Replacing A Toilet Seat? Here's How To Choose A Size: Round Or Oblong... And A Style: Wood Or Plastic
Who knew I could spend nearly an hour in the Home Depot just examining toilet seats?!
Better yet, who knew I could write a 500-word article detailing the intricacies of toilet seats???
Hold onto your fuzzy toilet seat cover, people... here we go!
Ode To A Commode
In preparation for our move (which is still many months away), we decided to replace our old toilet seats and lids with new ones. Three in all.We're hoping that they'll last long enough to still look good when it comes time to sell this house in a year or so. Besides, we think that our guests deserve a nicer palette upon which to rest their tushies when they visit.
So the search was on for "the best" toilet seat!
First, Some Basic Information About Toilet Seats
How long does your typical toilet seat last, anyway?I couldn't find any facts or figures online about this (...see below). In our case, 5-1/2 years seems to be the going rate. The toilet in the powder room bathroom doesn't even get used much, and that toilet seat is just as bad as the other 2 that get frequent use.
We finally got tired of looking at these old eyesores which were lopsided, faded, and stained from various cleaning products. (Why do they make toilet cleansers blue anyway?! More on that later...)
For the record, our current toilet seats are made by Church. They're supposed to be good ones, I think. But I'm up for trying a different brand at this point.
What's A Girl Gotta Do?...
Aye, aye-aye... What's a girl gotta do to get some good, honest feedback about toilet seats these days?You know me... I'll research with the best of 'em online. Only problem is, there's really nothing online -- as far as tips for choosing the best toilet seat.
Oh, there are a million and one articles about why to replace a toilet seat and how to install a toilet seat. But that's the least of my worries at this point. It looks pretty easy to me... so long as you can handle a screwdriver alright.
I know... most would say that choosing a toilet seat is just a matter of personal taste and opinion. But still, I'd like to read about others' opinions some before I go out and "try on" toilet seats! I mean, who wants to be known as the person who kept returning toilet seats? (We live in a small town.)
All About Toilet Seats
So, here's what I've learned firsthand about toilet seats...Toilet Seat Sizes: Round vs Oblong
There are really only 2 sizes you need to concern yourself with: "round" or "oblong". Generally, it is easy to tell just by looking whether you have a round or oblong shaped toilet. If you prefer to measure, just to be sure, then measure from the front of the bowl to the middle of the screws at the back of the bowl/lid area. Here are the standard toilet bowl sizes:
- Round Toilet Bowl: 16.5 inches
- Oblong Toilet Bowl: 18.5 inches
What does vary is the width of the bowl from side to side. But it's usually not enough to worry about, as most standard size toilet seats and lids will cover most toilet bowls, even if they're slightly narrower or even wider than the next one.
Wood Toilet Seats vs Plastic Toilet Seats
We've always had wood toilet seats in the homes we've rented, bought, or built. Not for any reason in particular, other than that's what the home already had or the builder recommended.
But I've become so frustrated with all of the stains from using various cleaning products on our 3 wood toilet seats, that I was open to trying a plastic toilet seat this time. I figured there might be an all-new modern and high-quality plastic toilet seat that would be "all the rage" these days.
If there is, I couldn't find it -- online or in stores.
So after a fair amount of research on toilet seats, we ended up with this one: the Bemis easy clean toilet seat. (Personally, most of the toilet seats on the market appear to have similar features, so I'm not sure this toilet seat is so special after all. But it works fine for us.)
A few thoughts on wood vs plastic toilet seats:
- As a rule, wood toilet seats are slightly more expensive than plastic toilet seats.
- Generally speaking, wood seats are also thicker, warmer to sit on, sturdier, and more durable than plastic ones.
- Plastic seats may have some "additional features" built in (like an automatic slow-closing lid).
- Plastic lids are likely to show minor scratches -- even from soft sponges used when cleaning. They are also more likely to crack.
