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The Wirecutter Show
The Bidet Episode
00:34:18
Bidets are for everyone! Listen for expert advice on how to upgrade your bathroom routine no matter your budget.
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- [00:00]
A
The Wirecutter show is supported by Rocket Mortgage. Your home is an active investment, not a passive one. And with Rocket Mortgage, you can put your home equity to work right away. When you unlock your home equity, you unlock new doors for your family. Renovations, extensions, even buying your next property. Get started today with smarter tools and guidance from real mortgage experts. Find out how@rocketmortgage.com Rocket Mortgage LLC, licensed in 50 states, nmlsconsumeraccess.org through 3030.
- [00:37]
B
There is clearly a bidet for every budget. You can get a cold water model for maybe $25. Or you could get something like the Toto Neorest, which is this high end toilet with a bidet integrated into it. And there's one of those models that costs $25,000.
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A
I'm Christine Cyrcassette.
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C
I'm Kyra Blackwell.
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D
I'm Rosie Guerin and you're listening to the Wirecutter Show, My Pod Friends.
- [01:15]
A
Hello.
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D
Hi. A little serious today. I have now known you both for about a year. I, I'm ready to be open. I really trust you both and everyone.
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A
Listening to this podcast.
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D
I feel that it's intimate. I feel it's an intimate group of us and I am ready to be a little bit vulnerable and I'm finally ready to come out to you both. I am bidet Curious, Rosie, we were wondering, you're so supportive that I felt.
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C
So happy for you.
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D
I am really curious about the end of bidet.
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A
What are you? Well, I think, Rosie, you know that Kyra and I are pretty hardcore team.
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C
Bidet, but we respect all walks of life.
- [01:59]
A
We. If you are not into it, it's totally Love is love, Love is love. But I think this is really one of the coolest products that you could install in your bathroom. If you've never used one before, you may not understand how great they are, but I think once you get a bidet, there's kind of no going back.
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D
Can you both talk about your first times? When were like, when did you first encounter the bidet, Rosie?
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C
No, it's personal to my pearls.
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D
I told you it's personal today.
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A
I think the first time for me was I was at a hotel in la. That is a hotel. It's like a Japanese hotel chain and all of the bathrooms have bidets and I was kind of like, oh, I don't know, like, it's got a lot of buttons. I'm a little bit skeeved out. But I tried it and it was like discovering what a shower was. I was like I'm finally clean.
- [02:48]
C
My first experience with the bidet, I was studying abroad in Shanghai. And China has a funny mix of public toilets. It's either you. You have a toilet that you would recognize anywhere. You have one of those holes in the floor that you squat over. And then one random day, I went to this fancy hotel in Shanghai and they had a bidet, and it was like I went from squatting over a hole like the week before to having this beautiful, like, Toto Washlet, and it changed my life.
- [03:16]
D
These moments sound really impactful. I'm ready to be open to the idea of getting a bidet, and I want to learn more.
- [03:23]
A
Well, we have the perfect guest that we're gonna bring on today. Doug Mahoney, who is a senior staff writer here on our home team. He is a total expert on bidets. He's tested nearly 30 of them for our guide to bidets, and he knows a lot about them. He was like a real bidet skeptic when he started testing them, and he's now pretty hardcore Team bidet as well. So he's a convert? Yeah, he's a convert. So he's the perfect person to come and lay out why you might wanna get one.
- [03:51]
C
He's gonna hold your hand. Okay.
- [03:53]
D
I would follow that, man.
- [03:56]
C
All right, we're going to take a quick break, and then when we're back, we're going to chat about how they work, how Doug tested them, and what his best recommendations are. Be right back.
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A
The Wirecutter show is supported by Rocket Mortgage. Your home is an active investment, not a passive one. And with Rocket Mortgage, you can put your home equity to work right away. When you unlock your home equity, you unlock new doors for your family. Renovations, extensions, even buying your next property. Get started today with smarter tools and guidance from real mortgage experts. Find out how at RocketMortgage.com. rocketMortgage LLC. Licensed in 50 states. Nmlsconsumeraccess.org 3030 the New York Times app.
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D
Has all this stuff that you may not have seen. I can immediately navigate to something that.
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B
Matches what I'm feeling.
