At the beginning of the pandemic, when toilet paper was in short supply due to people panic-buying it, investing in a bidet suddenly seemed like a good idea. For companies like BidetKing and Bidets Plus, demand for their products soared in 2020, as folks looked for ways to keep their butts clean without having to rely too much on TP. But for those unfamiliar with how bidets work (or are iffy on the concept altogether), springing for one can be quite intimidating, as there are many styles, price points, and features to consider, like whether you want a simple manual bidet attachment or an electronic seat that sprays warm water and is fully adjustable. (As for what a bidet actually does: In its most basic form, it uses a stream of water to cleanse your posterior after you poop.) Besides requiring far less toilet paper, which is dry and can be abrasive to your butthole, using a bidet is more hygienic, which leads to better overall ass health.
“If we’re talking about bidets, we’re also trying to make sure people are educated about pooping the right way: not straining, not sitting too long on the toilet, and not wiping too much,” says anal surgeon and sexual health and wellness expert Dr. Evan Goldstein, who is also the co-founder of sex-care brand Future Method. “With bidets, we’re cleaning in a way that is much more strategic, less irritating, and environmentally helpful.” (Goldstein recommends patting the area with TP after you’ve cleansed with water rather than wiping.) That said, bidets aren’t just for butts: They can also be used to refresh yourself after sex or when you’re on your period. If you’re interested in incorporating a bidet into your personal hygiene routine but don’t know where to start, we spoke to bidet experts, plumbers, and yes, bidet users themselves to help you navigate the world of bidets and find one that’s right for your butt, from manual bidets to fully tricked-out ones with all the bells and whistles. One note: Before you commit to a bidet, you’ll want to check a couple of things, including the style of toilet seat you have (round or elongated) and whether your bathroom is equipped with the proper plumbing and access to an outlet.
Best non-electric bidets
Best overall non-electric bidet attachment
Tushy Spa 3.0$119$119Buy at AmazonBuy$119at TushyBuyTushy Classic Bidet$99$99Buy at TushyBuyThe overwhelming favorite among the bidet enthusiasts we spoke to was the Tushy bidet attachment for its ease of installation and use. It attaches to your toilet bowl (you place your existing seat on top of it), requires no electricity, and comes with a hose to attach to your clean water supply. Simple knobs allow you to adjust water pressure and the angle of the nozzle (from front to bum). The basic model (the Classic) will supply room- temperature water, while the Spa model can get you warm water and comes with an additional knob to control the temperature. (In order to install the Spa properly, you’ll need access to your sink for hot water to hook up the nine-foot-long connection hose.) Goldstein loves the Tushy for its accessibility. “Tushy’s mission is aligned with mine, which is putting affordable products with an educational component in front of people,” he says. Housing expert Thomas Jepsen loves the Tushy’s “timeless design,” and production accountant Ian Mesa-Jonassen agrees, calling it “very much plug-and-play,” with installation being a breeze. He especially loves the adjustability of the Tushy Spa, as it provides him with “the ultimate customizable butthole power-washing experience that has been absolutely revolutionary.” Echoing Goldstein, Mesa-Jonassen says that “feeling clean down there” has improved not only his mental but physical health as well: “I can, with confidence, say that my butt health is at a resounding 100%.” In addition to cleaning poop, the Tushy is also great for women and their needs. Morgan, a photographer and mom of three, uses it every day, but says that it was especially helpful when she was postpartum and she appreciated the gentle stream of water. Sally, a new mom, said the Tushy saved her when she was in her third trimester of pregnancy, when moving around became more difficult and peeing much more frequent. “I started to feel raw from all the tissue wiping, but that raw feeling went away almost instantly with the bidet, and I wasn’t needing to use nearly as much toilet paper.” Another woman, who we’ll call A, who has used the Tushy for five years now, says it’s great for cleanup after sex and while she’s on her period: “Sometimes I just need a rinse!”
Best (less-expensive) non-electric bidet attachment
Luxe Bidet Neo 185 $42If you’re looking for a bidet attachment that offers front and rear washing that’s a little more affordable than the Tushy, Jepsen also recommends the Luxe bidet toilet attachment. (Though he admits that it’s “not quite as sleek as Tushy’s.”) Still, it’s a great entry-level bidet that he says allows you to easily adjust the water pressure. (It’s also highly rated among Amazon users.) It’s operated by dual nozzles, one for front feminine wash and the other for rear wash, plus two knobs, one that adjusts water pressure and the other that controls the feminine wash and engages the nozzle-cleaning mode. The nozzles retract and come with a guard gate to prevent splash-back, keeping everything hygienic. “The female setting didn’t disappoint in helping me feel fresher during my cycle,” says an Amazon reviewer. “The wash setting is for the bootie and it pretty much eliminates the need to use toilet paper. I had no trouble centering it to hit the money spots and am glad I bought this model with both nozzles.” Strategist senior editor Crystal Martin also swears by a Luxe bidet attachment (the Neo 120), which does not have feminine front wash. “The cold water could be a jolt to an uninitiated tush and took some getting used to, but now it’s refreshing,” she says. “I just like the bidet experience overall. Not having to interact with my own poop is everything.”