Other than that... I can't think of anything else that affected our choice of toilet seats. Well, maybe metal hinges vs plastic hinges... but if a toilet seat's only going to last 5-10 years, I think the plastic (less expensive) hinges do the job just as well. Others might prefer the "looks" of the metal hinges though.
I'd be interested in hearing from others if there are features I should have looked for. Or, if there are any new & improved models that might be worth considering!
If a toilet user leaves urine on the seat and it doesn't get cleaned off, it will eventually eat away the surface on a wood toilet, and sink into the wood. Ergo, it won't be clean any longer and will smell.
Was also wondering about the new "removeable" seats for easy cleaning.
Randy.. since u put such thought into it...
an oblong seat may have more surface area to sit on, so the force /between your rear and the seat/ may be spread more. this may explain why u find it more comfortable (although shape is more likely).
However, ur weight still needs to be transferred through the tiny little rubber supports to the toilet itself, which is no different on either. infact, the (presumed) increased distance between the supports would make stresses from sitting on it higher (see moments).
In reality... what matters most is how brittle the plastic is; You want the seat to be a little flexible.
This should help comfort too.
I live in a retirement complex and have recently had a "high" toilet installed which has an oblong plastic seat, which I find very hard. I have a back illnes, which it seems to aggravate.Would it possibly help by replacing it with a wooden one?
Has anyone tried these seats made out of 'coralink' material?
http://www.toiletseatsource.com/toilet-seats/standard-toilet-seats/bemiscoralinkalesioelongatedwhitetoiletseat.cfm
I have one from a few years ago, and was wanting to upgrade it to the new easy-close hinges, but didn't realize how expensive they are. Still looks brand new 3 years later and I haven't had any issues with fading/staining like with the molded wood ones we have in the other bathroom.
I have found a new deodorizing toilet seat. It works great!! My bathroom always smells fresh and
it is easy to clean!! You can check it out at their
website www.breezyseat.com
Thank you!!!! Saved me hours!
stay away from chlorox - undissolved, anyway. ....... Took care of an elderly pt where the toilet & seat needed frequent cleaning & sterilizing - yea, don't ask. Went to home depot, bought the gallon-bottle of liquid "ortho bug-spray" - it has a superior red-&-white sprayer-nozzle taped/attatched to the side of the bottle that does "NOT" dissolve ( from the chlorox ) as readily as other sprayer nozzles you'll find. I attatched it, & the included tubing, to a 3gallon bottle of super-chlorox (also home depot) - & sprayed the seat & toilet to cleanliness every time an accident occurred. It was really fast, it was clean - effortless, and scrubless. Follow that, with a few sprays of the blue-bottle Fantastic Oxy-Power - look out!! Dries even faster, and you really feel you've done a good job, with NO SCRUBBING. Well, wait a couple months - soon you'll observe the paint coming off your wooden toilet seat. You may even see a ring, going round your partner's butt - perhaps they sat down too fast, before you were able to remove, or allow to dry, all the xtra-strength chlorox. Moral.... keep the chlorox "in" the toilet only .... but, still, ....
... The sprayer&chlorox idea is a great tool for cleaning the "inner" toilet (at least) - with minimal work involved ... spray, and it's clean. And, isn't that all that we're really asking for, when we do housework - fast, effective, clean ???? Leaving more time to get out and enjoy those Circuit Parties !!!! I ended up buying a new silent-closing, plastic, oblong seat ($45-65+) - but, I'm not ready to try this killer chlorox "on" it. ... I "do" ... however, STiLL, use the sprayer-chlorox on the 'inside' of the bowl, and nothing gets it cleaner, without scrubbing. Still, undecided as to which seat is the MOST comfortable - wood or plastic. Wood is quite dense, perhaps relatively more comfortable and cushiony, and probably supports heavy loads a little better - as when people plop themselves down on the toilet seat. Plastic, perhaps, 'might' be less apt to holding onto bacteria - perhaps the micro-pores/grooves within the wood, and within the grooves of the paint provide more places for bacteria to hang out and party.
