9 Best Toilet Seats for Comfort in 2024
Updated: Apr. 12, 2024
From comfort and durability to affordability and features (yes, features), see why these are the best toilet seats on the market.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
One of the true necessities of life is the toilet seat. We won’t go into too much detail here, but you and your family spend a lot of time—um, well—in direct contact with this porcelain product every day. For a basic necessity, there are many options available, from the no-frills plastic seat and lid to durable wood models with metal hinges. There are also luxuries to be had, including heated seats, lighted seats and bidets. We scoured the internet for the best toilet seats rated most highly by the people who live with them.
Best Overall Toilet Seat
Kohler Cachet ReadyLatch
Pros:
- ReadyLatch mechanism holds seat securely but allows for removal for cleaning/adjusting
- Quiet-closing lid avoids noise and possible damage from slamming
- Available in elongated or round options
- Reasonably priced
Cons:
- Installation instructions are online-only
- Some owners say the seat flexes too much under their weight
Kohler is one of the legendary names in bathroom fixtures in the U.S. It was founded 150 years ago and is still owned by the Kohler family. Kohler makes 79 different toilet seats, but the Cachet ReadyLatch is the one with the best balance of quality, price and owner satisfaction. Its ReadyLatch hinge provides a positive lock/unlock latch to securely hold the seat in position, yet the seat easily removes for cleaning or adjusting. Its quiet-closing lid and grip-tight bumpers that hold the seat firmly in place make it one of the best toilet seats around. The seat comes in elongated and round shapes and various colors.
Five-star reviewer, Barb, loves this toilet seat. “It was pretty easy to install. I love the slow closing. I don’t have to worry about accidentally slamming it down. It fit nicely, it is secure, and it is comfortable to sit on. It’s a good, quality product. I recommend!”
Best Budget Toilet Seat
Bemis Elongated Toilet Seat
Pros:
- Affordable
- Ease of installation
- Never needs tightening
- Available in elongated or round
Cons:
- Plastic feels thin
- Reports that screw covers keep popping up
Even slow-close toilet seats like the Kohler and Mayfair aren’t terribly expensive, but if you’re re-doing several bathrooms, it can add up. Getting the price down can make a big difference. The Bemis toilet seat retails for just under $30 but is often on sale for less than $20. You give up the soft-close option, but Bemis has its own non-corrosive, “never-needs tightening” fasteners it calls Hex-tite. They tighten from the top, which makes installation easier.
Our resident expert who’s installed more than his fair share of toilet seats, Deane Biermeier, offers, “Any toilet seat that provides simple installation and doesn’t require manipulating a plastic nut from under and behind your toilet is worth several extra dollars to purchase.” He adds, “It makes this seat even more appealing to DIYers.”
Some complain about the lack of instructions, but most, like verified purchaser Chelsea, say installation is super simple. “I am very pleased with [the] purchase of this toilet seat. The one I had prior was a wood one with a white coating on it which had come off from cleaning it over the years so I knew the next one I would want would be plastic for the simple fact of it being easier to clean without ruining it. The installation was very simple and easy and the toilet seat overall is easy maintenance and sturdy so I highly recommend.”
To clean the toilet seat, Bemis recommends a mild solution of soap and water, which will help avoid plastic discoloration that can be caused by bleach. It’s available in white and elongated and round shapes.
Best Bidet Toilet Seat
Brondell Bidet Swash Ecoseat
Pros:
- No electricity needed
- Dual nozzle system
- Easy to install
- Price considerably lower than electric models
Cons:
- Water temperature can't be adjusted
- No blow-drying function, meaning some toilet paper use
- Some owners report the rear wand failing to retract
Before the pandemic-era toilet paper shortage, most Americans thought of bidets as weird European plumbing fixtures, if they thought of them at all. They’re not exactly mainstream, but they are gaining in popularity, especially as word spreads that you don’t need to replace your toilet—just the seat. Brondell is just one of the companies making bidet toilet seats, but customer satisfaction puts the Brondell Bidet Swash Ecoseat at the top of our list.
