Some products have a certain X factor that puts them into a class all on their own. These are Underscored All-Stars, which you can read more about?here.
My mom is Japanese, and while I was growing up in New Jersey and Colorado, she was critical of every Japanese restaurant we visited. The second we’d enter, her eyes would dart around, looking for signs it was a “real” Japanese restaurant (few places, especially in Colorado, lived up to her standards). Now, I judge those restaurants just as she does, but instead of tasting the green tea and trying the saba shioyaki (salted mackerel), I look for three things: 1) Do they have Orion beer? 2) How good is their chicken kara-age (and is it served with Kewpie mayo)? 3) Does the bathroom have a Toto bidet?
Toto bidets are so much more than a green flag in a Japanese restaurant; they’re also the best on the market. I would know, because I’ve tested more than 20 bidets over the past three years, and after all that, the Toto Washlet C2 is the one I keep on my toilet. Here’s why I think you should have one too.
The best bidet I’ve ever tested, the Washlet C2 has all the features you need without the unnecessary ones found in bidets costing $1,000 or more. It’s the most comfortable bidet I’ve ever used, and I think it belongs in every bathroom.?
Why the Toto Washlet C2 is an All-Star
It has all the features you need and none you don’t
If you’re unfamiliar with the world of bidets, you’d be shocked by the sheer variety on the market. All of them provide a more sanitary and comfortable experience than normal toilets, and some can even help you save money on toilet paper. But the high-end seats can have a ridiculously long list of features, from heated water and heated seats to dryers, nightlights and even user profiles. One of my main goals when testing bidets is to figure out which of these are actually worth the money, and which you can skip.
The Toto Washlet C2 falls right into the bidet seat sweet spot. Importantly, it comes equipped with a dryer, which is the biggest variable I’ve found to judge the quality of a bidet. Many say you can use less toilet paper with a bidet, but that’s only true if you have a dryer. Bidets without a dryer help you get clean, yes, but with those models, I still use the same amount of toilet paper to sop up all the water. A dryer, on the other hand, evaporates most of the water for you so you can use less toilet paper (or none if you wait long enough).
On top of its dryer, the Toto Washlet C2 also boasts an adjustable, heated water stream and seat, both of which are huge differentiators among bidets and do wonders for comfort. After all, no one likes getting a cold shock first thing in the morning or sitting on a freezing toilet seat in the middle of winter. These three features are the most important on my bidet checklist, but the Toto also has some extra functions that make owning a bidet that much more luxurious, including a deodorizer, an auto-cleaning wand and a pre-misting function that sprays your toilet bowl when you sit down.
To heat the water, the Washlet C2 uses a tank which, while it’s more than effective for most people, isn’t the height of technology available; bidet prices can skyrocket to $1,000 or more, and one of the main reasons why is the way they heat water. Simpler bidets like the Washlet C2 heat water in an integrated tank and keep it at the correct temperature until you use it. The downside is once the tank runs out, the water turns cold. Meanwhile, fancier bidets use a coil-heating system to instantly heat the water inside the seat, so you can enjoy your warm wash for as long as you like.
While the tank system is a bit limiting, the Washlet C2 still provides about 45 seconds of warm water, which is more than enough for a normal wash. I rarely start to feel the stream go cold, and if I do, I know my wash is probably done anyway. Coil-heated bidets are nice, but I think it’s a feature that only true bidet snobs need, especially when you consider it can add hundreds of dollars to your purchase.
It’s the most comfortable bidet I’ve ever used
The most common question people who’ve never used a bidet ask me is if it feels weird. With the Toto Washlet C2, the answer is a resounding no. Toto’s comfort is where it rises above all other bidets I’ve ever tested. The stream has five power levels, so you can make it as strong or as gentle as you want. Even though most other bidet seats have similar adjustments, the Toto is my absolute favorite. Its stream is thicker than all the other bidets I’ve tried (some felt thin and sharp) and is aerated to feel soft but still concentrated. The Washlet also has oscillating and pulsating modes that work wonders when it comes to getting the best clean.
