HYDRAO Aloe review -the smart shower head that fights against wasted water- smart health home innovation

The consumption of water for hygiene represents the most important quantity in a household, while that for food is much lower. The ratio is around 90/10. Thus, an action on this use of water can reduce expenses and consume more efficiently. This is what Hydrao offers with its Aloé smart health connected shower head. Does this device really save money? Read our HYDRAO Aloe review to find out more.

• Mark : Hydrao

• Category : smart shower head

• Sign in : Bluetooth 4.0

• Compatibility : Android and iOS

• Price : £69.90

Unboxing of the Hydrao Aloé

The Hydrao Aloé shower head comes with a quick start guide that provides the instructions necessary to get started. The box also includes a mesh seal and a flow limiter, as well as instructions for installing it, although this is not mandatory.

Design and ergonomics of the Hydrao Aloé

The design of the Aloe allows it to blend in with most bathrooms. Its chrome dress gives it a chic side and that of a well finished product. Its dimensions place it in the upper part of the table with a long straight handle and a wide head. Its weight is also a little higher than the average, but a good balance makes thathe takes care of himself.

The inside of the shower head has five LEDs that light up when the water flows. Color varies depending on flow and clearly stands out during the shower. The Aloe has three different jet modes, which can be adjusted by a dial which turns in three positions. This changes the power and the concentration of the water jet that can be sent from the entire surface of the pommel or only from the center.

Use of the Aloe pommel

The first thing to do is install the pommel to the water inlet pipe. The quick start guide explains very well the different steps to follow to make the operation easy. So, after checking that the water does not flow, simply unscrew the old knob, add the mesh seal and the flow limiter if necessary, and screw the Hydrao Aloé. It takes no more than a minute and is available to everyone. Then, it is asked to open the tap a first time for a first configuration. The LEDs light up and alternate successively between a few different colors. Finally, everything is ready for a shower.

an application to track consumption

The second step is to download and install the Hydrao Smart Shower (or simply Hydrao) app on a mobile phone. It is available on Android and iOS. This allows you to connect the phone via Bluetooth to the Aloé shower head. Thus, the application records the consumption of water for each shower in order to establish a follow-up to better control its expenditure. Note that geolocation must be activated on the smartphone for the connection to be made.

The application requires a first reference shower to calibrate. The LEDs will stay green throughout, regardless of the volume of water consumed. Admittedly, having a light shower head is not bothersome or unpleasant. On the other hand, it emits a slight humming sound when the tap is open. However, it is barely noticeable and covered by the sound of water. We can just imagine that it comes from the turbine located inside the Aloe. Indeed, the device does not carry any battery or battery of any kind. It only works thanks to the water that feeds this turbine. Now this is a very good thing.

Colors that alert you to water consumption

During the following showers, the color of the LEDs will change depending on the water consumed. With a threshold set every 10 liters, we realize that it leaves relatively quickly since the green quickly changes to blue then to purple (the predefined basic colors). So we can know exactly when we let the water go for nothing. Result, after a few showers, it is possible to maintain consumption in a correct range. It is therefore a good tool for saving money.

Only problem, shower head reset time is only 2 minutes. However, this is a relatively short period which does not necessarily allow soaping and shampooing while the water is off. Pity.

Regarding maintenance, Hydrao recommends white vinegar cleaning between two to four times a year, in order to remove the limestone.

Features of the Hydrao Aloé

Thanks to the Hydrao Smart Shower app, it is possible to completely customize the Aloé shower head. Thus, each color can be chosen from the eight offered. There is even a choice to disable them. In addition, the volume of water at which the colors change can be adjusted as desired. Basically, the LEDs light up green for the first 10 liters, blue for the next 10, then light up to 30 liters, and finally red beyond. They even start to flash when the 40 liters are exceeded.

We have found this basic setting to be fine. The goal here is to reduce water consumption, it would be useless to set values ​​too high. This is why red immediately indicates that the shower has lasted too long, while purple indicates that with a little effort, we can make a real gesture for our wallet, and for the planet.

The application also allows you to monitoring your water consumption over the long term. It remembers the last 200 showers and displays all the savings (or not) made. Indeed, it calculates to the nearest penny thanks to the price of water indicated and that of heating how much each shower costs.

Note: Hydrao has developed a second application, simply called Hydrao, which is still in beta phase. We used the old one which worked without problems.

Conclusion

Saving money often requires effort. However, we can sometimes get annoyed and discouraged because of the poor results obtained for the time and energy spent on it. This is where Hydrao and its Aloé smart health connected shower head come in. Through easy to use and easy to understand colors, it allows you to control your water consumption without problems. Your wallet and the planet thank you.

Design and Ergonomics : An elegant and versatile design. His right head may not be suitable for everyone.

Easy to use : Very simple to install, configure and use.

Features : Aloe does what it takes to save money. We just regret some annoying little details.

Quality / Price ratio : Certainly more expensive than a conventional shower head, the investment pays for itself in a few months.

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