Which toilet should you buy? A helpful guide

Every household deserves a toilet of the highest quality. For a piece of bathroom hardware that we use multiple times per day it makes sense. There are plenty of great products out there, but what exactly should you be looking for and where? We will be uncovering the good and bad features  to watch out for. Common defects, flushing functionality, gallon usage, and information regarding the tank and bowl will all be written about here.

One thing to keep in mind is how efficient you want your toilet to be. Picking a Watersense labelled unit will help consumers make up to 20% water saving with each flush according to Toilet brains. They start at 1.28 gallons and can go all the way down to 0.5 gallons with specific flush systems. However, some people want a good mixture of performance and efficiency. If that’s the case, then there are also some great dual flush toilets available. The ability to choose between two flow rates is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. And that 20% is economically friendly too.

The height of the toilet bowl should really be something that is ADA compliant in this day and age. Luckily, there is a great variety to choose from. Usually they start from measurements of seventeen inches, but they can go up to twenty inches or more with specific brands. The extra height is great for the older generation or even people who have a disability.

Touching on toilet brands briefly, there are only a few that stand out from the crowd for us. Each one have there own niche within the industry, but the two that jockey for most of our business are TOTO and KOHLER. We work with both these brands on a day to day basis and they have been the most reliable in our opinion. However, there are certainly some hidden gems out there too for specific bathroom design. For example Gerber and Duravit would be among our favorite choices for wall hanging toilets.

Next up, think about the location of the bathroom. Does it already have all the required plumbing in place, or is it something below the sewer line that requires something completely new installed. There are some solid picks for both. But for things like basement bathrooms, there is very specific pieces of kit that are known as upflush or macerating pumps. So consider your homes layout before spending cash.

The flush mechanism should also be researched. A typical project for us includes choosing between dual flush or single flush. Which in itself is pretty straight forward, the only differences between these things is water usage and MaP performance, which measures the strength on the flush on a zero to one thousand scale. However, how those flush systems are operated can vary too. Whilst many people will be familiar with pushing a button or pulling a trip lever, there is also a touchless mechanism which involves the user simply waving there hand over a sensor. This is a far more modern and hygienic way to flush the toilet.

So with all those things considered, how much should you be spending for a decent product? We believe setting aside five hundred dollars should be enough for a decent toilet tank, bowl, seat. and installation fixtures. Even the most respected manufacturers provide affordable units with contemporary designs. By following everything in the guide above you have the required knowledge to find something that ticks all the boxes.