In today’s article we’re reviewing Alpha Bidet’s newest seat, the UX Pearl. Like the JX, the Pearl is marketed as a luxury class bidet. I’ve been using the JX personally for some time, and I finally think I might have found a worthy replacement.
Overall, it is a great bidet, especially for the money. Luxury bidets often cost up to $1K and beyond, so this is one of the more affordable options.
If you like what you see, I recommend getting the UX Pearl through Bidet King, since they own and operate Alpha Bidet and will give you the best warranty and support – which you will need at some point. You can check out their current prices here.
If you prefer Amazon or want to compare prices, you can check out the Alpha UX Pearl here (Amazon link).
Alpha UX Pearl Review: Quick Summary Table
| Feature(s) | Details |
|---|---|
| Cleansing Performance Test Score | Excellent |
| Water Pressure (Strength) | Great (0.6 L/min) |
| Monthly Operational Costs/Energy Use | ~2 kWh/Person ($0.30) |
| Warm Water Supply | Endless |
| Water Heater Type | Instantaneous |
| Heated Seat | Yes |
| Sitting Room | 20 Inch Sitting Surface w/11.8″ Bowl Opening |
| Round vs Elongated | Elongated Only |
| Warm Air Dryer | Top Tier |
| Controls | Wireless Remote w/Magnetic Wall Mount, Illuminated Side Control Knob |
| Adjustable Features | Water Temp, Water Pressure, Heated Seat, Dryer Temp, Nozzle Position |
| Adjustable Nozzle Positions | 5 |
| Nightlight | Excellent |
| Nozzle System | Single, 2-in-1 Stainless-Steel Arced Nozzle |
| Sanitation Features | Self-Cleaning Nozzle, Catalytic Deodorizer, Pure Breeze Bowl Cleaning Feature |
| Convenience Features | 2 User Presets + 2 One-Push Auto Modes |
| Spray Modes | Front, Rear, Oscillation, Massage |
| Sittable Lid | Yes |
| Seat and Lid Features | Slow-Close Seat/Lid and Easy Bidet Removal |
Alpha UX Pearl Bidet Seat Review
Overall Performance
The Alpha UX Pearl performed quite well on the performance test.
I found that it more than finished spraying by the end of the session, especially after putting on the highest-pressure setting (the 5th level). The standard spray session length is 2:30, which is more than most will need.
In testing the bidet, I adjusted the nozzle across all 5 positions, from back to front. I played around with the oscillation mode, which also helped.
One of the main benefits of Alpha bidets in terms of how well they clean is the above-average water volume (i.e., pressure), at 0.6 L to 1 L per minute, depending on the model.
Water volume is measured in how many liters or gallons the nozzle sprays per minute and it’s the closest measurement to water pressure.
The water flow rate is slightly lower than other Alpha bidets at 0.6 L per minute, but this is might be due to the aerated spray. The jet stream has a firm, yet soft feel common with aerated cleansing systems.
The above image shows the results side-by-side with a cheaper bidet. Notice the wider coverage with the Pearl.
Hot Water Performance
Being a luxury-class bidet, the Alpha UX Pearl offers endless warm water. There are 6 water temperature settings, including off. Choose between room temperature (or the inlet water temp) and betwen 80° F (26.6° C) and 102° F (38.9° C).
Like with all instant heaters, how hot the water gets will depend on the incoming water.
I tested the bidet by running it at full blast for several minutes. Even after several minutes, the water was still in the 90’s F. Compare that to the TOTO C5 (a similarly-priced bidet) which runs cool at the 40-second mark.
Lower-tier bidets rely on a small tank of warm water. When the tank runs empty, the user has to use cold water to finish the session.
With the UX Pearl, cleansing is always comfortable whether you use the bidet for 30 seconds or 30 minutes. It can be used for extended sitz bath sessions, single-session rear and frontal cleansing and back-to-back by different users without running cold.
Design
Dimensions
The UX Pearl comes in one version: the elongated UX-EW.
