Maybe the time has come where you need to replace your toilet seat. You may be wondering if you can swap out your current toilet seat for just any seat.
After all, just how different can they be? The answer may surprise you! Toilet seats are not universal and that’s why it’s so important to measure your toilet seat before you change it.
But other factors are also crucial, such as comfort and functionality.
Below, we’ll tell you all about the common toilet seat shapes, what to look for when you’re buying a toilet seat, as well as how to measure your toilet seat to ensure your new toilet seat fits perfectly.
What are the Most Common Toilet Seat Shapes?
The most common toilet seat shapes are elongated and round.
An elongated toilet seat has a front edge usually measuring 18.5 inches long, and is the more modern toilet seat shape.
Elongated toilet seats are typically considered more comfortable, especially by men who have extra space where they need it, and it’s usually easier to aim when using an elongated toilet.
Thanks to their longer shape, elongated toilet seats are also easier to clean. Plus, their modern look means they fit in with the aesthetic of most bathrooms.
A larger toilet is able to hold more water, and this is the case with an elongated toilet seat that has a lower risk of clogging.
However, elongated toilets are expensive, and even if you look at an elongated toilet and a round toilet from the same manufacturer, the elongated toilet will most likely be pricier.
Elongated toilets also tend to take up more space, and an elongated toilet in a small bathroom can make the space look cramped.
Meanwhile, a round toilet seat measures 16.5 inches from front to back. Despite the rising popularity of elongated toilet seats, round toilets remain the most common type of toilet (right now at least).
Round toilets tend to take up less space than elongated toilets, making them more suited to small bathrooms.
They are also more budget-friendly, and are great for more traditional looking bathrooms.
Bonus Read: Best Colored Toilet Seats
Measuring A Toilet Seat
Since not all toilet seats are the same size, it’s crucial to measure your toilet seat correctly, and while there are products that claim they are one-size-fits-all no matter what the toilet size, this is simply not possible.
So what is the correct way to measure your toilet size? Let’s go through it step by step.
Measure the length
This first step is arguably the most important. Start by measuring from the middle of the distance between the seat post holes to the front edge of your toilet bowl.
You can do this by measuring the outside of the toilet bowl. Most toilets tend to measure between 16.5 and 18.5 inches.
Measure the width
While width doesn’t tend to vary much between toilets, it’s still a useful measurement to take.
You can do this by measuring across the widest part of the toilet bowl on the outside edge. The width of most toilet seats is 14 inches.
Measure the distance between seat post holes
You can do this by measuring from the middle of one seat post hole to the middle of the other seat post hole, and this can be achieved without having to remove your toilet seat.
What To Look For In A Toilet Seat
Because all toilet seat sizes are different, knowing how to measure them is incredibly important. But it’s not just measurements that matter when it comes to buying the best toilet seat for you. Let’s take a look at some other key elements.
Material
Toilet seats are made from a lot of materials but the most common ones for toilets is made out of is plastic and wood. Plastic is so popular thanks to its versatility, durability, and low price.
Plastic can also be molded into a wide range of shapes quite easily. Plastic toilet seats are also more lightweight and scratch resistant.
But wooden toilet seats also have their advantages. They are warmer, not just in appearance but in how they feel too.
However, wooden toilet seats are not as durable as plastic, especially in humid climates. They are also not as budget friendly.
Soft close feature
This feature has become somewhat of a standard one on modern toilets, but a soft close toilet seat has a spring mechanism that allows you to put the toilet seat down without touching the rim and for the seat to come down softly without a loud clatter.
This reduces damage to the toilet seat and increases its longevity and avoids you having to make contact with the rim of the toilet. However, if you try to force the toilet seat down it can damage the spring inside.
Bonus Read: Best Slow Close Toilet Seat
Removable
No matter how well you take care of your toilet and the toilet seat, the seat can still get damaged around the seat posts and at the back.
When the toilet is installed it can be hard to clean. That’s where an easily removable toilet seat comes in handy, as you can remove it to clean without using any tools or hiring a professional.
Heating capabilities
Modern technology has allowed toilet seats to be heated, and the temperature is usually controlled by a mounted control panel or even a remote control.
Heated toilet seats are also considered more hygienic than a cloth toilet seat cover.
Lighting
This feature comes in so handy when using the toilet at nighttime. Nobody likes squinting into harsh lighting when they stumble into the bathroom half asleep, and you don’t want the light to potentially disturb other people sleeping in rooms nearby.
But toilets that come with motion controlled LED lighting make using the toilet in the middle of the night less disruptive.
Bidet features
Toilet seats with bidets are very common in parts of Asia, but are also growing in popularity in the US too.
A lot of people prefer using a bidet to dry toilet paper, as they are not only considered more hygienic but reduce the risk of your toilet clogging with toilet paper.
Final Thoughts
Toilet seats come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and are therefore not universal. Before you buy a new toilet seat, it’s important to check what size toilet seat you need by measuring your current seat carefully.
Modern technology has made so many advances to the toilet seat, and it’s worth looking into these new functionalities to see if any could be of use to you.
