overhead and “washing” over you is quite enjoyable and relaxing as well. The volume isn’t enough to blow the roof off, but depending on the source, is usually amply loud enough. Some quieter music, low-volume podcasts or news reports can be harder to hear clearly even with the volume boosted up at the source. Keep in mind again, you need to adjust your volume from your device as the Moxie has no volume control itself. I err on the side of “too much volume” which pleases me but hasn’t ingratiated myself to the rest of the family.

Bottom Line The showerhead itself is great in its own right- has strong water flow and 60 nozzles for a satisfying shower. Couple this with a waterproof, wireless speaker that has good sound quality and ample battery life, and this is a real cool item. Given it’s price, it may not be an impulse purchase, even when you can get for less than suggested retail. However, if you have to replace a showerhead anyways: it’s a great upgrade over a traditional showerhead for only $50 or so more.

Moxie Showerhead by Kohler

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3 Responses

  1. Great post! I just moved into a place with a crappy shower head. Was planning on replacing it with a regular one. I do believe I will now be getting this!

    Good timing on the article!

  2. ^ Let me know what you think if you end up getting it. Again, keep in mind that there are two versions (the 2.5 gallon per minute and the 2.0). I always go for the bigger one whenever I’m buying a toilet or a showerhead. I’m happy to conserve elsewhere, but not here.

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