Beyond Slimness, Built Stronger — Vanward 99 Series Ultra-Slim Gas Water Heater Makes Global Debut

Vanward Launches 99 Series Ultra-Slim Gas Water Heater, Setting a New Industry Benchmark for Ultra-Slim Design.

On August 16, Vanward’s global launch event for the 99 Series Ultra-Slim Gas Water Heater was grandly unveiled at the JD MALL Qibao Store in Shanghai. Under the theme “Beyond Slimness, Built Stronger,” Vanward introduced its new flagship gas water heater featuring an ultra-slim body of just 99 mm in thickness.

The launch event brought together Vanward Chairman Lu Yucong, Rotating President Lu Siyi, Deputy Director of the CHEARI Wu Haitao, Secretary-General of the China Hardware Products Association Liu Runfeng, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Home Appliance & Electrical Commerce Association Ge Sen, General Manager of JD Electrical Appliances Shanghai Yu Yongzhuang, and Vanward brand ambassador Yang Chaoyue, along with industry leaders and distinguished guests, to witness the debut of the new product.

The launch of the 99 Series Ultra-Slim Gas Water Heater marks not only Vanward’s continued innovation and evolution in ultra-slim product design, but also a milestone achievement built on more than three decades of expertise in water heating technology. It reflects Vanward’s commitment to in-depth R&D and strengthened independent innovation capabilities. By redefining the balance between aesthetic design and powerful performance in kitchen and bathroom appliances, the 99 Series establishes a new industry standard and opens new possibilities for product innovation and industrial upgrading in the existing home market.

Breaking Through with Ultra-Slim Design, Leading High-Quality Industry Advancement

As the trend toward whole-house integrated living continues to grow, seamless integration between home appliances and interior spaces has become a key growth driver in the kitchen and bathroom appliance market.

At the launch event, Liu Runfeng, Secretary-General of the China Hardware Products Association, highlighted the industry significance of Vanward’s ultra-slim water heater launch in his speech, noting that the 99 Series precisely addresses emerging market demands, achieves multiple technological breakthroughs, and fills several gaps in the ultra-slim gas water heater segment.

Liu Runfeng expressed his expectation that this launch would serve as a new starting point for Vanward to continue its role as an industry benchmark, working together to drive the gas appliance sector toward smarter, more aesthetic, and lower-carbon development. The new product is expected to bring consumers more high-quality choices and enhanced user experiences while contributing valuable practical insights to the advancement of China’s kitchen and bathroom appliance industry. 

Beyond its industry significance, the 99 Series also represents the latest achievement in the implementation of Vanward’s overall development strategy. At the launch event, two key executives of Vanward provided insights into the corporate vision behind the 99 Series from the perspectives of strategic planning and technological heritage.

Vanward Chairman Lu Yucong noted that the competitive landscape of the kitchen and bathroom appliance market is undergoing a transformation, shifting from competition based on individual products toward value competition centered on whole-house system solutions. Based on this understanding, Vanward is accelerating its strategic transformation from a “single-product supplier” to a “comprehensive solution provider.”

Through four key business pillars—product-driven growth, efficiency enhancement, digital intelligence empowerment, and quality leadership—along with its global expansion strategy, Vanward continues to strengthen its core competitiveness. Chairman Lu Yucong emphasized that Vanward will remain committed to its vision of becoming a “global leader in comprehensive hot water and heating solutions.” The company aims to develop integrated hot water and heating system solutions covering both residential and commercial applications, contributing practical experience to the high-quality development of China’s kitchen and bathroom appliance industry while demonstrating the strength of Chinese home appliance brands in global markets.

Vanward Rotating President Lu Siyi further explained the R&D philosophy and industry value behind the 99 Series from the perspectives of technological accumulation and evolving market demands.

Lu Siyi pointed out that low-carbon energy efficiency and home aesthetic integration have become two major trends shaping the kitchen and bathroom appliance industry. “The industry’s growth opportunities are always found deep within technological innovation,” she noted. Since Vanward’s founder developed China’s first ultra-slim water-controlled automatic gas water heater in 1992, the pursuit of technological excellence has been embedded in the brand’s DNA. This commitment has become the foundation that enables Vanward to stay ahead amid industry transformation.

The 99 Series not only achieves breakthroughs in product specifications but also challenges the industry’s traditional perception that “ultra-slim means compromised performance.” Instead, it focuses on optimizing the complete home experience, achieving an ideal balance between aesthetics, performance, practical functionality, and installation flexibility. By doing so, the 99 Series provides a new pathway for differentiated innovation and value growth in the kitchen and bathroom appliance industry.

Powerful Performance, Comprehensive Strength Recognized by Authoritative Institutions

Addressing common challenges in the gas water heater industry—including limited compatibility with modern home designs, performance compromises in ultra-slim models, and unsatisfactory household water heating experiences—Vanward has achieved comprehensive breakthroughs through structural innovation and technological advancements.

