How to Choose a Toilet

Choosing a new toilet for the bathroom can be an overwhelming experience. With so many options, configurations, and styles to choose from, you want to make sure you’re selecting the right toilet to suit all your needs. 
 
When selecting a new toilet for your bathroom, consider your desires, budget, and lifestyle. The right toilet can drastically improve your bathroom experience, and we’re here to help you navigate through all the different things you need to take into consideration before making your final choice. 

Here are the top eight things to consider: 

Step 1: Learn about Innovations

There is a constant stream of new innovations that make toilets work harder, last longer and stay cleaner than ever before. 

Self-cleaning toilets, for example, allow you to save time, and cuts out the need to do one of the most undesired chores in the house! Our new ActiClean Self-Cleaning Toilet is the perfect solution, using a cleaning solution combined with our powerful VorMax flushing system, with both a Quick Clean and Deep Clean cycle for a bowl that’s sparkling clean at the touch of a button. 

View the ActiClean Self-Cleaning Toilet
  
 
 
American Standard offers a wide range of toilets with our unique EverClean® Surface. It is an ultra-smooth glaze with antimicrobial properties which is applied on top of the conventional glaze and fired into all glazed surfaces of the toilet. It gives the toilet a super smooth, mirror-like finish – which stays cleaner because the soil has a harder time clinging to it. The EverClean® surface also inhibits the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria, mold, and mildew on the surface.

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Step 2: Consider a Toilet that can Help Save Water

Not only is water conservation important to the environment, but it can also help save you money on your water bill each month. Standard toilets now flush at a rate of 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) – which is less than 50% of the water used by older 3.5 gpf toilets. Due to advances in hydraulic designs, these 1.6 gpf toilets work as well, and in some cases even better than older toilets in terms of bulk removal and reducing clogs. 
 
High-Efficiency Toilets (HETs) flush at a rate of 1.28 gallons per flush, saving 20% more water than their 1.6 gpf counterparts. Flushing performance on our HETs is just as good as on our 1.6 gpf toilets, making it an easy option to save water. 

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Ultra-High Efficiency Toilets (UHETs) flush at rates as low as 1.0 gpf, without sacrificing performance. They are the ultimate in water-saving toilets. 
 

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Dual-Flush Toilets bring the best of both worlds, with an option for either a full or partial flush. 

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Different parts of the country have different water conservation issues. Use of a dual-flush, HET, or UHET toilet may qualify you for a rebate in your area. Not only will you save money, without sacrificing on performance, but you may even get paid to do it!
 

Step 3: Choose the Right Configuration for your Bathroom

There are several different configurations of toilets to suit different needs. Selecting the right configuration will ensure that the toilet has the right look and design for your bathroom. 

One-piece toilets are actually six to ten individual pieces sculpted into a single seamless unit with both a tank and bowl already attached. The result is a sleek, hand-crafted toilet with no crevices between the tank and bowl to collect dirt and odors. 

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Two-piece toilets have a separate tank and bowl which are bolted together upon installation. All of the American Standard bowls have a “sanitary dam” – a raised chinaware pier at the back of the bowl – where the tank is bolted. The raised area ensures that offending materials can be cleaned off and will not accumulate and cause odors between the bowl and tank. 

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Round-front toilets feature a bowl with a more compact design, perfect for fitting in smaller bathrooms and powder rooms. 
 

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Elongated toilets have a bowl that extends out further with extra room in the front for added comfort. Compact elongated toilets are available with an elongated shape that fits into the same space as a round front toilet. 
 
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Step 4: Determine the Rough-in and Size Requirements

Toilets come in various sizes, so make sure to check the width, depth, and height of your available space.

Most toilets bolt to the floor 12-inches from the wall (not counting the baseboard). This is known as the “rough-in” dimension.  
View All 12-inch Rough-in Toilets 

 
10-inch Rough-in toilets and 14-inch rough-in toilets are available for bathrooms with less or extra space than the more common 12-inch rough-in. 

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View All 14-inch Rough-in Toilets

Step 5: Consider a Tall Toilet for Added Comfort

The traditional toilet bowl rim height is about 15-inches from the floor. The seat ring adds another ½ to 1-inch of height. Many people find a taller toilet bowl is more comfortable. American Standard offers Right Height toilets with a rim height of 16-1/2 inches from the floor. 
 
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Step 6: Choose the Right Flushing System

American Standard offers a variety of flushing systems, in a range of pricing and functionality. 

The VorMax™ Flushing System features a powerful jet that scrubs the entire bowl, removing everything in its path. VorMax Flush Technology is proven to clean two times better than conventional toilets. 

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The Champion® 4 Flushing System has the largest siphonic trapway (2-3/8″ diameter) and the largest flush valve (4″ diameter) is virtually clog-free, so you’ll never have to plunge again. It’s packed with innovative features that make it ideal for busy and/or large households.
 
View All Champion Toilets

The Cadet®3 Flushing System has a larger siphonic trapway (2-1/8″ diameter) and a larger flush valve (3″ diameter) for higher performance and fewer clogs. What’s more, its easy-to-clean design makes it ideal for medium to high use bathrooms. A variant of this system is the LXP Flushing System, which has an industry standard 2″ diameter siphonic trapway with a larger flush valve (3″ diameter), which also offers higher performance with fewer clogs. 
 
View All Cadet Toilets

Step 7: Match the Toilet to your Bathroom Design Style

Consider the design style of your bathroom when selecting a toilet. If you have a more traditional, transitional, or modern flair, there are toilet options for every look. 

Traditional bathrooms typically feature two-piece toilets with classic styling, for a timeless look. 

View Traditional Bathroom Collections

Transitional and contemporary bathrooms typically feature a more updated design. 

View Transitional Bathroom Collections

Modern bathrooms may call for a sleek one-piece or two-piece toilet with clean lines and geometric flair. 

View Modern Bathroom Collections

Step 8: Consider Toilet Performance 

The bathroom gets a lot of use each day – when selecting a new toilet, you want to make sure that it performs to the highest standards. Choosing a toilet with great flushing performance can help eliminate clogs as well as dirt in the bowl. 
 
Toilet performance is graded with a MaP score, which represents the number of grams of waste that are eliminated from the bowl in a single flush. A toilet with a score of 1,000g – 600g is considered to have Great Flushing Performance and will remove up to 35 oz. of waste in a single flush. 
 
American Standard toilets are fully tested to ensure superior quality and lasting performance. This includes actually flush testing each bowl at the plant before it is put into the box. Each component must comply with American Standard’s industry-leading product durability standards.