Smart Toilets / Bidets

What a bidet toilet is

A bidet toilet is a toilet and a bidet in one unit. It washes with water, usually from an extendable nozzle, and most models add a heated seat, warm air drying and a remote control. That separates it from a bidet seat, which fits onto a toilet you already own, and from a standalone bidet, a separate bowl beside the toilet. This page lists complete smart toilets and bidet suites, plus bidet seats from the bidet toilet seats collection where a seat is the better fit.

The choice comes down to three questions. Do you want to replace the toilet or add to it? Is there a power point beside the toilet? And can the plumbing take a bidet connection? The sections below answer each one.

Toilet or seat: which one to buy

A bidet toilet replaces the whole suite. The washing, drying and seat functions are built into one matched unit, and the pan, cistern and seat come together. A bidet seat replaces only the seat. It suits a bathroom where the toilet is staying, but it must fit your pan, so check the compatibility list first. The Caroma electronic bidet seat, for example, suits a named group of Caroma suites, including several Luna and Urbane II suites, and comes with dual check valves and an integrated air gap.

If you only want a seat, the bidet toilet seats page covers them in full. A smart toilet from one brand's own range is on Caroma smart toilets and bidet seats or St George smart toilets, and wall faced smart toilets are grouped on their own page.

Is a bidet toilet legal in Australia?

Yes, with two conditions. A licensed plumber must install a bidet connected to the drinking water supply, and bidet products must carry WaterMark certification. Both rules protect the mains supply. A backflow device stops water flowing back into the mains if pressure drops. The Caroma seat has dual check valves and an air gap. The Lafeme Thea seat and the St George smart toilets each have an atmospheric vacuum breaker. A smart toilet is also a powered appliance, so it needs an electrician for the power point as well as a plumber for the water. Requirements vary by state, so check the rules for yours before you order.

Power, water and plumbing

Every electric model needs a power point within reach of the toilet. The Lafeme Thea luxury seat has a plug-in power cord of 1.2m, a rated supply of 220 to 240 volts and a maximum power of 1050 watts. It also needs a water pressure of 0.15 to 0.75 megapascals and drinking water only, not rainwater, grey water or sea water. Read the same lines on any model you are considering, and check your water pressure against the range.

The water connection comes through a T valve and hose. The St George smart toilets come with a T valve and a remote control in the box, and a bottom water inlet. The pan follows the usual toilet fit rules. The St George range has a universal trap with an S trap set out of 140 to 260mm and a P trap set out of 180mm, and a projection of 683 to 694mm, so measure the room against those figures. Set out and inlet work the same as on any toilet, and the toilets page explains how to take them.

Non electric seats need no power. The Lafeme Una and Vera seats are cold wash only. They connect to the existing toilet and work across a water pressure range of 0.07 to 0.8 megapascals. They suit a bathroom with no power point nearby, but they have no heated seat or dryer.

Water pressure and the supply

Water pressure is a fit question and not only a comfort one. The Lafeme Thea and Catania seats need 0.15 to 0.75 megapascals, and the Una and Vera 0.07 to 0.8 megapascals. The St George models work at 250 to 500 kilopascals. Run every seat on drinking water only. The backflow device that protects the mains differs by model: an atmospheric vacuum breaker on the St George models and the Lafeme seats, and dual check valves with an integrated air gap on the Caroma seat. Confirm with your local authority that a high hazard backflow device suits your location.

What the models offer

The St George range steps up in four stages. The Byron has rear and front wash with adjustable pressure, a heated seat, automatic flushing, a self-cleaning wand and a soft night light. The Brighton adds a warm air dryer, wide front and pulsating wash modes, a removable bidet unit for easier cleaning, an automatic deodoriser, and auto flush with remote lid and seat operation. The Coogee brings a UV sterilised wand, an auto open and close lid and Air-mix Wonder Wash. The Mosman adds UV sterilisation of the washing water as well as the wand, and kick flush activation, so the toilet flushes without touching a remote or panel.

