The Best Toilet Seats of 2022

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An updated bathroom adds value to your home while matching your design preferences and family’s needs. Toilets can play a significant role in enhancing the aesthetics of your bath and vanity areas. A toilet seat that appears flimsy or cracked is not only an eyesore but also an indicator of a poor-quality product that can make a bathroom look unclean.

The best toilet seats are made with superior materials that can support significant weight, are easy to clean, and bring comfort to a place of privacy. This guide will share what to look for when buying a toilet seat and review some of the top-rated options on the market in their respective categories.

Photo: istockphoto.com

What to Look for When Buying the Best Toilet Seat

Any purchase should involve a certain level of research and knowledge about the product before buying. Whether a simple question about available colors or a detailed inquiry about the specific weight restrictions on an item, this information is essential. Consider these critical factors that can impact your decision when buying the best toilet seat for your home.

Shape

The toilet bowl’s design indicates its required seat shape. Toilet bowls generally come in two standard shapes: elongated and round. To find out which toilet seat you need, measure the length of the bowl. Find the center between the seat bolts and measure to the outside edge of the front of the bowl. An elongated bowl will measure between 18 and 18.5 inches, while a round bowl will measure about 16.5 inches.

If you are also purchasing a new toilet, there are a few factors to consider between elongated and round options:

Material

When selecting a toilet seat, you can choose the material for the bolts, the hinges, and the seat itself. The hinge material selection should focus on durability—with stainless steel and zinc-plated options being the most durable and plastic being the least durable. If the toilet seat is in the home’s main bathroom, consider high-end materials.

Bolts are available in metal or plastic. Metal bolts offer strength and stability, with little flex for twisting seats. However, they are more susceptible to the humidity and moisture of a bathroom environment. Plastic bolts don’t rust, so they are easier to remove for cleaning, but they lack the strength of metal bolts. If residents of the home are primarily adults or larger individuals, choose metal bolts.

The seat itself is typically made of plastic or wood. Plastic options naturally resist moisture and are easy to clean. They are also more durable over time because plastic doesn’t absorb moisture. Over time, wood can begin to crack and warp. Wooden seats are generally better for secondary bathrooms, as their aesthetic appeal can outweigh long-term functionality issues.

Color

The toilet seat’s color helps a toilet match the aesthetic of a designer bathroom or highlight a neutral scheme with a burst of brightness. Most often, choosing a toilet seat color comes down to the options a specific product offers and how it pairs with the current bathroom design.

Ultimately, color is an individual preference, but popular toilet seat brands usually offer neutral colors. If a wide selection in a specific brand is important, opt for a range of neutral tones, and you will likely find one that you love.

Installation

Installing and tightening the toilet seat is usually an easy project you can complete in a few minutes by removing the old bolts and seat and installing the newer versions.

The type of bolts for the new toilet seat won’t impact the installation, but the condition of the bolts on the existing toilet seat might create difficulty. Rusted metal bolts can quickly turn this simple job into a more complicated task. A liquid lubricating oil can loosen up the bolts, or in extreme cases, a hacksaw can cut through them.

Some toilet seat manufacturers offer hardware that can be easier to install than a nut and bolt, with specialty wing nuts that lock into place, so installing the top of the bolt only requires a screwdriver. It’s a nice feature if you have never worked with a wrench and aren’t comfortable using tools beyond a screwdriver.

Other options to consider for installation are quick-release toilet seats that easily detach from the bolts for easy cleaning. Being able to remove the entire seat without wrestling with bolts means you can sanitize it more frequently, increasing the bathroom’s overall cleanliness.

Additional Features

Toilet seats have come a long way from simple pieces of wood with holes in them. Among the features discussed above, several additional elements can quickly enhance a toilet seat’s functionality. Quiet-closing toilet seats feature controlled hinges that gently bring the seat down to rest on the bowl. Bumpers sit on the bottom of the toilet seat, protecting the porcelain and gripping the bowl to prevent the seat from shifting when someone is sitting on it.

High-end models feature heated seats, massage streams, and built-in bidet systems, bringing a luxury experience to your home. Advanced nozzle placement, drying features, and water temperature control are just a few of the available features for those willing to spend the money.

Our Top Picks

The selections below have been chosen based on the considerations outlined above, the toilet seat efficacy, and the overall reputation of the manufacturer. Read on to learn more about some of the best toilet seats on the market today.

Best Overall

Kohler K-4639-0 Cachet Round White Toilet Seat

Designed for optimization, Kohler’s Cachet toilet seat stands out for its quiet-close functionality—no need to worry about it slamming down on the bowl or your hand! Meanwhile, the solid plastic cover resists staining, fading, chipping, and peeling for a great look over time.

With Kohler’s quick-attach hardware, the installation of this seat couldn’t be easier. After installation, quick-release hinges allow the seat to easily be removed from the bolts for regular cleaning, making the bathroom smell and look better.

