Ever since I traveled in Europe in the 1980’s and experienced a bathroom fixture known as a bidet, I’ve wanted one in my home. These fixtures which are quite common in Europe are very rare in the US. I doubt that anyone searching for a review of this device is not familiar with a bidet, so I will not discuss what is a bidet here. Instead I will mention the fact that there are a number of devices available on the market that can turn in ordinary toilet into a bidet (it will still function as a toilet too!), and this article reviews the particular model I chose after researching such devices.
First, the name “washlet” is something that Toto made up and is their registered trademark, referring to electric toilet seats with a water spray feature for washing one’s anal and genital areas. Other manufacturers generally just refer to them as bidets even when they are not the freestanding kind. Toto is a major Japanese manufacturer of such devices, and when I researched the different brands available other reviewers rated them high in quality and reliability. I also noticed that luxury hotels which have such devices tend to use the Toto models, so I narrowed my selection to that line and then had to choose among the various models they offer.
Toto offers four basic lines in two shapes (round and elongated) and different colors to match the common commode shapes and colors. Each line has a different set of optional features, going up in price as features are added. Unlike some other brands, with Toto even the low end model has a heated water supply. All of their models also feature a heated toilet seat! The other features that are added to successively higher-priced models include: oscillating water spray, wireless remote control panel, warm air dryer, deodorizer, automatic seat opening and closing.
I opted for the next-to-highest model, the Toto Washlet E200, with all the features except the deodorizer and automatic seat. My reasoning was that I really wanted the air dryer, and it came packaged with the wireless remote. At first the idea of a remote control for a toilet seemed rather silly to me-after all where are you going to be other than on the seat when you use it? But calling it a remote control is really a misnomer, because it is simply a control panel that can be mounted on a wall in a convenient easy-to-reach location and it wirelessly communicates with the washlet so you don’t need to run wires to the panel. This turns out to be very useful especially for older folks because without it you need to twist your body to be able to see and use the regular control panel that is mounted low and to the side of the seat.
The air dryer on the other hand turned out to be less useful than I thought it would be, because it doesn’t do a thorough drying job in a short time so you may end up using toilet paper to finish the job. (Alternatively, some bidet owners keep a small towel beside it for that purpose, though I suspect that many folks would find that unappealing.) If you want to sit longer the warm air dryer does eventually do the job, but it’s not as powerful as a hair dryer for example so don’t expect too much of it.
Many of the features are very adjustable, using a hidden set of controls and displays on the panel. On this model you can vary the temperatures of the water, the toilet seat, and the dryer air. You can also vary the pressure of the water spray.
The features all work quite well, and I am happy with my choice. I have had it for just over a year now, and there have been no problems with it. Installation was quite easy-no plumbing experience or special tools needed. You do need to have an electric outlet near your toilet however, and that may not be common in many homes-I had to have one installed in my case.
The oscillating water spray feature is nice, particularly since the spray is quite narrow (unlike a typical freestanding bidet); so to cover the whole area it needs to move about. It also feels great! Note however that I find myself squirming around a bit to get it to hit the right spots even with this feature. There is also a self-cleaning wand feature which automatically rinses the wand with hot water after each use while storing it away. This gives some peace of mind about the cleanliness of the whole thing. Another nice feature is the automatic sensor which won’t let the wand come out or turn on when nobody is seated, and which automatically shuts off the water (if running) and air dryer when you get up. In case you want to clean the sprayer wand more, you can push a button that makes it come out for easy access without spraying water and without a body seated.
So if you are in the market for a high-tech bidet toilet seat, the Toto Washlet model E200 is worth a look.