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A
The way the tabs are at the with all of the different sections, it's.
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B
Just easier to navigate that way. There is something for everyone.
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A
Those personalized page, the YouTube, that one's my favorite.
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C
I can also save my articles easily in this area right under the byline.
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A
It says click here if you'd like.
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B
To listen to this article.
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A
I like that the cooking tab on.
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C
Top is really easily accessible.
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So if I'm on my way home and I'm just thinking, oh, what am I gonna make for dinner? I'll just quickly go on to cooking.
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B
And say, oh, I've got this in my pantry. I'm gonna try out some of these recipes I see in here.
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A
I go to games always doing the.
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Doing the wordle.
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A
I loved how much content it exposed me to things that I never would have thought to turn to a news.
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B
App for this app is essential. The New York Times app. All of the times all in one place.
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C
Download it now@nytimes.com app welcome back. With us now is Doug Mahoney. He's a wirecutter senior staff writer who covers home improvement and pressure washers, which is unrelated but still kind of cool. For our coverage, he's interviewed three bidet manufacturers and a bidet salesperson. And of course, he's tested almost 30 bidets. He's actually a bidet convert now, thanks to all of his wire cutter testing.
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A
Doug, welcome.
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B
Hello.
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A
What a topic for you to come back.
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D
Were you, like a child dreaming about what you would do when you grew up and you were like, someday I'm going to test bidets for a living.
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B
I am probably the last person. If you took a survey of employees in a company, who would be the least likely person to test bidets, I may win that survey.
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A
I think it actually makes you the best spokesperson for bidets because you are such a hardcore convert. Well, we do love it when you come because you, you sometimes come with quizzes for us.
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B
I do. I have bidet questions for you all.
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C
I'm so excited.
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D
I feel very competitive this morning.
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B
So the first question. Napoleon had a bidet that he loved and he traveled with, and he enjoyed it so much that he passed it down to his son in his will. What was the bidet made of?
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A
Gold.
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B
Silver.
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A
Oh, how I do need to add my bidet to my will, I guess. Is that the lesson?
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C
Only if it's made of silver.
- [07:16]
B
What's actually interesting, though, is that silver does have antimicrobial properties, so I'm not sure if that was known at the time or not. Okay, so the next question. While the bidet originated in France, the models that we are talking about today came to the US Via Japan. What company first designed a modern bidet seat and subsequently brought it to the U.S. toto.
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D
Nintendo.
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A
Nintendo. I'm going to go with Toto also. That's. Who's the biggest name at this point.
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B
It is Toto.
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A
Oh, nice.
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B
The story is that in the 1960s, there was something similar was designed that was marketed to hospital patients and other people with limited mobility in the US and then Toto saw the value in the overall concept and ended up acquiring the patent. And after years and years of design work and testing and refining the model, they released it in 1980.
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C
That's kind of late.
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B
It is. It's later than you think. Okay, so the next one. Where does the term bidet come from?
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C
Is this like a long answer? Like multiple choice? What do we have?
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D
I think, yeah, it's French for what does it mean a hole in the ground where you accidentally have stumbled on a water source that comes back up from.
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A
Does it just mean spring, like a.
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D
Bubbling that washes your bum?
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B
It is French, so it means pony or small horse. And the reference to the plumbing fixture is based around the stance that's needed to use it. So you have to stop straddle of bidet as if you were riding a horse.
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C
Stop.
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D
And that's our episode. We'll see you next Wednesday.
- [08:49]
B
Yep.
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C
Wait, because we're talking about those, like, French bidets that are separate from the.
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A
Toilet, where you don't have a toilet seat that you just have to squat.
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C
It just looks like a really uncomfortable fountain.
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A
Yeah, I never got those.
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B
Yeah, those are. That's the original. That's the OG bidet. So good.
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C
Not a babbling brook. Not even a baby.
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D
So is it a noun or a verb? Do you bidet or do you stand in bidet?
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B
It's a noun, I believe.
- [09:12]
D
What do we mean when we call it a bidet in 2025? Because I don't see the stand and straddle over ones that much anymore.
