22 April 2010

Hansgrohe's PuraVida collection is my personal best in show


One of the primary reasons the the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show exists is to provide manufacturers with a time and a place to announce new products. Though KBIS was a little thinner than it's been in previous years, there were new product launches aplenty. Out of all the wonderful things I saw in Chicago, what stands out for me is the new PuraVida collection from Hansgrohe.

It's impossible to describe Hansgrohe's 2400 square foot trade show booth adequately. The scope and scale of some of the larger booths at KBIS shouldn't be called booths at all. Installation is a better description. I mean, imagine 10 to 15 fully outfitted (and plumbed) luxury baths adrift in a sea of white carpet. Think huge video screens and hordes of attractive people gathering around an espresso bar. The larger booths, and Hansgrohe's is definitely one of the larger booths, have offices and break rooms, conference centers and lighting schemes on par with something you'd see in a theater.

Out of all the glories that were on display in Hansgrohe's booth, none came close the beauty and function of their new PuraVida Collection.


The PuraVida collection was commissioned by Klaus Grohe and designed by Phoenix Design of Stuttgart. It's a study in serenity and the cool white and chrome exteriors hide a wealth of innovations and efficiencies.


I really like the shape of the lavatory faucet.


And this ceiling-mounted shower makes so much sense I can't believe no one's ever thought of this before. Think about it. Most ceiling-mounted showers are round, but the shape of a human being's shoulders, chest and back are rectangular. Why waste water?

By far, my favorite component in this collection and my hands-down favorite new product is the hand-held shower.


Tucked inside of that hand mirror-sized shower head is a marvel of engineering I wouldn't have believed had I not seen it with my own eyes and let it run over my own hands.

I use a hand-held shower and some day, if I'm really good, maybe I'll have one of these babies. I'm around new kitchen and bath stuff all the time and rarely do I come down with a case of I must have this. This is one of those rare occasions.

This shower has what Hansgrohe calls the Caresse Five-Finger Massage setting and you can see it at 1:20 and 3:20 in this video.





Caresse is five streams of water and each stream makes an interlocking figure eight pattern as it sprays. I've never seen anything like it and I think we can safely call this feeling I have love.

The entire PuraVida collection uses Hansgrohe's patented system of flow restriction adds air to the water to increase the volume while decreasing the flow rate. Low-flow is about the last thing that comes to mind around these fixtures.

So Bravo Hansgrohe, you win my best in show award. I'd have named you my top pick even if you hadn't kept me fueled with espresso last weekend. Check out PuraVida and the rest of Hansgrohe's products on their website.

5 comments:

  1. Paul great video! There is just something about watching product being sketched! :-) I was fortunate enough to be given a PuraVida hand shower at the show to feature in our working display case in the showroom and took it home for a couple of days. Very nice full spray and the rotating spray nozels do feel like a mini massage. Now I just have to bring myself to take it to work!

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  2. Yeah I think they only had a couple to give out and I managed to snag one early on Friday... Very cool. Now I need to get one that I really own! (and somehow give this one up :-) )

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  3. By the way even the packaging is cool!

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  4. Maybe I'll buy one this summer in lieu of a vacation...

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