The best bidet A seat is one of the luxury you can live until you realize what you lack. My first encounter was a ramen spot on the west coast of the US, importing high-end toto washlets from Japan. I may have been an early adopter, but bidets are more common in the US. Toto's US sales doubled in the first quarter of 2020 and have grown double digits each year since. I'm starting to realize that American bathroom habits are…gloss. Think about it: If you get something full of bacteria that smells like a foul, do you want to wash it off or smear it with paper?
Okay, I convinced you. So, what should you buy? The wired team changed many toilet seats in search of the best bidet. We spent at least a week testing each model (some were much longer) and managed the installation without the help of a professional plumber. There are budget bids, heated bidets, and automatically opened bidets, and we are happy to invite you to empty your intestines. We're covering your ass.
Updated August 2024: Updated pricing and added Alpha UX Pearl to the Honorable Referral section.
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What kind of bidet should I buy?
Think about the shape. Most American home toilets come in either two standard sizes, either round or elongated. The round toilet bowl is 16.5 inches long, but the elongated bowl is about 18.5. The bidets on this list fit one, but the other doesn't. Measure twice and buy once. All of the bidets we review are attachments that replace existing toilet seats, but there are also toilets with built-in bidet seats.
Electric sheets or simple sprayers? The bidet on this list is a seat that attaches to the top of the toilet and connects to the tank and AC outlet. Except for sprayers that are mounted under existing sheets and tap the water supply line. For safe use, you will need a shock blocking GFCI protected outlet within a few feet of the toilet. Tushy does not require electricity, but does not heat water that reaches room temperature. The inexpensive electric bidets we used usually quickly burst room temperature water and quickly give way to warm water. The best bidet usually starts with spraying warm water – at a matching price – and you can control the temperature within a few degrees. Most electric bidets have fans that can help dry you out, but you probably still want to have some squares of toilet paper that are convenient for drying out.
What is your budget? You can get an attachment that fits into your current seat and tap on the cold water line that fills the toilet for about $100. Some high-end bidet attachments cost $2,000. Sweet spots tend to be in the price range of $500 to $1,000. Here, there are no over-the-top extras like voice commands (yes, really) or backup batteries, but there are sturdy seats.
