Bidet seats are one of those luxuries you can live happily without until you realize what you’re missing. My first encounter came at a ramen spot on the West Coast of the US that had imported a high-end Toto washlet from Japan, where they’ve been a part of daily life for decades. I might have been an early adopter, but bidets are getting more common in the US. Toto’s American sales doubled in the first quarter of 2020 and have continued to climb since. (The pandemic and the infamous toilet paper outage surely played a role.) But maybe more people are starting to realize that American bathroom habits are … gross. Think about it: When you get something on you that smells foul and is full of germs, do you want to wash it off or smear it off with a piece of paper?
OK, I convinced you. So what should you buy? Never fear. The WIRED team has swapped out plenty of toilet seats in search of the best bidets. We spent at least one week testing each model—some for far longer—and managed the installations ourselves without the help of a professional plumber. We’ve got budget bidets, bidets with heated seats, and ones that automatically open up, happily inviting you to empty your bowels. We’ve got your bum covered.
Updated November 2023: We’ve added the new flagship from Toto, added a SmartBidet model with instant heating, and added an accessory that’s a must-have for anyone installing their bidet in a tight space. We’ve also removed Brondell as a pick, and explain why.
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What Kind of Bidet Should You Buy?
Think of the shape. Most American home toilets come in one of two standard sizes: round or elongated. A round toilet bowl is 16.5 inches long while an elongated bowl is about 18.5. The bidets on this list are generally made for one or the other. Measure twice, buy once. All bidets we reviewed are attachments that take the place of the seats on existing toilets, but there are also toilets with built-in bidet seats.
