After Testing Bidets for a Month, We Can't Imagine Ever Living Without One Again

Brandon Carte

Updated Sun, October 21, 2018 at 2:00 PM UTC

Some say that the little things in life bring us the most joy - bear-hugging a fresh load of clothes from your dryer, having a warm cup to grasp when it’s chilly outside, or experiencing that lovely feeling you get when you slip into a hotel bed after a long day on your feet. Believe it or not, having a bidet is a lot like that. Or as a New York Times columnist put it, "it’s a luxury that you won’t want to live without."

In case you’re unfamiliar with what a bidet exactly is, simply put, it’s a device that sprays your bottom with water to clean it after you poop.

So why do you need one? Well, you don’t … but we think you should get one, and we think you’ll love one. Throughout your entire life you probably have wiped, wiped, wiped, and wiped some more until there’s no more brown stuff. This repetitive motion can cause the breakdown of your skin and potentially leads to bleeding and an itchy butt. Doctors have even coined a term for it: “pruritis ani,” which is actually Latin for itchy anus, but the condition is more frequently referred to as “polished-anus syndrome.”

Laugh all you want, but as soon as you experience a bidet for the first time you’ll realize what you’ve been missing out on, and once you have one of your own, you won’t know how you lived without one after all these years. Besides, bidets just make sense. If you get mud on your hands, you don’t wipe it off with a paper towel - you rinse it off in the sink with water. So, why wouldn’t you do the same and wash with water when it comes to cleaning up fecal matter, instead of just smearing it around with some paper? That being said, a bidet will save you from restocking up on toilet paper as frequently, and one will come in handy for cleaning up before and after sex, too.

You may be under the impression that bidets are tiny porcelain fountain-like plumbing fixtures you hover over to wash your nether regions. Although this is true, the bidets we’re referring to and tested for this guide are so much more than that. They actually are attachments for your toilet that not only wash your bottom, but are packed with plenty of extras like a seat warmer, deodorizer, and blow-dryer to leave you refreshed after you do your business.

Over the last month, we’ve researched a dozen different bidets and narrowed our findings to test a handful. After making hundreds of trips to the bathroom, we have compared how easy they are to set up, use, adjust, and clean. Then we ranked them for their ability to keep our cheeks warm, and more importantly, wash and dry our butt. We also factored in price, water temperature, pressure, and compared the different models' warranty coverage to determine our top picks, which you can find below.

Learn More About Our Top Five Picks:

Best Overall Bidet

Pro: Has a convenient auto function that’s easier to use than adjusting settings manually

Con: Its cord is short, so an outlet has to be really close by

Priced at more than $300, the Brondell Swash SE600 may cost more than you want to spend, but we think it’s well worth the price. After using it for several weeks, we think it’s the best bidet that money can buy. It may be hard to believe, but there are some bidet models priced as high as $1,000. We think that in terms of overall value, you get the most bang for your buck with the SE600. It packs several advanced features that are usually found only in more expensive models - like a self-cleaning nozzle, a night-light, and a deodorizer.

The SE600 took us just 9 minutes to install. All you need is a wrench and a nearby wall outlet. Depending on the size of your toilet bowl, you have the choice of an elongated or round bidet seat. We opted for the elongated model and found it to be the most comfortable of any seat we tested. The Toto Washlet C200 seat seemed more cramped and just wasn’t as spacious - plus, the mounting mechanism grasps and latches onto your toilet bowl better with this model. Our Toto bidet slid around more frequently.

Aesthetically speaking, the Swash is nice-looking and feels premium, but at 6 inches tall at its thickest point, it doesn’t blend well with most bathrooms. This is a problem across the board with bidets. It’s because they have reservoir tanks on their backside for heating up the water. We think the tradeoff is worth it, and honestly, they don’t look bad - they just look different compared to the slim toilet seat you’re probably used to.

As for using the Swash, you do your business like normal and then operate it with an included remote control. Although we preferred the Toto’s remote-button scheme over Brondell’s, it’s still plenty easy to operate and change settings. There’s a button for both rear- and front-wash, arrows to adjust the nozzle position, buttons for tweaking water pressure that are similar to the buttons you’d find on a TV remote for increasing volume, and some buttons for changing the temperatures of the water and the seat. Our favorite button, though, is the Auto mode button.

With other bidets we tested, you have to press individual buttons to move and adjust the nozzle to wash the prospective locations. The auto mode simplifies the process, so you can keep on scrolling through your newsfeed on your smartphone without needing to worry about cleaning yourself up. The Swash does the work for you. We also found that its heated seat reaches warmer temperatures than other models, and its auto mode was more effective than wiping with toilet paper.

You'll still want to pat yourself dry and wipe to make sure nothing was left behind, but we’re confident in recommending the Swash. It has strong water pressure and plenty of warm water, and will leave you feeling so fresh and clean.

