Toilet Seats UK: Trends and Styles for the Modern Bathroom (2023)

FAQs

How do I choose a toilet seat UK? ›

There are three types of toilet shapes commonly found in UK homes. These are round, D-shape, and square seats. Another popular feature is a soft close seat, so if this is your preference you need to measure correctly to make sure this type of seat will fit your toilet.

There isn't a single universal toilet seat size in the UK. Lots of different toilet seat sizes are available but the most common sizes tend to be between 350mm and 500mm. Toilet seats vary by both size and shape so it's important to know which size you need before investing in a new one.

The U-shape was meant to give ladies plenty of room to wipe without having to stand up or touch the seat directly. That's especially helpful for those of us nesters who like to put down a layer of toilet paper on the seat before we pop a squat.

While it was also found to make the droplets larger and more concentrated with bacteria, the broad consensus among scientists is that it's more hygienic to flush with the lid down.

Generally, elongated toilet seats are considered more comfortable than round toilet seats. The material the toilet seat is made of also influences how comfortable it is to sit on.

Single Flush vs Dual Flush

American toilets make use of a single handle flushing system while the European toilets feature the dual push flushing system. The reason for the dual push system is to help conserve water.

Standard toilet dimensions are typically between 70–75cm deep, roughly 50cm wide, between 68–81cm high, and have a rough-in between 25–35cm.

Standard Dimensions – 850mm wide x 1500mm deep.

Most Italian public toilets don't have a toilet seat.

This has to do with maintenance. Since public toilets are often less than spotless, people often climb with their shoes on top of them, not to sit on a potentially dirty seat.

Why do public toilet seats have a gap at the front? ›

While not every country is governed by these rules, many site toilets still adopt this seat style for hygiene reasons. Split toilet seats offer more space so the user won't accidentally hit the seat with their genitals, and it also reduces the chance of splashing urine onto the front of the seat.

American partitions offer a good deal of privacy, but the exposed feet and top, combined with the sight lines between the door and frame, may make some occupants a bit uncomfortable. European toilets offer exceptional privacy because instead of a thin partition, it's actually an enclosed stall.

COMMODE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary.

The only true difference that matters is your comfort and the size space it's going into. If you want the utmost comfort, go with an elongated (or oval) toilet bowl and seat. However, if you have a small space, a round toilet seat/bowl is a wiser choice.

Round Toilet Seats:

This is the most common type you'll encounter in your hunt to find the best toilet seat for your home. Generally, a round toilet seat will cost a little bit less than its elongated cousin. Measuring at 16.5 inches, the round seat will also take up less space.

As a general principle, it's best to leave the seat in the position in which you yourself used it, with the responsibility being on the next user, whatever their gender, to put the seat into the appropriate position to suit their particular anatomy.

Research flushes out the risks of bacterial infection in toilets. Loo etiquette has a new standard: put the toilet lid down as well as the seat, because leaving the lid up when flushing could lead to bacterial and viral transmission.

Any household shared by men and women inevitably deals with a pressing question: what do you do with the toilet seat after it's used? Conventionally, it's considered courteous for men to always lower the seat back down after they've urinated.

Sit directly onto the toilet seat – do not stand or squat on it. Use the toilet paper provided to wipe away excess waste and throw it in the dustbin. Flush the toilet with your hand to remove waste from the toilet. If the flush does not work, speak to the toilet attendant when in a public place.

As a general rule, elongated toilet seats (and the toilets that go with them) offer more bowl area than their round counterparts. This makes bidet use, cleaning, and personal hygiene duties more comfortable than they would be on a constricted, round seat.

Which toilet seat is more comfortable round or elongated? ›

Pros: Elongated bowls are generally considered to be more attractive and comfortable than round front bowls, but as with most things, this is a matter of taste and can be affected by an individual's height and weight.

This can be caused by a number of reasons, including flushing too much toilet paper at once and flushing unsuitable items such as sanitary products, baby wipes or nappies which will all contribute to a blocked toilet. The easiest and cheapest way to tackle a blockage is to use a plunger.

Unlike in public toilets, toilets in UK homes do not have urinals. Men must use the toilet that is designed for sitting on. If you prefer to stand whilst urinating, you must lift the entire seat (lid and seat) beforehand. You must aim for the centre of the bowl.

The main purpose of a dual flush button is to save water. The dual flush button allows the user to control the waste water. The smaller button (half flush) delivers a smaller volume of water than the larger button (full flush).

Overall, a standard toilet will be between 27 and 30 inches deep, with a back height of 21 to 31 inches and a width of about 20 inches. An ADA-compliant version needs to have a seat height of 17 to 19 inches.

