Today’s article looks at the best bidets for skirted toilets. The recommendations also apply to toilets with concealed trapways that aren’t truly skirted.
The best overall bidet for a skirted toilet is the Brondell LE99. It’s compatible with skirted toilet T-valves and has a remote control. Not having a side panel, it’s unlikely to interfere with installation on a skirted toilet. Other great options include the Tushy Classic and CleanSpa sprayer.
When choosing a bidet, the factors you should consider don’t differ much for skirted toilets, but there are some things to keep in mind. For example, skirted bowls tend to be present on modern toilet designs—one-piece, tankless, and wall-hung toilets, etc.
The Best Electric Bidet for a Skirted Toilet
The Brondell Swash Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat LE99
First up is the Brondell LE99 electric bidet seat (Amazon link). This one fits elongated toilets but it’s available for round bowl designs too.
Not everyone is looking for a fancy electric bidet seat, which is completely understandable. They are more expensive and it doesn’t take all the bells and whistles to get a clean that’s 10 x better than toilet paper.
But electric seats make up the most popular bidet category in North America and the Brondell LE99 is one of my go-to recommendations.
Pros of the Brondell LE99
Installation-Friendly for Skirted Toilets
This one comes with a remote control instead of a side panel which is always good news for toilets with special or atypical designs.
Having a remote control helps ensure compatibility of the bidet (installation-wise) with the widest range of toilet designs possible, including those with skirted bowls.
It’s not the only factor but it goes a long way. The problem is that remotes tend to come on more expensive models. The LE99 is an exception.
All bidet attachments and most entry-level electric seats come with side panels instead of remote controls.
Both do the same thing (control the bidet) but control panels are fixed to the side of the bidet. This offers benefits. For example, you’ll never lose it and you don’t have to worry about swapping out batteries.
But bidet side panels can get in the way of installation especially for toilets having odd designs.
Again, skirted bowls are often present on toilets with atypical designs. Not only one-piece toilets, but commodes with French curves, odd angles, extra-wide bolt hole widths, and “tankless” wall-hung toilets.
Not to mention, they’re considered less luxurious, inconvenient, and less aesthetic. For example, a lot of control panels are bulky and plastered with colorful stickers and cheap-looking chrome.
Thankfully, while remote controls are always present on luxury bidets, they’re not limited to ultra-expensive luxury units.
Skirted Toilet Parts Are Available for this Model
Some bidets are incompatible with generic extra parts made for bidets and folks with skirted toilets often have to use extra parts like smaller T-adapters and extension hoses.
The LE99 is compatible with the extension hose and 3/8” T-adapter for skirted toilets put out by Bidet King (non-affiliate link). You may not need these extra parts but it’s nice to know you can use them in case you run into installation issues.
Having a skirted toilet, you may or may not need a T-connector that fits the shutoff valve next to the toilet. Sometimes skirted toilets are flat in the back and closer to the wall making it hard to access the fill valve on the tank. To make things worse, sometimes the fill valve is on the inside of the toilet.
Even when the fill valve is accessible, it may be too cramped to fit the T-connector that came with your bidet. When that’s the case, the most common approach is to get a 3/8” adapter to fit the shutoff valve (the adapter that comes with bidets is 7/8” to fit the fill valve).
Great Brand
Not all bidets are created equal. Getting a high- vs low-quality model can mean the difference between a unit crapping out at 2 months vs one that lasts for years.
TOTO is probably the most widely recognized brand. I’d recommend one of theirs but TOTO only offers remote controls on their more expensive models.
Brondell rivals TOTO in quality and is the most reputable USA-based manufacturer of electric bidets.
“Endless” Warm Water
I put “endless” in quotations because the Brondell LE99 uses a hybrid-type water heater. According to most users, hybrid heaters don’t provide endless warm water as they claim. But they’re definitely a step up from the tank-type water heaters present on most entry-level electric bidets.
So, you know, water heaters in electric bidets come in three types:
- Tank-type. Some bidet seats are really high in the back and slope down. The shape is in part due to a tank of water housed in the back of the seat. The bidet heats the tank up and keeps it warm so there’s always warm water on tap. The main problem with this kind is that it runs out in about a minute. A minute is usually long enough but can be an issue for extra-messy bowel movements and for when a bidet is used consecutively by different users.
- Instantaneous water heaters. These heat water up on the spot and truly do provide endless warm water.
- Hybrid-type water heaters. These use a combination of the above technologies to provide continuous warm water at a cheaper price tag. They claim to provide endless water but user reports indicate they last about twice as long as the tank-type heaters.
So, endless water or not, the heater in the LE99 is still a big step up from tank heaters as it sprays much longer before running cold.
A Self-Cleaning Wand
The LE99 wand cleans itself saving you a lot of time and hassle. You’ll still want to clean it every now and then, but self-cleaning wands make maintaining the bidet way easier.
Some of the most common questions I get are inquiries like “do bidets get poop on them?”
Cleaning nozzles do get dirty to some extent with any bidet. It’s not surprising because anything that stays in a toilet bowl 24/7 would be hard not to get dirty.
