When you buy a bidet toilet seat, you’ll follow installation instructions and attach it to your toilet. These seats will typically either be powered by replaceable batteries, or by power cords that connect to outlets in your bathroom.

Once equipped, you can mostly go about your bathroom business normally. The key difference is that instead of wiping yourself with toilet paper after you finish, a nozzle connected to the seat will emit a stream that cleans your bottom.

Most bidet seats will let you adjust the water pressure, the temperature of the water, and even the temperature of the seat. Plus, the position of the nozzle can usually at least be moved forward to wash lady parts.

Afterwards, you can use the included air-dryer to dry off. And that’s it! Sounds pretty simple right?

It is. And, it’s a lot more hygienic than toilet paper, more eco-friendly, and usually is more cost-effective over time.

One important distinction to understand is that bidet toilet seats are not actually the same as bidet toilets.

Why?

Well, it’s in the name: bidet toilets have the bidet function built into the toilet itself.

In contrast, bidet toilet seats have the bidet attached to the seat, and you install the seat onto your existing toilet. That’s why the prices CAN be as low as $100 to $200, because it’s not a whole toilet.

As you can probably imagine, bidet toilets are a lot more common in countries where bidets are the norm. We’re looking at bidet toilet seats because they’re the go-to option for people who don’t live in those countries:

It lets you experience the hygiene of a bidet toilet at a fraction of the cost and time-spend.

In fact, bidet toilet seats are so cost-effective that even in countries where bidet use is common, bidet toilet seats are as popular or more popular than bidet toilets.

If you look at even a less-advanced bidet toilet seat, you’ll probably notice that there are a ton of features. It makes it seem like any bidet toilet seat you buy will have more than what you need.

That’s…somewhat true. The average bidet toilet seat, above a certain price point ($200+) will have enough features to satisfy the majority of customers.

However, there are a lot of features that seem like simple luxury at first, but feel essential once experienced. While what qualifies as important or essential is subjective, some things are generally considered more important than others.

These are some features that are most essential:

• Self-cleaning spray nozzle
• Adjustable nozzle position
• Rear wash
• Front wash (sometimes called a feminine wash mode)
• Air dryer

Note that all of the seats on this list have those features, even if they’re not named in the pros and cons.

Next, there are some features that aren’t strictly essential, but are basic to include and frequently considered as a negative when they aren’t included:

• Stainless steel nozzles
• Water pressure adjustments
• Heated stream option
• Heated seat option

Stainless steel nozzles are common, but not ubiquitous. They’re not essential, but they are generally more hygienic and make self-cleaning more reliable.

Water pressure adjustments are nearly ubiquitous, and some would argue it’s basically a staple of modern bidets.

Heated water and seats are also pretty common, but not as much as adjustable water pressure. Usually all of these options will come with varying levels, but the key is that there’s at least an option.

Finally, here are the features that are more firmly towards the side of luxury. Words.

• Oscillating and/or pulse spray
• Deodorizer to reduce smell
• Nightlights
• The ability to save user preferences
• Adjustable spray width
• Higher degree of adjustments

Spray width is exactly what it sounds like—it refers to the width of the stream itself.

As for oscillating sprays—that’s just when the nozzle moves back and forth, covering a wider area of the body. Similarly, a pulse or pulsating mode is when the jet intensity goes back and forth, and it works as more of a massage feature.

But depending on your personal situation, some of the items on that last list could be more important than mere luxury.

The best example of this would be if you or someone in your home has special needs. For example, older residents with dementia may need highly simplified and more automatic functions, or saved user preferences.

Or if someone has poor vision, night-lights could be a lot more useful, and the ability to quickly find one button on a remote that activates saved preferences would be as well.

Remember, you’re buying a seat for your toilet. That means it has to fit your toilet in the first place!

Most options you’re looking at CAN fit your toilet, even if you live in the U.S., but you have to be careful in selecting.

A seat that doesn’t fit would present basic issues in regular use. At best, it might just slide around a bit, or be uncomfortable.

But at worse, it may break, or even make it more difficult for your waste to enter the toilet bowl properly. No one wants that.

And even aside from the seat sizing itself, you’ll want to take into account how close your toilet is to the walls in your bathroom, and whether that would impede the placement of a connecting water hose or built-in side menu of buttons.

Luckily, many makers let you choose different shapes and sizes for the model you want. Even if you can’t get the specific model you want, you can usually get one with similar features and the right size specifications from another maker.

Take a good look at what the manufacturer says about the shapes and sizes available, and any qualifications they say.

For example, the description of the Saniwise model mentioned earlier is very clear in saying this:

So the bottom line is to not rush the basics of physical size. But like I said, you’ll have plenty of options. Don’t sweat it!