Announced over a year ago, the Bot has taken longer than expected to get to market, with some customers complaining about unfulfilled pre-orders or wondering if the product is vaporware. The reason for the delay, says Goswell, was due to Lush’s lack of experience with electronics. The product was ready, but they hadn’t realised how long it would take to get the relevant certifications needed to sell such a device. The Bath Bot is now available in the UK, EU, and will soon be in the US (excepting California, which has extra regulations).
Some compromises still had to be made during the development. “The components in there aren’t what we would deem as 100 percent ethical, but we tried our best,” says Goswell. The team had wanted to use recycled materials out of environmental concerns but had to opt for virgin plastic to keep the device waterproof. The end result is recyclable though, and Lush says buyers will be able to bring theirs in-store for repairs if needed.
Manufacturing electronics inevitably comes with a carbon cost, but Goswell believes the Bath Bot’s is justifiable. “If it was a single-use device or a cheap, throw-away one that broke within six months, I think that would be a different question, but we’ve made it to last,” he says.
Indeed, a cheap device it is not. The £150 price tag has raised eyebrows even among ardent Lush fans on forums such as the 115k-member r/LushCosmetics subreddit. As one “Lushie” put it, “Why would I buy a $200 speaker from a bath store?” You can get a waterproof Bluetooth speaker from established brands for significantly less, likely with better sound quality: Ultimate Ears’ floating Wonderboom 4 retails for around $100 (and often sells for less), while JBL’s cheapest waterproof speakers can sell for as little as $40—you can find some even cheaper on Amazon.
The reasons for the high price, Goswell says, include the fact that it’s Lush’s first tech product and the company is not making that many, both of which drive up costs. Trying to choose more ethical components adds to the price, as does manufacturing in the UK. Ultimately, he says, Lush doesn’t want to pitch the Bath Bot against other Bluetooth speakers but sees it as more of a lifestyle accessory, akin to something like a Philips Hue lamp. While it’s designed for use in the bath, he also likes to take it with him to hotel rooms for ambient lighting.
I decide to test the Bath Bot in its intended environment, running a bath and setting up the Lush app ready to connect. Bath drawn, I drop the bath bot into the water where it duly floats around, cycling through coloured lights that give the illusion of dyeing the bathwater around me. Available in black or white, the Bath Bot has just four buttons—on/off, play/pause, and two volume controls. When I turn it on, it emits a particularly pleasing startup sound featuring birdsong and a few gentle guitar notes.
