At BidetKing.com, we love our electronic bidet seats.  There's just nothing like that feeling of sitting on a nice warm toilet seat on those chilly mornings.  Warm water when you want it, cold water when you don't.  The convenience of simply pressing a button and having a warm stream of water wash you is simply incomparable. 

But, for many of our customers, these features are either unnecessary or installing an electric outlet is not feasible in their bathroom.  All they want is something simple to wash themselves after using the toilet.     

So, which one is right for you?

Electronic Bidet Toilet Seats

Also Known As: Bidet seats, washlets, washlet bidets, electronic bidets, Japanese toilet seats, heated bidet seats 

Installation Requirements:  An electrical outlet (GFCI) and a cold water line from the shut off valve next to the toilet

Pros: Convenience, luxury, and ease of use.  Electronic bidet seats come standard with a heated seat, and warm water front and rear wash.  The temperature and pressure of the water are adjustable and everything is controlled by either a wall mounted remote control or an attached control panel.  The water will be warm right away, and the position of the nozzles is usually adjustable.  Electronic bidet toilet seats are especially useful for the elderly, the disabled, or folks with limited mobility who may have trouble operating non-electric bidets.  Instead of having to reposition their bodies and fine tune a control knob, they can simply press a button on a wall mounted remote control. This also makes washlet bidets convenient for left handed folks as the remote control can be mounted on either side of the toilet. For folks interested in eliminating the use of toilet paper altogether, most bidet toilet seats also have warm air dryers. 

Cons: Electronic bidets tend to be more expensive than their non-electric counterparts.  They generally range from $200-$700 depending on quality.  As their name suggests, electronic bidet seats require an electrical outlet to be plugged into.  This is not always feasible depending on the bathroom layout and can be an added cost to have an outlet installed. However, folks who are lucky enough to already have an outlet nearby, will find that installation is a breeze.    

 

Non-Electric Bidet Toilet Attachments

Also Known As: Standard bidets, bidet attachments, manual bidets, bidet toilet attachments

Installation Requirements:   Most only need a cold water line from the shut off valve next to the toilet.  Some non-electric bidets also have a hookup for hot water which usually comes from the hot water valve underneath a nearby sink.

Pros: Non-electric bidets fit almost any toilet and are very affordable.  Most units attach directly to your toilet bowl, underneath your existing toilet seat.  Prices range from $40-$200.  Since they work directly off of the water pressure coming from your pipes, spray pressure is usually more than adequate.  Bidet toilet attachments are generally easy to install if you only need cold water. Non-electric bidets can clean you off just as well as any electronic bidet.

Cons: Non-electric bidet attachments can be a little more difficult to use than electronic bidets.  Water pressure is controlled by either a control knob, or a pull lever.  It takes some practice to get just the right amount of pressure so you don't blast yourself off the bowl. Non-electric bidets are not recommended for customers with poor hand control.  Also, since the nozzles are usually not adjustable, users will have to scoot their butt a little forward and backwards to get a good clean.  Although bidet attachments have a hookup for hot water, you are at the mercy of how quickly you can get hot water at your sink/valve.  Typically, you will have to flush a good amount of cold water out of the pipes before it turns warm.  Getting a hot water supply to the bidet is another issue.  Depending on your bathroom layout, you may not have a nearby sink you can tap into. 

Features

One of the biggest differences you’ll discover when comparing a non-electric bidet unit to an electric unit is features. With non-electric units you are looking at a very limited amount of features like nozzle positioning and warm water at most. In these instances, warm water can even be a bit bothersome as you have to connect to a hot water source, which is always beneath your sink and which means you would be drilling into a vanity closet on most occasions.

For those who are not looking to be limited on features and want more bells and whistles to their wash like warm water, a heated seat, adjustable nozzle positioning, pulsation, oscillation, and many more nifty things, then an electric seat is the right move. Additionally, installation for an electric bidet seat can be simpler without the need to drill into any vanity closets, or anything else that may be in the way between the toilet and a sink water line. An electric unit is simply a plug away from use while a non-electric with hot water might need a bit of plumbing.

Water Pressure

Water pressure is one area where non- electrics will excel in comparison to electric units. By comparison a non-electric unit will have double the force of an electric unit set on high. The reason for this is that non- electric units are based off your homes' water pressure, which often times is far higher than the pressure an internal pump within an electric unit can produce. This is a main reason why when someone jumps from a non-electric unit to an electric unit that it feels like a big difference. The tradeoff here is that you get comfort in other regions. For some users control of the spray pressure with oscillation and pulsating makes an electric unit far more worth the money than a non-electric.

Installation

Installation of both units can vary in difficulty. In some cases where electricity is available within four feet of the toilet an electric unit becomes an easy install, but other times the need of an electrician might be required. For non-electrics on the other hand, installation is almost a breeze when it comes to cold water units. The only time this does not hold true is when wanting a hot water connection for a non-electric unit. Adding a hot water line can mean drilling to vanities in order to tap into your sink’s water line. Occasionally sinks may also be too far, exceeding the 6 foot hot water line that comes with hot water capable non-electric units.

Cost

When it comes to cost, cost will always be in favor of the non-electric units. They are far less expensive In every way, but this can also mean far less durable.