The style is not just about how you look. It’s also what you do and how you do it. And this applies to your home style, too.
The gadgets and appliances you have in your home tell a story about what you value. They help your guests see just how environmentally conscientious you are and what priorities you have.
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It’s stylish to be environmentally friendly…
In a time where climate change and saving the environment is seen as a stylish thing to do, it’s no wonder that tech-savvy entrepreneurs are building products to cater to that market.
Over 20 years ago, Toyota released the Prius which we now know has gone on to become a motoring icon.
But not because of how it looked. It’s an icon because of what it did at the time. It was not seen as stylish, but more environmentally conscientious.
It was (and still is) a hybrid electric and gas powered car. Consumers loved it because it saved them money and made them look good because they were doing their bit for the environment.
To be fair, it looked pretty average but that was not the point. The point was it showed what you valued. And some value statements are stylish.
Your choice of style statements in your home
There is an almost unlimited number of home appliances you can purchase, from blenders like the Nutri-bullet which shows that you’re a health conscious individual to Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixers which show you’re a sophisticated, discerning home baker.
Consciously or not, all of the products and appliances you purchase for your home reflect on what kind of values you have and where your priorities lie; style over substance, convenience over cost or value over effort.
A growing trend in the home and garden market
The home and garden market was worth an estimated 280 billion dollars in the United States in 2018. That’s huge.
Any brand that can take even a small fraction of a percent of that market is going to be doing very well out of it.
Historically, brands like Black & Decker, Bosch and Flymo owned the market. These brands, perhaps with the exception of Flymo, are aimed at a more serious, usually male, consumer.
However, along with has come a new breed of the brand. Those who cater for a less serious kind of DIY‘er and more environmentally conscientious consumer.
The invention of the cordless electric machine
Cordless electric home and garden appliances, such as mowers and hedge trimmers had been around for a while before but they were not very good.
The biggest problem was with their battery life. They underperformed power wise, didn’t last very long and the batteries deteriorated badly over time.
As a result, not many consumers purchase this kind of items. They just weren’t ready for public use.
However, as technology moved on and higher grade components became cheaper and easier to produce, cordless electric made a resurgence.
The biggest change was in the use of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries would last up to 40 minutes from one 4 hour charge compared with 10-15 minutes from a 16-hour charge with the previous kind of battery.
A new market emerges
These new, relatively powerful cordless electric machines started to get some attention.
Manufacturers were creating a full range of home and garden appliances, from vacuum cleaners to hedge trimmers.
They were able to product lightweight, cordless, good looking, long lasting products which saved the consumer time, money and effort.
If you look online, you can find hundreds of different makes now. Shark, Dyson and GTech (UK) have managed to create a lot of traction in this market.
You can find plenty of reviews of these cordless machines if you look around and overall the feedback is largely positive.
A new style
These kinds of products are slick, effective and appeal to a consumer that wants to be environmentally conscientious while not sacrificing power and performance.
They’re more modern in their design and the way they are designed to be used.
The kind of people wanting to use these machines is usually younger, more tech-savvy, happy to try out new products and reap the benefits of space saving vacuum cleaners.
They’re also the kind of person who isn’t that serious about gardening but is happy to get out and mow the lawn or trim back a hedge. They just don’t want the hassle of a high maintenance gas powered machine which is noisy and smells.
You could easily use an electric hedge trimmer and keep it under the stairs in your home because it’s small, lightweight, doesn’t have a large gas powered motor and doesn’t smell.
It’s easy to see the appeal of these new products, which is why every season they are getting better and more refined in their technology and design.
Just as the hybrid Toyota Prius revolutionized the car industry and paved the way for more electric cars, cordless electric home and gardening products are paving the way for a future where more people will use this technology.
What’s your style?
If you look at what you value and your style, which kind of product suits you and your lifestyle?
What do your home and garden appliances say about what you value?
Cordless electric home and garden tools and appliances are here to stay. The choice is yours whether you get onboard with them sooner or later.
