Bidet Toilet Seat vs Bidet Attachment: Which Should You Choose?
Bidets come in several types, each with different features. The type and model you choose can depend on your budget, how much space you have in your bathroom, and the kind you’re comfortable using.
A bidet toilet seat replaces your existing toilet seat and has a retractable nozzle. In contrast, a bidet attachment is a fixture with a nozzle or spray wand installed between the existing toilet seat and the toilet.
Undecided about buying either the bidet toilet seat or the bidet attachment? This article will explain in detail their differences and help you make the right choice for your household.
Are Bidet Toilet Seats and Bidet Attachments the Same?
Bidet toilet seats and bidet attachments may seem similar, but they are not the same. They are installed differently and have different features or functions.
Here are the pros and cons of both of these bathroom fixtures that you should consider before making a purchase.
Bidet Toilet Seat
Pros
Easy Do-It-Yourself Installation
The bidet seat comes with everything you will need for installation, so you can install the bidet seat without the help of an expert or professional. Besides that, you also get a manual with easy-to-follow instructions on properly fixing the bidet and avoiding any water leakages while using it.
It can take about 8-30 minutes to fit the seat, depending on how easily you can follow instructions and your knowledge about the bathroom parts you need to assemble.
Comes With a Lot of Features
Bidet toilet seats have several standard features, including water temperature and pressure adjustment, a heated seat, a self-cleaning nozzle, adjustable nozzle positions, and an air drying function.
However, the bidet toilet seat can come with additional features:
- The auto lid opening and closing feature ensures that the toilet cover automatically opens as soon as you get close to the toilet seat and closes when you stand up after doing your business.
- The night light can illuminate the bowl with a blue LED light, making it easy to access the toilet without turning on the bathroom light.
- Pre-mist cleansing can wet the inside of the toilet before use to prevent anything from sticking to the bowl.
- An oscillating wash enables the nozzle to rapidly move back and forth to clean a wide area around your rear.
- The deodorizer feature in decent bidet seats can automatically activate itself when you are done using the toilet to remove the foul odor in the bathroom.
- The user preset function enables you to customize and save your temperature and pressure settings for future use.
- The enema wash can direct a thin and strong stream of water into your rear end and help you alleviate constipation.
- The remote control, which comes with mid-range and high-end bidet seats, can enable you to easily make commands without having to turn sideways to read the controls on the panel.
All these features can enable you to enjoy the luxurious use of a bidet toilet seat while ensuring you never regret buying one.
Offer a Comfortable Wash With Warm Water
Using warm water to clean yourself after using the toilet is more comfortable than using cold water. You can set the temperature to a level that suits you to avoid getting scalded. Moreover, this warm water can help relax your anal muscles and prevent you from experiencing constipation.
Reduce the Use of Toilet Paper
The bidet seat can come with warm air drying allowing you to use that instead of toilet paper and ultimately saving you money. Additionally, using the bidet air drying feature will reduce your waste and lower your carbon footprint, which will help combat climate change.
Excessive toilet paper use can also lead to clogs. Switching to a bidet seat can prevent those from happening and save you money on plumber visits.
Improve Your Hygiene With the Dual Frontal and Rear Nozzle
The nozzles on bidet toilet seats can clean both your rear and genitals, ensuring that you leave the bathroom totally clean. With rear-end cleaning, you will no longer worry about staining your underwear, whereas frontal cleaning ensures that women stay clean during their menstrual periods.
This washing can help reduce the spread of bacteria, which can happen if you do not adequately wipe with toilet paper, reducing your risk of urinary tract infections, itching, and other discomforts.
Cons
Are Expensive To Buy
Bidet toilet seats are pricey because of their different features and benefits. Depending on the features and the company, you can expect to spend anywhere from $200 to more than $1,000.
So, if you’re on a tight budget, you may want to consider other options.
May Increase Your Electricity Bill
If you own a bidet with features such as warm air drying, a heated seat, and warm water spray, your electricity usage may increase since you need to keep them plugged in to function.
