If your toilet broke or needs replacement, or you are simply shopping for a toilet for your new house, you came to the right place.
In this article, I will first look at what ten of the best toilets on the market in 2020 are, as well as go over many of the things you need to know if you are planning to buy a toilet.
Before jumping into the brief reviews of the nine toilets and the rest of the article, though, below is a list picking out some of the products on the longer list to help you save some time if you are in a hurry:
- Best standard toilet: TOTO Drake 2-Piece Toilet with Elongated Bowl and Sanagloss
- Best round toilet: KOHLER Wellworth Round-Front Dual-Flush Toilet
- Best one-piece toilet: WoodBridge T-0020 Elongated One-Piece Toilet
- Best washlet: TOTO Drake II Connect Plus Toilet with Washlet
- Best wall-hung toilet: TOTO Aquia Wall-Hung Dual-Flush Toilet
9 Best Toilets to Buy in 2020
While the list below is numbered, the toilets are in no particular order since the best toilet for you will actually depend on your preferences as well as the setup of your bathroom or toilet room.
Instead, I try to mention at least a toilet or two from a variety of budget levels, as well as types such as one and two-piece toilets, and elongated and round toilets.
#1: TOTO Drake 2-Piece Toilet with Elongated Bowl and Sanagloss
Before continuing, I will mention that the Drake toilet comes without a seat by default, and so you will have to plan for that when doing your shopping. Given that it is easy to get a toilet seat such as this one from TOTO on Amazon, this fact should not discourage you from buying this model.
As for the toilet itself, as mentioned above, it comes in two pieces – the bowl and the tank – and so cleaning the gaps between the two might cause you some headaches. However, at the same time, it comes with a SanaGloss glaze which makes the bowl’s surface extremely smooth and as such it makes the flush more effective and cleaning of the bowl more easier than that of non-SanaGloss toilets.
The toilet bowl itself is 14 inches wide, however, at its widest point which is the tank, the toilet measures 19-1/2 inches. The distance between the wall and the tip of the toilet is about 28 inches. And, the toilet’s height without a seat is 14-5/8 inches which makes it about 16 inches tall with the seat installed.
While the toilet that I talk about above comes with a 12-inch rough-in, there are also other versions – such as the 10-inch one – of the same model available.
It is equipped with TOTO’s proprietary G-Max flushing system and uses the standard 1.6 gallons per flush. The flush is controlled with a chrome lever on the left side of the tank and the toilet comes in cotton white color.
Overall, the TOTO Drake 2-Piece Toilet with Elongated Bowl and Sanagloss is an excellent toilet to consider if you are looking for a Japanese-quality toilet for a reasonable price.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
#2: American Standard Colony HET Elongated Toilet
The reason you will be able to use less water (and save the environment a bit) is that the toilet uses high-efficiency PowerWash flush technology that only consumes 1.28 gallons per flush. As such, the toilet meets WaterSense certification criteria.
Another useful thing about this model is the fact that the toilet has a 9 inches by 8 inches water surface meaning that the waste will less likely hit the bowl itself. As such, the toilet is easier to clean than some of the others with smaller water surface area.
On the other hand, since it’s a two-piece toilet, cleaning its exterior is a bit more of a hassle compared to cleaning its one-piece counterparts. And, as far as this model is concerned, the design is not the most attractive.
The pictured toilet is the 12-inch rough-in white version, but the toilet is also available with a 10-inch rough-in, and in two other colors – bone and linen.
The Colony Elongated toilet bowl is 14 inches wide while the tank is 19-3/16 inches wide. Once installed, the toilet will reach 29-3/4 inches from the wall. The toilet bowl is elongated provided more comfort than a round one, and it is 15 inches high without the seat attached.
Just like with some of the other toilets on this list, keep in mind that this one does not come with a toilet seat. As such you will have to get one separately. The recommended standard seat for this toilet is the American Standard Laurel Elongated Toilet Seat with Cover.
Overall, if you are looking for an entry-level elongated toilet made by one of the most prolific brands on the American market, the American Standard Colony HET Elongated Toilet is a great one to choose. Especially so, if you would prefer a longer warranty (in this case two years) than the standard one-year warranty that TOTO offers.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
#3: TOTO Entrada 1.28GPF CalGreen Round Two-Piece Toilet
Just like the number one on this list, it is made by the Japanese company TOTO and so you can expect it to be very well built in spite of its low price. Not only that, but the toilet features a very simple white design with a chrome lever and so it will look nice in any bathroom.
