Brett Skaloud and Jeff Feiereisen are the co-founders behind Boona, a startup company based in Seattle, Washington that is shaking up the shower experience. The two entrepreneurs previously worked together at Amazon, where they were part of the founding teams for cutting-edge projects like the cashierless Amazon Go convenience stores. However, it was a casual conversation about shower habits that sparked the idea for their first product – the Tandem Shower.
The Tandem Shower is a dual shower head system designed to provide an immersive and connected experience for couples showering together. It features two shower heads mounted on opposite walls, allowing both people to enjoy full warm water coverage without anyone being stuck in the cold. The system uses an insulated hose to ensure consistent temperature across both streams.
Skaloud originally had reservations about showering with his wife, as he always ended up being the one subjected to the cold water. Feiereisen, on the other hand, enjoyed the experience but felt guilty about hogging all the hot water from his partner. When the two realized there wasn’t already an affordable, easy-to-install product to solve this common couple’s dilemma, they quickly built a prototype and were impressed by the enhanced showering experience it provided.
Thus, Boona was born with the mission of designing products, starting with the Tandem Shower, to help strengthen personal connections and relationships. The Tandem Shower system is designed as an after-market solution that can upgrade any standard shower without the need for costly renovations or contractors. It can be installed by renters or homeowners themselves in under 10 minutes using just the tension between the two opposing shower walls.
A key focus for Skaloud and Feiereisen was maximizing water pressure while still being environmentally conscious. After extensive research, prototyping, and feedback from beta testers, they custom-engineered the Tandem shower heads to optimize pressure and performance. The result is a system with three flow settings, including a high-velocity option that delivers nearly double the force of standard shower heads for powerful rinsing.
In addition to the enhanced shower sensation, the Tandem’s double shower head coverage provides extra warmth that the founders describe as a “warm hug” using thermal camera demonstrations. Boona also touts money and resource savings, as the Tandem uses less total water than two separate showers.
The Tandem system easily integrates with existing shower heads as well for those not ready to fully replace their setup. However, Boona recommends using their custom shower heads on both sides for the optimal tandem experience.
While initially focused on the consumer/residential market, Boona has expanded the Tandem system for hotel use as well. The permanent mounting has been independently tested to withstand harsh commercial conditions, and the premium materials and finishes can be customized to match different hotel aesthetics.
Launched first through a wildly successful $774,113 Kickstarter campaign with over 3,400 backers, the Tandem Shower has clearly struck a chord by providing a simple yet luxurious solution for couples looking to shower together more conveniently. With their backgrounds in innovative product design, Skaloud and Feiereisen seem poised to continue developing unique offerings that connect people through Boona’s mission.