The Caroma Urbane II bidet suites put the washing in a conventional pan. Water and air temperature, flow and nozzle position all adjust from the remote, with oscillating and pulsating modes. The seat is heated, opens and closes on its own, and the suite has LED night lighting and a deodoriser. The bowl is rimless. The wall faced close coupled suite has a projection of 700mm and a set out of 225mm, and the Invisi Series II version has a concealed cistern and a projection of 570mm. See in wall concealed toilets for how that format fits a wall.

The Lafeme Catania suite arrives as a complete matched set of pan, cistern and Catania bidet seat. The pan is extra height at 440mm, rimless with a tornado flush, and the set out is 100 to 240mm with a bottom inlet. The Catania seat offers warm water washing, adjustable air drying, a massage option, and adjustable temperature and pressure. For rimless bowls generally, see rimless toilets.

Sizes across the smart models

A smart toilet is usually longer than a standard pan, and the numbers show it. The St George Byron is 507.2mm high with a 430mm pan height, a 684mm projection and a 398mm width. The Coogee is 505mm high with a 468mm pan height, a 694mm projection and a 414mm width. The Brighton is 480mm high with a 435mm pan height, a 683mm projection and a 403.3mm width, and the Mosman is 482.5mm high with a 435mm pan height, a 683mm projection and a 384.8mm width. The Lafeme Catania extra height suite is 870mm high with a 440mm pan height, a 655mm projection and a 375mm width. The Caroma Urbane II close coupled bidet suite is 838mm high with a 440mm pan height, a 700mm projection and a 383mm width.

A smart toilet that projects close to 700mm needs the room for it, so check the door swing and the clearance in front of the pan. The St George range is covered in detail at St George smart toilets, and wall faced smart toilets covers the two Urbane II suites.

The usual fit rules still apply

A smart toilet is still a toilet, so the plumbing measurements decide whether it fits. The set out is the distance from the finished wall to the centre of the waste outlet for an S trap. For a P trap it runs from the finished floor to the outlet. The existing set out usually decides a replacement unless you pay for a redesign. The St George set out of 140 to 260mm covers the common S trap range, and most new homes sit at about 140 to 165mm. A set out under 100mm or over 200mm narrows the choice. Check the water inlet as well: all the St George models take a bottom inlet, so a supply that comes in at the back needs a plumber to adjust it. Measure first, then compare the models.

What to weigh before you buy

A smart toilet has electronic parts, so it needs more servicing than a standard suite, and electronic features can date faster than a ceramic pan. The case for one is washing with water, and a more complete bathroom for anyone who needs help with hygiene, including older people, people with disability and children learning to use the toilet. For a bathroom planned around accessibility, see accessible toilets alongside this page.

Choosing between the suites on this page

Start with the room, then the features. The St George range suits a bathroom that can take a longer pan with a built-in tank, and it offers the widest step-up in features, from the Byron's essentials to the Mosman's dual UV protection. The Caroma Urbane II suites suit a household already working with Caroma ranges or planning an in-wall cistern, since the Invisi Series II version sits flush to the wall. The Lafeme Catania suite suits a household that wants an extra height pan and a matched seat with massage and adjustable air and water pressure. Each suite shares the same plumbing logic: a licensed plumber, a bottom or back inlet, a backflow device and a power point.

If the toilet is staying, compare the seats. The Caroma electronic seat is the choice for a listed Caroma pan, the Lafeme Thea and Catania seats add warm water, a heated seat and drying, and the Una and Vera keep it simple with cold wash and no power. Compare the pressure range, the power requirement and the controls, and keep the specification with your plumbing records.

Cleaning and care

Use a pH neutral cleaner on the pan and avoid bleach, ammonia and abrasive pads. Where the model has a removable bidet unit, take it out for cleaning. Where the nozzle is self-cleaning, it rinses before and after each use. Keep the nozzle free of mineral deposits, and ask a licensed plumber to service anything connected to the water supply.

Plan the room around it

Choose the toilet before tiling or framing starts, so the plumber and the electrician can set the water, the waste and the power point in the right places. Smart toilets also need servicing room, so do not box one in tightly. If you want a seat in a different style, the toilet seats collection covers standard replacement seats.