- [09:23]
B
Right. Well, so technically speaking, a bidet is like a full size plumbing fixture. It looks like a toilet without the tank on it, and there's like a little faucet, and that's. That's technically a bidet. So what. What we're talking about, they're technically called bidet attachments or bidet seats. And so these are devices, they're like retrofitted into your existing toilet or they replace the seat entirely. They're also known as washlets. And washlets is Toto's trademark name. But as we just talked about, Toto is such a big player in the industry. That washlet I've heard used many times in a generic sense, you know, like Kleenex or Popsicle. But I think for today, if we just refer to everything as bide, it'll just keep things simple. Got it.
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C
We've been really excited to Talk about this subject. It's been on our list forever. It's kind of controversial. So I can imagine that some people listening might be wondering, why are we even doing this? Why do they need a bidet? And others might be wondering how people have been surviving without one all these years. So in your professional opinion, Doug, who actually needs a bidet?
- [10:29]
B
Who needs a bidet? Everyone needs a bidet. What you hear from bidet users is that they just generally they feel cleaner. It's like your butt just got out of the shower. There's plenty of other reasons to get one. They're very helpful for people with like, limited mobility, even through something like a short term injury. One of our colleagues I spoke to had a relative that was recovering from, I think it was a motorcycle accident. And a bidet played a big role in their recovery. It allowed the person to keep their sort of privacy and their sense of dignity. Dignity. As they recovered. They're also, and I kind of learned this firsthand, it wasn't something that I had realized before, but they're really good with young kids who are just learning how to use the bathroom for the first time. It kind of gives kids like a big sense of empowerment that they can kind of get themselves clean with the press of a button or the turn of a knob.
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D
That's clever.
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B
Yeah. It was actually really helpful for us. And then in a practical sense, you're spending a lot less on toilet paper. You're buying less toilet paper, which may even free up some storage space. And then if you have a septic system like I do, then not flushing all that toilet paper down the drain into the septic is gonna go easier on the system. And that's definitely something you wanna preserve your septic as long as possible.
- [11:41]
A
I'm hugely team bidet. When I started using one, I was like, why did I not have one before? And just going back to that, that note around accessibility, I think that these are so helpful for anyone who's having any kind of issue where they're having trouble getting things clean. And this can be like a tool to really help make things more accessible and like you said, preserve people's dignity so they can do things themselves. So I just want to underline that I think there's a reason why they, they were used in hospitals first.
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C
Yeah.
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B
And definitely. And even someone who's, who's aging in place, you know, they may be able to stay that much longer in their home and not have to rely on people.
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D
So, Doug, I think maybe the elephant in the room is how you test bidets.
- [12:28]
B
So I do the primary testing here at my house. I have a large family, I have four kids, there's six people. There's a lot of opinions. Within the last two years or so, I've renovated all three bathrooms in our house and I've added, I've added bidet outlets to all three of them. So now I can test three bidets at once. So I do most of the primary testing that comes in from, you know, if a new model shows up, I test it here. Once we've decided on our picks, as is pretty typical with Wirecutter, we end up sort of sending them out to colleagues. Right now I think we have multiple versions of all of our picks, all out, all over the country for long term testing. And that has been really valuable as far as getting feedback on how these things behave over time and sort of what people think of them over time. Like what features are people really into? But then they sort of cool off on which ones they really like. And then also warm water models, they've got delicate electronics in them. So this long term testing really helps us see how they hold up after a lot of use. They're really expensive. So, you know, you don't want to spend $500 on something and it doesn't work in two years.
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D
Can you just talk about what's on your spreadsheet as you write things down and rate what works and what doesn't? What are the types of things you're grading on?
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B
Pretty much they'll all get you clean to a certain degree. That's not really the problem. The problem is with like the interfaces, whether it's like a remote control that doesn't really work really well or some features that are hard to use, or if the seat is like uncomfortable, Sometimes the seats are uncomfortable. Sometimes the electronics and the water heater kind of make the inner seat too small. Sometimes the pressure is extremely strong. Sometimes it might not be strong enough.
- [14:21]
A
Okay, so Doug, we've established that pretty much everyone should have a bidet. If you're not convinced by that, go back and listen to what we just said three minutes ago. But not all toilets and bathrooms are created equally. What do you need to know about your bathroom? What do you need to understand about your bathroom, about your toilet setup, to understand whether a bidet is right for you or what kind of bidet that you can get?