Part of what sets it apart is that the Swash Ecoseat doesn’t use electricity. The Swash Ecoseat uses water pressure from the toilet to power itself. Some limitations come with that. It doesn’t heat the water, it can’t blow-dry and that means reducing rather than eliminating toilet paper. But it’s a solution that can be used the same day it arrives in a bathroom that doesn’t have a GFCI outlet near the toilet and an introduction to the advantages of a bidet at a price significantly below that of electric bidet toilet seats. It offers front and rear wash, self-cleaning nozzles and a chrome dial that’s less likely than a lever to be bumped by accident.
Beyond the bidet, the Swash Ecoseat has a soft-close lid and is easy enough to install that most people skip the plumber and do it themselves.
Five-star reviewer Gregory Jones says this is the best all-in-one solution. “These toilet seats are a game changer, don’t get pulled into the hype that Tushy offers. Their highly overpriced bidets should cost about $30 max. The Brondell Bidet Toilet Seat offers an all-in-one solution that removes the need for the bidet attachments causing weird offsets for your toilet seats…I installed this on three different types of toilets and it adjusted to fit each one perfectly, zero complaints. If you’re looking for the best non-electric for the price, you’ve found it in my opinion.”
Best Heated Bidet Toilet Seat
Tushy Ace
Pros:
- Heated seat
- Front and back oscillating bidet
- Remote control with magnetic holder
- Temperature control for heated set, bidet water and air dryer
- Soft close lid
- Night light
- Easy installation
Cons:
- Pricier than other models on this list
- Lid slopes and lacks durability
Nothing could be more comforting than a heated toilet seat in a chilly bathroom, except one with a built-in bidet. Enter the Tushy Ace heated bidet toilet seat. This retrofit toilet seat requires nothing more than a nearby electrical outlet. The Tushy Ace is loaded with features including a soft close lid, five temperature settings to warm your buns and an air dryer. It may not have all the bells or whistles but it does come with a remote control and night light.
With an oscillating spray and front wash option, you’ll feel fresh with the touch of a button. Plus the Tushy Ace has a warm air dryer with temperature control. The remote control is intuitive giving you complete control over your experience with the “bum”, “front” and “dry” buttons. You control the angle of the oscillating spray plus the seat temperature and water temperature. The bidet nozzle discreetly retracts when not in use and it has a self-cleaning nozzle.
We tested this heated toilet seat and it was as easy to install as any other toilet seat and only takes a few more minutes to hook up the water lines. You don’t have to replace the entire toilet to have a bidet experience with the Tushy Ace. It’s an affordable and easy way to convert your existing toilet into a luxury spa.
Best Heated and Illuminated Toilet Seat
Brondell LumaWarm
Pros:
- Illuminated LED night light
- Heated seat with three temperature settings
- Adjustable built-in controls
- Gentle close
- Easy installation
- Comfortable and durable
- Affordable
Cons:
- Buttons for adjustment are behind you when seated
- If your bathroom doesn't have a GFCI outlet next to your toilet, you'll need to have one installed
Middle of the night and early morning bathroom trips can be dark and cold. The Brondell LumaWarm Heated Night Light seat can solve both of those problems. As its name suggests, it’s a heated toilet seat and an illuminated toilet seat in one. It has a built-in night light with a cool blue glow that illuminates the bowl when the lid is down as well as up. Plus, it features three adjustable warmth settings for the seat, powered by a cord (you do need a dedicated GFCI outlet for it). You can adjust both the lighting and the seat temperature using buttons on a panel near the lid hinges.
Oh so comfy, this heated toilet seat by Brondell scored the best overall heated toilet seat in our testing. The control settings are conveniently placed for easy operation. It only took three minutes for this seat to go from 75 degrees to 103 degrees. And with three temperature settings, it’s easy to find the perfect level of warmth for your comfort. The soothing night light is a bonus and isn’t as blinding or jarring as turning on the lights in the middle of the night. Plus the slow close lid avoids those bumps in the night with silent operation.
The durable design and easy installation make this heated toilet seat a must-have for chilly bathrooms. Why choose any old seat when you can have a cozy, heated contoured seat that makes you feel pampered every day.
Best Wooden Toilet Seat
Angel Shield Elongated Wood Seat
Pros:
- Available in five wood tones
- Quiet close
- Ease of installation
- Secure, quick-release hinges
Cons:
- Owners report paint chips over time
For some toilet seat owners, plastic is a deal-breaker. This might be because plastic toilet seats are cold in the winter, hot in the summer and prone to cracking over time. If those are also disqualifiers for you, a wooden toilet seat is probably the way to go. The Angel Shield seat is our pick for the best toilet seat made of wood you can buy, based on owner feedback. It’s a quiet-closing seat with sturdy quick-release hinges for cleaning. Beyond the unique comfort properties of wood, owners say they love the appearance, ease of installation and security of the hinges.
