Japanese toilets (or washlets ) are high-tech toilets that come straight from Japan. Increasingly widespread, particularly in South Korea, but also in North America and now in Europe, these toilets are classic toilets equipped with a seat with multiple functions.
See our selection of the best Japanese toilet seats
The Japanese toilet seat (literally "hot water cleaning toilet seat" in Japanese) can be sold with the toilet or independently, to put it on your classic toilet .
The aim of the Japanese toilet seat is to increase user comfort through a range of diverse features. Most Japanese toilet seats are equipped with a warm water shower for washing your private parts or hands, a massage jet or a blast of hot air to dry you. They can also be heated and raised automatically using a presence detector.
Japanese toilet seats most often have a control arm on the side (sometimes it is a remote control), in order to facilitate its use. This allows you to manage and adjust all these functionalities.
It is especially in Japan or South Korea that this type of 100% comfort toilet is popular, with three-quarters of Japanese households having sophisticated toilets, and more than 30 million Washlet G Series (the first model of Japanese toilet, marketed by TOTO, the leading manufacturer of Japanese toilets) sold since their launch in the second half of the 20th century century. The whole world is increasingly seduced by these toilets of the future, with 14% of TOTO sales made internationally. We can therefore find more and more Japanese toilet seats in Europe, although the subject of toilet comfort is still quite taboo.
Difference between toilet seat, shower kit and toilet unit
In Europe, you can find several models of Japanese toilets. However, it is entirely possible to equip your toilet with these high-tech features without investing in a complete Japanese toilet. There are three solutions: the toilet seat, the shower kit, and the toilet block.
The shower kit is the simplest of the equipment and also the most economical. To use it, you just need to fix it between your bowl and your classic toilet seat, without having to change anything. As its name suggests, it includes the basic features of Japanese toilets, namely the washing water jet, with the possibility of adjusting the pressure and orientation of the jet. You can very well find some for less than 100 euros.
The toilet seat is a toilet seat with shower which is placed on the toilet seat in place of the classic seat. To acquire a Japanese toilet seat, you will have to pay at least 150 euros, depending on the different models and the number of features.
Finally, it is possible to replace your complete classic toilet with a Japanese toilet block. It costs on average between 1,000 euros and 10,000 euros including tax, knowing that you will have to add to this the installation service in your bathroom. This price range is rather wide because it takes into account the differences in features. Indeed, depending on the toilet block, you will be able to have original features such as music to cover intimate noises, heated seat, toilet bowl lighting, etc.
The advantages and disadvantages of Japanese toilet seats
Japanese toilet seats offer many benefits, hence their growing popularity around the world.
For starters, they are more hygienic than conventional toilets. Indeed, like bidets, they allow you to wash naturally thanks to a directional jet that allows you to target the part of the body you want to clean precisely. They are also less harmful to health: it is well known that toilet paper, made from chemicals, is aggressive for our fragile private parts.
Japanese toilet seats are also much more ecological : in fact, when you have a toilet seat of this type, there is no need to use toilet paper. However, we know that the production of toilet paper is very harmful to the environment: it requires 3 kilos of wood, 300 liters of water and many chemicals. Knowing that a European uses on average 10 to 15 kilos of toilet paper per year, these figures are enough to scare the most environmentally conscious...
No longer using toilet paper will also allow you to save money! Japanese toilet seats work with electricity and do not consume much , so after investing in such a device you will save more than buying toilet paper regularly.
In addition, Japanese toilet seats are very easy to install , since you can just change your toilet seat without having to redo all your plumbing. If you want to take the plunge, you will only need a few days at most to make your high-tech toilet operational!
Another advantage of Japanese toilet seats, and not the least: their comfort . Their multiple features allow for a welcome saving of gestures for the elderly or for people with reduced mobility, who can thus go to the toilet completely independently. In addition, certain features such as the heated seat, ideal in winter, are very popular with the Japanese and are about to seduce Europeans.
Finally, Japanese toilet seats are also practical and will allow you to save space , especially if you have small bathrooms or toilets. The washing jet of Japanese toilet seats makes the presence of a bidet or a sink in your toilet unnecessary, allowing you to free up space for storage cupboards, for example. Especially since the toilet seat is simply a high-tech seat, it does not take up more space than a classic seat.
The only downside to Japanese toilet seats is that they are relatively difficult to get cheap, at least compared to countries where they are very popular, such as Japan and South Korea. You can find them for less than 100 euros on sites such as Amazon. But if you want more features, such as a heated seat or music to cover unwanted noise, you will have to invest several hundred or even thousands of euros...
How to install a Japanese toilet seat?
A Japanese toilet seat is relatively simple to install. You can have it installed by a specialist for an additional fee, but you can also install it yourself .
The Japanese toilet seat only requires a few steps for installation: it is placed on Any type of standard toilet model must be connected to your water supply and plugged into a power outlet (some models even work without electricity).
Here is a video that explains, for example, how to install a Saniclean toilet seat.
You can of course change the complete toilet for a Japanese toilet, but you will absolutely need the services of a plumber to ensure that your device is working properly.
The luxury Japanese toilet, the best Japanese toilet seat on the market!
The advantages of the Luxury Japanese Bowl
The Luxury Japanese Toilet is much more than an ordinary toilet, offering a multitude of benefits that make it ideal for any modern bathroom.
This toilet is distinguished by its exceptional comfort , thanks to its hot and cold water selection system, allowing a relaxing or invigorating experience according to your preferences.
It offers three distinct modes: a standard mode, a mode specially designed for women, and a self-cleaning function, ensuring adaptability to various needs.
Its installation is remarkably easy, eliminating the need for professional help. A comprehensive instruction guide is provided to make assembly easy.
In addition, this toilet bowl is environmentally friendly , contributing to the reduction of daily toilet paper use, which not only allows financial savings but also a beneficial gesture for your health and the environment.
