Latest news with #Flaus
Mint
27-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
The future of gadgets: Fewer updates, more subscriptions, bigger price tags
Thousands of American gadget makers, such as Loftie (clockwise from top left), Flaus, Mila and Nanit, now need to adapt to a world susceptible to trade war. It's a brave new world for makers of high-tech stuff. This month, President Trump announced that most imports will see tariffs—and goods from China, which makes most of the world's electronics, face the steepest levies, as high as 145%. The situation is far from settled. But things are already tougher for thousands of American companies that have long steered their development and production through China. These companies are grappling with a new reality that a sudden trade ordinance can sink their businesses. And if they do stay afloat, it's on the backs of consumers who must pay more. Big Tech is largely spared. iPhones, laptops and other electronics are exempt from the new levies, at least for now. And these giants tend to have the cash and supply-chain heft to work through the obstacles as they arise. What about Small Tech? My video baby monitor, my favorite charging cable and my allergy-fighting smart air purifier—I spoke with their makers and others about the tariff impact and the future of gadgets. Most are in limbo. All say the uncertainty is more frustrating than the tariffs themselves. What does that mean for us? Prices will go up. Shelves will get emptier. Software updates will be more common than hardware upgrades. And you might face even more subscriptions. On May 2, the 'de minimis" trade exemption for Chinese imports whose retail value is $800 or less will end. Some products will see immediate price surges. Loftie, which makes a smart sunrise lamp, has about 750 units left in stock. The made-in-China lamp now carries tariffs totaling 175%. On May 1, Loftie's sticker price rises from $275 to $450. 'Over $100 of that is to the U.S. government," says Chief Executive Matthew Hassett. Flaus, an electric flosser, has about eight weeks of inventory left in the U.S. Another two-and-a-half months' worth is on hold in China, where the manufacturer is getting antsy for payment. Flaus designed its product around precision-engineered parts that are most easily assembled in China. Flaus CEO Samantha Coxe says China was the best option to manufacture the Mila. 'Everything you're buying today was imported pretariffs. But those warehouses will run out in the next 30 to 90 days," he says. Even if China tariffs end up lower, there will also be a massive increase in companies' shipping costs. Prigge says the 90-day pause on levies in countries other than China prompted a rush in shipments. Boat prices from Vietnam, where Mila is moving some manufacturing, went up 25% last week, he says. Subscriptions are a headache for many consumers. During a moment like this, the recurring revenue is a lifeline for most companies. Mila isn't feeling as much pressure to increase prices because about 70% of customers of its $199-and-up air purifiers are signed-up for filter autorefills, he says—essentially a $118-a-year subscription. Nanit makes a Wi-Fi-enabled baby monitor. An optional subscription, starting at $4 a month, offers sleep insights and access to video history. If sales halved, the memberships alone could keep the business afloat, says Nanit CEO Anushka Salinas. The company has over a million active users globally, and 55 full-time employees in the U.S. Still, Nanit's gadgets are made in Malaysia, which after the pause will face a 24% duty, and some parts are produced in Vietnam, which will carry a 46% tariff. Unless the Trump administration widens the exemptions, that is. Salinas believes that baby and child gear should be spared, calling them 'as essential as the iPhone." Workers assemble Mila's smart air purifiers in a plant in Shenzhen, China. 'Cheap stuff does come out of China, but so do really high-quality goods, because of the expertise, engineering and execution there," said Mike de Santis, CEO of Doris Dev, which works with American brands and Chinese factories to develop new products. If the tariffs hold, however, overall quality could drop, he says. 'Folks are going to squeeze their suppliers, who will squeeze their sub-suppliers and people are going to start looking for where they can cut corners." Even routing the supply chain away from China is a tricky bet. 'You have to be thinking three to five years ahead in terms of the geopolitical landscape," says Coxe. 'The president could say Vietnam is a mini-China, and put 100% tariffs on Vietnam." Hassett is looking to move Loftie production to Thailand. That means $50,000 in retooling costs. But the new Thai inventory wouldn't land until the fall, and he could run out of stock in the meantime. 'This puts the jobs of our team at risk," says Hassett, who employs 12 people in the U.S. 'When you have uncertainty, what's the thing you do? You pull back," says Prigge. 'Companies will put advertising and product launches on hold." The biggest losers, he says, are American businesses that placed manufacturing orders that they now can't afford. 'It's not Chinese suppliers who are on the hook for that." Write to Nicole Nguyen at
CNN
11-03-2025
- Health
- CNN
Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System review: A high-tech alternative to flossing
