Well, consider toothpaste, for one thing.

I'm considering toothpaste. It could stick to this sink surface. It sticks to the inside of lavatory bowls too. Doesn't look good on either. In normal use, anything that hits the wet surface flows off to the side and down the drain, as with any other sink.

Looks like more of a PITA to clean.

Why? It's made of the same materials as most sinks, and there's no sharp corners that are hard to reach. Also the wall-mounted faucet not likely to get surrounded by grime the way most deck-mounted faucets that get splashed on alot do.

It does look like you may need to run the water a bit longer after use, but other than that looks easy to keep clean.

well, bowls are better for washing lingerie and whatever else might need to be soaked. The look is great but I would fear that it is gimmicky and will scream 2011 or something. Also, it would seem that water would splash a lot if you ran the water at a high volume.

That narrow moat looks hard to clean.

How commonplace is washing lingerie in the sink? (I don't know, I'm a guy, and women don't announce to me "hey I'm about to wash my undies in the sink!" I wash my own undies and socks in the washing machine)

I'm not worried that it will scream "2011"; unlike the pedestal sink craze of the late '90s or the vessel sink on low cabinet look that followed where it seemed for awhile that everyone was installing them, until they moved onto something else, like the glass sinks that are popular now. Wet surface sinks aren't all the rage now, which will keep them from looking passe 5 or 10 years from now. I want something unique, but I don't want something impractical.

It sounds like you've made up your mind to get one. They are interesting looking and if you're only concerned with hand-washing, it's probably a good option.

However, it would be a nightmare if someone has kids that wash their hands (vigorously) over that sink. A sink with a bow seems to contain that mess a bit better. But again, that may not be how you plan to use your sink.

I haven't made up my mind to get one, which is why I'm looking for opinions, and looking for downsides I may be missing. I don't have kids so I don't know have someone who does would react (although I can't recollect using the sink when I was a kid any differently than I do now - washing hands or brushing teeth).

It's actually the latter that concerns me most - do you spit out your toothpaste or mouthwash in the middle and let the water wash it away, or do you aim for the sides to make it faster and help keep the center clean?

I think those sinks are very cool looking, and if I had a live in maid to keep it clean I might consider one! I'm thinking that the moat would be quite a pain to keep clean. Not to mention the toothpaste issue.

Here's a different take on the same idea....

I take it most of you think it will be hard to keep clean. I'm not sure it's much more difficult, only that it might look worse if it wasn't kept clean.

So, if you saw this sink (or the ones at the top of thread) in in a guest's house and it was clean, would you think it was neat looking? I'm willing to run a sponge across the surface and through the moat every few days or as needed.

I'm contemplating this for a main-floor powder room by the way, not an upstairs-hallway kid's bathroom or off a bedroom, so I'm not anticipating lots of toothbrushing, shaving, or undie-washing at this sink.

In a powder room I think it would be fine. Just not in a full-use bath.

I think you could find a tool to help keep the sink clean. I would be concerned with splash. I think having my hands down in the bowl helps keep the water splashing on the sides of the bowl. With this style it just looks splashy to me. Can you try one out at a store?

Here's a wet-surface sink that doesn't use a moat.

...and one that actually does have a bowl, just a subtler one. Ikea sells a double-bowl sink alot like this one:

There's this, but it may finally push through my lower limit for practicality. Any wave action and water will fly over the sides with these - catching any spills to the right; but splashing you to the front...

But this is nonetheless intense:

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Careful using this one too:

A splash-resistant laminar flow seems essential, else water will splash around and won't flow smoothly off the flat surface. At very least, a faucet that aerates the water would help prevent splashing outside the sink, but also cover the surface with bubbly, frothy water instead of clear sheets of water for best effect.

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So many cool faucets to choose from....anything that presents water in an interesting way, that makes it feel good sliding down your hands....

Well, I haven't used a wet surface sink, but I have used the Kohler Purist Wading Pool Sink which is a large square sink that is very shallow. (see link below for similarities to wet surface sinks) Splashing outside of the sink was an issue everytime you washed your hands & the toothpaste was a pain to scooch down to the drain (not down the drain, but down TO the drain)--toothpaste in any form (paste, gel or foamy -i.e. once you've used it to clean your teeth) had to be cleaned up/helped along down to the drain. It took forever to rinse it clean.

On the other hand, the sink was very sleek & modern and aesthetically pleasing. Would I use it in my home? Maybe in a powder room or guest bath that would not be used often, but not in my primary bathroom.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kohler Purist Wading Pool SInk

So many of these to choose from!

Here's some that may be more practical/easy to clean whilst remaining interesting and eye-catching.

No crevices to clean here, just don't push a full bowl of water over the slope. I'm fine with being disciplined...

This one is similar to the first one conceptually:

These don't have a moat, but still manage to allow water to flow to the drain interresting ways, designed to emulate the flow of a river:

...as do these, which are available in a variety of shapes, and may be the easiest to clean here:

All of these manage to add some interest to the normally mundane bathroom sink. Which, if any, do you like?

I think any of these would be totally wonderful to see in a bathroom. Except maybe the more free form one with the black tile backsplash. looks like it could be a fancy urinal and I'd not want to worry about guests mistaking it. :-)

Yeah that's really the only one here I don't like....

I'm leaning towards the one in the first pic. I love that faucet built into the mirror too.

What do you think would happen if you don't have the water on full pressure on that first one? would the water dribble down the mirror? That would drive me crazy and it wouldn't take long for the mirror to be permanently marked by the water always running down it.

These can be great looks if the modern style is in keeping with the rest of the home's vibe. They have a very modern aesthetic that isn't suited to about 90% of most homes. Great for a loft or concrete and glass box! Not so great for a Craftsman bungalow or center hall Colonial. They just look ridiculously out of place in the wrong setting.

My favorite Japanese restaurant uses the flat sink in its bathrooms -- looks awesome with Japanese design. I've used it many times -- splashing has never been a problem.

Wonder what lee676 finally bought? I showed some interest in a similar design back in 2002. The very first thing out of the saleslady's mouth was "think about toothpaste!". Yuck! These are nice to look and maybe even use if it wasn't in your own home but I wouldn't want to live with one.

I've never seen these before, but they look impractical.

In my current house, I have shallow sinks, and the water splashes badly if it's used at anything more than a trickle. I do frequently hand wash a thin, breezy summer top in the sink, and my husband does fill the sink when he shaves.

I agree with the person above who commented that this would be cool for a powder room, where a quick hand wash is all you need ... but impractical for a real bathroom sink.

I think this is more appropriate for a powder room -- not a bathroom that is used functionally every day. Like I said, in a Japanese restaurant, where is it extensively used, but only for hand-washing, it seems to work just fine.

I'm also wondering how this turned out. I'm thinking of having a sink installed that will be used only for hand washing, and I want something small, modern, interesting, that doesn't look bathroom-y. Has anyone else used something out of the ordinary?

Any updates lol. Did anyone go through with the purchase of one of these infinity sinks?! I’ve looked and looked for reviews with minimal results.