Did you know that just by replacing an old toilet in your home with a low flow toilet, you can save up to 13,000 gallons of water per year? That’s saving over $140 each year. It used to be that with each flush, the average toilet would spend approximately 6 gallons of water, but with a low flow toilet that number is reduced to nearly 1.28 gallons per flush. Reducing your carbon footprint is as simple as replacing an old toilet with a low flow toilet; however, buying a new toilet can be overwhelming. Which low flow toilet is the best low flow toilet?
We’ve combed through the low flow toilets that meet WaterSense’s standards (a volunteer program that is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and made our picks for the best low flow toilet that will not only get the job done but waste the minimal amount of water while doing it. We’ll look at how they flush, the size of the toilet, and even their warranty information to make sure that you can feel confident when purchasing your low flow toilet that you are indeed purchasing the best low flow toilet on the market. With that said, the KOHLER Memoirs K-6669-0 gets our Editor’s Choice.
We’ve had a weeks’ time of research and many experts and users to give a detailed insight on pros and cons of the low flow toilet installation and usage. After analyzing all the info gathered, we present to you a full comparison table, an in-detail review of each product and a thorough buying guide with the FAQ section.
More features: comfort height, ADA compliant, concealed trap way, canister flush valves, ion-barrier surface
The best two-piece low flow toilet is the KOHLER Memoirs because of its flushing technology, concealed trapway, and affordability. According to the manufacturer, this toilet features the “elegant architectural look of the Memoirs collection with Stately design. This two-piece toilet combines water-saving flush performance with traditional style. A high-efficiency 1.28-gallon flush offers up to 16,500 gallons of water savings per year.” The KOHLER Memoirs uses the AquaPiston single flush, which means that the valve opens upwards (this gives a 360-degree space with no-obstructions for the water to flow out) to create a powerful and efficient flush. The toilet sits at 30 inches long, 31 inches wide, and 20.5 inches high. The toilet comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
Overall, this toilet has an almost equal number of valid pros and cons; however, it appears that most people who have purchased the KOHLER Memoirs toilet have been very satisfied with their purchase.
More features: EverClean® surface, concealed trap way, PowerWash™ rim, slow close seat included, 3’’ flush valve, ADA compliant, Right Height™
The toilet we chose as our budget pick is the American Standard Cadet 3, which features a single flush style, concealed trapway, PowerWash rim, and a slow close seat. According to the manufacturer, the toilets best qualities include the elongated bowl, which “is more comfortable, and a Right Height comfort height of 16-1/2 inches makes this tall toilet exceptional, and ADA compliant for handicap use. The oversized 3-inch flush valve helps to create a more powerful flush, and a generous 2-1/8-inch trapway helps to prevent against clogging.
An innovative PowerWash Rim keeps the toilet bowl clean after every flush, and the revolutionary EverClean surface inhibits the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria, mold, and mildew on the surface.” This toilet sizes at 30.75 inches long, 15.75 inches wide, and 30.25 inches high. The American Standard Cadet 3 also comes with a 5-year limited warranty after installation.
If you’re interested in saving water while maintaining the classic toilet look, this toilet is the one for you. Just be prepared to hold down the handle or flush twice when necessary.
More features: CEFIONTECT™ ceramic glaze, heat seat and air deodorizer, automatic lid opening, automatic flush, ADA compliant, EWATER+ glaze, remote control operated, universal height
The smartest low flow toilet is the TOTO Neorest which has very similar qualities to the TOTO Washlet+ Carlyle II but uses more advanced intuitive technology. The TOTO Neorest is “an integrated toilet with technologically advanced WASHLET.
Neorest is a truly remarkable combination of ecology and luxury.” Smart features for this toilet include eWater+ Technology which essentially means that the water in the toilet bowl is electrolyzed water and is therefore a safe and powerful compound that keeps the bowl clean following each flush.
Other features are that the toilet has an air deodorizer, a heated seat, can be operated by a remote control, comes with a nightlight, automatic flush, and the lid automatically lifts and closes. This toilet is truly on the front end of what all toilets have the potential to become one day.