But some models are better at preventing this than others. With some bidets on the market, the wands remain in the toilet bowl. They operate on a swivel so you could push them out of the way, but they remain exposed to the toilet’s contents.
Like most modern bidets, the LE99 has a wand that remains concealed when not in use. I.e., the wand is only exposed to the toilet when cleaning. It also sprays at an angle so it’s out of the way of the water falling into the bowl.
Bidet nozzles always get soiled with use to some extent, but the stainless steel cleaning wand on the LE99 washes itself with each use.
Finally, the wand can be extended for periodic manual cleaning per the manufacturer’s directions.
Clean Filtered Water Only
On the subject of hygiene, being electric, the LE99 can be set up with a water heater. Water used by non-electric bidets is clean only insofar as a given city or community’s drinking water is clean, which may not be a good thing depending on where you live.
Using clean filtered water is extra important when for female hygiene and for older adults.
A Warm Air Dryer
You can get by with toilet paper, but air dryers are important for those looking to ditch TP for good.
Even if you find the dryer doesn’t quite get the job done, it’ll still cut way down on the toilet paper you’re currently using.
I.e., while you may normally use 4 squares to dry off, using the dryer + TP, you can probably get by with a square or two.
Add that to the TP you’ll be saving by cleaning with water, and you’re looking at saving thousands of dollars over a lifetime, not to mention hundreds of trees and untold gallons of water.
Digital Pressure and Temperature Controls
Precise control of pressure and temperature is yet another feature limited to electric bidets.
This model provides a temperature range of between 37.4 ̊F (3 ̊C) and 104 ̊F (40 ̊C) and an output of up to 0.8 L/min.
Precision Wand Aiming
How a bidet aims depends party on the type of bidet.
Those that don’t offer precision aiming rely on strategic body positioning on the part of the user. This is less convenient and makes getting water to the right place difficult for those who can’t move around easily (older folks and those with physical limitations).
Bidet attachments (non-electric) have nozzles that operate strictly off of water pressure. They work pretty darn good and are getting better these days. But electric bidets like the Brondell LE99 offer precise digital aiming with the touch of a button.
Special Spray Patterns
Water streams that oscillate move back and forth or side-to-side covering a wider area. This helps give a more thorough clean and means you don’t have to aim as accurately which is good for older adults and those with limited mobility.
Also, users who deal with GI issues often report that the oscillating spray pattern helps with constipation by loosening up the sphincters.
This bidet even has a sitz bath mode. Bidets can be used in place of sitz baths, whether they have a special mode or not, but the sitz bath setting does come in handy.
I doubt it’s anything like a real sitz bath but after reading up on it, it seems like it could be pretty useful for folks looking to perform longer more relaxing cleaning sessions from time to time.
Water Efficiency
Most know that bidets save the environment water but fewer seem to be aware that bidets can save consumers water over the long-term insofar as they result in less flushing. One way they’re able to net water savings for the user is by using water-saving technology.
Handheld bidets and standalone units are the worst offenders as they tend to use higher spray volumes even when they use aerated water streams.
Electric bidets like the LE99 use a small motor to pump water whereas non-electric bidets use the home’s water pressure. As you’d imagine, non-electric bidets clean with higher water pressure resulting in more waste.
To prevent giving a lower-quality clean (due to lower water pressure), electric bidets use fancier technology (e.g., aerated water jets, oscillating and wide spray patterns) to provide the best clean with the least amount of water.
Aesthetic and Comfortable
As mentioned, this model has a hybrid water heater.
Having a smaller water heater in the back of the seat, the LE99 isn’t as bulky or sloped as other bidets in the same price range.
Having a smoother and more continuous contour to its surface, the bidet is both more aesthetic and comfortable. Seats that slope from back to front often push the user to the front of the seat making for a less comfortable sitting experience.
Heated Seats
This feature comes in useful in colder months. A lot of users find it relaxing, claiming that it helps get things moving again when constipated.
Gentle Slow-Closing Lid
Slow-closing lids don’t automatically close. With some of the ultra-expensive models, you can open and close both the lid and seat with a remote control.
The slow-closing lid on the LE99 isn’t quite automatic but it’s super useful because the user can easily close the lid with a flip of the wrist when standing up from the toilet. Once nudged, the lid closes slowly on its own.
This saves wear and tear on the parts and makes it easier to keep the lid closed, the latter of which is important for keeping bathroom surfaces and air clean.
Cons of the Brondell LE99
The main drawback of this bidet is that it’s more expensive than the others listed in this article. The LE99 is quite inexpensive for bidets of its kind but attachments and sprayers can be had for much less.
I always recommend electric seats first, because they have all the features that modern bidets are known for. You get to transfer all the technology of a $5K Japanese toilet onto the cheapest commode you can find at Walmart.
Another drawback is that the installation can take up to half an hour whereas the installation of bidet attachments and handheld sprayers can take as little as 15 minutes.
