Maureen Pollack

WaterSlyde wants you to have more fun in the bathroom

The product Maureen Pollack launched under the name WaterSlyde looks rather innocuous at first glance – a curved plastic diverter, transparent with a pink tinge. It also comes with a ribbon that is used to attach it to the faucet of your bathtub. This way, the water can flow right into the diverter. Maybe now, the functional principle of WaterSlyde is becoming more obvious. But of course, there’s more to know about this product, and we’ll let the inventor do the explaining in our interview.


 

Maureen, you are inventor and CEO of the WaterSlyde. What kind of product is the WaterSlyde?
Maureen Pollack: The WaterSlyde is a revolutionary female pleasure product/hygiene device. It is a sleek plastic water diverter that simply attaches to most forward-facing bathtub spouts. The water flow is easily directed to the midline of the bathtub, allowing the water to land in the most delightful way.

How did you come up with the idea for the WaterSlyde?
It was a beautiful accident. When I was 15, while in the bathtub I reached for the faucet to help sit up and it popped off. Behind the faucet was a pipe shooting the water straight out. The water began spraying me in the face, so I quickly jumped back, and it began spraying me in another place. Let’s say I took about four baths a day until my father fixed it. Looking for a similar experience, I began scooting under the faucet AKA doing the “bathtub technique”. For the next 15 years I thought about how cool it would be if the water could somehow come to me so I wouldn’t have to deal with the uncomfortable scooting and messing up my hair.

Attached WaterSlyde

Your product seems simple, yet sometimes those ideas are the best. Why has nobody made a product like WaterSlyde before?
I kept looking for something like it and finally thought “I got this”.

Creating a new product by yourself is easier said than done. Could you tell us a bit about the process that led to the final product?
It started with the motivation. After mentioning the concept of the WaterSlyde to my OBGYN, her response was, “Now that’s something I would invest in!” I immediately called a patent attorney and got the green light. Then the real fun began. I attempted to make prototypes using different materials I found at local stores, failing each time. Then a good friend helped me design it using a 3D printer. I sent the CAD file to be printed and made a few adjustments. I tried it and loved it (many times, you know, for research). Then 20 women tested the Water Slyde and after half of them wouldn’t give it back and half wanted to buy one, we knew we had something special. Finally, I met with the guys from an injection moulding factory to mass produce the WaterSlyde in its final, pretty, translucent pink incarnation.

On your website, you seem to keep a very low profile about the sexual nature of your product. Do you think your customers are more drawn to a product that isn’t too explicit?
We are marketing to all women who are looking for another way to feel good. We want to include women who may be a little more discreet. Women have a sexy imagination.

“We believe that to be in the mainstream market normalising your product helps. There is nothing inherently ‘wrong’ with pleasure.”

Sex Toys are having a hard time making an impact in the mainstream market. Do you think that products like yours are a way for adult products to breach into mainstream outlets? Is this a route more companies in the adult market should take?
Yes, we believe that to be in the mainstream market, normalising your product definitely helps. There is nothing inherently “wrong” with pleasure. Women just have different levels of comfort exploring it. We live in an amazing time to be women and it just keeps getting better.

Are you offering any materials for retailers who would like to sell your product? How should the WaterSlyde be marketed in a brick and mortar store?
We offer two types of packaging for retailers. A large clamshell packaging, which displays nicely and a smaller mesh bag that hangs from a hook. Both match the style of our website, www.WaterSlyde.com.

What’s the retail price of the WaterSlyde?
For now, the retail price $24.95 USD

Maureen Pollack in Bathtub

Right now, WaterSlyde can only be bought in the US, Mexico, and Canada. Do you have any plans to expand your business to Europe?
We would love to offer the WaterSlyde to the women of Europe. We have received a lot of inquiries from people looking to purchase this in Europe. Unfortunately, shipping directly from the US is just too costly, so we would be happy to work with a distributor.

Are you working with distributors? Which qualities should a wholesaler bring to the table if they want to pick up your product?
We would love to work with distributors, they can reach out to us on our website, www.WaterSlyde.com. Right now, we are shipping directly to customers and wholesalers. We sale wholesale to any business purchasing 20 units or more.

WaterSlyde has been on the market for over a year now. Do you have any plans for a WaterSlyde 2?
Oh, yes! We have a few more tricks up our sleeve. People can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook – @TheWaterSlyde – to be one of the first to learn more.