The Truth About Bidet Installations: Benefits and Options

For decades you’ve done it the same way. You’ve purchased countless family packs of toilet paper, endured outages with dignity — you’ve played by the rules. But if you’re honest, you want more. You deserve more. And with bidet installations becoming more and more popular in the states, you’re starting to question the whole system.

So if a traditional toilet just isn’t doing it for you anymore, you’re not alone. It might be time to think about upping your game with a bidet installation. Just be aware… once you install a bidet there’s no going back. Well, it’s difficult anyway. The installation can be tricky to reverse. But also… you can’t unsee the bidet matrix.

THE THREE BIG BIDET BENEFITS

In deciding whether installing a bidet is worth it to you or not, you might consider three key areas: comfort, cost, and the environment.

Comfort

Without getting into the gory details, a bidet is going to get you cleaner. Not much dispute there. That’s the main benefit of using a bidet. It’s the reason bidets have been so popular in Europe and other areas of the world for so long.

Someone once pointed out to me the following: if human beings defecated from any other part of our bodies, it’s inconceivable that we would simply use toilet paper and call it a day. It’s a hard point to argue with and one that sort of makes you want to do a better job cleaning up down there…

Cost

We’ll get into the variety of bidet installation options available to you below, but the main point here is that you do have options. If you’ve been imagining a beautiful bidet system in a fancy foreign hotel, just know that there are plenty of less expensive options stateside.

The other thing to consider is your typical toilet water usage. Believe it or not, one big bidet benefit is the fact that you stand to use less water flushing a bidet than you do with a traditional toilet. Plus, most folks also use less toilet paper (or none at all) after installing a bidet in their home.

The Environment

As we just covered, bidet installations lead to less water and less toilet paper usage. Both of these do help the environment, which is always a plus. Added bonus: decreasing your toilet paper usage may just support your immediate environment (your home) in an even more direct way: fewer impossibly clogged toilets!

TYPES OF BIDETS

As I mentioned, a $7,000 Japanese bidet may be glorious, but there are far more cost-effective options. In fact, many folks opt to buy toilet seat bidets or bidet attachments as opposed to a full-blown unit. I recommend exploring Bidet King to get an idea of the variety.

Traditional Bidet Toilet Combos

A traditional bidet installation offers the authentic experience. We’re talking the true blue, real McCoy here… for those trying to go the whole nine yards. Sure, bidet attachments and seats are great, but when you get your bowl and seat together, you know that they’re made for each other. For one thing, this ensures there will be no compatibility issues during installation.

Non-Electric Bidets

As Bidet King puts it, non-electric bidets or attachments are, “the easiest way to add bidet functionality to your existing toilet.” Simple, sleek, and effective. These bidet attachments are inexpensive, sitting (squatting?) between $75-100 on average with other models above and below those price points too.

Toilet Seat Bidets

Many manufacturers such as Kohler, Toto, and Bio Bidet are making toilet seat bidets. Why buy a toilet seat bidet? Well, for starters… it’s going to run you a fraction of what you’ll pay for a full bidet installation.

These bad boys can be installed right on top of your current toilet seat and will typically come with a remote control.

Handheld Bidets

It’s the power of a bidet in the palm of your hands. Handheld bidets only need a connection to your bathroom’s water source — then they’re ready to go when you’re ready to go.

BONUS:

Portable Bidets

Thaaaat’s right! It’s time to buy a bigger purse because portable bidets are here to stay. This is the height of independent bidet life, folks. So for those who can’t go without that extra clean sensation — I warned you there’s no escaping the bidet matrix — this little pocket bidet is the long-awaited answer to the question you hadn’t even thought to ask yet.

WHICH TYPES OF BIDETS HAVE YOU USED?

Let us know what you’ve tried and what works best for you! Do you have a favorite model? Would you ever buy a portable bidet, or is that too crazy?

Check out other kitchen and bath articles for more info on upgrading your home. And if you have any questions about installing a bidet in your home, our plumbing team is here with the answers!