It uses E-Max flushing system which is both very quiet and water-efficient in spite of being rather powerful. In fact, the toilet is both WaterSense certified since it uses just 1.28 gallons of water per flush and CalGreen compliant.
Like the previous two toilets on this list, the Entrada is a floor-outlet toilet and it features a single-flush system. However, depending on how far you pull the flushing lever, you should be able to limit the water usage in cases when you don’t need a full flush.
Given that the toilet features a round bowl, it only measures 26-5/8 inches from the back of the tank to the tip of the bowl. As for its other measurements, it is 15-1/4 inches wide including the lever and 30 inches from the floor to the top of its tank.
The toilet rough-in is 12-inches and the bowl is 16-1/4 inches high without a seat installed. With a seat installed, it’s about an inch more making it ADA compliant.
While talking about the seat, it’s also worth mentioning that you will have to get one separately. The manufacturer recommends this one, however, any round seat should work.
Overall, the TOTO Entrada is a great toilet if you are looking for an entry-level one and your bathroom is not large enough to fit an elongated bowl. One thing to keep in mind, though, is the fact that TOTO only offers a 1-year warranty. But then again, regardless of that, the toilet will likely last you much longer.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
#4: KOHLER Wellworth Round-Front Dual-Flush Toilet
Just like some of the other toilets on this list, it does not come with a seat. You can get one separately on Amazon or at your hardware store.
Going back to the toilet, it features a simple yet elegant white design. As a two-piece toilet, the bowl and the tank come separately, although once installed, they are very close to each other.
The Wellworth is a dual-flush toilet equipped with KOHLER’s original Class Five flush technology. Besides the full 1.6GPF flush, you can also use the smaller 1.1GPF smaller flush to save water when you don’t need the full flush. The flush is controlled with a lever on the right side of the tank and the toilet is WaterSense compliant.
Being a round bowl toilet, it has relatively compact length, sticking only 27-3/4 inches out of the wall. Of course, that comes at a slight price in comfort as compared to an elongated bowl toilet.
The toilet is 18 inches wide at its widest point and it measures 29-1/4 inches from the floor to the top of the tank. From the floor to the top of the bowl, it measures 14-1/2 inches, and so, with a seat installed, it’s roughly 15-1/2 inches high.
It comes with a standard rough-in of 12 inches.
Overall, if you are looking for a reasonably priced toilet with round bowl, the KOHLER Wellworth is well worth considering (no pun intended). If you have the extra space required as compared to the TOTO toilet above, you might want to consider this one because of its dual flush capability.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
#5: KOHLER Memoirs Elongated Toilet
Don’t let the (beyond) old-school design fool you, though. Functionally, this toilet is about as good as it can get which is not a surprise given that it’s relatively expensive.
While the toilet doesn’t feature dual flush, it only uses 1.28 gallons of water per flush making it WaterSense compliant. In spite of that, its flush is very effective thanks to KOHLER’s unique AquaPiston technology which makes water enter the bowl from all sides when the toilet is flushed.
The flush is activated with a polished chrome lever located on the left side of the tank’s front.
As for the toilet’s dimensions, it’s got the standard 12-inch rough in and is slightly higher than some of the other toilets on this list, measuring 16-1/2 inches from the floor to the top of the bowl. That makes it comfortable to use especially in households with tall people.
The Memoirs toilet measures 29-5/8 inches from the wall to the tip of the bowl and is 18-7/8 inches wide at the top of its tank – the toilet’s widest point.
Understandably, this toilet’s design has as many people that like it as it does have people that would never install it in their bathroom. However, keep in mind that thanks to its design featuring mostly large flat surfaces, it is easier to clean than the typically shaped toilets that this list included until this point.
Overall, this toilet is not for all homes and will only fit in aesthetically if you match other items in the bathroom or toilet room in similar style. Other than that, though, it is an excellent one to consider if you don’t mind paying slightly more than you would for a regular toilet.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
#6: WoodBridge T-0020 Elongated One-Piece Toilet
While the toilet comes at a higher cost than some of the standard models, having a one-piece toilet can be advantageous when it comes to cleaning. That is because of the fact that there are no nooks and crannies between the bowl and the tank that are hard to clean.
On top of that, the unique square design of this model makes it even easier to clean since it mostly consists of fairly large flat surfaces.