- [14:43]
B
So most bidets are going to be compatible with most toilets. If you have a Toto toilet or a regular Kohler toilet or a Champion toilet or American Standard, you're probably in pretty good shape as far as bidet compatibility. If you have a French curved toilet, which is when the toilet tank slightly curves around the back of the seat, that's going to cause some problems. And there may be a very specific bidet that, that you'll have to get. What you need to do as far as the sort of prepping for the installation or to make sure that your plumbing is up to snuf is the most important thing is you need to make sure that you can access your toilet tank. If you have an in wall tank, then you're going to need professional help to install a bidet. You also need to make sure you need to confirm that your water shut off. The toilet water shut off is in good shape. And so what this is is the toilet tank is fed from the lower left side and there's usually a plumbing line that comes either straight up from the floor or it comes out the baseboard and then takes a 90 degree turn and then heads up into the tank. And on that there should be a shutoff. And if you can shut that off and flush your toilet, and if the toilet does not refill, then that valve is functioning. And I only say this because in my house I had valves that were so corroded I couldn't get them entirely shut. I had to replace them. Or when I installed a bidet, I'd have to shut down the water to the whole house. So you definitely want to make sure that that valve is working. If you want a warm water bidet, then you need to make sure there's an outlet nearby. The cords are not particularly long, they're maybe like four feet or so. It's not really recommended to use an extension cord. You may have to have an outlet added if you want a warm water model.
- [16:29]
A
And when it comes down to deciding what type of bidet you want to get, what are the. You know, there's ones that are just cold water, they're like super bare bones. You don't have to plug them in. And then there are, on the other end of the spectrum, there are these bidets that are, they have warm water, they have a remote, they, they shoot, you know, warm air to dry you. What is the decision tree? Sort of. How do you figure out what kind you want to get? Is it about price? Is it about whether you want warm or cold water? How do you advise people approach that?
- [16:58]
B
Well, I think that sort of depends on the person. I mean, I think starting out with a budget is a good place to start. I Mean, there is clearly a bidet for every budget. You can get a cold water model for maybe $25. Or you could get something like the Toto Neorest, which is this high end toilet with a bidet integrated into it. And there's one of those mod that costs $25,000. What? Yeah, I think it's the NX2, the Toto Ninja.
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A
Does it clean itself too? Like, do you just. Is it like, wow, it's like a piece of art.
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B
I think they say that it's modeled after like a river stone. It barely even looks like a toilet. It's this beautiful thing.
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D
You could not get a mattress and just live on this. Live on your river stone.
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C
Maybe also not get.
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B
Yeah.
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C
Or a car to afford that.
- [17:54]
B
So while I don't recommend going with the cheapest model available, there's, you know, these things that are definitely plumbing fittings and you want to get a bidet from a company with a solid reputation. But there, there is a wide variety of price ranges available.
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C
I get the jump in price between a cold water bidet and a warm water bidet. I don't really understand why I would jump from a $25 cold water bidet to over $100 for a cold water bidet. What is the delta there? What are you missing?
- [18:21]
B
Well, what you're getting there, you're getting a company that'll stand by their model, the hundred dollar ones. So pretty much there's the cold water model ones. The way they're installed is that you take your toilet seat off and then you slide in this. It's like a plastic piece that has the nozzle on it and it's got the little plumbing fitting. And then you replace your toilet seat on top of it. So those ones are in that $25 range, maybe up to like 50 or $60. And then above that, there's cold water models that come with a seat. So they're more inte seat. And those are, they're a little more discreet, which is really nice because the other ones that are installed, they kind of, they're controlled by this little side panel that kind of hangs out by your right thigh. And they're not the most attractive looking things. I mean, they're fine. But if you're somebody who wants your bidet to be very discreet, then one of these cold water models that comes integrated into a seat is really nice because it's just this one small dial kind of behind your right butt cheek and that actually does all the controls.
- [19:26]
D
I'm curious how bidets actually Work. I mean, you're talking about a plumbing fixture. But all I know is the part where you sit down and it sprays up your tush. So can you explain where is the water coming from? Where is it going?