Best Budget Buy

Pro: Excellent water pressure, fast seat warmer

Con: Control panel is large and stands out in your bathroom

If you want to save $100 and are willing to forgo the remote control and some other features, the Brondell Swash SE400 is still an excellent bidet that gets the job done well. It still offers a heated seat, adjustable water temperature, and a warm air dryer, but it costs much less than other models. Since it doesn’t have a remote, you operate it using a control panel on the right side. We think the control panel makes the toilet seat stand out in your bathroom. If you care about design, you may want to spend the extra money on a model with a remote so your toilet won’t look like something out of an episode of Star Trek.

If you’re able to push aesthetics aside, the SE400 still works fantastically, and feels great, too. During our tests, the water was always warm when we needed it to be, and the seat heats up in a jiffy, too. Although this bidet doesn’t have a deodorizer function, its stainless steel nozzle oscillates and has a pulse function, which together help ensure you get completely clean. We were also surprised to see that the budget model even packs a nightlight, which thankfully eliminates those instances when you are blinded by the bathroom light when you have to pee at 4 a.m.

Best Splurge

Pro: The Swash 1400 has an endless hot water supply, a feature most other bidets lack

Con: The night-light is hard to disable

For those searching for a luxurious bidet made from the highest-quality components, look no further than the Brondell Swash 1400. It sports a thin design that blends in significantly better with your bathroom’s décor compared to other bidets, and features hidden pockets to conceal its water and power connections.

Besides looking great, this model offers outstanding cleansing performance. It’s one of the few bidets that is equipped with not one, but two stainless steel nozzles - one of which is dedicated for washing lady parts, and the other is strictly for cleaning your rear end.

Most bidets do offer a front wash for women, but our female tester remarked that the second nozzle does make a difference, and the Swash 1400 is better for vaginal cleansing than other models. However, there’s really no need to clean the vagina since it’s self-cleaning.

In fact, we recently spoke with Dr. Jessica Shepherd, an OB/GYN and women's health expert, who told us that you shouldn’t douche because it can be a disruption to the natural bacteria and pH levels in the vagina. However, a bidet can totally come in handy for women before and after intercourse and will make it easier to rinse the labia folds. Plus, a luxe wash after a cardio session is a bonus, too!

The standout feature of this bidet, though, is its endless warm-water heating system. Most other bidets only have a limited supply of warm water - meaning you get warm water for about 15 seconds, and after that it’s just room temperature until you stop the sprayer. Not only does the Swash 1400 immediately detect when you sit down to engage its heated seat, its hot-water stream just keeps going and going. Additionally, the bidet is packed with a replaceable carbon-block filter to clean the air in the bowl and prevent foul odors. It also features a warm-air dryer, an automatic cleansing mode, and a night-light.

Best Remote

Pro: The included remote is easier to use and better at adjusting settings than competing bidets

Con: Lacks an automatic mode and a night-light

The Washlet C200 from Toto is a favorite of Wirecutter, and rightfully so. During our tests with the bidet, we found that it is easy to set up and use. It took us only 13 minutes to install. What makes it stand out from the competition though is its pre-misting function. The second you sit down on the toilet seat, its nozzle sprays your toilet bowl with water to prevent fecal matter from sticking to the side of your bowl.

You’ll never be greeted with nasty skid marks when you open the toilet seat again! Plus, the Washlet offers a deodorizer and a preheated seat, so you won’t have to be self-conscious about smells or be startled by an ice-cold toilet seat when you sit down.

What we loved most about the toilet seat though is its remote control. It offers a streamlined design when other remotes can be overwhelming with so many presets and buttons. This remote is intuitive, easy to control, and provides you with 10 pressure settings, a toggle for adjusting nozzle position, buttons for rear or front washes, the dryer, and another to simply stop everything. You can even save your favorite settings and press the “User 1” or “User 2” buttons to trigger a custom wash profile. On the remote’s backside, there’s a small screen that you can scroll through to change settings like water or seat temperature.

One minor quibble with the Toto was that the toilet seat was loose and slid around more frequently than the others we tested. The Washlet’s mounting mechanism just didn’t grip the toilet as strongly. Oddly enough, the remote is backlit, but the bidet itself doesn’t feature a night-light like many of Brondell’s models do. We believe the Toto Washlet C200 looks nicer than our best overall pick, though, thanks to its lower profile and no-nonsense remote, so it still should be a contender for sprucing up your bathroom.

Best Non-Electric Bidet

Pro: More affordable than practically every other bidet

Con: Water pressure may be too intense for some

If you want to get a feel for a bidet without dropping several hundred dollars, or if you just don’t have an outlet next to your toilet, we recommend the TUSHY bidet. Although this option is $200 cheaper than our “Best Budget” pick, we don’t think it even comes close to the experience of what a full-on electric bidet seat can offer. There’s no heated seat, air dryer, or hot water here. On the plus side, each TUSHY bidet purchase helps provide clean community toilets built by Samagra in India.