In any event .... the sprayer/chlorox idea works great around the pool, where mold builds during the rainy season, or, in the shower - away from the grout. Even outside, on your porch, it can be so quick to effectively spray some chlorox on the moldy areas, instead of renting a high-pressure hose.
Carefull !! Tanks for reading.....
I went to Lowe's and bought a White, wood toilet seat cover when we moved into our new place in August (3 1/2 months ago) and it cracked in half. Yesterday one side had a crack, and today the entire thing is cracked. I think that is so weird.
I've found plastic toilet seats to be superior over wood toilet seats for a couple of reasons. Whenever I've had to replace a toilet seat, it's been because:
1. The covering on the wood toilet seat has developed a hole or blemish. This has never happened to me with a pure plastic seat.
2. The little tabs (not sure what they're called) on the bottom of the lid and the seat tend to break off or splinter making the seat unsightly.
I've tried both wood and plastic and would definitely recommend plastic.
Kanna -
I'm not sure if any of these are wood toilet seats, but Kohler has lots of toilet seats available in the color "wild rose". (They may also have other pink or rosey colors, but they call 'em by fancy color names.)
If you change your mind & will settle for a plastic toilet seat, there are plenty of colored toilet seats to choose from here:
I need to replace a toilet seat that is a rose color. I would like to get a wooden one, but have found that colored wooden seat are hard to find. Does anyone have any suggestions?
We have always had wood seats on our Eljer toilets, and they have lasted for many yrs. I placed an order with a plumbing supply co. for one new wood seat because one seemed slightly warped underneath. The Eljer color was "twilight blue." The next day the plumbing supply co. called and advised me that this color was only available in plastic, and that the plastic seat would cost approx. $45. The wood would have been much less expensive, like $10 or $12, but was not available in the "twilight blue." My question is, why would plastic be so much more expensive than wood? I would have thought that plastic would be LESS expensive than wood. Now I am wondering if the manufacturer has somehow improved the plastic. The seats are advertised as "solid plastic." I would appreciate a reply if anyone has any knowledge about this. I have not ordered yet and am uncertain what to do. Thanks!
Have you seen the carved oak toilet seats available online? That is what I bought -- one with a rainbow trout on it to give the bathroom a little color and intregue.
Interesting discussion!
I have always replaced plastic with wood, partly because plastic makes such a cheap little "plink" when you close the lid.
Wood (white, not that stained oak) looks higher quality for resale.
Oblong it is! Thanks for your input. Makes a lot of sense.
The round ones we got were made by Bemis as well. So far so good.
And, you referred to which cleaners you use above... I had a major change of heart about toilet cleaners recently and wrote about it here.
My only opinion regarding round vs oblong is an opinion based upon personal experience and (very loosely) based upon mathematics. You're gonna laugh out loud when you read this because it probably isn't right, sounds odd but what the heck...this is a blog.
An oblong seat (in my very un-scientific opinion) has more square inches than a round seat and is shaped in such a way as to spread the load, as it were, to support a person when seated. Thus, prolonging the life of the seat. Think of it this way...if two people with the same size foot are walking on the beach but one person weighs more than the other, they will leave footprints of various depths. The same "footprint" principle can be applied to a toilet seat...believe it or not!
Comfort-wise, oblong beats round any day, in my humble opinion.
Excellent points, Randy. Thanks!
I'm wondering if you have an opinion regarding "round" vs "oblong" toilets. We've always had round. But I'm wondering if there's any advantage to going with oblong in our new house...
Both of our toilets are original to the house so they are 19 years old (we are the sole occupants thus far.) Both are made by Mansfield and both came with Bemis oblong molded wood seats with metal hinges. The hinges have a little plastic cover that snaps over them. I replaced one of the seats several years ago because one of the "feet" broke off, butt the one in the master bath is still providing service. I just tighten up the nuts/bolts (where it attaches) on occasion and it keeps on keepin' on.
As far as stains go, we've used Comet cleanser w/bleach most of the time so staining has not been an issue. Although now we are using the disposable scrubbers that turn blue when wet.
In summary: I would go with Bemis again when the time comes.