However, you may be able to offset this increment if you buy a seat with the auto-energy saver feature. But you’ll need to consider that this additional feature will initially raise the price of the toilet seat.
Take Up Some of the Seat Space
Some bidet seats will narrow your space around the toilet bowl, which you need to do your business comfortably. This may lead to fidgeting to find a comfortable position to do your business. Therefore, you must measure your toilet circumference before buying a seat to get one compatible with your toilet.
Bidet Attachment
Pros:
It’s More Affordable Than a Bidet Seat
A bidet attachment, regardless of whether it is high-quality, is cheaper than a standard non-electric bidet seat. Most attachments will cost less than $80, whereas the price for a bidet toilet seat starts at $200 and can cost more than $1,000, depending on the features you include.
Therefore, if you are on a tight budget but still want to improve your personal hygiene with a bidet, the attachment may be your best option.
Easy to Install on Your Toilet
The bidet attachment comes with all the necessary items for installation, such as the water hose and the T-valve adapter, making this process easy to carry out. The attachment will also come with a manual that gives clear directions on how to correctly assemble the unit.
With its simple installation method, you will avoid spending money to hire a professional to fix and install the bidet for you.
Easy to Operate
It’s easy to learn how to operate the bidet attachment because it has only a few functional features. All you need to do is learn to regulate the pressure, turn on the rear or the front cleaning wash, and start the self-cleaning nozzle. Moreover, these functions can be run using one or two knobs on the attachment panel.
Has a Standard Fit for All Two-Piece Toilets
You do not need to measure your toilet seat before buying the attachment since it is compatible with all two-piece toilets. So rest assured that whichever bidet attachment you purchase will fit perfectly on your toilet.
If you have a one-piece toilet, you should look at the fitment chart to determine whether or not the unit will mount properly on your toilet.
Cheaper To Run Than a Bidet Seat
Unlike electric bidet seats which can increase your electricity bill, all bidet attachments are non-electric. As a result, you will not incur high operating costs. Their functions are basic, and you will either use cold water to clean yourself after using the toilet or warm water from your already existing heater in the bathroom.
Has a Slim and Durable Design
Their small size makes it easy for them to fit perfectly between the toilet bowl and the toilet seat without stopping the toilet cover from closing. Also, most have a concave downward protection guard that prevents the toilet pedestal ring from breaking the nozzle. Moreover, the item is made of high-quality plastic or ceramic, which ensures that it lasts a long time without getting damaged.
Cons
Fewer Features Than a Bidet Seat
Bidet attachments are basic units manufactured to clean yourself after using the toilet. The bidet attachment may be disappointing if you want more features, such as warm air drying to stop using toilet paper, a heated seat, or a preset feature to customize your settings. The best option would be to get a bidet toilet seat that comes with several of these features.
Does Not Use Electricity
The lack of electricity means you cannot use warm water to clean yourself unless the bidet attachment is dual-temperature and you can link it to an existing warm water supply line in your bathroom.
If you live in a cold area, the cold water from the unit can be uncomfortable. Additionally, you may prefer the temperature-regulating function, warm air drying, and seat warming that come with the electric seat bidet.
If these features are important to you, you may want to reconsider the bidet seat option.
Features Are Not Customizable
With this type of bidet, you cannot make personalized cleansing settings for the temperature and pressure. Bidet seats with this feature allow you to preset preferences for each family member, enhancing the convenience of the bidet and reducing the overall time you are in the bathroom.
Can I Use a Bidet Attachment Instead of a Bidet Toilet Seat in a Bathroom?
Bidet Toilet seats offer more luxurious features than a bidet attachment. But a bidet attachment would be an excellent option if you prefer a more basic setup.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a bidet toilet seat will take up more space than the bidet attachment. Therefore, if space is of concern, choose an attachment instead of replacing your existing seat with a bidet seat.
Why Is a Bidet Attachment Cheaper Than a Bidet Toilet Seat?
A bidet attachment is more budget-friendly than a bidet toilet seat because it has fewer features, which are not customizable, and does not require electricity.
