GADGET REVIEW: The New Doggie “Powerloo” isn’t Convincing Reviewers.

13/07/09

If you're looking at that photo and saying "I just don't know if I want a bright green toilet sitting in my garden", you're not alone. Still, the "Powerloo", the brainchild of an American inventor, does have some appeal: it paints a picture of your pup heading out into the yard to do exactly what humans do at the toilet, flushing, and walking away with a big grin.

But a fairy tale is still a "fairy tail." That isn't what the "Powerloo" does. In fact, it's probably not going to lessen your scooping chores one iota. You still have to gather up the offensive fecal matter, put it inside the device and flush it yourself.

Take a look at the product description:

"The PowerLoo system makes an offensive task simple, safe and hygienic. Greendog™ identified a situation every pet owner faces but no one likes to talk about and invented a unique, exclusive product to solve the problem.

Green Dog presents an innovative outdoor, maintenance-free, flushable toilet for proper and sanitary disposal of pet waste. This unique in-ground toilet installs easily in your yard and connects directly to your home sewer line. The engineering, mechanics and materials are state-of-the-art. Green Dog is designed to protect the environment from contamination and disease which is spread by improper pet waste disposal."

Not to be an outdoor eyesore but a fashion accessory, the "Powerloo" comes in colours like "copper vein", "weathered green", and "luna sandstone" as well as the original lime green colour. The device was supposed to be available in June, but the website is still offering "preorders" along with "investment opportunities"!

The product reviewers are having a field day with the "Powerloo". "Gizmodo.com" says: "Despite connecting to your outdoor plumbing lines, the PowerLoo is not a backyard doggie toilet. The PowerLoo is a backyard (poop) flusher (read: you pick up dog (poop) then place it in the toilet). And while I'm sure it adds some level of convenience to doodie disposal, the price is on par with one of those fancy, Japanese toilets that literally air dries the cellulite from your butt."

And this from Foolishgadgets.com: "However, this PowerLoo promises hands free clean up. How? Why you just pick up the poop and drop it in, wait, that's not hands free. Maybe they mean go monkey style and pick it up by your toes."

Perhaps all the negativity is a bit harsh. The creator says his motive was to keep the foul smelling bag most of us have from sitting around for a week until trash day. There could be some benefit in that, as we who have had to spray that dirty garbage can out with the hose weekly know all too well. And his goals are not all that grand, Curt Fornier says he only plans to manufacture 500 of the devices this year, selling for $1,000 a piece. Oh yes, the Powerloo also comes with a heater for harsh climates so the system doesn't freeze up in the winter.

If you want to have a look, check out the PowerLoo at www.powerloo.com

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