Toilets Buying Guide

If you’re looking to spruce up your bathroom suite, then the chances are a new toilet will be the main feature. It’s estimated that your toilet will flush 140,000 times in your lifetime, so it’s an area that is worth some thought.

Our handy buying guide will walk you through the process. Here’s a quick checklist for the topics you need to consider:

Modern toilets

With contemporary toilets, you will find that the designs will be more angular in shape, with hidden flushes and pipework that fits into a more minimalist styling. This is to fit in with modern bathroom fixtures such as squared sink basins and sharper angled baths.

Above, Austin Close Coupled Toilet With Soft Close Seat

Traditional Toilets

Traditional toilets tend to favour a more curved bowl, where there is more emphasis on the shape of the cistern. You may have seen some styles replicating early toilet systems with a high cistern and pull-down lever. Traditional styles are often chosen for their timeless appeal as they are less likely to look dated in years to come. If you’re after more of a vintage themed bathroom, a traditional style could also be the choice for you.

Above, Hudson Traditional Toilet With High-level Cistern And Soft Close Seat

Close Coupled Toilets

It’s likely you will already own a close coupled toilet as they are the most commonly installed. They consist of two pieces, the cistern and the pan. The cistern is mounted on top of the pan and comes complete with a flush button or lever. The reason close coupled toilets are so popular is because they’re easy to install, potentially saving you time and money in addition to being more flexible in terms of the position of the soil pipe.

There is also a more extensive range of toilets available, giving you greater choice. You can browse our carefully chosen range of close coupled toilets here.

This doesn’t need to be unsightly, however, so investing in chic chrome basin wastes and bottle traps can turn it into a stylish addition. You can browse our selection of wall-mounted basins, here.

Above, Boston Rimless Close Coupled Toilet With Premium Soft Close Seat

Back-to-Wall Toilets

Back-to-wall toilets are a great option if you’re going for a more contemporary, minimal bathroom interior. To coincide with the simplistic design, the cisterns are often hidden or concealed within the wall or specially fitted bathroom unit. Just because they look fancy, don’t assume that they’re difficult to access as they’re normally fitted with an easy-access panel in case any adjustments or repairs need to be made.

Back-to-wall toilets are often chosen because of their simplistic aesthetics and their ability to make a bathroom seem less cluttered. Back-to-wall toilets are fantastic for being used with furniture and you can easily make them coordinate to your range. Alongside the practical benefits, they are also incredibly stylish.

You can view our great range of back-to-wall toilets, here, if you have a shower or bath enclosure. As the name suggests, mixer taps mix both hot and cold water, which is a great preventative measure against scalding and keeps the whole family safe. Our stylish selection of mixer taps is right over here!

Above, Orlando Back To Wall Toilet With Soft Close Seat

What is a toilet cistern and what types are there?

A toilet cistern is the part of the toilet that contains the water before you flush. Traditionally, you’ll find the cistern mounted directly onto the pan, just like a close-coupled toilet. However, you may come across the cistern sitting high above the toilet bowl in more traditional style systems. This is because they were originally designed to use gravity to create the flush.

The flush is the part of the toilet you press or pull to activate the cistern. Flushes can either be handles, buttons or levers but it’s worth thinking carefully about your toilet flushing ability. After all, this will be its main function! Buying a toilet with an eco-friendly flush can be a great way to save water and money. As toilets are responsible for around 30% of all the water used in the home, investing in a water-saving option is a good choice.

Most modern toilets are now fitted with a dual flush mechanism to help limit the amount of water used. Dual flushes allow a single flush or double flush option. With a single flush, the cistern only empties partially, using less water as a result. A double flush, however, empties the cistern completely, resulting in a more powerful flush.