When you are not familiar with toilet technology, you can get strung along as easily as ABC. Well, quite frankly, when you know nothing, everything else can sound sensible. Are you familiar with comfort height toilets?
Despite being common in many restrooms, there are still so many lies and truths about comfort height toilets. For that matter, this article is going to educate you on toilet seat height and why a comfortable height toilet could be ideal for your bathroom.
But first…
What Is a Comfort Height Toilet?
A comfort height toilet seat is one whose bowl stands anywhere between 17-19 inches from the ground. Any bowl design within those specifications is regarded as ADA compliant and therefore ideal for kids, the elderly, and the disabled.
Any toilet whose seat is below 17 inches is considered a standard height model, and those above 19 will be considered non-standard.
Comfort height toilets are a functional design-not a marketing ploy. They borrow from conventional chairs in that if you can sit comfortably, then you should be able to get up or off without any struggling.
For healthy people, anything between 15 and 20 inches could be comfortable. However, for the elderly and disabled, an improper toilet height would most certainly give them hell.
Discomforting Truth
There are only two parts that make up the height of a toilet-the bowl and seat. Mostly, seats are assumed to be an inch thick and that means, if you want a total height of 17, you would have to look for a bowl that is 16 inches high.
Now, this is where things start to get interesting. It is not going to be easy getting say, a toilet bowl that is 18 inches high or higher. There is going to be a hit or miss by a few digits.
Most people don’t know a toilet’s height can be extended. The lie you’ll get is that unless you place a custom order. Here is the truth; you can use seat height extenders to stretch your toilet a few notches higher. These contraptions come in many designs and shapes, and quite frankly, they can make you ‘Johnny’ look really weird. In some cases, people deem extenders as dangerous.
Is It Easier to Get a Height of 17 & 18?
Quite frankly, it is not. If you look at our review of comfort height toilets, you’ll still notice some options are at 15,’’ and others go up to 20’’. So we can agree it’s not going to be that easy.
You see, unlike shoes, toilets mostly come in standard sizes because that’s what fits many homes. That is why standard toilets are all the rage, and companies find it easier to replicate their production than opt for models that only a few people demand. It’s all about mass production-not customization.
So basically, we can all agree that using extenders/risers would actually be a more economical and less tedious task than looking for a comfortable height toilet. We know you can always land on something for the tireless ones if you look harder, right?
Setbacks of Toilet Seat Extenders
There is a probability you might need a riser anyway. However, we thought you should know beforehand their problems and maybe prepare yourself mentally.
- They wobble
Seat risers are merely attachments to the porcelain bowl. Therefore, no matter how tight they grip the bowl, joints will exist and with time, they get loose. Now, for you, it would be easy to try and get a good balance. However, kids, the elderly, and the disabled may not be able to contain the wobbling of extenders.
- Toilet looks weird
Truthfully, seat extenders will make your toilet look like an archaic invention or something from an alien world. These contraptions come in thick designs, and some bulky sport handles that take up more space in the bathroom.
- Prone to bad hygiene
Men and women have different angles of urinating. With extenders in place, the height becomes more and that means urine can easily pass through the space joining them and the bowl. So yes, expect splashes all the way to the bowl base and the floor. Furthermore, the gap between the connection traps waste and might need frequent cleaning as well.
- Inconvenient
Not everyone in your house needs an extender, and if they find it bothersome, they’ll need to detach it before they can use the toilet. Now, can you imagine going through that every day? It gets annoying.
Toilet Base Risers
Instead of the inconvenient, unhygienic, and unsightly bowl extenders, you can opt for pedestal risers. These are more stable, hygienic and the toilet retains its good looks.
But still…nothing beats the looks of a normal toilet attached to the base with no extenders. Using pedestal extenders can make connecting the toilet bowl to the flange quite complicated.
Furthermore, improper connections could mean the existence of cracks and hidden spots that not only make for improper hygiene but make maintenance harder as well.
You are probably wondering if all types of toilet extenders are problematic; what’s the way forward? Keep reading.
Proper Toilet Solution for the Disabled and the Elderly
Wall hung toilets present the best solution for those who need to do their business from a raised height. This is a costly approach that would demand toilet remodeling to move drainpipes from the floor to the wall. On average, you would spend roughly $1500- 2000 to get the job fully done.
Wrapping It Up
There is no need to fuss over which toilet height you need. The decision can be as simple as evaluating the age and physical health of those around. If there is anyone elderly or physically impaired, then a comfort height toilet is the absolute right choice. If everyone is healthy and strong, then any toilet height seat would do.
Truth be told, the technology is advancing so fast and very soon, comfort height toilets will no longer be the top choice for the elderly and those with reduced mobility. Instead, we are going to see amazing designs customized to meet the needs of various impairments.
But for the moment, always do your due diligence before swiping your credit card so you can end up with the best toilets in your home. Good luck and enjoy your potty time sessions.
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