The 10 Best Heated Toilet Seats
Special Honors
Homary J021123 The Homary J021123 is a floor-mounted toilet with a single-piece bowl that is equipped with a heated seat. It includes a wireless remote, though it also has a control panel integrated into the unit, and will automatically flush itself when you stand up, making the entire process more sanitary. Plus, it only wastes 1.27 gallons of water per use, making it an eco-friendly choice. homary.com
Editor's Notes
October 15, 2020:
Heated seats run the gamut from feature-packed models with tons of bells and whistles, to simple slip-on covers that offer warmth but nothing else. As one might expect, this also means they can vary greatly in price. To ensure there would be something for everyone, we included all types of options.
For those looking for a seat that offers pretty much everything one could ask for, we recommend the Brondell Swash 1400. Equipped with two stainless steel nozzles for front and posterior washing, of which you can adjust the positions, the stream width, and the pressure, it ensures you get a thorough cleaning. It also has a removable and replaceable deodorizer, a dryer, a slow-closing lid, a nightlight, and more. The addition of a wireless remote control is just an extra bonus.
Though lacking illumination, the Bio Bidet Ultimate BB600 offers many of the same features of the Swash 1400, but at a more palatable cost, so if you already have a toilet nightlight you can get this one instead and save a bit of cash. Plus, it has a pulsating massage feature, which the Swash doesn't offer.
If you find the remotes on the overly fancy models just a bit too complicated to deal with, you may prefer the Brondell LumaWarm. It, too, is equipped with a nightlight, but offers simple two-button operation to control the heat and illumination. That being said, it isn't equipped with a bidet, which may be a deal breaker for some.
October 24, 2019:
We included a mix of warmth-only seats along with some bidet seats for users who figure if their going to spend money and install something on their toilet, they might as well go all the way. While nearly all bidet toilet seats have a warming function, the warmth-only seats are a lot less expensive and not everyone enjoys the spray function or likes messing around with their plumbing.
The Brondell Luma Warm is a great example of an option that many homeowners can install themselves, it doesn't have a remote control to lose or a lot of buttons to press.
We replaced the discontinued Beir BR-300 bidet seat another warming-only choice, the Kohler Pure Warmth. If you have an elongated toilet and you love technology in all areas of your life, this option can be controlled with your smart phone, so you don't even need to leave the night light on all night.
Setting Is Everything
That would make the first stall the cleanest stall in the bathroom by far.
We've all had the daunting experience of walking into a public bathroom, not sure exactly which stall to choose. Some of us have our go-to stalls, the selection of which is based on the juggling of several practical and psychological variables. For example, very basic logic would dictate that the first stall would be the one used most, as it's the closest to the entrance.
A further deduction, however, would assume that the majority of bathroom users all understand this basic concept, and all pass by the first stall as a result. That would make the first stall the cleanest stall in the bathroom by far.
Whichever stall you end up choosing, there are few feelings in a public bathroom so cringe-inducing as sitting down on a seat and finding it significantly warm. Immediately, images of the previous occupant and his or her toilet tribulations disturb our minds with a vividness and specificity that cannot be unseen.
The homestead is a different story altogether, as you'll spend at least half of the year (the colder half) recoiling from the freeze of your porcelain potty top. It's even worse on frigid mornings, when you're groggy and sensitive to everything. It's like an electric shock shivering up your bottom.
The heated seats on this list are a simple and effective solution to the problem. They utilize carbon cores that absorb electrical heat and retain it for maximum efficiency. Some also include bidet attachments that hook up to your water line and will get you cleaner than you ever thought possible.
While one or two of these seats lack nuanced controls, the bulk of them feature on-board dials or buttons to hone in on your ideal settings for seat warmth and water pressure in the bidet. Our top-rated heated toilet seat even connects with your smartphone for a cleaner, more intuitive experience.
Clean Like You Mean It
People are reasonably sensitive about their toilet experience. I, for one, find myself infuriated by those 17" tall toilets that have taken the nation by storm. They're simply too tall. I'm a pretty tall guy, and I feel like I'm standing up when I'm on them. I can't imagine someone under five feet trying to use one, their little feet dangling off the floor.
People are reasonably sensitive about their toilet experience.
Seat shape is also a vital issue, as some designs run circular, and other oblong. Oblong toilets are, in my opinion, public toilets. Sure, they proved a little extra space for certain parts of the anatomy, but they have a clinical feel to them from which the circular toilet seat does not suffer.
With all these strong opinions flying around, it might seem like an impossible task to choose from among the seats on our list. Fortunately, a few simple questions will help us narrow down your seat selection in no time.
For starters, do you need or want a bidet to be part of the package. I love a good bidet, as it leaves me feeling more confident in my cleanliness than simple paper alone ever could. You might hate the feeling they produce, or you might be one of those people clogging up the nation's sewer systems with wet wipes. Maybe the bidet isn't for you.
That alone ought to cleave the list in two. From there, you simply gain features as you spend a little more money. You'll see more specificity in the controls, better heat retention, and even remote integration, so you can heat up your seat if you feel the need coming on.
Whichever heated seat you do choose, make sure you get the size and shape that's appropriate for your toilet. All of these models are available in circular or oblong configurations, and they come in standard sizes that should line up with most modern toilets in the West. If you know you've got something strange in your bathroom, grab that measuring tape and check the dimensions.
The Age Of The Super Toilet
I'm sure there was a time in the development of mankind when we didn't care too much about what happened to our leavings. Early man likely got into the habit of burying them when he realized that his predators could use them as a means of stalking him. That's about as far as it went until vestiges of civilization made themselves known.
I'm sure there was a time in the development of mankind when we didn't care too much about what happened to our leavings.
Excavated ruins of an ancient civilization in modern Pakistan show evidence of some of the earliest toilets and sewers known to man. Ancient Scotland had its own version of primitive toilets from roughly 3100 to 2500 BCE. Of course, in both cases, these thrones were only used by the wealthiest citizens.
Roman times offered much more advanced sewage systems, as well as public bathrooms that were essentially long benches with a bunch of holes cut into them. We're talking no privacy here; you could literally turn to the guy next to you and play patty-cake while the two of you did your business.
It's safe to say that none of these toilets featured heated seats, which have only been around since the Japanese started developing super toilets in the 1980s. The toilets in that country have attained Guinness Book of World Records status as the most advanced toilets in the world. The models on our list may seem humble by comparison, but they're also a lot easier to use.