- [19:41]
B
Yeah. So with the bidet installation, so there's the water line that goes from your floor or your baseboard up to your toilet tank. So when you install the bidet, what you're doing is you're detaching that line from the toilet tank and you're adding in a little T fitting. So the water that's coming through the line can go to the toilet tank, but also can get diverted to this other hose and that other hose goes to your bidet seat. So with the really simple cold water model ones, it'll just have basically like a little on, off valve. And so when you turn it on, you're just opening up that valve a little bit and then that water is going through the seat and into the little wand. With cold water models, often the wand is sort of in a fixed position and then that just sprays your bum. Warm water models are basically the same principle. There's a lot more to it though, as far as the types of spray, but the functionality is the same. You're adding in that T fitting and then there's a little hose that goes into the side of the bidet. And then usually on warm water models, the little wand will like retract after every use. A lot of them have self cleaning functions. So like every time you sit down, it'll sort of dribble water over the nozzle to clean it. Some of them, I think, have, have little UV lights that also will clean the nozzle. But yeah, so the nozzle will come out and based on what you're pressing into the controls or into the remote, it'll spray the water and then you can change the temperature. You can change the type of spray. Some of them have oscillating sprays.
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D
It sounds like the warm water models are sort of an upgrade, at least in the sense that they're a little bit more versatile. Is that right?
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B
Yes, they are warm water models. They offer a lot, so. Well, first of all, they're a lot more expensive. But beyond the price, what warm water models do, because you're replacing the entire lid, the entire toilet lid, they need a place to put the heater, the water heater, they need a place to put the nozzle when it's retracted. They need a place to put all the electronics. So that's kind of this block at the Back end of the bidet. So what this is, this creates this sort of curved shape on the top of the toilet lid. It can be kind of like a dramatic swoop. Some of the companies have kind of raised up the front of the seat a little bit to try and make this a little flatter, but it does make the closed lid kind of awkward to sit on.
- [22:04]
C
And you need an outlet nearby, correct?
- [22:07]
B
Yeah, you need an outlet. The cords, they're not really long, so you would, you know, you definitely need an outlet.
- [22:16]
C
I have seen some questions on Reddit come up about if you can actually use less toilet paper when you have a bidet. Because some people are like, aren't you going to be wet? Wouldn't that cause you to use the same amount, if not more toilet paper? Do you have any expert advice on that?
- [22:32]
B
Well, not to get too into things. Well, the warm water models, they, they come with little fans, which I, they're more of a gesture of a fan. I think they're going to get you maybe a little bit drier, but they're not going to get you totally dry.
- [22:44]
C
Concept of a fan.
- [22:46]
D
I tell you what, I hadn't lived until I got that warm fan blowing on my tush after using the fancy bidet in a hotel once.
- [22:57]
C
What if you're cheap and you only have a cold water bidet?
- [23:00]
B
Yeah, well, I mean, I think a few squares for a dry down and sort of like a quick little check is fine, but you're definitely not using as much as you would if you were just relying entirely on TP or at least my experience.
- [23:13]
D
Or trust your bidet. Trust the clean and then get like a little washcloth and dab. Oh, no, it's the old dabbing guy.
- [23:20]
A
I don't agree.
- [23:21]
B
The old.
- [23:22]
D
No, no takers for the dab. And go.
- [23:26]
C
Absolutely not. I don't. Nope.
- [23:30]
A
You still need tp.
- [23:31]
C
Yeah, yeah.
- [23:33]
B
Yes, definitely.
- [23:33]
C
We're going to take a quick break and when we're back, we're going to talk with Doug about his favorite bidets plus his best installation tips. Be right back.
- [23:54]
A
The Wirecutter show is supported by Rocket Mortgage. Your home is an active investment, not a passive one. And with Rocket Mortgage, you can put your home equity to work right away. When you unlock your home equity, you unlock new doors for your family. Renovations, extensions, even buying your next property. Get started today with smarter tools and guidance from real mortgage experts. Find out how@rocketmortgage.com RocketMortgage LLC. Licensed in 50 states. Nmlsconsumeraccess.org 3030 hi, I'm Juliette from New.
- [24:28]
C
York Times Games, and I'm here talking.
- [24:30]
A
To fans about our games. You play New York Times games? Yes, every day. There's this little tab down here called.
- [24:35]
C
Friends, so you can add your friend.
