If you plan to install a bidet in your toilet, you are about to unveil the best way of cleansing pathogenic bacteria, and fecal remains on your nether regions that normal wiping tissue cannot remove.
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However, getting a bidet that fits your specific cleaning needs can be difficult, given the numerous available options.
As an experienced dealer in bidets and toilet fixtures, I saw it noble to research and describe the different types of bidets available. Please keep reading to learn about their features, pros, cons, and other important aspects of bidets.
What Is a Bidet?
A bidet is a bathroom fixture that utilizes a stream of water to clean your anus, balls, cheeks, and other perianal regions to rid any fecal remains and pathogenic bacteria that may otherwise affect your genitalia.
They are universally applicable to everyone, including the elderly, disabled, and others who might have trouble wiping themselves well after dropping a deuce.
In addition, a bidet offers a great way of cleaning your genitalia after having a pleasurable moment in bed with your partner.
The use of bidets dates back to the 1700s when standalone bidets could be used for cleaning anal areas in France (Europe). Later, they spread to Asia, South America, and some parts of the United States. Today, different types of bidets flood the market to fit the needs of different users. Below are the various types of bidets you may find in the market.
Types of Bidets
The different types of bidets you can find in the market include:
1. Portable Bidets: Great for Backpackers
Portable bidets are your go-to option if you are looking for a portable bidet for backpacking or your bedridden friend. They come in electric, non-electric, and bottle-top camping bidets options discussed below:
Non-Electric Portable Bidets: Best Bidet to Use in a Mobile Rented Home
These are typically small, squeezable bottles fitted with a tube and a nozzle. Non-electric portable bidets require you to fill them with water and squeeze them to generate a stream of water to clean your genitals.
The popular users of these bidets include mothers after birth, patients who have undergone surgery, and renters and owners of mobile homes.
However, this bidet doesn’t fall short of flaws. For instance, you must fill it out whenever you want to use it. Also, its pressure might not be strong enough to clear the fecal remains completely.
A good example of the non-electric portable bidet is the collapsible and expandable portable bidet by Glevarow.
Portable Electric Bidet: Best Portable Electric Bidet
The portable electric bidets are ideal if you find it hard to squeeze the non-electric bidets above. Unlike their non-electric counterparts, you don’t need to squeeze them to wash your buttocks. Rather, you need to press the power button and select your spray mode, and you are on the go.
However, these bidets are compact, and sometimes the amount of water they hold may not be sufficient to give a thorough cleansing. That means you may have to refill them in the middle of the cleansing operation.
The BLAUX Electric Portable Bidet Sprayer, for instance, is a good example of an electric portable bidet sprayer that will help you uphold your butt hygiene.
2. Bottle Top Camping Bidet: Best for Outdoor Camping
Bottle top bidets fit with most standard-sized water bottles to convert them into portable bidets. Though they may not be as effective as the electric and non-electric bidet categories described above, they offer a sure way to get the uncomfortable stuff off your bum outdoors.
The Culo clean’s portable bidet is a good example of the bottle top camping bidets compatible with almost all plastic bottles.
Note: all portable bidets don’t have heating features, and they use water as it is. So, you are the one to determine the temperature of your refilling fluid.
3. Standalone Bidets: Most Popular Bidet
Standalone bidets are the oldest bidet design on the market. They are popular in Europe, Japan, South America, and some parts of the United States.
Externally, standalone bidets take after a toilet devoid of a lid and a reservoir.
They are mounted next to the toilet to allow for easy, efficient cleaning after cooking your boot burrito in the toilet.
Using a standalone bidet is super easy. All you need is to remove your pants and position yourself over the bidet’s jet. Turn on the water knobs to spray water on your genitals.
Beware of hot water. It can easily scald your genitalia like I almost did. I love starting with cold water, then adjusting the temperature to perfection as I enjoy the tickling water tickles on my nether regions.
Be sure to adjust your anus/ genitals accordingly to cleanse all the waste to perfection.
However, some standalone bidets lack jets. Instead, they feature a faucet that fills their basin. And, in that case, you should use your hands to clean your buttocks.
If your bidet lacks a drying option, you may need a tissue to dry your genitals. Tissue may also come in handy when confirming the thoroughness of your automated bidet in cleaning down there.
Don’t forget to clean your standalone bidet after cleansing yourself. Also, apply a disinfectant to kill any hazardous bacteria/ microbes that may remain on its surface.
Though great, this bidet has its downsides too. For instance, it takes a lot of space, making it ideal for spacious bathrooms only. Additionally, these bidets may easily wet your clothes, so you need to be extra careful, even if it means getting them off.
A good example of the standalone bidet is the TOTO’s BT500B #01 Piedmont Bidet.
4. Bidet Seats: Best for Disabled Persons
A Bidet seat refers to a specialized toilet fixture installed on top of the existing toilet seat. They feature built-in adjustable jets and a control panel on the side to let you easily clean your undersides. Unlike standalone models, these bidets allow you to do all your business (defecating and cleaning) on one toilet without shifting.
They come in electric and non-electric options described below.
5. Electric Bidet Seats: Best Warm Water Bidets For Dwellers of cold Regions
As the name suggests, electric bidet seats utilize electric power to squirt warm water for washing your genitalia or butt. So, it would be best to connect them to your home’s electrical supply to allow for efficient operation.
Perhaps you are asking, “are electric bidet seats worth it?” The short answer is, yes. First, heated electric bidet seats prevent you from freezing your nether regions on a cold toilet seat. Additionally, these bidets come with nightlight and drying options to give you a seamless experience in the bathroom.
