The Best Bidets for Every Bathroom and Budget

Bidet seats are one of those luxuries you can live happily without until you realize what you're missing. My first encounter came at a ramen spot on the West Coast of the US that had imported a high-end Toto washlet from Japan, where they've been a part of daily life for decades. I might have been an early adopter, but bidets are getting more common in the US. Toto’s American sales doubled in the first quarter of 2020 and have continued to climb since. (The pandemic and the infamous toilet paper outage surely played a role.) But maybe more people are starting to realize that American bathroom habits are … gross. Think about it: When you get something on you that smells foul and is full of germs, do you want to wash it off or smear it off with a piece of paper?

OK, I convinced you. So what should you buy? Never fear. The WIRED team has swapped out plenty of toilet seats in search of the best bidets. We spent at least one week testing each model—some for far longer—and managed the installations ourselves without the help of a professional plumber. We've got budget bidets, bidets with heated seats, and ones that automatically open up, happily inviting you to empty your bowels. We've got your bum covered.

Updated November 2023: We've added the new flagship from Toto, added a SmartBidet model with instant heating, and added an accessory that's a must-have for anyone installing their bidet in a tight space. We've also removed Brondell as a pick, and explain why.

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Think of the shape. Most American home toilets come in one of two standard sizes: round or elongated. A round toilet bowl is 16.5 inches long while an elongated bowl is about 18.5. The bidets on this list are generally made for one or the other. Measure twice, buy once. All bidets we reviewed are attachments that take the place of the seats on existing toilets, but there are also toilets with built-in bidet seats.

Electric seat or simple sprayer? The bidets on this list are either whole seats that you attach and connect to an AC outlet or, in the case of Tushy, a sprayer that mounts below your existing seat and taps into your water lines. The seat-top bidets are generally more expensive and have more features, but they also require electricity. You must have a shock-blocking GFCI-protected outlet within a few feet of the toilet to use them safely. The Tushy doesn't heat the water, which will be at room temperature. The cheaper electric bidets we've used typically start with a quick burst of room-temperature water that quickly gives way to warm water. The best bidest—typically with a price to match—start by spraying warm water and will allow you to control the temperature within a few degrees. Most electric bidets also have fans which will help dry you off, but you'll probably still want to have a few squares of toilet paper handy for drying.

What's your budget? You can get an attachment that fits on your current seat and taps into the cold water line filling your toilet for about $100. Some high-end bidet attachments can cost $2,000. The sweet spot tends to be at a price point between $500 and $1,000, where you get a sturdy seat with nice features but without over-the-top extras like voice commands (yes, really) and a backup battery.