Remodeling your bathroom can be both exciting and stressful. To ease the process, make sure to follow these guidelines when designing your bathroom. Besides selecting new tiles and possibly upgrading your shower, you might also consider purchasing a brand new, enhanced toilet to complete your renovation. However, choosing a new toilet can be challenging, and selecting a poorly functioning one can add unnecessary stress to your daily life. Therefore, today, as a special treat, we’ll highlight some of the worst toilet brands on the market, ensuring you know exactly what to avoid.
We’ll not only highlight unreliable toilet brands to avoid, but also suggest the best alternatives to consider. After all, you deserve peace of mind without the hassle of plumbing issues from installing the wrong toilet. Let’s delve into the toilet brands you should steer clear of (due to problems like poor construction, plumbing issues, bad reviews, and more) and explore some of the best options available.
Don’t sacrifice cost for efficiency
One key rule in bathroom design is choosing a well-functioning toilet, but let’s be honest — the most efficient brands can be quite pricey. However, this added cost often ensures greater efficiency. While some brands offer more affordable models, they come with numerous problems that diminish their value.
Glacier Bay is one of the more affordable brands, with some models available for under $100 at retailers like Home Depot. But don’t be misled by their low prices. Glacier Bay can offer such cheap toilets due to their poor-quality materials. Additionally, their weak flushing power makes them prone to frequent clogs. Even worse, these issues can lead to the toilet tank cracking, resulting in leaks and other unwanted problems. In summary, it’s highly advisable to avoid purchasing Glacier Bay toilets.
Expensiveness doesn’t equal quality
While we previously mentioned the importance of not sacrificing cost for quality, not every expensive toilet is a good one. This is a less commonly discussed point that often goes unnoticed. Simply put, a high price tag doesn’t guarantee a quality model. This is true in many consumer areas, and it’s something to keep in mind before buying a toilet, especially from Duravit.
Despite their high price — with many models reaching $3,000 — Duravit toilets have some of the worst reviews. They suffer from poor performance, clogging, leakage issues leading to costly repairs, weak flushing power, and high repair costs — if they can be repaired at all. Once a ceramic element is damaged, it cannot be repaired, leaving replacement as the only option.
The seats are prone to cracking, with a customer even reporting that a relative was injured by a cracked seat. Duravit toilets are not only expensive but also come with high maintenance fees and poor overall performance.
Other dishonorable mentions
After reviewing customer feedback, it’s clear that poorly rated toilets share common issues, including clogging, cheaply made parts, poor customer service, weak flushing power, and leakage. Therefore, it’s helpful to identify two more problematic brands before discussing better options. With so many choices available, it’s important to cover all bases to simplify your search.
Mansfield toilets are known for weak flushing power, leading to clogs and cracked tanks. Additionally, American Standard is considered one of the worst-rated brands by consumers. Complaints include terrible customer service, clogging issues due to weak flushing power, and the brand’s unwillingness to back its products.
A reliable brand that won’t break the bank
If you’re seeking a reasonably priced toilet, Gerber is a great choice. Typically priced between $200 and $300, Gerber toilets are praised for their superior flushing power. A review by experienced plumbers from St. Paul, Minnesota, confirmed this. These plumbers tested two Gerber models in their homes over two months.
The study referenced work by MaP, an organization that tests toilet flushing performance. Technically, Gerber toilets have efficient flushing power and are made from quality materials. The MaP website tool, used to rate flushing performance, shows Gerber models consistently score over 800 out of 1,000. You can use this tool to compare other brands. If you’re looking for a specific Gerber toilet, the Avalanche and Viper models have consistent 4.7-star ratings on the Home Depot website.
Best brand overall
According to several home improvement publications, product review websites, and experienced plumbers, Toto is the best toilet brand on the market. Scoring over 800 on the MaP website’s ranking tool, Toto is widely available and relatively affordable considering its high quality and additional features. Toto toilets are so efficient that you may avoid common flushing mistakes. Let’s explore what makes this brand exceptional.
The Toto Drake Two-Piece Elongated Universal Height Tornado Flush toilet is available on Amazon for $381. It’s comfortable, with a ceramic glaze finish for easy cleaning. Its tornado flush system, using dual nozzles, creates a strong flushing mechanism that prevents clogs. However, the toilet seat must be purchased separately on Amazon. Alternatively, the Drake Modern 2-Piece Elongated Comfort Height toilet offers a complete solution with similar features. With several models and great reviews, you’re sure to find one that suits your needs.
