Remote-control bathtub? Moen rolls out ioDigital

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The faucet handles on your bath, shower and spa have just become obsolete -- if you buy into Moen’s ioDigital Roman tub. Thanks to the new technology, you can lay comfortably in your bed -- or anywhere up to 30 feet away -- and still turn on the shower or fill your bath. A wall-mounted control allows you to set temperature and water volume in advance, then a push of a button on the remote control activates the flow.

A child-lock feature reduces the risk of scalding accidents or tub overflow. If water is turned on in other parts of the home, ioDigital will adjust accordingly, maintain your desired temperature and alert you if the hot water supply happens to run low.

Now the really important question: Are people who turn on their bath by remote control in the same category as TV couch potatoes? If precise flow and consistent temperature in the bath are overarching concerns, this device may be for you. The suggested retail price for the Roman tub or shower is $1,200; the ‘vertical spa,’ which includes a rain-shower shower head and four body jets, is $2,500.

-- Barbara Thornburg