Toto and toilet seats

I was all set to buy a Toto Drake toilet to replace the 25+ year old tempermental Gerber in our upstairs bath. While at the Luxury Bath Shop the salesman had nothing but praises for all of the Totos, and also for the American-Standard Cadet-III.

But he siad something that concerned me regarding the Toto toilets. He said the only toilet seats that fit properly on Toto bowls are Toto toilet seats. Apparently Toto uses a non-standard bowl shape and other brands of seats tend to hang too far over on the front edge. He said he gets many complaints from Toto purchasers who buy seats other than Toto brand. They love everything about the toilet except how the seat fits on the bowl.

In addition, he displayed the deep bucket shape of the Toto seat (the seat surfaces slope sharply inwards) and said some folks do not find it comfortable.

I got quotes from him for both the Drake and the Cadet-III, but haven't purchased the toilet yet.

What have others experienced? Thanks!
MI Roger

Update 2020
TOTO bowls are standard elongated or standard round. Pretty much go to any hardware store and pick out a new seat.
The TOTO softclose used to be dished, and now there are pretty flat. They have been flat for a long time now.
Terry Love

I can only comment about the soft-close seat that came with My Toto Dual flush AQUIA. (highly recommend)

Treat yourself and buy one for a few bucks more. It's worth it.

Is it different? Yes
The first few times I used it was very weird. lol
For me-it wasn't a big deal.

M.

I sell over a thousand Toto softclose seats a year.

They are very nice seats.

We also sell plain seats for those that like the old school look.
However, I prefer the Toto seats to the other brands.
I like the curve, I love the slow close feature, nice when my back is sore and I don't have to lean over so far the put the seat down.
Nice that I don't hear the kids banging the seat down in the next room.
I like how they color match so well.
The toilets always look better with the matching seats.
The one-piece Toto toilets come with the seats.
That's one reason they look so nice.

What I learned about marketing long ago was,
9 people like something equals 1 person doesn't.
But like I said, the Toto seats are big sellers from people that have had them before. You could be the one person, or part of the nine.

MI-Roger said:

Cadet-III, but haven't purchased the toilet yet.

What have others experienced? Thanks!

Click to expand...

I installed a Cadet 3 a month ago in the sick room of a kids doctor's office.


Sloppy sloppy flush, sprays up on the bottom of the lid. Looks like someone dumped a bucket of water into the bowl.

I don't clean it so I couldn't tell you what it's like when someone has the hershey squirts and that type of flush.

Well yours might be defective because mine sure doesn't do that. I couldn't be happier with it.

Just buy the Toto and buy a soft close seat. Like Terry says it will color match as well.

It's a step up AFAIAC.
It's not like you will ever have difficulty finding a seat. Toto is the largest toilet manufacturer worldwide.

Coming to forums like this can open you up to many superior products.
NOT found at your local Big Box store.

good luck....

Mike

We installed a Toto Drake upstairs and the Aquia downstairs. Neither one has a Toto seat--I didn't think that soft-close would work well with curious cats. One seat is an American Standard (on the Drake), and i don't remember the brand of the other, but both work just fine. Something to sit on, and a lid to keep the cats out.

Janice

I would think the curious cats would stand less chance of getting hurt by the slow close of the Toto seat, then the swift drop of a standard seat.

My thinking was that the user could swiftly close the lid (not dropping it) so as to keep cat faces away from the flushing water.

IN retrospect, and after reading all the praise of the soft close lid, I half wish I'd gone w/ the Toto seat: more coolness to demonstrate to visitors being subjected to the Aquia tour. Oh well!

Janice

I'm just your average homeowner; not a plumber.

I like the Totos a lot. I have the soft close on the four that I have bought over the last several years. A pleasure.

You can't get Toto from the big boxes. Expect to pay 2x to 3x more than the big box brands ... but I feel like the difference is worth it.

The seat does slope sharply. Become one with the seat...you are the icecream on the icecream cone. Don't perch. Nestle in.