Revolutionizing Bathroom Health Monitoring
On average, a person spends around 416 days in the bathroom. With new digital health trends emerging, we’re here to help you make the most of that time.
Recently, AI-driven smart toilet health trackers have appeared, promising to analyze waste to give tailored insights on hydration, nutrition, and gut health among other things.
“There’s a wealth of health information in our waste, a goldmine that usually gets disregarded,” shared Scott Hickle, the co-founder and CEO of Throne Science.
Interestingly, while urine and stool have been recognized as medical indicators for ages, the toilet itself has remained largely unutilized in the age of wearable tech that measures everything from heart rates to sleep patterns.
“This is an exciting new frontier,” noted Kash Kapadia, CEO of Kohler Health, which produces the Dekota smart toilet tracker.
Developers believe monitoring waste can uncover patterns linked to hydration, food sensitivities, digestive issues, and even chronic diseases like diabetes or kidney problems.
As gut health awareness increases, more individuals are leaning into probiotics and fiber-filled diets.
With colorectal cancer rates climbing among younger demographics, recognizing early symptoms, particularly changes in bowel habits, becomes crucial.
“Our health system is complicated and often expensive, and we might not receive help unless we’re actively sick,” Kapadia said. “We really need to empower individuals to take charge of their health in between medical visits.”
However, integrating health monitoring into bathroom breaks isn’t without cost. These devices typically range into the hundreds and also carry ongoing subscription fees. To see if they’re worth your time and money, some colleagues and I tested three of the latest options.
Withings U-Scan
The Withings U-Scan is about the size of a hockey puck. You attach it to the front of the toilet bowl, and with the help of the app, you can turn your toilet into a urine-testing lab. Setting it up was mostly straightforward, although I had to reinstall the cartridge after the initial attempt failed.
This device captures urine samples that’ll be analyzed by a chemical sensor inside a replaceable cartridge, providing insights on four key biomarkers regarding hydration, metabolism, and diet, with results sent to the app almost immediately.
When I gave it a go: Setup was mostly smooth, aside from that cartridge issue. After a few weeks, I noticed consistent data: my hydration levels were solid, and my body wasn’t burning through too many ketones. However, vitamin C levels weren’t impressive, signaling I might need to enhance my intake of this vital antioxidant.
The app even includes an AI-driven health coach that offers suggestions for improvement, such as increasing fruits and veggies in my diet.
One important note: it’s advised that women avoid using the U-Scan during their periods, as this can skew the accuracy.
Pricing: The U-Scan Nutrio offers two plans, starting with a Proactive plan at $379 for light usage, and an Intensive plan for $449 aimed at those needing more frequent testing. Both plans include a charging station and a Withings+ subscription for $99 annually, with replacement cartridges sold separately.
Throne by Throne Science
On the contrary, Throne’s device tracks both urine and stool. It connects to the toilet, recognizing users via Bluetooth when they enter, or can be activated manually. It monitors urine flow with a microphone and takes images with an overhead camera, which the makers claim won’t capture any personal anatomy.
Insights from this device get sorted into four categories related to overall health, hydration, flow, and bathroom habits, providing users a detailed look into their daily health metrics. Importantly, all collected data remains anonymous, and users can request data deletion.
When I tested this: My colleague Barrett Wirtz put the Throne to the test. Though he has no history of gastrointestinal issues, the app identified potential concerns regarding his habits, revealing aspects like possible dehydration and suggesting dietary adjustments.
“I actually thought to grab some coconut water afterward, which I likely wouldn’t have remembered otherwise,” he shared. The flow tracking feature stood out, offering insights that could be particularly beneficial for men.
Pricing: The Throne tracker is priced at $399.99 plus a $6 monthly subscription fee.
Kohler Health Dekota
Similar to the U-Scan, Kohler Health’s Dekota assesses both stool and urine through an optical sensor. Users can initiate sessions via a fingerprint sensor or through the Kohler Health app. Privacy is prioritized here, too, as the device captures no identifiable data.
When tested by: Eric Todisco, an entertainment reporter, he discovered through a month of usage that his gut health score was only 25%. This result motivated him to reflect on and potentially adjust his dietary habits.
Pricing: The Dekota device runs $599 and includes a membership, with subscription options of $6.99 monthly or a family plan for $12.99 covering up to five users.
So, should you invest in one of these advanced toilet technologies? At the very least, give yourself a moment to consider the possibilities.
Representatives from these companies emphasized that their products typically attract two main groups: those managing chronic health conditions and tech-savvy individuals eager to enhance their overall health.
“For many, being able to regularly monitor their health in these areas can provide reassurance,” Kapadia noted. “This is really just the start of exciting developments in personal health technology.”