The attachment can come with a pressure adjuster, the knob for rear cleaning and sometimes frontal (feminine wash), a self-cleaning nozzle, and a nozzle guard gate. On the other hand, a standard bidet seat can have all the features the bidet attachment has, along with adjustable temperature and pressure settings, a heating seat, and an adjustable nozzle.
But without electricity, the bidet attachment cannot have an air drying feature, a heated seat, and warm water, all found on electric seats, making them more expensive. Additionally, the bidet seat can come with a preset function, allowing you to customize the temperature and pressure to your liking so you can easily use them in the future.
Installation: Bidet Toilet Seat vs. Bidet Attachment
The installation process for these two bathroom fixtures is different, but you can do it yourself without calling a plumber. Here’s how to install these items:
Bidet Toilet Seat
1. Remove the Existing Toilet Seat
Pop up the caps to access the mounting bolts keeping the seat attached to the rim, and use a screwdriver to loosen them. Once that’s done, reach underneath your toilet bowl and unscrew the nuts keeping the bolts in place. Lift the old seat off the toilet and clean the rim before installing the bidet seat.
2. Turn Off the Toilet Water Supply Line
To do this, you will have to close the toilet shut-off valve, which is attached to the wall or floor and has a flexible metallic hose running from it to the toilet water tank. Turn the valve clockwise to stop water from flowing into the tank. Flush the toilet to empty the tank and allow you to remove the hose from the tank without water pouring onto the floor.
3. Attach the T-Valve to the Water Tank
Place a bucket underneath the water tank before unscrewing the water hose connected to it so that any remaining water inside the tank can drip into it. Attach the T-valve to the tank in the place you removed the pipe. Fasten the supply hose to the bottom of the valve.
4. Fix the Bidet Seat onto the Toilet
Place the flat plastic mounting plate that comes with the bidet at the back of the toilet seat, where there are two holes. Its holes should be appropriately aligned with the ones on the toilet. Insert mounting bolts into these holes and fasten them with nuts underneath the toilet using a wrench if they’re plastic and a screwdriver if they’re metal. Slide the bidet toilet seat towards the back onto the plate until it clicks into place.
5. Connect the Bidet Toilet Seat to the T-Valve
Attach one end of a new water supply hose to the bidet seat side and the other end to the T-valve. Ensure it’s firmly secured before opening the shut-off valve by turning it counterclockwise to let water flow back into the tank and into the bidet when you turn it on.
For electric bidet seats, you will need to plug its cord into a grounded GFCI outlet that can prevent electric shocks for it to work.
6. Test the Bidet Seat
Adjust the water temperature and pressure, and hold your hand in front of the nozzle before pressing the wash button for the water to stream out. Turn it off and press the dryer button to dry your hand.
If everything is functioning correctly, your bidet toilet seat is ready to use!
Bidet Attachment
To install the bidet attachment, you’ll first want to follow steps 1 through 3 from the bidet toilet seat installation described above. Then, you will do the following steps:
- Mount the bidet attachment on top of the toilet seat with its holes placed over those of the bowl.
- Reattach the toilet seat on top of the bidet and fix the removed bolts using a screwdriver before moving the toilet seat to lean against the tank.
- Connect one end of a water supply hose to the bidet attachment inlet and the other to the T-valve.
- Check the connections to ensure they are secured before turning on the shut-off valve. If you notice any leakages, you should further tighten the pipe connectors.
- Test the bidet by placing a hand in front of the attachment center before turning the knob on the unit’s panel clockwise for the nozzle to emerge from the guard gate and spray water onto your hand.
If everything is working properly, then you are ready to use your bidet attachment!
Conclusion
The decision between buying a bidet seat or bidet attachment should depend on the features you want to use and how much money you are willing to spend on this bathroom fixture. Remember that the more features you want, the more expensive the bidet will be.
If you prefer features such as warm water, heated seats, preset functions, and other customizations such as night lights and remote control, then a bidet seat would be the best option for you. If you are satisfied with fewer features or are on a budget, the cheaper bidet attachment may be your best option.
