These butt-cleaning machines also offer luxe features like custom seat warming and adjustable water flows.
You probably need to order it on Amazon because if your local hardware stores are anything like his, they don’t have this simple hose in the right size for a bidet. The THU9090R hose has male and female ends of the same size. It screws onto the inflow valve coming out of the bottom of your toilet tank and offers the same connection 8 inches away, giving you some space to maneuver when connecting the T-shaped splitter that will divert water to your bidet seat.
I’ll continue to test more bidets as they find their way into my bathroom, but not every one of them deserves a spot above. Given the current competition, these don’t quite make the grade.
Brondell Swash SE400 for $280: I liked but did not love the Brondell Swash SE400, which is Brondell’s entry-level unit. The side-arm control felt uncomfortably placed, and compared to the recommended Brondell Swash 1400, this unit didn’t feel as luxurious or intuitive to use. It was, however, easy to install, and the jet stream of warm water did the trick. If you’re looking for an option in the $200 range, this would be a fine choice.
Brondell Swash Thinline T22 for $650: This is the thinnest of Brondell’s products and was designed for light commercial or public use. If you’re looking to add a bidet to your office, bar, or restaurant (a fine choice that suggests care and luxury), this is a great option. But for home, I didn’t feel it resulted in a better or more attenuated experience.
Toto Washlet G5A for $2,699: The Toto Washlet G5 is undeniably luxe. The seat is nice and warm, I’ve never had to press the flush button because it automatically does the job (and never when I’m still in the seat), and it opens automatically when I walk in front of it. You can adjust the strength of the water jet, move its position, and even customize the temperature. Better yet, you can set user profiles so that you don’t have to make all these adjustments for each use (I did have to ask Toto for clarification on how to assign these because the manual wasn’t all that clear: choose your settings, then press and hold the User icon for five seconds.) It’s easy to clean (no gross gaps like on traditional toilets), and I like the night-light for those late-night bathroom trips. It’s a gorgeous—if not super expensive—addition to any space, but it lacks the new Integravity System the Aurora Washlet+ S7A features for next-level bowl cleaning. —Julian Chokkattu
SmartBidet SB-3000 for $483: The SmartBidet SB-3000 lacks an auto-lift seat, is the loudest bidet I’ve tested, and—despite the noise—has the least effective fan. I love the design of the controller that hangs with the help of a magnetic block, and having quick controls on the side is always nice, but the controller’s prompts are not especially intuitive, and something about a “turbo” mode for a bidet sprayer is disconcerting. —Martin Cizmar
Toto C5 for $368: This is the successor to the C200, which is what I happily used for a decade. The C5 has a great reputation—other sites have named it the best bidet—with a strong record of reliability. But after testing the new class of bidet seats on the market, I was left underwhelmed. For $400 or more, you’re getting only the most basic features. The pre-mist function wasn’t effective, and my toilet required far more cleaning. Without a night-light, I had to fully turn on my bathroom lights to pee in the middle of the night. The C5 is a fine classic bidet, but you can do better these days. —Martin Cizmar