$42at AmazonBuy$42at AmazonBuyBest non-electric bidet seat
American Standard AquaWash SpaLet Manual Bidet Seat$95$95Instead of installing a bidet attachment to the underside of your toilet set, consider a manual bidet seat, which replaces the entire thing. The AquaWash SpaLet is a favorite of Mark Feldman, chief home officer of online home décor and furnishings site Riverbend Home, for its streamlined design and strong water pressure. It features dual, self-cleaning nozzles for easy front and back washing and is operated by a discreet side handle. Cleaning the whole thing is really easy, too, according to Feldman, as the nozzles are detachable. Plus “the unit itself has a quick-release button that makes it easy to lift off.” It’s the most unobtrusive-looking of the manual bidet attachments on this list, if you’d rather not have a control panel protruding from the side of your toilet. And, of course, it requires no electricity. “This particular model is at a great price point, especially for the features,” concludes Feldman.
$95at AmazonBuy$95at AmazonBuyBest electric bidet seats
Best overall electric bidet seat
TOTO C100 Washlet$366$366If you’re familiary with bidets, you’ve probably heard the name TOTO, and its bidets are the pick of three of our water washers, including Gerald Carpenter, a professional plumber and founder of website Sanitary Review. His pick is the C100 Washlet, considered an entry-level model in the world of high-end models, and it comes packed with features like front and rear washing with adjustable spray power and water temperature; a heated seat; a tank-type heating system that stores a reservoir of warm water, supplying you with at least 40 seconds of warm water; air deodorizer; premist (a mist that coats your toilet bowl so that your doo-doo does not stick); and a warm air dryer (for drying your bottom after you’ve washed). It’s the drying feature that Carpenter especially likes, saying that many bidet seats have dryers that are “overly powerful or too weak,” which can cause discomfort. The C100 comes with three dryer settings that, according to him, “let you choose the most convenient airflow speed and temperature.” It also comes with a fully self-cleaning nozzle that washes itself before and after every use. It’s operated with a side control panel (no remote control, which usually comes with more high-end models). Becky, who owns a TOTO toilet bowl equipped with an older model of the TOTO washlet, says her bidet is “life changing” and one of the reasons she bought her apartment. “I use less toilet paper, it gets you way cleaner, and I think it’s better for you,” she says. She also loves the heated seat and keeps it on all year except during the summer. Another female user also raves about her C100 heated seat, calling it one of the best parts of owning a bidet (plus the fact that she, too, saves on TP).
$366at Bidet KingBuyBest high-end electric bidet seat
Bio Bidet Bliss BB-2000 Bidet Seat$699$699This writer’s husband was always very into the idea of getting a bidet, and he spent hours researching the perfect one. He decided on BioBidet’s BB-2000 seat, which is a popular pick on bidet suppliers’ sites. One of the standout features of the BB-2000 is its upgraded water-heating system, which provides a continuous stream of warm water. Other features include a wall-mountable remote control; touch-screen side panel with blue LED night light; heated seat and slow-close lid; 3-in-1 stainless steel nozzle that provides rear, feminine front, and vortex enema modes (it’s indicated on the remote by a graphic of a butt and a drill-like spray below it, an image I find delightful); self-cleaning nozzle feature; air deodorizer; adjustable warm air dry; oscillating, pulsating, and massage wash modes; adjustable nozzle position, water temperature, and water pressure; and more. My husband’s favorite thing about the BB-2000 is that it gets him exceptionally clean. “I used to use an inordinate amount of toilet paper whenever I pooped. I don’t know the number of times I’ve clogged a toilet with an absolutely gargantuan wad of TP,” he says. “Now I just run the wash cycle on my bum, use a modicum of TP, more or less to get visual confirmation that I’m clean, and I never clog the toilet.” (He goes through the two-minute wash cycle twice before going through the three-minute dry cycle.) I find that the feminine front mode is strong enough for rear washing, and I rarely go the whole two minutes, and I never do the dry mode (mostly because cycling through the entire process takes at least five minutes). I love it for refreshing during periods and after sex, too.
$699at Bidet KingBuyBest affordable electric bidet seat
Brondell Swash 300$221$221“If you want a high-end heated bidet seat with adjustable water pressure and temperature without robbing a bank, this budget model by Brondell is a great option,” says Carpenter. In addition to adjustable water pressure and temperature control, the Swash 300 features posterior and feminine front wash; an adjustable heated seat with three settings; dual anti-bacterial self-cleaning nozzles; aerated wash spray; a slow-closing lid that you can sit on; automatic eco-mode; and a smart body sensor. While it doesn’t come with more high-end features like a deodorizer and warm drying, it does come with an easy-to-use remote control, which, according to Carpenter, “makes it one of the most straightforward and advanced devices in the price niche.”
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