While the Washlet’s stream is its winning feature, its other functions are best-in-class too. Its dryer doesn’t feel too hot and it blows in the right spot (feats that were not easy to accomplish with other bidets), and its heated seat has three different temperatures that all feel great, especially on cold mornings.
While you can probably find a bidet seat with similar stats as the Washlet C2 for less, you’ll be sacrificing comfort. And since bidets deal with a very sensitive area, a pleasurable experience is by far the most important criterion on my rubric.
It suits most, but not all, toilets (and people)
Bidets come in three categories: attachments that fit under your seat, full seats with a tank like the Washlet C2 and full, tankless seats. The tanks don’t only limit the amount of warm water you can use, but they also make the entire bidet bulkier, which can be a problem for some.
Along with the different types of bidets, you should also know there are different kinds of toilet seats. You can have an elongated or round toilet, and bidet manufacturers make different models compatible with either. If you have a round toilet (which is smaller than elongated ones) and pair it with a bidet with a tank, you might feel a bit cramped on your porcelain throne.
This problem is inherent with almost all round bidets with a tank, but the Toto does have a smaller seat than most. I tested both the elongated and round versions of the C2, and the round one definitely feels smaller. That’s why, if you’re a larger person stuck with a round toilet, it’s better to buy an attachment or splurge on a coil-heated bidet since they have a slimmer profile. But if you have an elongated toilet, the Washlet C2 — and probably most other tank bidets — will have plenty of room.
I’ve owned my current Toto Washlet C2 for two years (I had to switch to the round version when I moved), and I’ve had zero issues. No cracks or scratches, no electrical problems and no leaks. The most maintenance I’ve done to it is when I take it off to clean (which you should do every few months but it only takes a few minutes). I haven’t had any durability concerns, and I don’t expect to have any for the foreseeable future. However, if you run into any issues, Toto offers a one-year limited warranty on this model.
The best bidet is so much more than the stats on a spec sheet, and the Washlet C2 proves that. It might not have the flashiest technology, even at its price point, but this Toto bidet is the most comfortable on the market. Its stream and dryer are unrivaled, and it has all the essential features that will make you never want to use a normal toilet again.
How the Toto Washlet C2 compares to other bidets
When talking about amenities, the Toto Washlet C2 sits smack in the middle of the bidet spectrum. It provides a much better experience thanks to its heated seat, heated water and dryer compared to even the best bidet attachments, like our favorite the Tushy Classic 3.0. However, it doesn’t have endless, coil-heated water and other over-the-top features that most people don’t really need (if you want to splurge on all of that, check out our luxury pick, the Toto Washlet K300).
You can find many bidets with similar features to the Toto Washlet C2. Heated water, deodorizers, heated seats and even dryers are quite common.?But where other bidets can’t match the Toto is in terms of comfort. Whenever I test other models (and that process is ongoing), the experience and feel of the Toto are the standard. Despite testing over a dozen bidets in the same category, to this day I haven’t found another brand that can match the Toto Washlet C2.
Why you should buy the Toto Washlet C2
The Toto Washlet C2 bidet is definitely an investment, but it’s one I’d make over and over again. I don’t like to spend money on top-tier products all that often unless it’s something I use a lot, and a bidet fits into that category. I use the Washlet C2 at least once a day, and it’s become such an important part of my bathroom routine I now dread public toilets even more than I did before.
The Washlet C2 stands out for its exceptional comfort in nearly all facets. The round version might be too small for some, but for most, the exceptional clean and various features make it the only bidet you’ll ever need.
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Kai Burkhardt is an editor at CNN Underscored who covers outdoors, pets and sustainability. He's based in Boulder, Colorado, and he enjoys rock climbing, trail running and watching his two dogs, Miso and Dashi, compete in dog sports.