- [24:37]
B
That feels new to me. It is. It's nice to have the social aspect. Oh, my God.
- [24:42]
A
And you have all their times.
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C
That's crazy, right?
- [24:43]
A
You can look at spelling bee, wordle connections. Oh, my God. Amazing.
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B
Love that.
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A
I have to get the app.
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C
New York Times game subscribers get full access to all our games and features.
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B
Subscribe now@nytimes.com games for a special offer.
- [25:05]
A
Welcome back. So, Doug, we're talking bidets. I want to talk about your picks. Let's break down the recommendations you have by budget. Let's start out with the bidet you would recommend. That's the best bang for your buck.
- [25:19]
B
So the best bang for your buck are a good starter bidet. I would recommend the Bio bidet slim edge attachment. And this is one of those cold water models. It's super basic. It installs under your toilet seat. And then there's like, that little outboard control that sort of sits next to your right thigh. It's not the cheapest of these cold water models, but BioBidet is a. They're a reliable manufacturer. They're solid. We trust them. As far as the use goes, it's just really easy to use. There's. There's no way you can not understand how it works. There's no directional control on the spray. So, you know, a downside is you may need to kind of wriggle around a little bit. But one thing that's actually really cool is that Biobide offers some aesthetic options which are often, like, often these things, they look like they belong in a hospital. It'll be like a big white box with a big, giant chrome knob on it. But biobidet offers some. I think in one version, the knob is. It's like, looks like it's made of bamboo. And another one is a sort of sleek, rounded thing where you kind of twist the whole end of the stem. That's like a really nice one. It's definitely a good beginner one. And it's usually about $45 less than $50.
- [26:28]
D
Okay. And then mid range, we're going up a step.
- [26:31]
B
What do you.
- [26:32]
D
What do you get if you spend a little more?
- [26:34]
B
So to spend a little more, you can get the Brondell eco seat. And that one that's also a cold Water model. It was one of the ones I was sort of describing earlier, where the bidet is integrated into the seat with that single control knob, like kind of tucked behind the unit on the back. Right. It's very, very discreet. It's definitely for the person who, who wants a bidet, but they don't want, like, kind of people to see it. They don't want to make out of it. It comes with a toilet seat, but the toilet seat is still relatively flat, so you're not kind of losing that sitability that you do with some of the warm water models. And because the seat is integrated into the sprayer, the aim seems to be better. And that one is like about $90, usually just under $100.
- [27:14]
C
Okay, so let's talk about the luxe options. My favorite category, the unattainables. Why would somebody spend more on a bidet? And what are the best options out there, in your opinion, in.
- [27:24]
B
So for about seven years, we recommended the Toto C5, which is just a fantastic model. Toto is an exceptional company when it comes to these. But this year, actually some big news is that the C5 was sort of upgraded. They've released a new model, the S5, and that is, it's expensive. It's a big budget item. It's anywhere from usually from 550 to 650, but we've been currently testing it and it is just, just fantastic in all the ways that you want a bidet to be fantastic. It's a lot of money. I'm not making light of that. But you get this great feature set. The remote control is really, really good. There's total customization on all the settings. There's even a mode in it where it sort of learns your patterns of use. And then during these expected down times, it powers the heated seat down to the lowest settings. So you're not sort of wasting all this energy. The Toto remote is super streamlined, really simple. But even with that simplicity, there's like a lot you can do with it. You can all these different features. You can turn on, you can turn off, you can have it. As soon as you sit down, the deodorizer can come on. As soon as you know, as soon as you stand up, the deodorizer can come on. You can really do a lot with it. It's really nice looking. The overall design is like really kind of high end, really nice looking.
- [28:43]
A
Do these ever go on sale?
- [28:45]
B
These sort of rarely go on sale. One thing to think about though is that, so this is the S5 so what. What manufacturers will typically do, or what the good manufacturers will typically do, is they will have a bidet model, and then they will release kind of two versions of it. They'll release one version with a remote, which is usually more expensive, and then they'll release one version with just sort of like a side panel. It's like this panel that runs along your right thigh, and then that has all the controls. Usually there's some functionality lost in there. The remotes are typically a little more. You could do more with them. But in this case, they're also releasing at the Same time an S2 also, which is side panel version of this, which I think is only like four or five hundred dollars. So.
