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Thousands of Americans — myself included — ordered a bidet during the toilet paper shortage of the 2020 lockdown. And we all realized what Italian, Japanese, and other cultures have known for decades: Wiping is barbaric, and bidets are the future.
Five years later, consumers might be facing a similar come-to-John moment after the toilet paper industry navigates Donald Trump’s tariff plan. Like almost every other consumer good, the president’s new import taxes will likely affect the cost and availability of toilet paper. The U.S. gets most of its wood pulp (the main ingredient in toilet paper) from countries like Canada, China, and Mexico —three of Trump’s main targets in his new tariff plan —and that wood pulp will soon get much more expensive.
At a Glance: The Best Bidets
Editor’s Pick: Toto C5
Also Great: Coway Bidetmega 500S
Best Attachment Bidet: Tushy Classic 3.0
Budget Pick: Bigcow Ultra-Slim Bidet
Premium Pick: Toto S350e
Affordable Electric Pick: Brondell SE400
It’s still uncertain, but there’s a good chance that toilet paper will get much more expensive in the next several months,or we see another toilet paper-buying frenzy like we saw when Covid first hit.
One way to massively decrease your toilet paper consumptionand massively increase the quality of your bathroom visits is with a bidet. In the few years since then, bidets have gotten better — and cheaper. Solid bidets are going for as little as $25, meaning just about anyone can get a cleaner bum and start reaping the money-saving, eco-friendly benefits of using less toilet paper.
If you’re ready to make the upgrade, read on. Below is a full guide on the best bidets to pick up right now.
The Best Bidets to Buy Right Now
After becoming bidet-ers a few years ago, I’ve been able to test many of the most popular models. Below are five of the best bidets, including everything from reliable $25 bottom-washers to high-end bidets. We only considered products from well-regarded brands with an average customer rating of 4/5 stars or higher (see more on our reviewing and selection process further down this article).
Toto C5
$399.00
$468.98
15% off
Buy Now On Amazon
$468
Buy Now on walmart
Toto has been the undisputed bidet champion for years, and for good reason. The Japanese brand makes dozens of great bidets, but we think this C5 strikes an excellent balance between quality, features, and price point. The spray, which can oscillate or pulse, is comfortable yet powerful enough to thoroughly cleanse. In terms of features, you get a lot: warm water (from an included warming reservoir), a heated seat, a warm air dryer, and even a built-in deodorizer.
You also get Toto’s EWater+ tech, which cleans the bowl and wand after each use. It’s everything we want out of a bidet, comes from the world’s foremost bidet brand, and it’s well-priced at $400 (as of writing).
Coway Bidetmega 500S
$497.70
$699.00
29% off
Buy Now On Amazon
Buy Now on coway $699
We recently reviewed Coway’s new Bidetmega and will likely keep it on our toilet for much longer. The high-tech bidet delivers some of the best bang-for-your-buck of any washlet, offering high-end features like a heated seat, hot water, an air dryer, and a cleaning function. Baseline (or bum-line) performance is also excellent, offering multiple spray intensities that gently but effectively clean up. The tankless design was also very easy to set up.
The Bidetmega comes in two models: the 400S ($599) and the 500S ($699). We tested the 400S but would recommend spending $100 more for the 500S’s deodorizer and auto-close lid.
Tushy Classic 3.0
$119
Buy Now On Amazon
$119
Buy Now on tushy
If you want to go with a bidet attachment (instead of a full seat replacement), we recommend the Tushy Classic 3.0. Tushy started as an affordable, eco-conscious bidet brand, and they’ve really nailed it after nine years in business. For $120, you get a non-electric bidet attachment that’s super easy to install yourself — even if you’re not handy. The stream works great (neither too gentle nor too harsh) while the bamboo knob and overall build quality give the Tushy a solid feel compared to other budget-friendly options.
Bigcow Ultra-Slim Bidet Attachment
$25.49
$35.99
29% off
Buy Now On Amazon
Not sure if you’re a bidet person? Dip your toe (er, bum) into the world of bidets with this super affordable bidet from Bigcow. It’s just $25, as of writing, but provides a fully capable and pressure-adjustable stream of water. I also like that the control knob is slim and round. Those end up staying cleaner than the wide, flat kind.