So, it only fits elongated toilets. It’s the only Alpha bidet so far to not be available in round, though that could change.
The UX Pearl measures 20.4” long, 15” wide, and 4.5” high in the rear. That comes to about 51.8 cm (L) x 38.1 cm (W) x 11.43 cm (H).
The shape of the UX makes it compatible with some “difficult” toilets. It’s a perfect fit for the Kohler Santa Rosa and Glacier Bay N2420.
The only toilets that should pose problems are those with deep French curves like the Kohler San Raphael.
Look and Feel
One of the main things I noticed right off the bat is the design differences. The UX has that ultra-slim low-profile design that goes well with modern bathrooms.
It’s one of the slimmest bidets I’ve seen with a rear height of only 4 and a half inches.
The UX is about 1.5 inches lower in the rear than the average bidet, which is quite significant.
Related Reading – New Alpha UXT Pearl Model
I wanted to mention that Alpha has come out with a brand new model they call the Alpha UXT Pearl. I’m going to do a full review on it when I have the opportunity.
Basic and Advanced Spray Features
The Alpha UX Pearl offers basic rear and frontal cleansing in addition to nozzle oscillation and pulse settings. There’s no “Rear+” or turbo (high-pressure) button as with other Alpha bidets, so for max pressure, you’ll need to adjust upward with the pressure arrows.
The pressure is plenty strong enough for enemas though there is no special button for bidet enemas.
Basic Front and Rear Cleansing
The basic front and rear cleansing modes spray for 2.5 minutes by default.
There is no extra-soft frontal cleansing mode since the UX Pearl offers a traditional nozzle design (the JX nozzle had dispersed holes at the front).
While there is no sitz bath, gentle, or wide front spray options, the lower pressure setting is soft enough for extra-gentle cleansing for posterior and front feminine hygiene.
Oscillation and Massage Modes
The oscillation is easy to use.
In case you’re new to the subject, a bidet cleaning wand oscillates when it moves back and forth in a regular rhythm.
In this way, the bidet moves for you, covering a greater area so that the user doesn’t have to shift around so much to get water to the right places.
The buttons are labeled “REAR/oscillate” and FRONT/oscillate”. So, for oscillation, you just press whichever cleansing button you need, twice. E.g., hit the Rear/oscillate button once for rear cleansing, and again to get the nozzle to move.
Finally, unlike the JX, the Alpha UX Pearl offers a massage mode. Press the current wash button (Rear/oscillate or Front/oscillate) for 3 seconds to activate the massage mode.
The bidet will alternate strong pressure and softer cleansing to massage the skin.
Controls (Wireless Remote, Auxiliary)
As you’d expect, the Alpha UX Pearl offers a handheld remote instead of a side panel.
It’s not double-sided and it doesn’t have an LCD screen. Instead, the remote saves space by foregoing dedicated buttons for certain features. Some features are accessed by pressing and/or holding other unrelated buttons or pressing specific buttons in combination. For example, you press/hold the stop button for a few seconds to turn on the energy-saving mode.
There are also analog auxiliary controls at the back of the seat. Just turn the knob CW for rear cleansing and CCW for frontal cleansing. When using the dial, full wash cycles (front and/or rear) are followed up with dry sessions.
Energy Efficiency
Of all bidet components, water and seat surface heaters use the most energy. The UX Pearl water heater is among the most efficient on the market since it only uses energy when needed. The UX uses less energy than any bidet I’ve tested so far.
At idle with the seat off, the bidet only costs about 20 cents per month (regardless of the number of users). It’s another 10 cents per person per month after that when each person uses the bidet at full blast (high water, seat, and air temperatures) for 5 minutes per day.
With the luxury instantaneous heater, there’s no need to heat a small reservoir of water 24/7.
When activated, the power-saving eco mode keeps the seat on low between bidet uses. The seat automatically reheats when someone sits down.
Just press the Stop button and hold it for 3 seconds to turn the setting on and off.
