Carbon fiber bathroom appliances are right up there with carbon fiber bar accessories on my favorites list. And I think that mostly because its 50% absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary, with the other 50% being that its so absolutely awesome looking and unique. Today we take a look at a very different carbon fiber bathtub called the Vessel. You may remember the N°1 by Corcel, a full carbon fiber bathtub we featured back in 2011, you’ll see the two are very different.
Made by UK company SplinterWorks, the Vessel is part bathtub, part hammock. The company was inspired to provide ‘the ultimate vehicle for total escapism’. And this is not your ordinary tub. The Vessel actually doesn’t even touch the floor, rather it is suspended from walls. You’ll need to either have a floor drain already, or install one in order to empty the Vessel. Along with a standing tap.
During the development process, SplinterWorks did some pretty neat shape testing, using an actual hammock which was attached to two walls, high above the floor. Then they went on to build the first mold. Followed by building the core, then layering carbon fiber around it. Sounds simple enough? Ha!
The tub itself is a foam core covered in layers of carbon fiber, which easily forms into complex curves. It also gives it added strength and durability, while the foam core actually insulates the tub allowing for the water to stay hot for longer than normal. Pretty cool!
The Vessel is just under nine feet long, which is pretty large compared to a standard tub. And on top of that, custom sizes are available as well! While the full carbon fiber tub is an obvious black color, it is also available in red, blue, yellow, pink, bronze and pure silver. Although the colored versions are not full carbon fiber. They are either a 50/50 split between Kevlar and carbon fiber or polyester and carbon fiber. Except the silver, which is all aluminiumised glass. As far as pricing for the Vessel, you’re looking at a little under $35,000 USD, plus tax and shipping.
[Source: SplinterWorks, Gizmodo]