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New Toilet Guide: Today’s Choices In Modern Toilets

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By Andrea Hermitt

bathrooms,green products and energy savings,toilets

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There’s a lot more to choosing a toilet than price and style.

You also need to consider things like water conservation, function, size, shape, cleanliness, and maybe even color.

And it’s always helpful to see what others think of a particular brand of toilet (or toilet seat) too.

Following is a guide that will help you determine which toilet is the best toilet for your home. Plus, discussion of some of the most modern features in today’s toilets.

Low-Flow Toilets

Most modern toilets in the U.S. have 6-gallon tanks, by law, in order to conserve on water.

These are considered low-flow toilets, which means they use no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush to eliminate waste.

Older toilets used 3.5 gallons a flush.

Low-flow toilets come in 2 varieties:

  • In gravity fed toilets, the weight of the water from the tank pushes the waste through an S shaped trap way, as the siphon that is created empties the bowl.
  • With pressure assisted toilets, air in the tank is compressed as it fills with water. When flushing, the pressurized air pushes the water more strongly into the bowl, resulting in a better flush.

The biggest difference between the two is that pressure-fed toilets are louder and have no condensation under the tank.

Small vs. Large Toilets

Personally, I think that a larger toilet is better and that you should purchase a larger toilet if your bathroom can hold it.

Most people purchase a standard size toilet that is approximately 15 inches from the tank to end of toilet with some variations available in height and seat size.

Sizes vary by only a couple of inches, but they make all the difference when it comes to comfort. Just as you would sit on a sofa before buying, you may want to put away your modesty and sit on a few toilet seats before buying to make sure you’ve found one that isn’t too low, too small, or too large.

Round vs Oblong Toilets & Toilet Seats

The shape of the toilet bowl and seat is the most important part of choosing the size of your new toilet.

While round toilets are space savers and are a standard size (making seat replacement easy), oblong or elongated bowls are more comfortable and are less likely to cut off leg circulation.

Toilet Colors

Yes, you can still purchase a toilet in just about any color under the sun these days.

There are even companies that will match your toilet to a custom color.

I do suggest using caution when purchasing a colored toilet however, because the next person to purchase your house will almost certainly find that it does not fit their tastes.  Therefore, if you are planning on a good resale value, it is smart to stick to a standard white toilet.

Easy Clean Toilets

No, easy clean toilets do not clean themselves, but they do make getting to the grime easier.

For example, easy clean hinges allow you to lift the seat off and clean the hinges thoroughly. And Ultra Touch Antimicrobial Comfort Touch toilet seats are marketed at dishwasher safe!

Unique Toilet Functions

While the bidet is not a toilet, it falls under the category.  Bidets allow for an extra level of cleanliness.  They are especially popular in Europe and wealthy households.  If your toilet doesn’t have  a bidet, you can convert your toilet so that it has a bidet function.

https://youtu.be/2wm9kKfA-e4

The Best Toilets

So, which toilet is “the best” in general? Better yet, which would be the best choice for your home specifically?

Consider these reports which summarize a variety of toilet reviews:

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