Bidet seat It’s one of those luxuries you can live without. Until you realize what you’re missing. I first encountered a washlet at a ramen shop on the West Coast of the United States, where Toto’s premium washlets were imported from Japan. Washlets have been around in Japan for decades. I may have been an early adopter, but bidets are becoming more and more popular in the United States. Toto’s U.S. sales doubled in the first quarter of 2020 and have grown double digits every year since. More and more people are starting to realize that Americans’ toilet habits are… filthy. Think about it. When you get something smelly and germy on your body, do you want to wash it off or wipe it off with paper?
Okay, we’ve been persuaded. So what should you buy? The WIRED team scoured a lot of toilet seats in search of the best bidet. We tested each model for at least a week (some longer), and then installed them ourselves, without the help of a professional plumber. Whether it’s cheap bidets, bidets with heated seats, or bidets that open automatically to happily encourage a bowel movement, we’ve got your butt covered.
Update August 2024: We’ve updated the price and added Alpha UX Pearl to the Great Products section.
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What kind of bidet should you buy?
Let’s consider the shape. Most American household toilets come in two standard sizes: round and elongated. Round toilets are 16.5 inches long, while elongated toilets are approximately 18.5 inches long. The bidets on this list will fit round toilets, but not elongated toilets. Measure twice, buy once. All of the bidets we’ve reviewed are attachments that replace your existing toilet seat, although some toilets come with a built-in bidet seat.
Electric seat or simple spray? The bidets on this list are toilet seats that mount above the toilet bowl and connect to a tank and AC outlet. The Tushy, however, is a sprayer that mounts under your existing toilet seat and connects to your water line. To use safely, you need a shock-blocking GFCI protected outlet within a few feet of the toilet bowl. The Tushy doesn’t require electricity, but it doesn’t heat the water, so the water is room temperature. The cheaper electric bidets we’ve used usually give you a quick squirt of room temperature water, which then gets hot quickly. The best bidets (which usually have a price tag to match) give you a squirt of hot water and allow you to adjust the temperature within a few degrees. Most electric bidets also have a fan to help you dry yourself off, but it’s still a good idea to have a few sheets of toilet paper on hand to dry yourself off.
What is your budget? For about $100, you can buy an attachment that fits over your current seat and connects to your toilet’s cold water line. High-end bidet attachments can cost as much as $2,000. The sweet spot is between $500 and $1,000. At this price point, you’ll get a sturdy seat with great features, but without all the excessive extras like voice commands (yes, really) or extra batteries.
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