Flossing sucks. This seems to be the tagline for an array of popular oral health products. From old-school water flossers to more recent electric flossers like Flaus and Slate, it seems we're all just too sexy for traditional floss. Offering another approach to this public outcry of putting fingers in mouths, Proclaim's Custom-Jet Oral Health System is a pricey new device that claims to offer a simpler, faster and more efficient way to clean between your teeth using a seven-second blast of water. And though water flossers, like our best-tested choice, the Waterpik Ion, allow you to angle a stream of water into your teeth, Proclaim combines a custom mouthpiece and 60 powerful water jets in the hope to replace your flossing with a nearly hands-free solution. Or at the very least, greatly improve upon it. Yet, with a steep price tag of nearly $600, you'll have to be ready to commit to a whole new oral health process. Is it worth it? I spent the past three months reviewing the Custom-Jet Oral Health System, and, well, it's complicated. Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System The Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System is a high-tech device designed to replace traditional flossing with a quick, seven-second jet of water through a custom-fitted mouthpiece. While it offers convenience and accessibility, especially for those with mobility issues, its bulky size, high price and additional costs for Oral Infusion Concentrate make it a costly investment. It's quick I'm going to have to go back to my original thought here: Flossing sucks. First, you have to find the floss (it's never where you left it). Then you have to rip off just the right amount and stick your fingers in your mouth, over and over until that nasty piece of string gets between every tooth. And you're supposed to do this at least once a day, according to the American Dental Association. Which is probably why dentists are constantly berating us — and don't even get me started with my kids' habits. Proclaim is meant to stop the madness in less than 10 seconds. The Custom-Jet Oral Health System is made up of a bulky body called a Hydro Station with a hose that attaches to a customized mouthpiece (which must be scanned in person by a participating dentist). You use it after you brush by first combining water and a capful of the company's Oral Infusion Concentrate (you get one bottle for free) in the round plastic cup that sits atop the Hydro Station. Then you stick the mouthpiece in your trap and press the button on the handle. A violent jet of water is released for seven seconds to clean your mouth, targeting between the teeth and below the gumline, with the now-dirty water exiting down an included funnel and directly into the sink. Quick and clean — not bad, if I do say so myself. Great for accessibility issues Now, I hate to come down on conventional flossing once again, but if it's annoying for most of us, it can be nearly impossible for those with mobility and accessibility issues. Proclaim can help with that, since all you need to do is stick the mouthpiece in your mouth and press a button. In this case, I'd say it could be worth every penny. It's way too big This system is … not small. I'd say it's about the size of one of the more compact Nespresso coffee makers. Which means it takes up a ton of real estate by my sink. And I live in New York City. Unless you have a giant bathroom with tons of counter space, this is not easy to keep handy. Sure, you can store it somewhere, but that defeats the purpose of having it close to use daily. Water temperature is hard to regulate This is something I hadn't considered when I set it up, but I now think about it every time I use it. If you, like me, have sensitive teeth, you'll want to have the perfect temperature when you fill it with water. At first, I used cold water, and that was gnarly. As a result, I now have to adjust my taps so it's not making my teeth ache but also not filling my mouth with uncomfortably hot water. Sometimes I get it just right, but frequently I don't. And quite frankly, that's annoying. It doesn't reach my back teeth I'm not a dentist, so one of my biggest problems with the device is that I can't tell if it's working the way it claims. Specifically, I don't feel like it reaches all the crevices in the back of my mouth, which means I have to floss back there as well … which tends to defeat the purpose. More fuss with the mouthpiece As mentioned above, to use the Custom-Jet Oral Health System, you must first visit a participating dentist and get a custom-made mouthpiece using a 3D intraoral scan. It doesn't take long, but it is an extra step to factor in. Plus, if another person in your household wants to use the system, they will have to fork over an extra $400 for their own mouthpiece. It's really expensive Lastly, there's the initial investment in the device itself. At its current price of $599, the Custom-Jet Oral Health System is down by $200 from its original $799 price tag, which, I assume, did not go down well with the average consumer. Adding yet another cost to an already pricey system, you then have to buy the company's Oral Infusion Concentrate once you finish the bottle included with your initial order. This is not cheap, with a single bottle going for $20 and a three-pack available for $45 with a subscription discount. All this is especially concerning since the only clinical study available to back its claims of significantly better oral health is from Proclaim itself. It is, however, HSA- and FSA-eligible, which could save you about $50 if you qualify. The Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System is an ambitious device. In theory, it offers an innovative way to more effectively clean your mouth with its powerful jets of water and Oral Infusion Concentrate. Yet, without an independent study the company can point to, it's hard to promise cleaner, healthier results. Plus, the $599 price tag is a lot to invest in what can essentially be seen as a standalone product in oral health. However, if you have accessibility or movement limitations, it might be worth the cash. For me, however, the bulky size, initial price and constant addition of monthly concentrate does not justify replacing traditional flossing. Though if I am going to spend extra cash, I'll stick to my handy, ergonomic Flaus electric flosser for just $119, thank you very much. CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test all the products we cover and provide full transparency about how we test them. We have a skilled team of writers and editors who have many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We also talk to top experts when relevant to make certain we are testing each product accurately and speaking to the pros and cons of each item. Health, fitness and food editor Tobey Grumet Segal has been reviewing tech and lifestyle products for over two decades. For this article, she spent three months testing the device to come to the best, most helpful conclusions.