Warm Air Dryer Performance
The Alpha UX Pearl has an adjustable warm air dryer with 6 settings to choose from. The temperature range wasn’t listed but I tested it at 120.9° F (49.4° C) on the highest setting, which I found to be plenty warm enough.
While some dryers on the market reach 140° F, air at that temperature gets uncomfortable fast. Since extra-high air temperatures are uncomfortable, the most effective bidet dryers are those with the more powerful fans–which is one area where the UX Pearl shines since it has an output of over 7ft3 per minute (or 0.2 m3/minute).
In fact, the UX Pearl dryer performed about as well as any other on the market, even more expensive bidets.
A good warm air dryer is important because exclusive air dryer use can allow you to ditch toilet paper for good providing the best long-term savings. I.e., TP won’t be needed for dabbing dry.
Folks who continue to use TP for drying still drastically reduce overall paper use, but don’t fully take advantage of the potential savings.
Since a single person can use close to $400 worth of TP in a year, replacing TP can help the bidet pay for itself.
There is still a learning curve, so some practice will be needed to get the most out of your dyer.
Convenience Features
The UX Pearl has more convenience features than most bidets on the market, offering both an easy auto mode (more than one) and user presets.
User Presets
The UX Pearl is the first Alpha bidet to offer this feature. The feature lets users save their preferred settings, saving the user from having to choose the same settings over and over. The feature is especially convenient for folks who share their bidet with another housemate.
The user presets are like TOTO’s personal settings since they let you save your preferred wand position, water pressure, and spray temperature.
The setting can be used for front and rear cleansing. Just choose your profile (person 1 or two) and press the rear or front button.
Two Auto Modes
Auto modes let users get a quality wash and dry session without having to press more than one button. The features also let folks use the bidet who normally wouldn’t know how to operate a bidet or which settings to select. So, it’s ideal for kids, the elderly, and guests.
Like the Alpha JX, the UX Pearl has two auto settings.
- Easy Wash: This setting provides a wash session. It uses high water pressure and incorporates oscillation cleansing. This wash mode lasts a minute and a half while JX wash mode only provided a minute of cleansing.
- Auto Wash/Dry: Pressing Auto Wash/Dry initiates the following: 20 seconds of basic rear cleansing, 30 seconds of oscillation cleansing, and another 40 seconds of the regular cleansing. The session is topped off with 180 seconds of drying.
The unique part about the feature is that you can actually save your preferred settings for the easy wash mode. By holding the button for 5 seconds, the current water pressure, water temp, and nozzle position are saved.
Nightlight
Bidet nightlights are meant to allow users to navigate the bathroom and use the bidet/toilet in the dark without having to blind themselves with bathroom lights.
The UX Pearl has one of the better bidet nightlights.
For one, it’s extra-bright–about twice as bright as the GX and GXR nightlights.
Another reason I like it is that it’s white instead of blue. This may or may not matter but a lot of people like to limit blue light exposure in the evenings since blue light is thought to potentially interfere with sleep.
Lastly, the UX Pearl LED nightlight has an ambient sensor that detects natural and artificial light conditions to turn the nightlight on and off as needed. To turn the ‘intelligent mode’ on, press and hold the light button for 5 seconds.
Air Deodorizer
A common feature of luxury bidets are automatic air deodorizers. The UX Pearl is the first Alpha bidet to offer the feature.
This feature removes foul and embarrassing smells by trapping and breaking down molecules in the air that are responsible for bad odors.
Most air deodorizers have carbon filters to do the job. A small fan pulls air through a carbon filter to break down molecules. For example, TOTO bidets use this kind. But such filters need regular replacement.
The Alpha UX Pearl uses a catalytic filter much like the Bio Bidet A8 Serenity.
So, instead of using a replaceable carbon cartridge, the fan circulates air through a photocatalytic reaction that neutralizes odors.
If you want to deactivate the feature, just press hold the Stop button and then press the Front button.
Cleansing Nozzle System and Features
Like other Alpha bidets, the UX Pearl has a single multi-action nozzle. The nozzle system is 2-in-1 (one nozzle w/two holes).