The T-0020 features a siphon flushing system which is quiet but powerful. And, at a water usage of 1.0GPF for a small and 1.6GPF for a full flush, it is also very efficient. In fact, it well exceeds the requirements and is WaterSense compliant.
As for the toilet’s measurements, it comes with a 12-inch rough-in and the seat height is 18 inches. Given its unique design and footprint, the toilet comes with a pre-installed soft closing seat.
Overall, if you are looking to splurge a little and would like something looking more modern than a typical toilet, the WoodBridge T-0020 is a great one to consider. As an added bonus, you will have an easier time cleaning this one than some of the other toilets out there.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
#7: TOTO Drake II Connect Plus Toilet with Washlet
The biggest downside of this toilet is, of course, it’s high price – mainly caused by the high-tech seat. Also, given that it’s a two-piece toilet, if you would prefer an easier to clean one-piece model, you would have to look for a different one.
As for the toilet’s technology, it features CeFiONtect glaze which makes it more difficult for the debris to stick on the inside, and Connect Plus design which helps conceal the washlet’s cables resulting in a neater look.
The toilet uses 1.28 gallons of water per flush and so it is WaterSense compliant. In spite of that, the flush is powerful enough to clean the toilet perfectly thanks to the use of TOTO’s proprietary Tornado Flush technology.
It’s 28-1/2 inches from the wall to the tip of the toilet, and at its widest point the toilet measures 16-1/2 inches. By default, it comes with a 12-inch rough-in, but it is also available in the less common 10-inch and 14-inch rough in sizes.
Overall, if you are looking for a toilet with a bidet seat, there is no better brand to look at than TOTO – the Japanese pioneer of such toilets – or washlets as they call them. And, the Vespin II that I talk about above is a great place to start looking for the right one for you.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
#8: American Standard Cadet 3 Triangle Toilet
Given that it’s got a round bowl, it is useful for even some of the smaller bathrooms out there. The distance between the corner and the toilet bowl’s tip is 33-3/16 inches, and the toilet comes with the standard 12-inch rough-in.
It’s 16-1/2 inches high without a seat. Since the seat is not included with the toilet you will have to get one separately. Any seat designed for round toilets will fit.
One of the seats I would suggest for the toilet is the Cadet 3 seat which was designed specifically for this model. And, just like the toilet itself, the seat is equipped with EverClean antimicrobial surface which will prevent bacteria and mold from growing on it.
Since the toilet uses 1.6 gallons per flush and only features single-flush mechanism, it is not WaterSense certified. On the bright side, the toilet includes PowerWash technology which helps clean the bowl with each flush. Similarly, the toilet’s Cadet flushing system helps flush all the debris to perfection.
The toilet comes with a lifetime warranty on the bowl itself and a five-year warranty on mechanical parts.
Overall, the American Standard Cadet 3 is a great one to look at in case you are looking for a corner toilet. You get the quality of a reputable maker for a relatively acceptable price. And, you get a solid warranty that the toilet will likely outlast in either case.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
#9: TOTO Aquia Wall-Hung Dual-Flush Toilet
Given that this is a rear-outlet toilet, rather than having the waste output plumbing in your toilet room’s floor, you will need to have it in your wall. And, since it’s a wall hung toilet rather than one sitting on the ground, it can be used with all rough-in sizes. (The height of the toilet will vary based on the rough-in.)
The Aquia wall-hung toilet is equipped with a dual flush system using 1.6 gallons per full flush and 0.9 gallons per flush for the smaller one. As such, it is not only compliant with all the standard regulations, but also with the stricter WaterSense standards.
Like many other TOTO toilets, it is coated with SanaGloss glaze which prevents debris from sticking to the bowl. On the downside, the toilet doesn’t come with a seat, and so you will have to get one, preferably this one by TOTO separately.
You will also have to gate a tank like this one by Geberit to put in your wall and connect the toilet to. Because of that, installing this toilet will require a bit more construction work than installing a standard toilet does.
Overall, though, if you are looking for a stylish toilet than wall-hung one is the way to go. Even among all of those, you can’t go wrong by picking the TOTO Aquia. It’s water-efficient and made by a world renown manufacturer. And, while it only comes with a one-year warranty like other TOTO toilets, that shouldn’t worry you as the toilet will most likely last way beyond that.