The Best Bidet Attachment for a Skirted Toilet
The Tushy Classic 3.0 by Hello Tushy
By far the best bidet attachment for a skirted toilet is the Tushy Classic (Amazon link) in conjunction with the brass mini adapter for skirted toilets. What I like about this one for skirted toilets is that Hello Tushy has a solution for several problems one can encounter when installing their bidet on atypical toilet designs.
Pros:
- Special parts are available for skirted toilets. Hello Tushy makes a special brass adapter for skirted and one-piece toilets in case you can’t access the fill valve.
- Installation instructions are available for special situations like skirted toilets.
- Price. Like most attachments, the Tushy Classic is less expensive compared to electric bidets. It’s on the high end for bidet attachments, but it’s the most skirted toilet-friendly attachment on the market.
- Mounting gear shouldn’t be an issue. Skirted toilets often use top mounting bolts to secure the seat to the back of the rim. Because bidet attachments use existing mounting gear, you don’t have to worry about needing to get top-mounting bolts. Top mounting bolts are inexpensive and easy to find, but it’s one less thing you have to consider which is nice.
- Self-rinsing nozzle. So you know, a lot of modern bidet attachments have self-cleaning wands. In fact, it’s pretty standard these days. The Tushy Classic is no different.
Cons:
- Potential installation issues. Hello Tushy goes to great lengths to cover potential installation scenarios but issues can still arise. Toilets have undergone so many changes over the last couple of decades and can come in a range of shapes and sizes. Skirted toilet bowls are common on ultra-modern toilets so installation issues can arise that have nothing to do with the skirted bowl in itself. Some modern toilets are extra-wide in the back and get in the way of bidets with control arms. If your toilet is oddly shaped or has French curves, you may want to check with Tushy first or go with a bidet seat.
- Cold unfiltered water. With most attachments, you’ll be cleaning with cold tap water. The water is unheated, so it’s not necessarily cold, per se, depending on where you live and the time of year. The filter probably isn’t a big deal if you live in a place with good clean tap water. Plus, if you want to use filtered water, it can be arranged with extra parts.
The Best Handheld Sprayer for a Skirted Toilet
The Brondell CleanSpa Luxury Hand-Held Bidet
The best handheld sprayer for skirted toilets is the Brondell CSL-40 Clean Spa (also available on Amazon) along with the Bidet King T-adapter for skirted toilets.
I normally recommend the Purrfectzone sprayer because it’s effective and durable yet middle-of-the-road price-wise for handheld bidets.
However, they no longer make the skirted toilet kit for their most popular handheld bidet. Plus, they don’t provide specs for their bidets in terms of hose and adapter sizes so I’m not certain their models would be compatible with the Bidet King T-adapter.
Pros:
- Compatible with skirted toilet T-adapter. The supply hose for this bidet is 1/2” making it compatible with the bidet inlet on the skirted toilet T-connector.
- Wide-ranging compatibility with skirted toilets. Once you take care of the water connection issue (with the right T-valve), the rest is downhill if you have a handheld sprayer. Not being connected to the toilet seat, they take odd toilet designs out of the equation. Whether you have French curves or an extra-wide bolt hole width, handheld bidets have you covered.
- High-quality. Getting a quality sprayer is important for preventing leaks long-term. Bidet sprayers are notoriously cheap and flimsy. Some cost as little as $10 and you get what you pay for. Brondell only makes high-quality bidets and they don’t cut any corners with their handheld units.
- Control with aiming and cleansing. If you want something done right, do it yourself. Modern bidets are super accurate, especially the electric kind, but you can’t beat the accuracy of manual aiming when it comes to getting water where it needs to go. You also get unlimited spray patterns. In cleaning manually, you don’t have to worry about whether the bidet has feminine wash capability. Cleaning the frontal area is as easy as pointing the sprayer in that direction.
Cons:
- Cold water only. The only way you get warm water with a handheld bidet is by getting a faucet bidet sprayer or altering the bathroom permanently by installing the bidet directly into the home’s plumbing.
- Fewer savings. You’ll spend less in the short term with a sprayer but significantly more in the long term. For one, they’re less water efficient. Handheld bidets spray with higher pressure (some up to 100 PSI or more) and higher spray volumes so they use way more water. Not having a dryer, you’ll be using extra TP. Either that or a dedicated bidet towel.
- Less convenient. Handheld bidets have their perks but they’re generally considered a step down from bidet attachments in that you have to clean manually. As for features, electric bidets are in a different league. But handheld sprayers still offer a clean far superior to toilet paper.
Conclusion
So, those are the best bidets on the market for skirted toilets.
It may be that just any old bidet will do. Not all skirted toilets are difficult to deal with. And most any bidet could be made to fit a skirted toilet with the right approach and correct parts.
But making sure your bidet is the most compatible of its kind with skirted toilets will help ensure you don’t run into any problems during the installation.
I’d imagine that some of you are looking for a luxury bidet—the kind that offers features like endless warm water and self-cleaning toilet bowls. If your skirted toilet looks fairly conventional, it’ll probably work with most any bidet. Hence, you may want to look at a wider range of options like those listed in the article on luxury bidets.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.