I’m not sure about you, but showering is usually an unparalleled part of my day. It’s an opportunity to wipe away the day thus far and emerge feeling fresh. Taking a shower is one of those things that we do so often and don’t realize how much of our time is spent in there, kind of like sleeping.
I’ve been looking for ways to upgrade my shower experience, and the hai infusions smart showerhead seemed to find me at the perfect time. It’s a showerhead that is aesthetically pleasing, easy to install, and Bluetooth-compatible. Plus, infusion tablets are available for aromatherapeutic showers, filled with vitamins and essential oils. This smart infusion shower system is available in six colors and retails for $239.
Credit: Mallory Minich / Mashable
Step-by-step installation
The installation process was so simple. I was first prompted to download the hai app to my phone. Then, the app guided me through the process step by step, including a video tutorial. The kit includes a showerhead, stainless steel handle, a flexible PVC hose, a universal pipe connection, and the hai fuse attachment. The fuse attachment is what allows you to infuse your showers with aromatherapy tablets. I read the directions out loud to my boyfriend, who did the actual installation, and we had it done in about five minutes. It was as easy as taking off the old showerhead and screwing the hai system onto the shower arm. A million times easier than building IKEA furniture, that’s for sure.
Credit: Mallory Minich / Mashable
The water pressure is on point
My time in the shower has been enjoyable with the hai, but I haven’t noticed a huge shift. I appreciate that the showerhead is attached to a hose, so it can function as a handheld attachment. There are also two types of water pressure to choose from; one is kind of a steamy mist and the other is a more intense rain. I haven’t used the mistier option much, but hai says that this function helps with aromatherapy while using the infusion tablets. Being able to hold the showerhead close to my scalp when it’s on the high-pressure setting is so relaxing. I’m getting a comfy cozy massage and my shampoo is being rinsed out well.
The infusions are underwhelming
Credit: Mallory Minich / Mashable
So, the whole thing with this product is that it has a special attachment designed to infuse essential oils and vitamins into your shower. The fuse attachment is like a little bubble connected to the shower base that you can unscrew and pop a tablet into. The bubble fills with water as the shower runs and diffuses the tablet’s contents into your shower stream. Currently, hai has three unique aromatherapy tablets available: energy boost, repair, and relax. I tried the energy boost tablets, which contain caffeine, mandarin, and vitamins B12, C, D3, and E. I also have the relax tablets, which contain vitamin B12 and have a lavender and sandalwood aroma. All I’ve noticed is that it makes your shower smell good for about eight minutes or so.
My scientific brain was a bit skeptical about the efficacy of vitamin absorption through a shower stream, but this study shows that vitamin D can be absorbed through the skin. I still have some skepticism.
What makes the hai showerhead smart?
You’re probably wondering, what makes this a smart showerhead? It has Bluetooth that connects to your phone via the hai app, where you can track the temperature of your showers and how much water you’re using. That’s pretty much it. It’s not like you can control the temperature from your phone or anything. For the price, I really feel like it could have had more “smart” features, like a speaker or a good filtration system.
Credit: Screenshot: hai
View your shower statistics in the app
The app does a few things, but not many. I was able to change my ideal water usage and temperature settings in the app and choose what colors I wanted for LED notifications. For example, the ideal water temp I chose is 95 degrees Fahrenheit, so once my shower is heated to 95 degrees, an LED light on the showerhead turns green. This does eliminate the process of sticking your fingers in the shower to see how warm it is. If you see the light glowing, it’s ready. I haven’t found this notification super useful, but my shower is really small and heats up quickly.
Credit: Mallory Minich / Mashable
Credit: Mallory Minich / Mashable
The other notification you can turn on is the water usage, so once I’ve used 20 gallons during a shower session, the LED light turns from green to pink. I chose 20 gallons as my water goal, but you can change the value in the app. The LED colors for these notifications are customizable, too. It’s surprisingly pretty easy to hit 20 gallons, which seems like a lot of water. This feature has made me more mindful of my water usage in the shower.
More eco-friendly than the average showerhead
If you are someone who wants to save water and create a more energy-efficient shower experience, then I think the hai would be a great buy for you. The showerhead is available in two different flow levels: either 1.8 or 2.5 gallons per minute. Designed to save more water, the 1.8 gallons per minute option follows strict water flow standards while keeping the pressure high. This is an awesome option if you live in a state that restricts water flow, like California or New York. No matter which showerhead you have, both options save water. From the app, you can see how much water you’ve saved, which is the number of gallons per minute you used subtracted from the national average.
Is the hai infusion smart showerhead worth it?
While I think the hai is an awesome upgrade for renters, I don’t think that it’s worth the cost at all. The design and water pressure are spa-worthy, which is a plus. It’s also a breeze to install and requires no tools. While it is a Bluetooth showerhead, the only features it offers are tracking your water use and shower temperature. The tablet infusions are cool, but there are plenty of other shower steamer tablets on the market that do the same thing.
A cost of $239 plus $24 to $30 per 16 infusion tablets is a lot. If you really care about tracking your water use in the shower, this product may be right for you. If you’re just a renter looking for a shower upgrade, there are a lot of options on Amazon for a much lower price.