The Angel Shield is available in elongated and round shapes and in five colors (brown, walnut, oak, wood and dark walnut).
Five-star reviewer Patrick A. O’Bryan Jr. writes, “The fixtures in our home are approaching 100 years of age. We weren’t sure we could find replacement parts that would fit, preserve the feel of the old house and be of modern quality. After sawing off the old seat, the bolts were so old they were rusted in place. Installation of this Angel Shield Toilet Seat was a breeze. I had measured the seat’s bolt configuration ahead of time. The Angel Shield seat had plenty of flexibility in its install to fit our old toilet’s bolt configuration and the shape of the out-of-date toilet. The quality of the seat is fantastic. We haven’t seen any sign of paint or finish coming off the seat with cleaning.”
Best Slow-Close Toilet Seat
Mayfair Kendall Slow-Close
Pros:
- Never needs tightening
- Slow-close lid
- Ease of installation
- Affordable price
Cons:
- Replacement hinges not available
- Some complaints that the lid closes too slowly
The best toilet seats are the ones that never need tightening. That’s what Mayfair offers with its Kendall slow-close model. Seats that wobble or go askew are pretty much the number one pet peeve of toilet seat buyers. Mayfair uses its trademarked STA-TITE fasteners, which are strong, reinforced nylon bolts that never corrode. Tightening the connector eventually snaps its end off, locking the seat in place at optimal torque. Beyond that, the Mayfair is a head-to-head competitor to our best overall Kohler pick, with a quiet-closing lid.
One Amazon reviewer says the Mayfair Kendall is sturdy and easy to install. “I love the perfect white and it works the way I expected it. A nice slow close. Now no more slamming of my hooked seat.”
It’s available in elongated and round and in white, biscuit or bone and retails for about the same money.
Best Heated Slow-Close Toilet Seat
Bemis Radiance
Pros:
- Easy installation in less than 5 minutes
- Whisper quiet soft close lid
- Three heat settings
- Easy-to-reach controls with courtesy lights
- Contoured comfortable seat
- Durable and stable design
Cons:
- 44-inch cord may be too short for some outlets
It takes mere minutes to enjoy this heated toilet seat with the slow-close lid. The Bemis Radiance looks and feels like a luxury toilet seat, and it is. With three heat settings, a soft blue night light and its Whisper Close lid, you’ll feel like you’re sitting in the lap of luxury (at an affordable price).
The soft close lid is a great touch, taking about 6 seconds to gently and quietly close. You’ll keep your bathroom cleaner longer without a bang. The plastic lid and seat are strong and durable and the control buttons are easy to reach, with indicator lights for your convenience.
The ingenious mounting system securely holds your new toilet seat in place and makes it easy to adjust or remove for deep cleaning. We installed this seat in less than five minutes with a precision fit.
This affordable heated toilet seat is durable, comfortable and cozy whether you are sitting on the warm contoured seat or the lid. We found the Bemis Radiance to be sturdy, stable and strong in our testing and the added warmth is the cherry on top. The Bemis Radiance is available in elongated or round to upgrade any standard toilet. Just be sure to have a GFCI electrical outlet within four feet of the toilet to accommodate the features.
Best Toilet Seat for Kids
BabyBjorn Toilet Trainer
Pros:
- Comfortable, ergonomic design
- Easy to remove
- Only needs to adjust once to fit toilet seat
- Inward-sloping splashguard for spills
Cons:
- Some customers have a hard time securing it
Potty training isn’t fun, but the toilet trainer by BabyBjorn takes some of the stress out of it. The ergonomic design is easy for children to sit on. It features an inward-sloping splashguard, preventing spills outside the toilet. Best yet, it only needs to be adjusted once when installing.
Cathy Heid, a five-star reviewer, says her grandson loves this seat. “The little potty chair seat that I had would slide and scoot on my oblong toilet seat. This seat tightens to fit so that it doesn’t slide. He’s able to control the stream so that it doesn’t overshoot the front and he is able to climb off the seat without issues as well. Seat removal is quick and easy when an adult needs to use the toilet. So far I have not had to make any further adjustments after the seat has been removed. It quickly slides right back into place and stays firm. I highly recommend this product. It’s easy to clean too!”
