Types of Toilet Seats Reviewed

Choosing the right toilet seat may seem trivial, but it can have a big impact on your comfort and hygiene. With so many options on the market, from materials to shapes and sizes, selecting the best toilet seat for your needs requires some research.

People often overlook their humble toilet when making home upgrades, yet it's one of the most frequently used fixtures that directly impacts daily quality of life. The right throne suited to your personal preferences helps keep bathrooms clean while offering ergonomic support tailored to your comfort. Let's review the main categories of toilet seats and popular features to decode your choices.

Basic Toilet Seat Types

The most fundamental decision lies in the basic shape and build of the toilet seat. Key distinctions can be made between elongated vs round seats, standard vs comfort height options, and construction materials ranging from plastic to wood to metal.

Elongated vs Round Toilet Seats

The elongated toilet seat shape is a few inches longer, following the outline of an oval toilet bowl. The elongated form provides more thigh support and fits most average-sized and larger body types with greater comfort. People find the oval seats roomier for doing their business without touching toilet bowl surfaces.

Round toilet seats match circular-shaped toilet bowls, best suiting smaller framed users with less space to spare. However, some overweight individuals still opt for round seats citing problems with standard elongated seat dimensional ratios. Small half bathrooms can also benefit from a round seat's compactness.

Standard Height vs Comfort Height Seats

Traditional toilet bowl height and matching seats range from about 14 to 15 inches high on average. At this lower standard height, users must bend their knees more to sit down comfortably. Newer model toilets offer chair height bowls ranging from 17 to 19 inches high, with comfort height toilet seats sized accordingly about an inch below respective bowl rims.

The taller bowl elevation better accommodates those with knee, hip, and back issues minimizing painful squatting and bending stresses getting on and off toilets. Chair height toilets also aid taller people and senior citizens experiencing mobility difficulties.

Plastic vs Wood vs Metal Materials

Sturdy plastic toilet seats offer advantages like affordability, easy cleaning, slow close mechanisms, and options galore for built-in deodorizers, antimicrobial properties, lighting, heating, nightlights, and endless style choices.

Real wood excels on elegance and a warm, cozy aesthetic for a premium residential bathroom. But solid wood's moisture absorption makes plastic a more practical choice for humid commercial and institutional baths. Some manufacturers offer wood veneer over plastic cores merging the best of both materials.

Metal toilet seats were once more popular but faded out decades ago. Interest is resurging in commercial-grade stainless steel for extreme durability and trailblazing copper options harnessing its antimicrobial properties.

Specialty Toilet Seat Options

Beyond basic sits, specialized toilet seats address issues like noise and germs or simply provide a pretty throne adding panache to the potty.

Slow-Close Toilet Seats

Standard gravity and hinge mechanisms let toilet seat lids and rings fall and slam shut loudly. Slow-close technology uses air pressure dampeners or pistons inside hinges gently easing lids down silently. These seats prevent startle reactions and cracked porcelain or pinched fingers.

Antimicrobial Toilet Seats

Toilet seats collect microbes that can cause infections and spread disease. Antimicrobial properties built into seat materials inhibit 99% bacteria growth. Silver nano-particle coatings prove effective sanitizing soft plastic seats. Harder copper alloys making some metal seats also eliminate germs.

Decorative and Color Toilet Seats

Today's toilet seats range from basic white to snazzy with high-gloss finishes, luxury faux leather, artistic embedded designs, custom graphics, and unlimited color choices. Coordinated collections allow color-matching toilet bowls, tanks, plumbing fittings, walls, floors, and accessories for a designer look.

Toilet Seat Features

With technology advancing toilet hygiene and convenience, you'll find seats outfitted with handy extras like lighting, heating, and specialized hardware.

Built-In Nightlights

Soft ambient nightlights integrated into the toilet seat provideorientation guidance and task lighting during midnight bathroom visits without blasting bright overhead glare. Activated by a seat sensor or manual on/off switch, the gentle glow aids navigation and aiming.

Heated Seats

Heated toilet seats with adjustable temperature controls sound heavenly warming bottom bones on cold winter mornings. Most models feature integrated heating coils or pads beneath the sitting surface powered by electric current. Others utilize self-heating graphite materials without electric requirements.

Ergonomic Seats

Ergonomically contoured toilet seats align with natural body curves and weight distribution for unparalleled comfort and proper posture while seated. Models featuring a forward tilt also aid mobility challenged individuals.

Quick-Release Hinges

Standard snap-on toilet seat mounting hinges secure the seat to the toilet bowl. Quick-release models utilize side or top-mount levers allowing quick removal of seats for convenient deep cleaning and fast reattachment.

Non-Slip Bumpers

Small rubber bumpers on the bottom rear of seats prevent rocking and sliding for toddlers and mobility challenged users. The friction tread helps keep seats firmly in place and stable.

Bidet Toilet Seats

Bidet seats take toilet hygiene and comfort to the next level with built-in washers and dryers pampering posterior regions. High-tech models integrate heated water, temperature and pressure controls, adjustable wands, deodorizers, blow dryers, music, even seat warmers delivering a spa-like experience.

Attachable Bidet Seats

Innovative aftermarket bidet seats come equipped with the works to upgrade existing toilets without the expense of full bidet toilet replacements. DIY electric and mechanical attach models feature self-cleaning wands giving that refreshing feeling on command.

Integrated Bidet Toilet Combos

Integrated bidet toilets combine seating with embedded washing functionality in a seamless design for new installation. Convenience features include heated water, drying fans, touchscreen or remote controls, heated seats, LED lighting, automated opening and closing lids, hands-free flushing, odor extraction and deodorizers for a fully immersive experience.

Hybrid Bidet Seat Features

Some manufacturers produce hybrid models combining popular bidet seat and toilet bowl elements like the elongated shape, comfort height, dual flushing system, warm water wash, and efficiency in svelt, space-saving profiles.

Toilet Seat Measurements

Those seeking the perfect seating fit can reference key toilet seat dimensions and bowl specifications when selecting components.

Elongated vs Round Dimensions

On average elongated toilet seats span 18.5 inches wide x 16.5 inches long, ranging anywhere from 18-20" W x 16-18" L to fit corresponding oval bowls. Round seats typically measure a more compact 16 to 17 inches wide x 14 to 15 inches long fitting round toilet bowls of the same dimensions.

Standard vs Comfort Height Sizes

Standard height toilet seats stand about 14 to 15 inches above bowl rims give or take variance by manufacturer. For a smoother sit-stand transition, comfort height models run 17 to 19 inches high, equivalent to a typical chair seat.

If you own a uniquely shaped or sized toilet installing a standard seat could leave embarrassing gaps or feel quite uncomfortable. Seek out a specialty retailer able to custom fabricate toilet seats tailored to any bowl dimensions with optimal coverage and tailored ergonomic contours.