The UX Pearl is one of the only bidets I’ve seen with a squared nozzle. It’s also in an arc shape, which I’ve never seen.
The design is supposed to prevent splash-back to minimize contamination. The arch shape is supposed to provide better reach.
Like other Alpha bidets, the nozzle is made of stainless steel. Some luxury bidets come with plastic nozzles. Bidet users tend to prefer stainless steel is durable and won’t show wear over time.
Sanitation
Nozzle Sanitation
The UX Pearl has an automatic nozzle self-clean function. The nozzle rinses itself automatically before and after each use.
The self-clean function doesn’t let you activate the feature on-demand. However, manual nozzle cleaning is allowed by turning the side control knob CW until the nozzle extends. It will remain extended so you can scrub it down manually.
You can also remove the nozzle tip for up-close scrubbing.
The UX Pearl nozzle doesn’t have the same antimicrobial treatment of the JX. Instead, the arc design is supposed to prevent contamination by minimizing splash-back.
Toilet Bowl Sanitizing Feature
Self-cleaning bowl. Pure Breeze bowl sanitizer. An air plasma generator sanitizes and freshens your toilet bowl by circulating ion particles. The result is safe and effective odor and bacteria control inside your bowl.
When no one is seated, press the Pure Breeze button to activate the in-bowl plasma sanitizing function. It works best with the seat and lid closed. Keeping the lid closed traps charged air particles, allowing them to be blown around inside the bowl helping to neutralize microbes and odorous compounds.
The full cycle lasts 10 minutes.
Comfort (Heated Seat, Sitting Room, Etc.)
Heated Seat
The heated seat works well. There are several temperature levels to choose from. Press the SEAT TEMP button to find the most comfortable setting. Continuously pressing the button will cycle through Off, Low, Med, and High.
The seat temperatures weren’t listed in the manual but I tested them to be in the range of 87.9° F (31° C) to 97° F (36.1° C).
You can keep the heated seat at your favorite level, keep it off until you sit down (turning it on manually when needed), or use the eco mode to keep it on low until you sit down.
If the eco mode is activated, the seat will take a bit to feel warm upon sitting.
Sitting Room
As mentioned, the UX Pearl is one of the slimmest bidets on the market. The non-bulky design allows for 20 inches of sitting room from back to front.
With a rear seat height of only 4.5”, the bidet is non-bulky and doesn’t have much of a slope from back to front. Hence, without the steep slope common to bidets, nothing eats into the sitting room.
I never felt I was forced to sit at the front of the bidet or like I didn’t have enough room up front.
Other Seat and Lid Features
Slow-Close Seat/Lid and Quick-Release Button
As you would imagine, the bidet does have a gentle-close seat and lid to prevent slamming and lengthen the life of the bidet.
There’s also a quick-release button to let you easily attach/reattach the bidet for routine toilet and bidet cleaning and maintenance.
Sittable Lid
Bidet users often miss being able to use their toilet as a regular bathroom seat once the bidet is installed.
Like other Alpha bidets, the UX Pearl has a sittable lid. I found myself using this feature for clipping toenails, resting, texting, etc.
This feature is pretty rare and is typically limited to Alpha and Brondell bidets (I think Bio Bidet has one model with a sittable lid).
Alpha UX Pearl Review: Conclusion
There you have it.
Overall, it’s a great bidet.
The UX Pearl offers endless warm water, basic and advanced spray features. It has a super slim and aesthetic design, user presets plus two auto functions, and has one of the more powerful air dryers I’ve seen. It is also the most efficient bidet I’ve tested.
It’s the only Alpha bidet to offer an air freshener, a toilet bowl sanitizing feature, and an arced nozzle.
Again, if you like what you see, I recommend getting this bidet through Bidet King, since they own and operate Alpha and provide the best support. You can check out their current prices here.
For price comparison or if you prefer Amazon, you can check their current UX Pearl prices here (Amazon link).