Reasons to Buy a Bidet Seat.
Looking to purchase a bidet toilet seat? With all the features you want? For an affordable price?
Well, you’ve come to the right place!
In this post we will cover the basics of a bidet toilet seat – what they are, the health benefits they offer, some of the latest features, and the price you can expect.
FAQ: Bidet Toilet Seat
Purchasing a bidet for your home is a huge leap forward in personal hygiene and bathroom sanitation. Western countries such as the US, UK and Canada have been a bit slow to catch-on but w/ cheaper prices, better features and concern for eco-friendly solutions, consumer demand has increased in the last couple years.
Let’s start by explaining exactly what a bidet toilet seat is and how it works. After you see just how easy and (somewhat) affordable it can be, you’ll consider one for your household.
How does a toilet seat bidet work?
The high-end models include a stainless steel nozzle with multiple water outlets for streaming. It is typically positioned at the back underside of the seat and will spray a warm jet of water upwards in the direction of your private areas. The seat itself is connected to a water source (same as your toilet holding tank) and install is as simple as removing the two bolts that hold the old seat and replacing with your new unit.
Newer models are DIY-friendly and for high end bidet seats (such as the Brondell 1400 and Toto Washlet S550e), will include tankless water function – this supplies unlimited warm water. A non-tankless bidet will have a finite amount of warm water, but should be enough for 3-4 washes.
Why doesn’t everyone have a bidet?
Good question. In other parts of the world, water is the preferred method of washing private areas after using the bathroom. Culturally, North Americans have just been really slow to catch on, and the bidet has not been a mainstream choice. Since water is more hygienic than wiping with toilet paper, in the next few years I think bidets will be much more prevalent.
Is a bidet better than toilet paper?
Simple answer is, ‘yes’. There is simply no way that paper can do the same job that water can do when cleaning private areas. Imagine only wiping your hands with paper. Everyone washes their hands with water no matter where you live in the world, and for good reason – it is the most effective way to clean.
How does a bidet help?
The most important reason is personal hygiene and sanitation. For men and women, there are some very common conditions that result from, or can be exacerbated by, insufficient or improper personal hygiene.
Washing with clean water can reduce the occurrence of these conditions and free you from many types of issues such as infections, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, hemorrhoids, and other painful, uncomfortable conditions.
Many bidet seats include a stainless steel self-cleaning nozzle as well! A few models allow you to adjust the positioning, giving you an optimal wash.
Five Reasons to Buy a Bidet
Below is a handful of reasons why a bidet toilet seat might be a good purchase for your home.
1. Feminine Hygiene
Reading reviews from female users, women absolutely love the cleansing washes a bidet seat provides. It effectively cleans private areas with warm water and are proven to help reduce the occurrence of yeast infections, urinary infections and other health symptoms.
A bidet is especially useful during or after pregnancy, especially right after giving birth.
2. Treating Hemorrhoids
Paper can irritate sensitive skin near the rectal area and can inflame and irritate. A bidet supplies a gentle stream that is soothing and effective. And using the remote control you can adjust for water pressure, water temperature, and massage vs. pulsating bidet wash.
3. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Anyone who suffers from IBS or diarrhea will love a bidet toilet seat. They are proven to decrease inflammation caused by frequent trips to the bathroom and wiping with paper.
4. Constipation Issues
Bidets help stimulate movements when constipated. The warm stream of water can help get things moving when suffering from constipation and help clean when finished. And since it is paper-less, it offers a decreased chance of rashes.
5. Daily Use
Cleaning effectively after intercourse is ideal, especially for women. A bidet toilet seat is a simple way to lessen the likelihood of urinary tract infections or yeast infections.
Bidet Toilet Seat Prices
Now that we have covered the basics, you should know that there is a wide array of prices and features when it comes to bidet toilet seats. Among the multiple manufacturers there are three companies which have built a reputation for high quality bidet seat models.
- Toto Washlet
- Brondell Swash
- Bio Bidet USPA
Other notable brands include Kohler and American Standard. Both have a good reputation for manufacturing toilets and toilet bidet combos, but are just starting out in the bidet seat category. Each has a handful of models which have mediocre buyer reviews.
From the three high-end brands, you can expect prices to range from $199 to $1199. You can of course purchase a cheaper option for under $200 but it will likely come from a lesser known manufacturer and will offer only a couple (if any) luxury features.
To understand what you are getting for your money, you must first evaluate which features you want most. Depending how many and the type of features/functions, your ideal bidet seat can be very affordable or super expensive.
Below is my assessment of the bidet seat prices.
Bidet Seats: $200 – $300
These are the basic models such as the Toto Washlet A100 and Bio Bidet USPA 6800 that fall into this category. They are older models but are still super popular with consumers and offer the features and functions you want in a starter bidet seat.
Features include 2-3 wash types, remote control, and SoftClose Lid.
Bidet Seats: $300 – $550
Now that you have upgraded to the newer models you can expect some of the nicer, luxury features such as warm air dryer, heated seat, self-cleaning nozzles, 4-5 wash types and adjustable temp/pressure settings. Generally, if you are interested in a bidet seat, you will probably find yourself in this range.
Check out the TOTO K300, or Brondell Swash 1000 models.
Bidet Seats: $550 – $1,199
For those looking for the best hands-free bathroom experience, this is the price point to expect. Models in this range will have all the luxury features such as tankless water heating (for unlimited hot water), 4-6 wash types, adjustable nozzle positions, warm air dryer, air deodorizer and memory for up to two users. The best bidet models in this price range will be the Brondell Swash 1400, Toto S350e vs. S550e and a few of the Bio Bidet seats.
When you are researching bidet seat prices, make sure you remember the list of features that best suit your needs. If a heated seat for winter is a must, only consider models that come with this feature, and so on. Also remember that you may want to consider things like warranty and return policy.
Conclusion
These are a lot of reasons to buy a bidet toilet seat – from eco-friendly water efficiency to a full hands-free bathroom experience and heated seat. Consumers love them, but in the last few years their high price tag has stalled demand. However, prices are coming down and along with better features and high-tech functions they have started gaining momentum again.
Buyers say that after enjoying their bidet toilet seat they can’t imagine not having it. They are ultimate bathroom luxury!
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