The minimum size of a bathroom which includes a toilet and a basin is 140cm x 95cm in a rectangular floor plan, and 120cm x 120cm in a square floor plan, with a hinged door. This space can be reduced if we opt for compact or embedded elements, as well as sliding doors.

How High is a Comfort Height Toilet? Comfort height toilets vary in height. By and large, the seat tends to stand between 17 and 19 inches from the ground (43cm to 48cm). In contrast, a standard traditional height toilet stands at around 15 inches (38cm).

A standard toilet in the UK, whether this is back to wall or close coupled falls anywhere between 390mm and 420mm in height.

So, answering the question of how much space is needed around a toilet, you'll want to leave about 38 cm (15 inches) that is measured from the centre of the toilet to the adjacent wall or commodity.

In the past people have thought that a bathroom or toilet couldn't open out into a kitchen, but this isn't the case. As long as there is a basin where people can wash their hands before returning to the kitchen, then one door is enough. And you don't need a lobby.

Why do toilets in Germany have a shelf? ›

I m told that the shelf is indeed to catch one's leavings for examination. I have even heard this is for easy stool sample collection. How many stool samples is the average German taking? The obvious downside (besides smell) is how to get the poo all the way down.

Arguably the most alarming feature of a Water Closet is the infamous Dutch toilet bowl. Dutch engineers have designed the bowl itself to contain a plateau set well above the normal water level.

It seems weird and even possibly unsanitary, but it helps older people know exactly where to sit. Contrasting toilet seats can help prevent falls in the elderly.

When you first use a bidet, clean off with toilet paper first before attempting the bidet spray. You don't need to use soap to use a bidet. Some people do use the bidet like a mini-shower after a bowel movement, sexual intercourse, or for freshening up, but it isn't a requirement.

The bidet is designed to promote personal hygiene and is used after defecation, and before and after sexual intercourse. It can also be used to wash feet, with or without filling it up with water. In several European countries, a bidet is now required by law to be present in every bathroom containing a toilet bowl.

Bidets haven't ever been widely embraced in American culture. A common origin story for this reluctance is that bidets were seen as lascivious because they were used in brothels as a form of emergency contraception.

Do all toilet seats fit the same? The simple answer is no, there are a range of different toilet seat fittings. Some are bottom fixing (fitted from beneath the fixing holes) and some are top fixing (usually required when there isn't access to the bottom of the pan, e.g. with a fully shrouded toilet).

Toilet seat fittings are available in two types: Top fittings and bottom fittings. Toilet seats that are bottom fittings are fastened from the top and afterward fixed from the bottom using wing nuts, while top fittings are effective by screwing two fasteners into the pan, which are affixed from the upper side.

Finding your toilet manufacturer and/or model number: Carefully remove the toilet tank lid and set it gently on the floor, with the bottom facing up. Look for the manufacturer name or a number on the bottom side of the water tank lid.

The material used in making the toilet seat will also have an influence in how comfortable it is to sit on. As an example, wood seats don't get as cold as plastic toilet seats during the winter, so may be preferable to some homeowners.

Do toilet seats have to match the toilet brand? ›

There are many brands of toilet seats and they can go on each brand of toilets.

It's a good thing they ask, because toilet seats are designed to fit one of two bowls: round or elongated. A round toilet seat absolutely won't fit an elongated bowl, and, as you may have guessed, the opposite is also true. How to figure it out?

Toilet seats are sold by shape (not by length).

If the length is between 18-19.5 inches, you have an elongated toilet bowl seat. If the length is between 17-17.75 inches, you have a round toilet bowl seat. Notice also that the elongated bowl is shaped more like an oval (egg-shaped).

There are 2 main types of toilet seats: soft close and standard close.

Elongated bidet seats and round versions share the same rear end where all the internal components are stored. The only difference is found in the length of the actual seat and lid portion. This means that either size bidet seat will be able to mount on either size toilet.

There is normally a side that has small tears already started. The reason that flap exists is so that it hits the water and is pulled down when you flush the toilet. Pay attention, this is the one that most people get wrong. The flap should hang down from the front of the toilet, not the back.

If you prefer a toilet seat that offers design options with a more substantial feel, with a variety of hinge options, choose a beautiful enameled wood seat. If you're looking for color selections while still having a toilet seat that provides durability, choose a plastic seat.

Elongated bowls are also considered more 'hygienic' in that the larger surface area of the bowl makes is easier for men and children to use with less mess. The longer bowl size is also a requirement for ADA use, and the longer/wider bowl is generally easier to use for those with mobility issues.

The lid was designed to keep germs where they belong, in the bowl and down the drain! If you leave the lid up when you flush, those germs can float around your bathroom, landing on any available surface, including towels, hairbrushes or even toothbrushes.