Better still, electric bidet seats feature an inbuilt feminine front wash mode to allow ladies to wash from front to back and prevent the entry of bacteria into their altar of love.
Some models like Bio Bidet’s Bliss BB2000 Elongated White Smart Toilet Seat have a remote control to allow for their efficient use by children.
Note: The additional features in these bidets seats come at a price. So, the purchase price might be slightly higher than most bidet models.
6. Non-Electric Bidet Seats: Best for Use in Warm Areas
Non-electric bidets seats do not need a connection to the home’s electrical supply as they lack features that may need electric power to work.
They connect to and use the pressure of your bathroom’s water supply faucet to deliver powerful streams of water for cleaning your worst mess.
I would advise you to go for this bidet only if you live in a warm area and are comfortable cleansing your undersides with cold water.
The Kohler 5724-0 Puretide Toliet Seat is a good example of a non-electric toilet seat that you can install in your bathroom.
7. Bidet Attachment: Best Budget Bidets
A bidet attachment is a bathroom fixture, which attaches to the toilet bowl below the seat. Though non-electric, most of them have special features for connecting to warm water and regulating the pressure and water jet spray angle on their control panel.
For instance, the LUXE Bidet Neo 185 (Elite) Non-Electric Bidet Toilet Attachment features a hot water connection where you can fix it to your bathroom’s hot water supply system and have fun washing and cleaning your mess.
However, the bidet attachments lack temperature control and drying options in the bidet seats because they are non-electric.
Bidet attachments are the least expensive, excluding portable bidets. They are also easy to install and use.
Are you using it for the first time? This YouTube video will take you through how to install the LUXE Bidet Neo 185 toilet attachment in our example above.
8. Handheld Bidet Sprayers: Best Wall-Mounted Bidets
A handheld bidet sprayer is a spray bidet that is manually applied to cleanse the butts and genitals after using the toilet or holding an amorous congress with your partner.
It consists of the T-valve, the bidet hose, and a nozzle, which are connected to make a unit. Handheld bidets utilize water pressure to clean your buttocks.
Using this simple bidet is easy. Below are the steps to follow if using it for the first time.
- Turn on the T-valve immediately after defecating.
- Position the nozzle to your preferred washing position. To do this, lower the sprayer’s head in front of you and between your legs into the toilet bowl, and then turn its head to face your anus.
- Press the spray trigger to generate a stream of water to start washing. You can also use the trigger to tailor the spray pressure.
Besides washing your bum, you can use this bidet to clean your bathroom walls, floor, and other hard-to-reach areas in the bathroom.
However, this bidet is not the best bet if you live in cold areas because it doesn’t have an option for heating water.
A good example of the handheld bidet sprayer is the wall-mounted Purrfectzone Handheld Sprayer.
9. Toilet Bidet Combo: The Most Versatile Bidet
These are toilets with built-in bidets. They are the most modest type of bidet on the market. The toilet bidet combos come with attached front and rear jets, allowing you to clean your genitals and your seats easily. The other efficiency-enhancing features of the toilet bidet combo include:
- Power Button: Allows you to enhance and disengage the bidet
- Dry Button: This allows you to dry your buttocks and nether regions after cleaning
- Flush Button: Allows you to flush the toilet for self-cleaning
However, some toilet bidet combos come with more advanced features to suit customers who need to add a touch of class to their bathrooms.
These upgraded features may include:
- The oscillation and pulsation feature: The oscillation option widens the spray area to clear a larger area, while the pulsation feature initiates a massage effect to give you a more pleasurable feeling.
- Automated open and close lid with a sensor: Detects you, opens up to allow for washing, and then closes automatically after washing.
- Heated seat: Warms the toilet seat to allow for more comfortable use at night. After all, no one loves to be wakened up by a cold toilet seat.
- Nightlight: Illuminates the toilet to allow for efficient use
The bidet toilet combos are the most expensive bidet types on the market. This is perhaps due to their numerous features.
A good example of a toilet bidet combo is the VOVO STYLEMENT TCB-090S Smart Bidet Toilet.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bidets
Below are answers to various questions that homeowners have asked about different types of bidets.
Do bidets spray poop everywhere?
No, bidets don’t spread poop everywhere in the bathroom. They use a concentrated water stream to hit your perianal or genital area to cleanse any waste. The waste doesn’t spread everywhere. Rather, it falls into the toilet or the standalone bidet if you have one.
Do you wipe before using a bidet?
It’s a matter of personal preference. I love using a wiping tissue after cleaning the mess using my handheld bidet. On the other hand, I don’t use a tissue when using my VOVO STYLEMENT TCB-090S Smart Bidet Toilet because it does the drying job so well. However, this is my style. You can use a tissue option to use a bidet if it works well for you.
Are bidets healthier than wiping?
Yes, bidets are healthier than tissue wiping because they clear any remaining fecal matter, bacteria, and even parasites that may stick on your asshole and genital areas that tissue may not remove. In addition, the bidets deliver a massaging and soothing stream of water than tissues which may be abrasive.
How do you dry after using a bidet?
Most modern bidet seats come with drying options; all you need is to press the dry button to activate the air dryer to dry off your butts. If your bidet lacks a drying option, you can use a tissue or a towel to dry your buttocks after washing.
What can I use instead of a bidet?
If you don’t have access to your bidet, a plastic water bottle can help you. All you need is to make a small hole in the lid, fill the bottle with water and then replace the punctured lid. Then squeeze the bottle to clean yourself. This could work well if you forgot to pack your portable bidet for the outdoors.