To overcome the traditional challenges of bulky water heater designs and poor integration with modern whole-house interiors, the 99 Series reduces the body thickness to just 99 mm, significantly minimizing the overall size of the unit. It supports versatile installation scenarios, including built-in, wall-mounted, and compact-space installations, effectively addressing installation challenges in fully furnished homes and renovation projects.

Meanwhile, to tackle the performance limitations commonly found in ultra-slim models, Vanward has developed its proprietary Ultra-Slim Sealed Silent Combustion Chamber and new Aerospace-Inspired Slim Combustion Architecture. Through multiple core technology upgrades and patented innovations, the 99 Series successfully breaks the industry misconception that “ultra-slim means reduced performance,” achieving an optimal balance between lightweight design, powerful performance, and reliable operation.

Leveraging comprehensive technological innovation and breakthroughs in user experience, the 99 Series received authoritative certification from the CHEARI at the launch event. Wu Haitao, Deputy Director of the China Household Electrical Appliances Research Institute, presented the ultra-slim certification certificate to the 99 Series on site.

Wu Haitao summarized the advantages of the ultra-slim water heater:
“Within an extremely slim body, Vanward’s 99 Series achieves multi-dimensional technological breakthroughs in combustion, temperature control, noise reduction, water pressure boosting, and health-oriented functions. It not only pushes the boundaries of ultra-slim design in the industry but also maintains the essential standards of performance and reliability, setting an exemplary direction for innovation in the gas water heater category.”

Beyond achieving a balance between compact design and powerful performance, the new series has undergone systematic optimization to address common household water heating challenges. Equipped with technologies such as noise reduction, variable-frequency water pressure boosting, energy-storage mixing temperature control, and AI three-pipe zero cold water technology, it effectively improves everyday issues including operating noise, weak water flow under low pressure, temperature fluctuations, and excessive energy consumption.

Designed to adapt to diverse home layouts and bathing scenarios, the product also introduces an intelligent operating system with L4-level advanced smart certification for the first time. It enables autonomous interaction, self-learning, operating condition recognition, and intelligent water usage decision-making, significantly enhancing the overall user experience. Ultimately, the 99 Series delivers a comprehensive upgrade in AI practicality, intelligent capabilities, and safety protection, bringing a smarter and more comfortable hot water experience to modern households.

Immersive Offline Experience, Celebrity Endorsement Engages Younger Consumers

The Vanward 99 Series Ultra-Slim Gas Water Heater has also launched an exclusive real-life experience zone at the JD MALL Qibao Store in Shanghai, allowing consumers to experience the product’s ultra-slim installation design and core performance features firsthand.

To enable consumers nationwide to experience the strength of this “new ultra-slim benchmark” as soon as possible, the 99 Series officially began its first sales on August 16, the day of the launch event, across Vanward’s official flagship stores on three major online platforms—JD.com, Tmall, and Douyin Mall—achieving full-channel integration across both online and offline markets.

In the speech of General Manager of JD Electrical Appliances Shanghai Yu Yongzhuang, stated that Vanward is a leading brand in the gas water heater industry and a long-term strategic partner of JD. The cooperation between the two parties has long gone beyond traditional supply and sales collaboration, establishing a comprehensive ecosystem of deep synergy across the entire value chain and multiple dimensions nationwide. “We have always highly recognized Vanward’s brand strength and product capabilities. The newly launched 99 Series Ultra-Slim Gas Water Heater precisely meets Shanghai consumers’ core demands for refined home living and efficient space utilization. At JD MALL, consumers can also experience its wall-art-like integration, stable temperature control, silent operation, and smart features up close—feeling the seamless fusion of technology and aesthetics in modern home living.”

The launch event also featured Vanward brand ambassador Yang Chaoyue, who attended in person to support the global debut of the new product and became one of the highlights of the event. At the ceremony, Yang Chaoyue joined industry leaders, distinguished guests, and Vanward’s core management team in unveiling the new product. She also experienced the 99 Series’ ultra-slim design, skin-friendly bathing features, and other key functions firsthand, sharing her product experience and impressions.

With her fresh, energetic image and spirit of continuous self-breakthrough, Yang Chaoyue aligns closely with Vanward’s brand philosophy of innovation and reliability. This offline collaboration effectively breaks traditional communication boundaries in the home appliance sector, bringing advanced water heating technology closer to younger consumers. It further supports Vanward’s brand rejuvenation and broader market reach, precisely connecting with the next generation of home renovation consumers.

With more than three decades of dedication to ultra-slim water heating technology, Vanward continues to respond to evolving home design trends and rising consumer expectations through continuous independent innovation. The global debut of the 99 Series Ultra-Slim Gas Water Heater marks a milestone achievement in the brand’s technological development.

Looking ahead, Vanward will take the 99 Series as a new starting point, upholding its commitment to craftsmanship and technological innovation, strengthening its product-driven strategy, and continuing to expand its channel and market presence.

Together with partners across the industry value chain, Vanward will explore new growth opportunities in the kitchen and bathroom appliance sector, bringing more comfortable, refined, and enjoyable bathing experiences to millions of families.