Check this toilet’s price on Amazon
The Ultimate Guide to Buying Toilets
Are you unable to find a toilet you like among the ten models detailed above?
Or, are you interested in understanding more about what is involved in replacing a toilet, and what some of the most important things to consider when choosing a new toilet are?
If so, the guide to buying toilets that follows should answer your questions and also help you make the best possible decision when deciding which model to go for.
When will you need to buy a toilet?
Before I even get into the factors that you should be looking at when buying a toilet, first, let me talk a bit about the situations in which you will be likely looking to buy a new toilet.
First of all, you will need to get one if you are building a new house from scratch.
In that case, depending on which stage of planning or building you are at, you will have the largest amount of flexibility when it comes to choosing the toilet type, size, etc.
Besides the above, reasons you might want to replace your toilet include leaks and too high water usage among others.
In those cases, you will be constrained by what you already have or by how much you want to invest in any extra construction and plumbing work that might be required to accommodate a toilet that would not otherwise fit in your bathroom.
How much will it cost you to replace a toilet?
Just as with any other appliances and items for your home, on the upper limit, the sky is the limit.
On the lower end, you will find toilets for a bit more than a hundred dollars (during sales even less than that). On the higher end, toilets can cost several hundred and even thousands of dollars.
When creating a budget for your toilet replacement project, keep in mind that in most cases you will want to hire a plumber, and that some other costs might be incurred as well.
To learn more about how much it costs to replace a toilet, read this article.
What are some of the best toilet brands?
While I talk about the best toilet brands in greater detail in a separate article, I will mention here the three most commonly found ones which are also some of the best ones in their respective categories.
The first of the three brands I want to introduce is American Standard which is one of the most prolific bathroom and kitchen fixture manufacturers in the United States. Among other things, they are well known for their reasonably priced and high quality toilets which they’ve been manufacturing for almost a century. On a side note, recently, they were by Lixil, a Japanese manufacturer.
The second toilet brand worth mentioning is Kohler, a 145-year-old manufacturer headquartered in Wisconsin. Besides residential toilets, they also manufacture commercial toilets and urinals as well as other unrelated products. The fact that they’ve been around for so long and that you can see their products in many toilets all around the US is a testament to their good quality and reasonable price.
Finally, the last brand to close off the trio is Toto, the world’s largest toilet manufacturer. Unlike the above two which are American manufacturers (even though one is owned by a Japanese company), Toto is a “purely” Japanese company. It is known around the world for its washlets, toilets with bidet seats. While, in general, it is the most expensive of the three brands, it is well-worth considering if you have the budget.
What things should you consider when choosing a new toilet?
Now that you know in what cases you will have to get a new toilet and what some of the most reliable and common brands are, let’s take a look at the factors to consider when choosing a toilet to buy.
Rough-In Size
This is the very first thing you will have to consider when choosing a toilet, especially so if you are replacing your old one or if your new house’s plumbing has already been designed or installed.
While I wrote in more detail about toilet rough-in before, let me just remind you what it is.
It’s basically the distance between the whole the toilet will be attached to and the waste output plumbing installed in your floor. Or, in case the plumbing is in the wall, it’s the distance from the floor.
Normally, toilets have their waste output at the bottom and come in three standard sizes: 10-inch, 12-inch, and 14-inch, with the first of those being the most common.
Standard, Corner or Rear Outlet
Another thing you will have to think about is the shape of the toilet.
And, just like the previous one, you might be limited by the type of plumbing you already have installed.
First, you will have to decide whether you want a standard toilet with the waste output going into the floor, a corner toilet which is, as its name suggests, a standard toilet designed to fit in a corner, or a rear outlet toilet with the waste discharging into a pipe in the wall.
With rear outlet toilet, you will also have to decide whether you will go for a regular toilet sitting on the ground and built for a certain rough-in, or for a hung toilet which is mounted onto the wall and thus can fit rough-in of any height.
Round or Elongated
The second decision you will have to make is whether you want a round toilet bowl or an elongated one. If you have a small bathroom, you may be limited to round ones but otherwise, it will be up to you to decide.
While round toilets tend to be cheaper and so are ideal if your budget is limited, elongated ones are more common since they provide more comfort.
One-Piece or Two-Piece
While all of the above are related to the toilet bowl itself, the next thing you will have to think about relates to the toilet as a whole. More specifically, you will have to decide between buying a one-piece or a two-piece toilet.