Toto S350e
$1,334
Buy Now On Amazon
If you want a top-of-the-line bidet, check out this Toto S350e. You get all the features of the Toto C5 up top, including the Toto EWater+ cleaning system, a dryer, a deodorizer, and a heated seat, as well as some additional features. These include on-demand, endless warm water, an auto-open/close lid, and a nightlight. The absence of the heating tank, as well as the S350e’s overall design language, makes it one of the cleanest and best-looking bidets on the market.`
Brondell SE400-EW Swash
$279.00
Buy Now On Amazon
If you want the features of an electric bidet without the price tag of a Toto, check out the highly-rated Brondell SE400. For less than $300, you get all the best things about an electric bidet: an oscillating nozzle, a heated seat, and even a warm air dryer. Reviewers also love the nightlight, and say it’s super easy to install for an electric number.
Types of Bidets & Features
Bidets come in a few different styles, and they can get fancy with all kinds of bells and whistles. Below are the types of bidets, and some features you’ll want to keep in mind while making your decision.
Bidet Attachment vs. Bidet Seat vs. Bidet Toilet: Bidets are mainly separated into three categories: attachments, seats, and toilets. Bidet attachments are affordable bum-washing solutions that go under your existing toilet seat and hook up to your toilet’s water line. However, they typically don’t come with many added features. Bidet seats are often the best solution because they replace your existing toilet seat, allowing for more features like warming (seat and water) and drying, but they don’t require the installation hassle of replacing your whole toilet. Bidet toilets, which totally replace your existing John, are a much bigger operation and something of a different beast altogether, so we didn’t consider them for this roundup.
Electric vs. Manual: The main difference between pricey bidets and the sub-$100 models is whether or not they require electricity. Electric bidets offer more features like warm water, drying, and different modes, but they’re more difficult to install and significantly more expensive. My suggestion? Buy a manual bidet first. If you like it (like I did) and can afford the upgrade, get an electric one after.
Water Temperature: One feature people often want in a bidet is warm water when you rinse off. Bidets that offer warm water either have a heating tank that warms the water from your toilet water line, or they take water from the sink line and run it through a coil heating system in the bidet.
However, from personal experience, your bum doesn’t feel much temperature difference in the water (your thighs, on the other hand, will thank you for upgrading to a bidet seat with a warming function).
Drying & Other Features: A few other features to keep your eyes peeled for are air drying and seat warming. Being able to adjust the bidet’s water stream and/or temperature settings is also nice.
Benefits of a Bidet
Still not sure if a bidet is worthwhile? We typically point to three main benefits: cleanliness, money-saving potential, and environmental friendliness.
The first — cleanliness — almost goes without saying. With less work and time, you’ll get cleaner than is even possible with toilet paper alone. According to Dr. Alex You, an L.A.-based emergency physician, bidets are more effective than regular TP because they use pressure and water. “If you have dirt on your hands, you would want to use water [too] and not just wipe it on a paper towel, right?” he asks. “Using toilet paper alone just wipes and smears your poop.”
Then there’s all the toilet paper that you end up not using with a bidet. Sure, you’ll likely have to dry off with a few pads (unless you have an air-drying bidet), but over the years that you’ll use your bidet, you’ll save both money and trees by buying less toilet paper. And with toilet paper getting more expensive, this is a real plus.
How We Chose the Best Bidets
Although bidets are quickly getting more popular in America, there still aren’t a ton of options to choose from. But that means we got to spend time with most of the best-selling bidet brands, as well as several popular bidets found on Amazon. In our testing, we considered ease of installation, build quality, basic functionality (i.e., did it get the job done), and added features. After using different bidets ourselves, we read through other expert opinions and user reviews for dozens of popular bidets. With all this in mind, we selected the bidets above. All had to be readily available at a major retailer (preferably Amazon) and have at least a 4/5-star rating.
