Why We Love the Toto C5 Bidet Washlet for 2023

A lot of Wirecutter’s recommendations make plenty of people happy, but we can’t usually say a pick will be something everybody loves. One exception: bidets. More specifically: the Toto Washlet C5. This seat costs hundreds of dollars more than the good-enough toilet seat you’ve been using your whole life, yet virtually nobody regrets investing in the Toto. What the deuce?

At the height of the 2020 toilet paper shortage, there I sat, with two wet paper towels in one hand and three dry ones in the other, thinking, “Really, is this the best you can do?” I figured if I could get myself a bidet, I’d probably save paper and also regain dignity.

The situation was severe enough that I didn’t think twice about accepting a used one—yes, a used toilet seat—from Wirecutter senior staff writer Doug Mahoney. Doug himself had become a reluctant convert after testing over a dozen bidets (technically “bidet toilet seats,” or “washlets”) for our guide.

The C5 has all the features you’d want in a bidet seat, and this model’s intuitive controls make it easier to dial in or disable those features according to your preferences.

After disinfecting and manhandling the downstairs toilet, I was all set up, already learning that I had to ask my kids not to trick the seat into thinking it was occupied so they could spray water across the bathroom.

In quieter moments, I actually got to use the C5 as designed. And I came to appreciate how this magical oval could be so beloved that people who buy one often double down on it, buying better bidets to replace the featureless seats still parked on other toilets around the house.

For all the bliss of easing onto a prewarmed seat first thing in the morning—from the 100-degree water washing you off to the heated fan blowing like a desert breeze across your bottom, at 8.83 cubic feet per minute—the C5 is not perfect. Most importantly: You still need a little toilet paper touch-up at the end.

You’ll get too familiar with your body’s geometry as you seek the optimal spray angle. The wand arm makes strange gurgling noises that’ll scare your kids right off the seat. You will lose the remote control, and you’ll discover this loss while in no position to get up and go look for it. And you can forget about setting anything on the toilet seat cover, because the bidet hardware raises up one end, so it’s as tilted as a hill.

The US arrived late to the world of bidets and washlets. In the old days, it was our puritanical past (with a dose of xenophobia) holding us back, according to research in The Atlantic and elsewhere. But feature-rich electronic toilet seats have been mainstream fixtures in parts of Asia for some time now, and greater awareness (as well as world events) have helped the North American market begin to catch up.

By spring 2020, the toilet paper shortage had also become a bidet shortage. “We sold everything we had in the US in a week and a half,” said Bill Strang, Toto’s president of corporate strategy, e-commerce, and customer experience.

After testing more than 16 bidet seats and washlets in at least three homes since 2016, we’re sure the Toto Washlet C5 strikes just the right balance of features, price, and usability. Most people agree their experience with this bidet is excellent, whether they’ve used a bidet for years or are new users.

Some people come to this product by purchasing an inexpensive model, like a bidet attachment, and then upgrading to a better one. Bare-bones, entry-level models that use cold water start as low as $35.

A version of this post was originally published as part of our 2020 “52 Things We Love” series, an ode to Wirecutter picks that have withstood the test of time. Read the entire series.

Harry Sawyers

Harry Sawyers is the senior editor covering home improving, HVAC, and gardening at Wirecutter. He previously worked at This Old House and Popular Mechanics magazines; before that, he restored historic houses and mowed lawns for a living. He lives in a house in LA with his wife, three boys, a dog, and a lot of Wirecutter recommendations.

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