You want a bidet seat? Well, it’s a very non-public choice. But from the early days of the pandemic, when toilet paper was hard to find, more and more people said yes.
A bidet seat replaces your existing seat, joining the bowl. Extracts water from the source line and electrical power from a power outlet. With the push of a button on a remote control, a wand extends beneath you and conducts a jet of water fed through an electric pump to leave its parts blank. Some bidet seats have complicated options, such as seat heaters.
The bidet has come a long way since entering the 17th-century French aristocracy. You can locate the vintage porcelain sink that looks like a toilet without a seat but sprays blank water, offering a rinse for your back.
A bidet that is a stand-alone ceramic accessory requires you to transform and upgrade your bathroom to install it. You can also buy a toilet with built-in bidet and rent a plumber to install it, or buy a bidet seat or accessory and install it yourself. By far the most economical way to incorporate a bidet into your life is to use a seat or accessory for bidet.
The primary benefit manufacturers tout for bidets is an easier-than-wiping cleaning experience.
Kohler, the Wisconsin-based kitchen and bathroom accessories manufacturer, reported an eight-fold increase in bide seat sales in March last year. Tushy, a startup that offers drum accessories and was founded in Brooklyn, New York, says its sales have more than doubled this year.
Toto, one of the largest players in bidets, is based in Japan and has seen demand grow rapidly from customers in a wide range of income brackets.
“Consumers are expressing their opinion on e-commerce and social media with words of love,” says Bill Strang, Toto USA’s president of operations and e-commerce. “It’s better than a television commercial.”
To find out how consumers are liking the bidet seats they’ve purchased, Consumer Reports recently conducted a bidet user study, in which panelists gave us their honest feedback about top bidets.
For the most part, the use of a bidet has been incredibly positive. But other people also told us what they would have liked to know before opting for the style they bought, for example, if the bidet is easy to install, if it is simple blank and if you can heat the buttocks. “I’d like to know more about features like hot air drying,” one user said. “I didn’t know until I visited Japan last year.”
We included some insights from them below, where you’ll find the key factors to consider when buying a bidet seat or attachment. CR members with digital access can also read on for a selection of top-rated toilets.
A tip in advance: even if a bidet can decrease the need for toilet paper, it’s a smart concept to dry up after using one. This protects the skin from spaces potentially sensitive to over-moisture-related disorders, explains Allen P. Chudzinski, MD, colon and rectal surgeon, member of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
Cost: Prices range from $30 on Amazon for a Brondell bidet accessory that only sprays water to $1,900 for Toto’s high-end Washlet S550e bidet seat, which includes a hot air dryer and non-public recall configurations for two users. Some bidets are mechanical as well as electric (they only use water pressure, as does their toilet to flush).
Shape: You can place bidet seats suitable for circular or elongated toilets. A bidet accessory works with any type of toilet.
Installation: installing a seat or bidet accessory requires you to turn off the toilet water source and update the old valve with the two-pronged valve provided with the bidet; Use a wrench to unscrew the old valve and tighten the new one. Then, connect the two new feed pipes to the valve, one to the bidet and one to the toilet. Because a bidet seat upgrades your toilet seat, you’ll want to remove the seat before installing it. (You do not want to remove the toilet seat to install a bidet accessory). None of this is especially difficult, however, you should be comfortable running around the pipe.
Some manufacturers, such as Toto, offer commands through YouTube videos; If you need to entrust the installation to a professional, you must have a home service. Bidet seats are painted with any manufacturer’s toilets. However, the seat would possibly move a little or not fit well, as the panelists commented in our bidet review. Therefore, be sure to check with the manufacturer of the bidet seat to make sure that the style you are contemplating is compatible with your configuration.
Cleaning: Many bidet seats and accessories have a “self-muffled” nozzle, which makes water run over the water nozzle to rinse it once the spray is complete. But this and the rest of your seat or accessory requires a normal daily, weekly, and monthly suppression. In fact, you should not rub it with bleach, however, you should clean it normally with a mild detergent and leave blank any sediment between the water source and the filter.
What about toilet paper? Some manufacturers, such as Tushy, claim that their bidet seats reduce toilet paper waste and water intake. And several panelists on our bidet user exam found that they used much less toilet paper. “I estimate that our toilet paper consumption has halved,” one user said. “And I have less anxiety about toilet paper.” Some respondents found that they used up to 80% less TP. You’ll still want to use some squares to dry out.
Aren’t wipes an easier option? Wipes are less expensive than adding a bidet seat, but will almost in fact lead to blockages in the toilet, even those that are “disposable”. Also note that many colon and rectal surgeons advise their patients to clean their wipes, as many involve drying agents, such as alcohol, that can cause itching.
Seats tend to charge heaps of dollars, and sometimes the more features there are and the more customizable they are, the more you’ll have to pay. Most are so popular with an adjustable nozzle, a heated seat and an adjustable water temperature, all powered through an integrated panel. Here are other features you can place in a bidet seat and you will sometimes pay more.
If the concept of buying a bidet makes you wonder if it’s also time for a new toilet, check out the most productive models consistent with CR toilet testing. Most newer models save more water consistent with discharge and have internal bowl coatings that can reduce dirt and odors. The washbasins shown below are compatible with the bidet seats. Just be sure to buy a seat for the proper shape of the bowl. (Most washbasins made today have an elongated bowl shape.)
I’m interested in the intersection between design and generation, whether for drywall or robotic vacuum cleaners, and how the resulting mix affects customers. I’ve written about customer advocacy issues for publications like The Atlantic, PC Magazine and Popular Science, and now I’m happy to deal with the CR theme. For updates, please stay on Twitter (@haniyarae).