With cleanliness, health, hygiene and wellness still atop the minds of homeowners as the pandemic wanes, exhibitors at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) and Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) continued to offer solutions that cater to cleanliness and health. Legrand (Paris: LR.PA), a global specialist in electrical wiring devices, highlighted its new technologies for a safer, cleaner home that included the announcement that it is partnering with Microban, a leader in antimicrobial and odor control solutions.

At IBS, which along with KBIS was part of Design & Construction Week 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Jan. 31 – Feb. 2, Legrand discussed with booth visitors that the extensive partnership with Microban will start with adding antimicrobial protection to Legrand’s adorne Collection of designer switches and outlets.

Legrand’s Microban-treated offering – which will include all adorne switches and dimmers (excluding smart devices for now) as well as the matching plastic wall plates – features technology that works at the cellular level to inhibit the growth of microbes for cleaner and more durable devices, the company explains. By integrating this technology during manufacturing, the antimicrobial protection will work continuously to drastically reduce stains and odors for the entirety of the product’s expected lifetime.   

“The adorne Collection has always been groundbreaking,” says Manny Linhares, Sr. Director, Product Management at Legrand. “Dedication to exceptional design means finding new ways to deliver life-enhancing benefits. As the world becomes more focused on cleanliness and well-being, we knew Microban would be our perfect partner in offering cleaner designer switches for customers seeking to create cleaner overall spaces.”

While the initial phase of the partnership exclusively will include product from Legrand’s premier collection of wiring devices, additional products and solutions featuring Microban protection are expected later this year.

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“The Microban team has worked hard to innovate and establish a portfolio of over 25 approved microbial technologies; partnering with great manufacturers like Legrand allows us to extend the benefits of that built-in protection to a broader range of solid products,” says Steve Lutes, Director of Business Development at Microban.

“When you think of all the times you, or your family, touch a given light switch, it’s easy to see how applying Microban to the adorne Collection will help keep those devices fresher and lasting longer.”

A few of the adorne products with Microban on display in the booth were the 15A Paddle Switch, sofTap switch and 15A Wave Switch. The latter was among the touchless control technologies Legrand showed that also assist in creating a healthier home, according to Desiree Webster, Product Manager, IoT, Legrand. In addition to its adorne Collection, Legrand was highlighting its radiant Collection, including the radiant Wave Switch, a Best of IBS Awards Finalist in the Kitchen and Bath category.

“We had adorne Wave Switch, now we have a radiant Wave Switch. So touchless – think of healthy home, think of Mom coming in and not wanting to touch [switches and outlets],” Webster notes.

USB Charging Wall Outlets Among Variety of Legrand Options

In addition to the touchless switches being shown at its booth, Legrand had a plethora of examples of its extensive range of colors and outlet options within the adorne and radiant Collections to show the designers coming over from the KBIS side of the show.

From a technology standpoint, with USB charging for mobile devices now a must-have for homeowners, Legrand offers an integrated outlet/USB charger in multiple versions that can be deployed throughout a home and in hubs like kitchens especially.  

“We offer on-the-wall charging, so think kitchen backsplash. This is really where the market is moving in terms of connections and charging – USB charging is rapidly evolving,” Webster says. “We offer three options – a 3.1-amp, a 6-amp, and 30 watt that is shared between the two devices [plugged in]. Our latest one, the Power Delivery model gives you 30 watts per port.”

The adorne Ultrafast Plus Power Delivery outlet also has an LED status indicator to show when a device is fully charged.

“This is a top-of-the-line charger and it gives you the latest technology,” she says. “Thirty watts per port is big, you don’t want to share – when you share over multiple ports, the speed goes down.”

Getting back to the breadth of design options, Webster explains that Legrand essentially offers three styles – a builder-grade entry-level Standard collection, the step-up radiant design, and then the upper-tier adorne range.

“This is when you want to go crazy with your fit-and-finish, you can see all the color options,” Webster says of adorne, which she notes gets spec’d into a lot of custom homes and “regular homes in kitchens and baths where they’re doing a lot of nice backsplashes and finishes.”

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