A one-piece toilet has both the bowl and the tank which holds water for flushing integrated into one big coherent piece. And, as you have probably figured out by now, a two-piece toilet is the exact opposite where the two are separated.
While two-piece toilets tend to be cheaper, they are also more difficult to clean since there are more small gaps to reach into, such as between the bowl and the tank.
As such, if you have the budget for it, consider getting a one-piece toilet. They are not only easier to clean, but oftentimes they are more stylish than the more classic looking two-piece ones.
You can read more about one-piece vs. two-piece toilets here.
Water Usage and Flushing Mechanism
The second last thing I am going to mention in this list of things to consider when choosing a new toilet is also one of the most important ones. At least in terms of the environment and long-term economics.
How much water a toilet uses is determined by two factors: the toilet’s GPF and its flushing mechanism.
GPM stands for gallons per flush, and as its title suggests, it refers to the amount of water the toilet uses per one flush. While older toilets oftentimes had a GPM of more than 1.6, in 1994, a law came into effect setting that amount as the maximum limit for all residential toilets manufactured and sold in the United States.
As such, nowadays, you can be sure than any toilet you buy in the US will spend less water than that. If you want to take it to the next level, though, look for WaterSense certified toilets which use 1.28 gallons per flush or less.
Related to the above is whether the toilet you will buy will feature a single or a dual flush mechanism.
While a single flush mechanism will discharge the same amount of water whether you did “number one” or “number two,” a dual flush mechanism will give you the choice of using only half of the water of a full flush after “number one.”
As such, the best possible route you can go here is to get a WaterSense certified dual flush toilet.
Separately from the above, you will also have to consider whether you want a pressure-assist or gravity flushing mechanism. While the first will cost more and be a bit louder, it will use less water and have a more powerful flush.
Toilet Seat Type
The final thing you might have to think about when buying a new toilet is what kind of toilet seat you want. In most cases, a toilet will come with a toilet seat by default, and so you will not have to worry about it too much.
Still, depending on your preferences, you might choose a toilet that comes with a bidet seat (washlet) or a toilet with a simple plastic seat. Alternatively, if you prefer wooden seats, you might have to buy one separately since they don’t come bundled with toilets often.
Where should you buy a toilet?
Now that you know when to buy a toilet, what brands to look at, how much the whole project will roughly cost, and what are the main things to consider when choosing the right toilet for your home, let’s take a look at where to actually buy it.
Considering the fact that you will most likely have a plumber come to your home to install the new toilet, you might just as well buy it from him. The upside is, of course, that it will be very convenient.
On the negative side, though, you will likely not have as much choice as with some of the other options below, and will likely end up paying a premium for the “service” of having the plumber bring the toilet to you.
Instead, unless it’s a total emergency that needs to be solved as fast as possible, I suggest you take your time and either visit hardware stores near you to pick a toilet you like or get one online.
While in the first of those cases, you will have the advantage of being able to see the toilet in person before buying it, you will also have to carry it back home.
With that in mind, I recommend you to go to a hardware store near you if you have the time and energy, pick a toilet you like, and then do some comparison shopping to see if you can get it cheaper from Amazon, The Home Depot, or similar on the Internet.
Summary
Given how long it can last, picking the right toilet when shopping for a new one is critical. Yet, with so many choices on the market, it can get daunting.
Hopefully, this article helped you a bit with narrowing down your selection. And, with understanding what some of the important factors – such as the rough-in, bowl’s shape, brand, and so on – are when choosing the best possible toilet for your needs.
In case, you are looking for a quick answer, or at least a couple of starting points as to where to start looking, below is a list of five toilets, one per category:
- Best standard toilet: TOTO Drake 2-Piece Toilet with Elongated Bowl and Sanagloss
- Best round toilet: KOHLER Wellworth Round-Front Dual-Flush Toilet
- Best one-piece toilet: WoodBridge T-0020 Elongated One-Piece Toilet
- Best washlet: TOTO Drake II Connect Plus Toilet with Washlet
- Best wall-hung toilet: TOTO Aquia Wall-Hung Dual-Flush Toilet
I’ve been planning to purchase a toilet for my newly bought apartment, but since this will be my first time, I’d need some guidelines. I guess you’re right; the elongated toilet seems like a great choice since it’ll be able to help me save money on water in the long run. Well, I wonder where else could I possible canvass for good quality toilets.