Consumer consciousness around health, wellness, and sustainability is at an all-time high today—and it’s something integrators and homebuilders ought to leverage in how they talk with their clients, regardless of whether it’s in the residential or commercial space. There may be no better example of just how influential this growing category is than with Kohler’s presence at the recent KBIS 2026 show.
During our visit with the brand, health, wellness, and sustainability dominated nearly every facet of the conversation, from the way their products were made, to their utilization in the home. Kohler actually launched several new products and stepped into entirely new categories at the show for the sole reason of giving customers greater control and understanding of their personal health and wellness journeys, or to limit their impact on the environment.
The most prominent example of this was with the introduction of the new Kohler Health platform—a membership program tied, at launch, to their new Dekoda product. Dekoda, a toilet attachment, is described as a first-of-its-kind health tracking product that decodes (get it?) your body’s signals.
Removing the marketing speak: it analyzes your bowel movements.
In doing so, consumers can gain insights into their gut health, hydration levels, and other health-related data, which can then be used to provide recommendations to build better lifestyle habits.
Kohler touts Dekoda’s accuracy and effectiveness, citing some 1.2 million data points that were collected during the development of the product and 10-plus years of research that went into creating its health and wellness technology. Dekoda syncs with the Kohler Health app, which can track changes in health for an individual and up to five additional family members. The single-user membership runs $6.99 per month or $70 annually, while a family membership is $12.99 a month or $130 per year. The membership is required to use the product.
Talking about poop analysis wasn’t on my KBIS Bingo card, but it was an eyeopener to hear how much effort and attention was put into this first Kohler Health product. A brand known for faucets and shower heads developed an innovative technology that hits the nail directly on the head when it comes to understanding who their customers are and what it is they care about most. Personal health is not only at or near the top of the list with the luxury client, it’s also one of the fastest growing markets—and integrators ought to start paying attention.
That’s innovation. And that’s understanding the role you can play in shaping the luxury home category and owning it.
“The place where you sleep, recover, eat, connect with family, and spend the vast majority of your waking hours is the single most influential environment for human health,” Global Wave Integration’s Kyle Steele wrote in a recent Connected Design article. “Our industry is sitting on this opportunity without fully realizing what it holds.”
Kohler’s push into wellness didn’t end there. The brand also showcased some of their recently launched Kohler saunas. Available in both indoor and outdoor models, the at-home wellness lineup represents another unique step into wellness category by a company trusted by high-end homeowners. The saunas fit into a growing category for the brand that also includes the Remedy Place Ice Bath and the Anthem+ digital showering system.
The Sustainability Story
Beyond the wellness story, Kohler also showcased new innovations that aim to reduce the homeowners’ environmental impact.
The headline of those efforts was the new Anthem EvoCycle smart shower, a recirculating dual-mode system that Kohler said delivers up to 80 percent water savings when in Cycle Mode without compromising water flow. A fully working system was on display in the Kohler booth, showing how in a few taps of the digital controls, the system can close the drain, begin filtering the water and mix it with a little fresh water and route it through a different shower head.
Outside the shower, Kohler displayed its line of WasteLAB products, which includes planters, tiles, and sinks—all composed of more than 70 percent recycled materials generated from Kohler’s own manufacturing operations.
Putting sustainability practices in place is nothing new from a manufacturing standpoint, whether we’re talking about the kitchen and bath industry, or consumer technology, or just about any other consumer-facing industry. But the way in which Kohler demonstrated an ability to weave those two narratives into a singular, expertly crafted presentation at the show was nonetheless impressive.
I know that there are integrators out there who wouldn’t give the time of day to the K&B industry. But understanding how the luxury-level brands in this space position themselves and speak to their target clients is something very much worth paying attention to.