TUSHY claims that this bidet offers a 10-minute installation, but it’s trickier than it's made out to be. Reviewers at Bustle and Apartment Therapy both had difficulty installing the bidet - so we recommend checking out this installation video for extra assistance. Compared to other bidets we tested, the TUSHY requires you to twist a dial to turn on the water, which’ll spray your butt, while others have a battery-powered remote. The TUSHY dial also controls the strength of the spray, and there’s a tiny lever that adjusts the angle at which it hits you.

The nozzle pushes out a very strong stream that may actually be too powerful for some users. A reviewer at BidetGenius even described it as harsh. To be fair, the TUSHY works as advertised and it effectively cleans your anus or vagina - even though you don’t need to plug it in. Just don’t put it on full blast to start.

We also are a fan of the TUSHY’s modern design and low profile. You even can pick from three finishes for the knob - bamboo, silver, or gold. One last thing worth mentioning: TUSHY’s founder, Miki Agrawal, was previously ousted from her last company, Thinx, amid numerous complaints of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment. We think the TUSHY is the best nonelectric bidet, but if you’d feel more comfortable shopping for another bidet, the Luxe Bidet is a close second. It doesn’t have a contemporary design like the TUSHY and there's no way to adjust the water pressure.

FAQs: Everything Else You've Wondered About Bidets

Don't worry! Even if you've never used a bidet but are still considering buying one, we have you covered with a few of the most commonly asked questions about them.

Q: Aren't bidets unsanitary?

A: Absolutely not! If you’re worried about fecal matter getting stuck on bidet nozzles, fear not, because the nozzles are automatically self-cleaned for all our top picks.

Q: Are bidets safe?

A: Yes, both Wirecutter and PopSugar have reached out to doctors who explained that as long as you don't have the bidets on a high enough setting where the water stream penetrates your anus, they are totally safe.

Q: How much should you expect to spend on a high-quality bidet?

A: A bidet can cost anywhere between $75 and $1,000. We recommend spending $300 minimum on an electric model, which will come with a remote control and offer features like a heated seat and warm water.

Q: Isn’t toilet paper the more environmentally friendly choice?

A: On average, each American uses 57 sheets of toilet paper each day. That means we go through 3 million tons of toilet paper in the United States each year, which breaks down to 54 million trees. If you’re worried about the water consumption while using a bidet, you should also know that those 57 sheets of toilet paper you’re using daily requires 3.7 gallons of water to create. With a bidet you can expect to use 75% less toilet paper than you used previously.

Q: Are bidets just for women?

A: Although most bidets have a frontal cleaning mode, which can help clean the vagina during menstruation or before and after sex, bidets are actually suited for any person who poops. They are a great alternative to toilet paper for cleaning your butt.

Q: Do I need to hire a plumber to install a bidet?

A: Even if you’re the type of person who doesn’t know the difference between an Allen wrench and a socket wrench, we think anybody who can follow basic directions will be able to install a bidet. It took us just around 10 minutes to install each bidet.

At one point, we didn’t tighten the hose enough and we sprayed ourselves, but besides that, it was a simple install. Just make sure you check for leaks and ensure your toilet is functioning properly after you install it.

Q: Do bidets require electricity?

A: Yes, most bidets require electricity. So, before purchasing, be sure you have an outlet nearby or prepare to use an extension cord and some clips to keep your cables under control. There are a handful of bidets that don't need electricity. However, these models aren't as feature-filled and most squirt cold water.

Q: Shouldn’t I just use wet wipes?

A: Wet wipes have been found to be worse for your hygiene, the environment, and your plumbing. Chronic wet-wipe use can lead to the breakdown of your skin, too. Honestly, we really think you’ll be happier with a bidet over toilet paper and wet wipes.

Q: Can I still flush my toilet even if I don’t use the bidet?

A: Totally! If you just go number one and don’t need to wash your private parts, you still can flush like normal. And men, the diameter of your toilet bowl will be slightly hindered, so you don’t have as much surface area to pee with a bidet. However, it isn’t drastic, and you still have plenty of room to aim in the bowl when you urinate.

Q: Do bidets leave your butt wet?

A: Yes, but not badly. Your butt will be a little moist but not to the point it is dripping wet. When you finish washing, remember that typically bidets have a built-in air dryer. After that runs for 30 seconds or so, you can finish drying with a quick pat down of toilet paper.

Q: Where does the water come from, and is it the dirty toilet water?

A: Bidets get their water supply straight from your tap water. So, technically you could use one as a water fountain.

Q: Will the spray wand touch me?

A: No not at all, and although this may be TMI, if you’re a guy, your balls won’t get sprayed with water, either, if you’re worried about that.

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