- [29:29]
C
Only.
- [29:30]
B
Only. Only. I know.
- [29:34]
A
Doug, we're talking about plumbing here. Are there any risks of, you know, a bidet malfunctioning and flooding your bathroom?
- [29:42]
B
I'd say once it's installed, probably not. I mean, there's a slight risk, but only in that you're adding more plumbing connections, and that just kind of brings with it a higher chance of things that could go wrong. But once it's put in, and if it's put in right, you should be in the clear. Unless there's some sort of manufacturer defect, you know, and you definitely want to make sure that it's not leaking once it's installed. Because one teeny little, like, pinhole leak, it can add up to a lot. Like over a. If you head off to a work day or if. Even if you go to sleep for the night, that little bit of drip could cause a lot of problems.
- [30:12]
D
That feels like high stakes. A clogged toilet seems bad enough, and the potential to flood your bathroom that way. So how difficult, Doug, is it, to install bidets properly yourself?
- [30:25]
B
It's not very hard at all. I mean, I obviously do it a lot. I can do it in, like, 10 minutes or less. And I'm not saying that everyone should do it that quickly, but hopefully that sort of indicates that there's not a lot of steps to it. So, I mean, you know, aside from making sure that your toilet's in good shape. Shape. The manufacturer's instructions are usually pretty good. Not always. They can usually guide you through it. A lot of models, they come with sort of placement templates, which makes things a little easier for the warm water models. And then YouTube is always a resource. I mean, to walk you through it. With cold water models, you take off your existing toilet seat, and if you can do that, then you can basically install a cold water model, because then.
- [31:04]
C
You just, I can't do it then.
- [31:07]
B
Well, then you can call TaskRabbit. And then, you know, like I said earlier, you just need to add in that little T fitting. Basically, you just need a wrench and a screwdriver. But I would say, like, the most important piece of advice is that once you're done installing it, just dry everything off, all the connections. Just make sure everything is just absolutely bone dry. And then turn the water on, because then you know that if there's absolutely any moisture on the outside of the connections, that turns into a leak.
- [31:34]
D
I like the idea of 10 minutes to install. I'm curious, would you call these renter friendly? Like, what's the uninstall process?
- [31:45]
B
Oh, they're super easy to uninstall. It takes probably even less time than it takes to install it. They're definitely renter friendly. Definitely.
- [31:50]
C
I have a kind of follow up to that, though, because I've had bidets in every single one of my apartments. I've moved eight times in this city, and I've left every bidet in my old apartment because I'm kind of just grossed out about the idea of bringing a used bidet into a new place. So how do you recommend that people clean their bidets?
- [32:11]
B
You can pretty much just clean it like you would anything else in a toilet. There's one thing for sure is that they create a lot of nooks and crannies where things can get pretty gross pretty quickly. Warm water models, they all have a little quick release button, so they can be kind of popped off that bracket really easily. And then you can just sort of flip them upside down, and then you can get a good cleaning in that way.
- [32:31]
A
We also have a guide on our site on how to clean a bidet and give some tips in there.
- [32:36]
C
Well, Christine, would you take a bidet into a new place if you moved?
- [32:40]
A
Yeah, I would.
- [32:41]
C
Yeah.
- [32:41]
D
You would?
- [32:42]
A
Oh, yeah. Bleach is an amazing chemical, you guys. Yeah, you just clean that thing, disinfect it, and then install it. I mean, if you're truly grossed out and you've only spent 20 to 50 on a bidet, I say, no problem. Just move to the next place and get a new one. But, you know, I really don't think there's an issue with. With cleaning something like that and bringing it to the next place.
- [33:11]
C
So before we wrap, we usually ask all of our guests one final question. But, Doug, this is your fifth time on the show. We're not going to ask you that question. Instead, I would like to know what your favorite topic has been to talk about on this podcast.
- [33:26]
B
Well, my favorite, it was probably the mice and rats. That was the first one. That was the first one.
- [33:31]
A
What did you like about it?
- [33:33]
D
Well, it was just a friend.
- [33:35]
B
It was just the first time doing the podcast. I think that's what I liked about it.