What to Look for When Buying a Toilet Seat
Asking handymen this question generally provides smart-aleck answers, but common sense is a really good guide when it comes to toilet seats.
- Fit: First and foremost, make sure the seat you buy fits your toilet. While manufacturers tend to offer “elongated” and “round” as their size options, the actual dimensions matter. Measure your existing seat’s dimensions—especially the opening—and then check the measurements on the toilet seat you’re considering.
- Quality: Quality is another major consideration. Ask why you’re replacing the current seat. Did it crack, chip or have the hinges break after how much and what kind of use? Look for a seat that addresses those issues with more rugged construction so you’re not shopping for a replacement for the replacement anytime soon.
- Features: Features may seem like a funny thing when you’re talking about something as unglamorous as a toilet, but if you would be happier sitting on a warm throne on a cold winter morning, or not having to turn on the lights to find the toilet in the middle of the night, heated or lighted (or both) seats might be an opportunity for you to not just replace, but upgrade.
- Budget: Consider your budget. An extra $10 a seat adds up if you’re doing five bathrooms all at once. On the other hand, if you’re only doing one, that extra $10 could get you something that will last longer.
- Reviews: Finally, read the reviews of the people who bought the toilet. If it’s as advertised, they’ll tell you. If it’s not, you better believe they’ll say so.
- Installation: “If you’re not hiring someone to install your next toilet seat and DIYing it isn’t your strong suit, considering a seat with easy installation attributes can eliminate frustrations when putting in and tightening your new seat.” according to Biermeier.
Why You Should Trust Us
I’ve picked up a lot of knowledge as a journalist for 42 years, and I’ve learned where to go and how to research to get the most helpful results. I’ve lived in 13 homes or apartments in 50 years, and I’ve never had to replace a toilet seat (though writing this has me thinking twice about the one in the primary bath). Furthermore, I asked local handymen but relied on consumer-informed decisions based on real-life reviews. The choices in this piece are compiled from the ratings of people who spent their hard-earned money on a new toilet seat and, in the majority of the cases, installed it themselves.
Additionally, we tested several of the heated toilet seats in our testing lab. We looked at value, durability, performance and value. Perhaps more importantly we tested comfort and ease of use with the heated toilet seats and added them for your consideration. After all, what could be more important than comfort for the throne in your home?
How We Found the Best Toilet Seats
There are more than 6,000 toilet seats on the market today and nowhere near that many that you should seriously consider. We set a mandatory four-star Amazon customer review minimum, which took us down to 4,000. Only a few dozen of those had even 100 reviews behind that number. The products we chose in each category had between a 4.0 and a 4.7-star rating based on between 2,000 and 34,000 reviews. The best toilet seats had unique selling propositions.
Always looking for solutions for homeowners’ problems, we searched for ways to warm up a chilly bathroom. One obvious choice is a heated toilet seat. It may not warm up a room, but it will make your life more comfortable. We looked at proven brands and high customer satisfaction ratings—and then we tested them for ourselves. Lastly, we consulted with expert Deane Biermeier, who has over 30 years experience working in residential construction, contracting, remodeling, maintenance and home repair.
FAQ
How to pick the right replacement toilet seat?
Begin by measuring the seat you want to replace, especially the opening. Dimensions of seats vary by manufacturer and an inch difference here or there matters a lot. Consider whether you want to replace what you have with something similar or if this is an opportunity to upgrade. The final consideration, of course, is your budget.
What are good toilet seats made of?
The two most common types of toilet seats are plastic and wood. You may have a preference based on feel or appearance, but both make high-quality seats.
How often should you change your toilet seat?
There’s a lot of disagreement on that topic. Five to seven years seems to be a rule of thumb, with dissenters saying if the seat is kept clean, isn’t cracked or chipped and if the hinges are in good working order, that’s simply wasteful. Given that the majority of modern toilet seats are made of plastic, the waste issue goes beyond money. As with most things, if you buy the highest-quality toilet seat you can afford, and care for it, it will outlast one that’s less well-made or less well-cared for.
Originally Published: September 30, 2021