Aside from the price of this toilet, it appears to be the toilet of all toilets.
More features: WonderGliss coating, wall-mounted, dura-fix connection
The Duravit Darling New is the best wall-mounted low flow toilet.
Wall-mounted means that this toilet is elevated off the ground and clings to the wall. This toilet uses a dual flush type, which means that there are two options for flushing: one that uses less water and one that uses more.
The user selects which flush by pushing a button. Because this toilet does not have a stand for the floor, it is small coming in at 24.6 inches long, 14.3 inches wide, and 15.7 inches high.
Unlike the other toilets we’ve mentioned, the Duravit Darling New comes with a 5-year limited warranty after purchase.
But you should note that this type of toilets has a weight limit that for this particular toilet is around 300 lbs.
If you have a small bathroom or are simply looking to create a little bit more space, the Duravit Darling New is the toilet for you!
More features: one-piece toilet, WASHLET® bidet seat, CEFIONTECT™ glaze, concealed supply connection, ADA compliant, CALGreen certified, comfort height
The best one-piece low flow toilet is the TOTO Washlet+ Carlyle II because of its sleek design and flush style. The TOTO Washlet+ Carlyle II uses a style of flushing called Tornado Flush, which according to TOTO is a flush consisting of “two powerful nozzles that create a centrifugal, cyclonic rinsing action which reduces waste buildup and keeps the bowl cleaner. Using only 1.28 gallons per flush, this high-efficiency system is more effective in one flush than most toilets are with multiple flushes.” The toilet comes in at 28.25 inches long, 16.5 inches wide, and 28.75 inches high. It features an elongated seat type for optimal comfort and is covered by warranty for up to one year after purchase.
While this toilet is our Editor’s Pick for the best low flow toilet, it does still come with both its pros and cons, which we’ve laid out below. Overall for the TOTO Washlet+ Carlyle II, the pros outweigh the cons in their practicality and efficiency. The cons are generally more personal preference than actual concerns with the toilet itself.
Now that we’ve gone through each of our top picks for the best low flow toilet, its decision-making time. Of course, everyone has their own list of qualifications they are looking for in a toilet that are specific to their needs. However, there are also other things to keep in mind when purchasing a low flow toilet
Buying a low flow toilet can be a pretty big decision. Aside from all of the low flow options out there, is buying a low flow toilet even worth it? A low flow toilet saves between five and six gallons of water per flush. If the average person flushes six times a day, that’s 42 gallons a day that purchasing a low flow toilet could save. That, in turn is nearly 294 gallons saved in a week and 1,260 per month. Imagine what kind of cuts that would make on a water bill.
However beneficial low flow toilets are for the environment and your pocket, they do have a tendency sometimes to not flush with the same force that other toilets do, which could result in a clog or multiple flushes (which then wastes the water you’d be saving).
Low flow toilets are not yet the “go to” when it comes to purchasing a toilet and are often priced much higher than an average, water wasting toilet. Regular toilets can cost as low as $150, whereas the cheapest low flow toilet is going to cost at least an additional $100 on top of that. Many low flow toilets even recommend having an expert install the toilet which can cost an additional couple hundred dollars. At the end of it all, the money you’ve saved in a year has likely been put back into the toilet – at least for the first 6 months to a year. Eventually though, once your water bill has dropped down from the water you’re saving, it makes financial sense to make the switch. However, if you’re interested in purchasing a low flow toilet with all the bells and whistles, those can cost up to a few thousand dollars before installation. If your goal is to have a functional toilet, help do your part to save the planet, and cut your water bill down then purchasing a basic low flow toilet is a wise financial choice to make in the long run.
In this article, we’ve already touched on many of the great qualities that can come with a low flow toilet but what are the basic features that are imperative to consider when buying the best low flow toilet?
