Breaking Down the Bidet: What Is It and How Much Does It Cost?

If you’re interested in a more hygienic, economical approach to cleaning up after yourself than toilet paper, consider a bidet. If the word is new to you, or you have a basic understanding of bidets but want to learn more, you’ve come to the right place.

What is a Bidet?

Traditional bidets are floor-mounted bathroom fixtures designed to wash your private parts after doing your business. They have taps and resemble sinks, but are low enough to straddle comfortably for convenient use. Bidets are meant to replace toilet paper, but plenty of folks also use them to freshen up their nether regions at any time of day.

Bidet Benefits

Bidets are considered by many to be more hygienic than toilet paper, which is one reason they’re marketed as a paper replacement. The other reason is cost. Switching from toilet paper to a bidet will eventually rack up considerable savings.

Bidet Styles and Cost

Standard floor-mounted bidets aren’t the only option. This style actually is becoming increasingly rare as smaller, sleeker, more economical options emerge. If you’re considering a bidet, your first decision is type. Here are the versions to choose from.

Standard, Traditional Bidet: These are simple by design — just a floor-mounted basin with a drain and a tap hooked up to your home’s hot and cold water supply. They cost from $200 to $600 or more, depending on brand.

If you lack the space or knowledge to install one, don’t worry. There are non-floor-mounted bidets to consider.

Bidet Shower: These hand operated spray nozzle bidets attach to hoses hooked up to your toilet’s water supply valve. They’re easy to install and great space savers, since they make use of your existing toilet, eliminating the need for a new fixture. Bidet showers cost anywhere from $30 to $200, depending on the features, finish and quality.

Toilet Attachment Bidet: These small, one-piece bidet units are gaining in popularity for their cost-effectiveness and simplicity. The smallest type of bathroom bidet, these are designed to fit under any regular toilet seat, with spray controls accessible on a small console. Costs vary with features like spray settings and materials, but most models range from $40 to $100.

Toilet Seat Bidet: The next step up are these models that replace a regular toilet seat with one that can spray water to clean you up. There are many to choose from, some basic and some with many settings and features. These toilet seat bidets cost from $200 to $700 or more depending on the features, with most models, like the TUSHY Classic Bidet Toilet Attachment, falling somewhere in the middle.

Bidet Toilet: Want a high-end bidet but don’t have space for a stand-alone unit? Bidet toilets are a good compromise. Bidet toilet seats and attachments are retrofit solutions, and bidet toilets combine waste disposal and cleansing all in one. The fanciest models have multiple settings for adjusting water pressure, temperature and spray pattern. Less expensive models start at around $800, with most retailing for $1,500 to $2,000.