What toilet to buy? Well, it depends. Here’s a list of things you must consider and ask yourself before buying a new toilet. You can download the checklist for free and take it with you to your local home improvement shop!
This list keeps in mind: comfort, price, and aesthetics.
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1. How large is your bathroom space?
Level of importance: ★★★★★
Category: Comfort & Aesthetics
If you have a small bathroom you might benefit from a wall-hung toilet. Wall-hung toilets have their tanks inside a wall, leaving not only more space but also appearing less crowded.
Since the tanks are not visible there’s also less surface to clean. The lesser to clean the better because it’s already a hassle to clean in a small room.
2. Do you prefer a one-piece toilet, a two-piece toilet, or a wall-hung toilet?
Level of importance: ★★★★★
Category: Price & Aesthetics
Do you have a preference when it comes to looks? Two-piece toilets are most common in the US, but might look outdated to some. A wall-hung toilet looks modern and minimalistic.
Two-piece toilets are less expensive than one-piece toilets but a one-piece toilet is easier to clean because there aren’t any nooks and crannies.
Read here all about one-piece toilets vs two-piece toilets if you’d like to know more.
3. Toilet height
Level of importance: ★★★★☆
Category: Comfort
Toilet height is important because you need to sit comfortably. And since you spend about 284 days on a toilet over the course of your life you should take this into account.
Toilets typically come in heights ranging from 15-19 inches with a standard toilet being between 15-17 inches. This height is always measured from the floor to the top of the rim (when the seat is lifted).
Short people should stay under 17 inches and tall people should stay over 17 inches. The elderly and people with disabilities may also benefit from a higher rim.
4. Flush mechanism preference
Level of importance: ★★★★☆
Category: Price & Aesthetics
Whilst single-flush toilets are most common in the US, dual-flush toilets are better for your wallet. Dual flush toilets need, as the name suggests, two buttons.
In terms of looks, dual flush seems to appear more modern (depending on your personal taste of course). However, there are two more flush mechanisms available: Power-assisted toilets and pressure-assisted toilets.
Power-assisted toilets are great for ”special” places like RVs, basements, and boats because it liquefies waste. Pressure-assisted toilets are great because it uses forceful flushes and isn’t as likely to clog. They are very loud though.
5. Round bowl or elongated bowl?
Level of importance: ★★★★☆
Category: Aesthetics & Comfort
Toilets always come in either round or elongated. Round bowls take up less space than elongated bowls so keep that in mind when you have a small bathroom space to work with.
Elongated bowls tend to be more comfortable than round bowls. When it comes to price, round bowls are cheaper than elongated ones.
6. Toilet seat preference: Bidet, or not to bidet?
Level of importance: ★★★☆☆
Category: Price & Comfort
Some toilet seats have fancy perks like a bidet. Did you know that bidets are getting more and more common? Here are some perks that come with using a bidet:
- You feel and get a lot cleaner
- You use less toilet paper
- Water is great for sensitive skin
Bidets, however, do drive up the price by a lot. Think of hundreds of dollars, sometimes reaching over $2000.
A cheaper alternative would be to buy a standard toilet and later upgrade to a bidet seat. These individual seats range from $70-$500.
7. Keep in mind the material of your toilet
Level of importance: ★★★★☆
Category: Price & aesthetics
Most toilets are made from porcelain/ceramics but there are some that are made from other materials.
The material of your toilet is important for:
- Endurance
- Cleaning
You want your toilet to last as long as it can and you want it to be as hygenic as possible.
Here are the main materials toilets are made out of:
- Porcelain/Ceramics
- Most often used
- Wood
- Eco-friendly
- Expensive
- Plastic
- Great for portibility
- Glaze
- All toilets have a glaze: Bacteria won’t adhere as much to a glazed surface, it looks nice and it’s waterproof
- Make sure this glaze is all around (some toilets don’t glaze the back)
- Metal
- Think of institutions like mental health centers or prisons
When you’re looking for a toilet for your home, you should go for a porcelain/ceramic toilet.
8. Eco-friendly certification labels
Level of importance: ★★★★★
Category: Price
Most new toilets have the WaterSense label, but for the ones that don’t: skip them. The WaterSense Certification is a certification given to toilets that use at least 20 percent less water than the standard 1.6 GPF.
The WaterSense label means saving money on your water bill.
9. Color and Glaze
Level of importance: ★★★★☆
Category: Aesthetics
All toilets come in white but sometimes there are extra options like black and off-white (and many more). When you’re looking to install a toilet for a business a specific color may look high-end.
Just be sure to pick the right color because toilets last up to 50 years so you’ll be stuck to it. Also, be sure to inspect the toilet all around.
in the US, toilet bowls often are only glazed on the sides and front of the toilet. This is because you cannot ever see what’s behind a toilet. So why bother?
Well, If you have a lot of space next to your bowl, people may catch glimpses of unglazed toilet bowls. Which isn’t a nice look. Also, no glaze means that bacteria can adhere better.
10. Fancy features you don’t need but might want
Level of importance: ★☆☆☆☆
Category: Comfort
So here’s a list of extra features you can have on your toilet that you don’t need at all:
- A bidet seat
- A bidet cleans your bottom with water. You’ll feel cleaner and you won’t have to use as much toilet paper
- You can buy a bidet separately: it attaches to the toilet seat only. But you need an outlet near the toilet.
- A bowl with a plateau
- This is so your waste stays visible for you to inspect your health
- Common in Europe
- Seat warmer
- Keep those cheeks warm in those cold December months
- Slow-close seat
- No more accidentally dropping the seat
- Great for kids
- A seat that lights up
- Yes, you can turn on your seat so that you’ll have extra vision peeing at night
Sure sounds nice don’t they? I’ll admit, the slow-close seat is a must-have. And once you go bidet, you never go back.
11. Can you confidently install a toilet yourself?
Level of importance: ★★★★★
Category: Price
Did you know that you can install a toilet yourself? If not, better be prepared to lay out some bucks. On average, the cost of having a plumber install a toilet in your home is about $200-$300. And this is minus the cost of the toilet itself.
The benefit of having it done is that you know it’s installed correctly and it saves you from some (heavy) labor.
Now that you know what you want in every category go and shop for toilets!
CHECKLIST FOR BUYING A NEW TOILET – DOWNLOADABLE:
How do I know what toilet I need?
You know what toilet you need by determining the size of your bathroom space, your budget, and lastly your preferences. Use the checklist in this article to find out which toilet you need.
Does it matter what kind of toilet I buy?
It doesn’t matter what kind of toilet you buy as long as you take into account your bathroom space and budget. Buy a toilet with a WaterSense label so that you’ll save money on your water bill which is important in the long run.
What are the three main toilets to pick from?
The three main toilets to pick from are wall-hung, one-piece, and two-piece toilets.
Most popular toilets in 2023
Most popular one-piece toilet in 2023:
Most popular two-piece toilet in 2023:
Most popular wall-hung toilet in 2023:
Most popular bidet toilet in 2023:
Most popular bidet seat in 2023:
Disclaimer: TheToiletSpecialist.com is not responsible for any damage caused to your toilet by (wrongly) interpreting information found on this site. Please seek custom advice from a professional to evaluate your current situation.