How a toilet flushes is an important thing to consider when purchasing a low flow toilet. There are a handful of different types of flushes Trusted Source Types of Toilet Flushing Systems While you might not think about how your indoor toilet works very often, you may be surprised to know that a number of different systems and models are available. www.southwestplumbing.biz . The Dual Flush, like in the Duravit Darling New toilet, is an ever-increasing popular choice because it is an environmentally conscious design: the more the toilet needs to flush, the more water it provides. The user chooses whether the toilet will make a “full” flush or a “partial” flush. The full flush uses approximately 1.6 gallons of water, while the partial flush uses only 1.1 gallons of water.
The Tornado Flush like in the TOTO Washlet+, releases water using two large nozzles on either side of the bowl. This flushing style only uses 1.28 gallons of water per flush.
The final type of flush is the AquaPiston single flush, which is when the toilet opens upwards to create a powerful and efficient flush. Like the Tornado Flush, this type of flush only uses 1.28 gallons of water.
When purchasing a low flow toilet, you want to make sure that the toilet you’re purchasing is certified by WaterSense. This means that it meets all the requirements to be an environmentally friendly toilet. WaterSense looks at things like how the toilet flushes and how much water it uses per flush to evaluate whether it meets their rigorous criteria. If a toilet bears the WaterSense stamp of approval, it is guaranteed to be a good toilet option.
Naturally, everyone has their own personal taste, style, and preferences – even when it comes to something as seemingly simple as a toilet. Toilets are made with different material and shaped differently. Some toilets don’t even sit on the ground but are mounted on the wall. All these factors are things to be taken into consideration when buying the best low flow toilet.
A two-piece toilet is the most common toilet design and is found in most homes. Of the toilets we looked at, both the Duravit Darling New and the TOTO Neorest are one-piece toilets while the TOTO Washlet+, KOHLER Memoirs, and the American Standard Cadet 3 are all two-pieces. This doesn’t necessarily affect how the toilet works, but one-piece toilets are generally easier to clean and provide a sleeker appearance. In general, however two-piece toilets are cheaper than one-piece toilets.
The rough-in size for a toilet is the distance from the wall behind the toilet to the bolts that hold the toilet to the floor. Most toilets are between 10 and 14 inches, but every toilet can vary and it’s an important thing to take into consideration when purchasing the best low flow toilet. Additionally, if you’re purchasing a toilet, it’s important to determine whether you want a toilet that mounts to the floor or one that mounts to the wall. Mounting a toilet to a wall can save some space, but it can also be very costly to hire an expert to do the mounting.
How a toilet is cleaned is something else to consider when purchasing a low flow toilet. The TOTO Neorest automatically worked to help sterilize the toilet bowl and help create a cleaner toilet space; however, not every low flow toilet does that. How you’re going to clean your low flow toilet (on both the outside and the inside) is important to consider before buying.
It’s also imperative to think about how much noise the flush is going to make. Is the toilet going to be constantly making noises flushing and gurgling or it going to be nice and quiet and out of the way? Most people would probably prefer the quiet toilet. Especially when a toilet is using less water, like the TOTO Washlet+ that sprays automatically when it senses a person and makes noises.
It likely goes without saying that no toilet is going to last forever. However, most toilets should make it through at least a few years. Most of the toilets we discussed today have anywhere from a one-year warranty to a five-year warranty. When buying the best low flow toilet, it’s good to make a note of how long the warranty lasts for in order to take advantage of it if something were to go awry.
The Kohler Memoirs is our top choice for its classic design, features a comfortable height design, is easy to clean due to a concealed trap way, and has an ion-barrier surface, that repells most of the bacteria off of your bathroom star.
The American Standard Cadet 3 is our second pick, primarily on affordability and practicality. However, buying a low flow toilet almost feels like the toilet should feel special and this toilet appears the same as any other toilet, from the outside at least. What is nice about the American Standard is that it comes with both the PowerWash Rim and EverClean, both of which help ensure that your toilet is the most sanitary toilet in the neighborhood.
The Toto Neorest 700H takes the third place, being one of the smartest and best low-flow toilets. It has elongated seat, a 12-inch rough-in, and an always-ready heating seat with an automatically opening lid.
Now that you know all things pertaining to low flow toilets, it’s time to decide. Which of the best low flow toilets will you buy?
