What $500 to $1,000 Gets You That Under $500 Does Not
Between $500 and $1,000 you get instant warm water instead of a small heated tank, a warm air dryer on most models, self-cleaning that runs on its own, and — at the top of the range — a complete TOTO toilet rather than a seat alone. Bidets and toilets under $500 is mostly entry seats: warm water, a heated seat, and a control arm on the side. This range is where the compromises start disappearing.
Instant warm water instead of a stored tank
This is the upgrade worth paying for first. TOTO describes the WASHLET S2 as having instantaneous warm water for continuous comfort, and the S5 as delivering endless warm water. A tank model stores a fixed amount of pre-heated water and has to recover before the next wash; an instant heater does not. If more than one person uses the same bathroom back to back, start with bidets with instant and unlimited warm water and work backward from there.
Cleaning that the seat handles itself
PREMIST and EWATER+ both appear on the TOTO seats in this range. TOTO states that PREMIST wets the surface of the toilet bowl, aiding in the removal of waste and resulting in a better clean, and that EWATER+ electrolyzes water to produce a sterilizing agent, hypochlorous acid, that is used to keep the wand and toilet bowl hygienic. Neither needs a button press, though the seat and nozzle still want a wipe now and then — see how to clean a bidet.
Complete toilets, not only seats
This is also the range where TOTO's own bowls appear: Drake and Drake II two-piece toilets, UltraMax and UltraMax II one-piece toilets, Glaston, and Redington. TOTO lists the UltraMax II one-piece as 1.28 GPF with the TORNADO FLUSH system, CEFIONTECT glaze, an elongated bowl with a SoftClose seat, Universal Height, a 12-inch rough-in, EPA WaterSense certification, and ADA compliance when the trip lever is on the approach side. TORNADO FLUSH uses two nozzles to create a centrifugal, cyclonic rinsing action; CEFIONTECT is a glaze TOTO describes as extraordinarily smooth, with an ion barrier that keeps the surface cleaner longer.
What a Bidet Toilet in This Range Will Not Do
The real downsides of a bidet toilet at this price are electrical, dimensional, and mechanical, and they are worth knowing before you order:
- It will not run without power. TOTO requires a ground fault 120 volt outlet for bathroom appliances, within reach of the three-foot WASHLET cord. If the power goes out, the wash, the heated seat, and the dryer stop.
- It will not change your bowl shape. A round seat does not fit an elongated bowl, and the reverse leaves a gap.
- It will not fully replace paper unless the model has a dryer. Entry seats in this range may wash without drying — check bidets with a dryer if that matters to you.
- It will not be invisible. A seat-only install leaves a visible control box and a hose behind the bowl; only a matched WASHLET+ toilet set conceals the cord and supply hose.
- It will not reach the automation of the tier above. Auto open and close lids, TOTO's S7A seat, and integrated smart toilets live in bidet toilets $1,000 to $2,000 and luxury bidet toilets over $2,000.
Choosing a Toilet and Bidet Combo Between $500 and $1,000
A toilet and bidet combo is easiest to get right when the toilet and the seat are sold as one matched set, which in this range means a TOTO WASHLET+ toilet — TOTO designs each toilet-and-seat set with no protruding pipes or cords, concealing the WASHLET power cord and water supply hose inside the fixture. The Drake WASHLET+ S2 two-piece at 1.28 GPF is one of the matched sets in this range. If you are keeping your toilet, you are shopping bidet toilet seats instead. Four things settle it.
1. Decide whether you are replacing the toilet or only the seat
A seat swap keeps your bowl, your flush, and your floor, and TOTO describes WASHLET installation as much like changing your toilet seat — a wrench, a Phillips-head screwdriver, and a flat-head screwdriver. Replacing the whole fixture gets you a matched set, a concealed cord, and a modern flush, but it is a real plumbing job. Browse complete bidet toilets if you are already pulling the old toilet out.
2. Measure the bowl before you choose a seat
Measure from the seat-bolt holes at the back of the bowl to the front rim. TOTO puts a round bowl at about 16.5 inches and an elongated bowl at about 18.5 inches to the front of the bowl. Getting this wrong means the seat will not sit on the bowl correctly. Then shop elongated bidet seats or round bidet seats, or read the client comparison of TOTO elongated vs round bowls.
3. Find the outlet
Every electric seat here needs power. TOTO's requirement is a ground fault 120 volt outlet, and the WASHLET cord is three feet long, so the outlet has to be within reach of the toilet. Adding a receptacle is electrician work, not plumbing work.
4. Match the flush and the seat height to the household
If you are buying the toilet too, two specs matter more than the rest. Flush volume: TOTO lists the Drake II two-piece and the UltraMax II one-piece at 1.28 GPF with TORNADO FLUSH, CEFIONTECT glaze, a 12-inch rough-in, and WaterSense certification. Height: TOTO's Universal Height bowls sit taller than standard, which the client guide puts at roughly 17 to 19 inches versus about 15 inches — easier to sit down on and stand up from. Measure your rough-in too; 12 inches is the common size but 10 and 14 inch installations exist, and the toilet rough-in size guide walks through measuring it. Compare the seat tiers directly in toilets with TOTO WASHLET S2 and toilets with TOTO WASHLET S5.