Bidet toilets and bidet seats: what to know before you buy

Bidets have gone mainstream in American bathrooms, and there are three ways to get one. Which fits depends on your budget, your current toilet, and whether there is an outlet nearby.

Three options

• Bidet seat: replaces your toilet seat. The most affordable and easiest upgrade.
• Integrated bidet toilet (smart toilet): one sleek unit with the bidet built in, often with auto-flush, a heated seat and a night light.
• Standalone bidet: a separate fixture beside the toilet. Needs its own floor space and plumbing, so it is usually part of a remodel.

Features worth paying for

Warm water (tank or instant heat), a heated seat, adjustable spray position and pressure, a warm-air dryer, and a remote or wall control. Instant heat never runs out of warm water; tank models are cheaper.

Power and plumbing

Electric bidet seats and smart toilets need a GFCI outlet within reach of the toilet, usually on the wall behind or beside it. Most connect to the existing toilet water supply with a T-valve. If there is no outlet, a non-electric seat is the simple fallback.

Will it fit?

Match the seat to your bowl shape (round or elongated) and check that it fits your toilet model; one-piece toilets with unusual shapes may not work. For a new smart toilet, check the rough-in and the outlet location first.

Installation

Swapping a toilet or fitting a bidet seat where an outlet already exists is a quick job for our Keene crew, quoted separately. Adding an outlet is electrical work and is quoted with it. See the toilet buying guide.

Common questions

Do bidet seats need electricity?

Electric bidet seats with warm water and heated seats do, from a GFCI outlet near the toilet. Non-electric seats use cold water only and need no power.

Will a bidet seat fit any toilet?

Most fit standard round or elongated bowls. Check the seat against your bowl shape and your toilet model, especially one-piece toilets.

Is a smart toilet worth it?

If you want a bidet anyway and are replacing the toilet, an integrated smart toilet is cleaner looking and adds features like auto-flush and a heated seat.