Comfort and functionality combine to make this the best overall toilet seat on the list.

Pros

Cons

Best Bang for the Buck

BEMIS 1500EC 000 Toilet Seat

Toilet seats don’t have to be expensive, especially if they go into a guest bathroom or seasonal home. The Bemis 1500EC Toilet Seat doesn’t hurt the wallet and comes in both elongated and round styles. A top installation system is easy to complete and doesn’t require getting down on hands and knees thanks to the included locking wing nuts.

Four bumpers on the bottom of the seat hold it in place during use and prevent unwanted shifting that could damage the hinges. This wooden toilet seat is easy to clean, and it features a water-resistant coating to help prevent the wood from absorbing moisture over time. There isn’t a better toilet seat on this list for the price.

Pros

Cons

Upgrade Pick

BioBidet Supreme BB-1000W Elongated Toilet Seat

The BioBidet Supreme Elongated Toilet Seat is likely never going into a guest bathroom, with a price tag well above that of an average toilet seat. However, for luxury consumers or those looking to spoil themselves, the three-in-one adjustable nozzle for advanced aim and pressure will introduce them to a whole new experience.

The heated seat solves the issue of sitting down on cold plastic in the middle of the night and comes in elongated or round options. Water temperature control on the sprayer keeps users warm during cleaning, and a built-in dryer removes the need for excess toilet paper. However, the installation will be more complicated than the usual two bolts due to the inclusion of a water tank.

Pros

Cons

Best Wooden

MAYFAIR 841EC 047 Cameron Toilet Seat

Wood toilet seats add a certain aesthetic appeal to a bathroom that plastic options can’t match. The finish of the MAYFAIR looks stunning but should be cleaned using only mild soap and water. The seat uses a fastening system that resists movement and twisting at the hinges.

The bolts are wrapped in a hard plastic that prevents slipping in the porcelain holes. Additionally, the bolts are designed to prevent additional torque from the wrench after the nuts have reached optimal tightness. A quick-release system allows for simple removal of the seat and makes cleaning easy for a neat and hygienic bathroom.

Pros

Cons

Best Weight Capacity

BEMIS 1000CPT Paramount Heavy Duty Toilet Seat

Capable of supporting up to 1,000 pounds, the BEMIS 1000CPT Paramount Heavy Duty Toilet Seat is designed for the larger individual. This seat is suitable for both round and elongated toilets from popular manufacturers like Kohler, American Standard, TOTO, Delta, and more. The stainless steel hinges can take a lot of torque from a twisting seat before they would bend or break.

Additionally, the STA-TITE Commercial Fastening System provides easy installation and ensures the seat will never wiggle or come loose. The strong, durable ABS plastic of the toilet seat is easy to clean and resistant to chips and stains.

Pros

Cons

Our Verdict

Among the many options on the market for toilet seats, the Kohler Cachet Quiet-Close Toilet Seat is one of the best for most toilets, not least because of its quiet-close lid. For those looking for a toilet seat with extra features like a bidet, heated seat, and water temperature control, the BioBidet Supreme is an excellent pick.

How We Chose the Best Toilet Seats

The recommendations for the best toilet seats include a variety of options that meet the range of needs required by typical users who need a toilet seat for elongated or round toilets. When evaluating the products on the market, we looked for toilet seats that are made well and can withstand regular use. Other important factors that narrowed the field of possible toilet seats include ease of cleaning, comfort, ease of installation, color options, and additional features like heated seats, massage streams, drying features, water temperature control, a quiet-closing feature, and built-in bidet systems.

Our favorite models include both wood and plastic seats that are easy to install and resist staining. Some offer the helpful feature of a quick-release seat, which makes cleaning much easier. Both low-tech affordable toilet seats and a high-tech bidet toilet seat with advanced features ranked high on the list. While most are standard sizes, one of the favorites is for higher weight capacities.

FAQs

There is nothing worse than confidently purchasing a product online and then realizing that you still have a ton of questions about whether the item is right for you. Skip the regret and take a look at the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the best toilet seats.

Q. What is the maximum weight that a standard toilet seat can hold?

The weight limit of a standard toilet seat ranges by manufacturer, but the average maximum weight is between 300 and 500 pounds.

Q. How can I find the right size toilet seat for my toilet?

To find the right size toilet seat for your toilet, measure the toilet bowl’s length and width and the distance between the bolts.

Q. How do you replace the toilet seat?

You can replace the toilet seat by removing the old bolts from the existing seat with a screwdriver and a socket wrench, then installing the new seat with a set of new bolts. Pay attention to how much you tighten the bolts. If they are too tight, the seat (or even the porcelain of the toilet) can crack. If they are too loose, the seat will move around when in use, causing the hinges to bend and break.

Q. What size are toilet seat bolts?

The average bolt size is 3/8 by 2 1/2 inches, though other sizes are available for industrial toilets, heavy-duty toilet seats, and specialty toilets.