- [33:39]
A
I'm still sort of horrified by the vision of you conniving against those rats in your barn. If you haven't listened, go back. It's a horrifying segment.
- [33:51]
C
My favorite Doug moment on this podcast is when we asked him if he'd rather have an infestation of cockroaches or rats, and he picked the rats.
- [34:01]
D
The type of thing you can't unheard. Doug, you're the best. Thank you for coming by. Appreciate you.
- [34:08]
B
Oh, thanks for having me. It's been great.
- [34:10]
A
Thanks.
- [34:10]
B
Thank you.
- [34:15]
A
This, I feel like, really completed a series of episodes that we have done on very highly personal products.
- [34:22]
B
Gross things.
- [34:23]
C
Yeah, just say it.
- [34:25]
A
It's gross.
- [34:27]
D
Highly personal. Yeah. What on. You both were clearly team bidet already. So what are you taking away from this episode?
- [34:35]
A
Well, I think this whole episode confirmed for me that I am definitely ready to upgrade to nicer Toto.
- [34:43]
C
You're gonna get the river stone one, right? The $25,000 one?
- [34:46]
D
The one that sings you a lullaby.
- [34:47]
A
Send my children to college, and I am gonna get that. No. You know, going to Japan this past winter trying out a ton of bidets while I was there definitely convinced me that a warm water bidet would be nice. And this just reaffirmed and reminded me that when I've got the cash, I want to upgrade to one of our Toto picks.
- [35:05]
D
I like that. I think I would do warm water if given the choice. It sounds like it's a bit more versatile. Maybe a few more things to consider, but if I get a bidet, I'm going heated seat. I'm going blow dryer. I'm going get me a manicure and a pedicure while I'm sitting there.
- [35:27]
A
And I don't even think we talked about this with Doug, but I've been on some of these bidets that actually play music or there's like, bird chirping.
- [35:34]
C
Or the sound of rain.
- [35:35]
D
I want a playlist. I want it to cradle me in whisper.
- [35:39]
C
Nobody ever knows you actually have to use the bathroom.
- [35:41]
A
That's right. That's right.
- [35:43]
D
That's what I want.
- [35:44]
C
Yeah, I want that too. I think my takeaway from Doug is that I need to just get the bidet. That I actually want. I've been so afraid of the uninstallation process for when I move. That has been stopping me from getting, like, a nice bidet. So I've always had cheap ones that I just leave behind. But I'm gonna just do. I'm gonna splurge a little bit.
- [36:02]
A
Life is too short? Get the thing you want And I'm so pro bidet.
- [36:05]
C
It's been so hard.
- [36:06]
A
Yeah.
- [36:09]
D
If you wanna find out more about Wirecutters coverage, if you wanna check out any of the products Doug mentioned today, check out our website. We'd love for you to subscribe to the show as well. You can find it on YouTube, you can find it on Spotify, you can find it on Apple, and we'd love to have you on board. That's it for us. Thanks for listening. Talk to you next week.
- [36:29]
B
Bye.
- [36:33]
A
The Wirecutter show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Engineering support from Mattie Mazziello and Nick Pittman. Today's episode was mixed by Katherine Anderson. Original music by Dan Powell, Marian Lozano, Alisha Ba Itup and Diane Wong. Cliff Levy is Wirecutter's deputy publisher and general manager. Ben Fruman is Wirecutter's editor in chief. I'm Christine Cyrclassette.
- [36:59]
C
I'm Kyra Blackwell.
- [37:00]
D
And I'm Rosie Guerin.
- [37:02]
A
Thanks for listening.
- [37:10]
D
This might be the most important question of our entire conversation, and it's for Christine. Would you snag a bidet off the sidewalk in Park Slope?
- [37:23]
B
Stop.
- [37:23]
A
Yes, I would.
- [37:24]
D
What?
- [37:27]
A
The Wirecutter show is supported by Rocket Mortgage. Your home is an active investment, not a passive one. And with Rocket Mortgage, you can put your home equity to work right away. When you unlock your home equity, you unlock new doors for your family. Renovations, extensions, even buying your next property. Get started today with smarter tools and guidance from real mortgage experts. Find out how@rocketmortgage.com Rocket Mortgage, LLC. Licensed in 50 states. Nmlsconsumeraccess.org 3030.