The TOTO s300e and s350e washlets were TOTO’s flagship bidet seats for the last 2 years.  They’ve enjoyed solid success as TOTO’s highest quality washlets on the market.  From the introduction of their eWater+ system to its low profile design, the s300e and s350e were some of the best bidet seats money could buy.  

TOTO has just launched its next generation of seats: the TOTO s500e washlet and the TOTO s550e washlet.  At first glance, they look pretty similar to the last generation.  So what’s changed from the TOTO s300e / s350e washlets to the TOTO S500e / S550e washlets?

The TOTO s300e and s350e washlets were TOTO’s flagship bidet seats for the last 2 years.  They’ve enjoyed solid success as TOTO’s highest quality washlets on the market.  From the introduction of their eWater+ system to its low profile design, the s300e and s350e were some of the best bidet seats money could buy.  

TOTO has just launched its next generation of seats: the TOTO s550e washlet and the TOTO s500e washlet.  At first glance, they look pretty similar to the last generation.  So what’s changed from the TOTO s300e / s350e washlets to the TOTO S500e / S550e washlets?  The main difference include:

• Elongated size only
• Changes to the lid design and overall look
• An updated touch sensitive remote control
• An LED nightlight (on the s550e)
• Nozzle cleaning with Ewater+

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Below, we’ll break down specifically how these changes affect the washlets, and perhaps, your purchase decision.

Note: The only difference between the TOTO s300e and s350e is the automatic opening and closing seat/lid.  This difference is also true for the new s500e and s550e models, except that the S550e also has an additional nightlight feature.

Only Elongated Size Available

Elongated bidet seats outsell round bidet seats by about 5:1.  As such, TOTO has made the decision to only offer the new models in the Elongated size.  It’s tough for round toilet owners, but at least the previous generation is still available in that size.

Changes to the Lid Design: Contemporary or Classic

The simplest difference to notice in the new TOTO S500e / TOTO S550e line is the lid design. Before, TOTO only offered its standard lid design.  For this new generation, they are offering a choice of two separate lid styles to match your bathroom décor: Contemporary or Classic. The contemporary lid has a sleeker style with clean lines for a more modern look.  The classic lid features a beveled edge that looks more like the older models and better suited for traditional décor.

Besides the lid design, the new S500e / S550e washlets do not have other major design changes in the body or seat from the previous generation.

Touch Sensitive Remote Control

The S500e / S550e washlets feature an updated remote control design.  The remote has a more ergonomic feel and is more rounded in its design. While the previous models have soft push buttons on the front, the new washlets have touch sensitive buttons in its place.  On the S500e / S550e, TOTO also moved some of the buttons from the sides (oscillation/pulse/spray pressure/nozzle position) to the front of the remote control.

The back side of the remote is mostly the same: an LCD screen and additional buttons for fine tuning and advanced settings.

LED Nightlight for the S550e Washlet

With the S550e washlet, TOTO corrected a major flaw from the previous generation – no true LED nightlight.  The previous generation featured a soft white light that would only come on to signify when the Ewater+ bowl misting and nozzle cleaning were operating. This caused some confusion for customer who were expecting a true nightlight feature.

The S550e washlet now offers a real LED nightlight in the bowl.  The S500e, however, does not have this feature.

Conclusion

With the introduction of its newest generation of washlets, TOTO has made a number of updates.  These changes revolve around the lid and remote control design, removal of the round size, expansion of Ewater+ use, and the addition of a nightlight (S550e only).  How much you value these updates is really up to your own personal preferences. 

There aren’t any major structural and functional updates from the previous generation, so it may not be worth it to upgrade for the sake of upgrading.  But, if you are simply in the market for a luxury bidet seat and deciding whether between the s300e / s350e or S500e / S550e, we would definitely suggest the newer generation.