Trend Alert: 8 Techno Toilets

To be honest, I dislike most bathroom automation products. Automatic faucets and soap dispensers leave me standing at the sink, waving my hands under the faucet like a fool until I’m forced to try the next one over. I prefer a faucet with a handle, a soap pump, and a towel dispenser.

The only automatic fixture that deserves a place in the bathroom, in my book, is the techno toilet. The intelligent toilet has functions that include bidet settings, air drying, an integrated air freshener, automated lid closure, a heated seat, and deodorizing functions—some will mist the bowl with electrolyzed water and clean it with a UV light. There are even toilets on their way to US consumers that will test blood pressure and cholesterol levels. One hyper-intelligent model from INAX will analyze the contents of the toilet bowl to test for pH balance and a host of health concerns, sending data back to a laboratory and updating the user with a concise text message. To us, that’s a little much and probably best applied at hospitals, but there are some techno toilets suited for home use. Here is a look at our favorite models.

Toilet Seats

Above: The Toto Washlet B100 has warm water washing, a heated seat, and a hidden cord design; $510 at Amazon. (If you’re in New York, you can give one a whirl at Dover Street Market on Lexington Avenue.)

Above: Duravit’s Sensowash Starck C Shower Toilet Seat has an Apple-like remote control with an oscillating wash, a self-cleaning wand, automatic seat and lid, and the option for water and temperature adjustment; $1,365 at YBath.

Above: The Inax Clessence Elongated Bidet Seat has a rear and feminine wash, a heated seat with automatic shut-off, and an air dryer—plus it fits most toilet brands (except Kohler). It’s $629.01 at Amazon.

Integrated Toilets

Above: The Neorest 750H is the top smart toilet at Toto. It cleans itself with a patented UV light, features the three modes of Toto Washlet (front, rear, soft), has an automatic air purifying system, and rinses the bowl with electrolyzed water. It’s $10,200 through Toto.

Above: The Ove Smart Toilet has a warm water and air wash, a heated seat, automatic flush, and a memory system that maintains setting preferences; $1,440.01 on Amazon.

Above: Kohler’s Numi Integrated Toilet has a motion-activated cover and seat, bidet functionality, an air dryer, deodorizer, and heated seat, and it will warm your feet from floor-level vents; $4,753.88 at Build.com.

Above: The Regio Integrated Toilet from INAX has an automated seat and lid, a heated and antibacterial seat, water cleansing and massage, a wall-mounted control system. It cleans with a plasmacluster ion sanitizing technology and offers the option of playing music; $6,000 at Decor Island.

Above: The Washlet with Integrated Toilet from Toto, like the Washlet seat, has the standard smart toilet functions with a special flush system, a bowl rinse feature, and is a single piece; $3,300 at Toto.