To fit your bathroom and preferences, toilets are available in a wide variety of forms and finishes. However, did you know that you can choose toilets based on height as well?
What is a comfort height toilet? This is one of the many questions many people ask due to the transformation in which the plumbing and water fittings system has extensively changed over the years.
In both public and private restrooms, comfort height toilets are growing in popularity throughout the USA, UK, and a few other countries. Comfort height toilets are always taller than regular flush toilets and are also referred to as “proper height” toilets. They are already widely used in Japan and are made to provide users with a more comfortable sitting position, particularly those who are tall, elderly, or physically challenged.
What is a Comfort Height Toilet?
The comfort height toilet is a toilet you will find most times in public and private toilets across Europe, and they have another name called the “right height” toilets.
The comfort height toilet is a type of toilet that is usually designed for adequate comfort and good posture for the users like the elderly, the tall, and the disabled. They typically have various heights and help to provide less pressure on the thigh and the joints and provide adequate support to the backbone for good posture.
There are many considerations to this type of toilet design aside from conventional toilets. This design puts the user in an upright position, thereby eliminating every action of stress and strain on the body. They are pretty popular in different public places all around the world.
The comfortable height toilet will grant you a good position, which likewise helps in easy bowel movements. It has been discovered that the significant benefit of using this type of toilet is useful if you are injured or experiencing issues with your knees.
What is it like installing a comfortable height toilet?
Installing this type of toilet can be expensive and, in most cases, can’t be installed by anyone without experience. When paying for a plumber to install your comfort height toilet, their installation price can differ based on location. Just remember, it’s okay to spend on it, considering how important the defined state of the user who needs to use this type of toilet is.
If you have a double mind concerning a possible high installation price, know that the comfort height toilet can serve the user for a long time and perform completely without breaking down if managed properly. Whether you choose a newer or older model, they can perform well. While newer models are being produced with stylish designs to give the bathroom an aesthetic look, old designs can also fit into modern homes and perform perfectly.
Even though there are numerous tutorials online on installing it, it’s not advisable to make a DIY installation process if it’s your first time installing a toilet. You might make a messy installation that can result in dysfunctions and leakage.
What is the most comfortable height for a toilet?
“What is the most comfortable height for a toilet?” is a question many people may ask to know which height is considered appropriate and healthy for their toilet use. By design, all toilet designs are made to provide comfort to the user, irrespective of age and class.
The design is such that the toilet should be positioned to allow the user to rest with the feet flat on the ground. The toilet user should also be able to sit and stand comfortably. According to toilet designers, the well-placed standard toilets are always 16 inches taller or shorter, measured from the floor to the seat.
For people over 6 feet tall who have trouble using even comfort toilets because of their height or mobility challenges, toilets that are higher than 19 inches are ideal for them.
If you’re tall and concerned about how such a higher inches toilet will fit into your modern toilet, you shouldn’t worry. The normal height of extra tall models, which measure 20 to 21 inches from floor to bowl, is nevertheless small enough to fit in a regular private bathroom. So go ahead and install it.
Can Comfort Height Toilets Affect Your Bowel Movement?
According to studies, the prevalence of chronic constipation is rising sharply, as are the numbers of emergencies, hospitalizations, fevers, and other health issues caused by constipation. While some food significantly affects how frequently we defecate or how constipated we can get, using a comfort toilet that doesn’t fit right with you can also trigger it. While for some people, using comfort height toilet will not affect their natural bowel movements.
The comfort standard height design is good, but it’s not so good for people with constipation, making it a win for the standard comfort height toilet as this helps support their condition.
Since there is an additional height on comfort height toilet, it is ergonomically difficult to eliminate feces smoothly because the angle between the rectum and the anus (lower abdominal angle) becomes narrower. This causes the rectum to be under upward pressure, and holds in the bowels can lead to obstructions, additional strain, and even lesions.
The ideal state to relieve constipation
It is widely acknowledged that the ideal state for moving the bowel during constipation is to lean forward when sitting on the toilet, while your knee should be higher than the hip. While leaning forward, put your elbows on your knee, bump out your abdomen and straighten your spine as well.
Additionally, the 35-degree squat position, which is the standard sitting Indian toilet position, is the best posture that does not restrict one’s rectum and allows the stool to move easily.
Should Your Comfort Height Toilet Be Round or Elongated?
Depending on the situation, both elongated and round toilet designs are excellent. On the other hand, elongated-style toilets provide a larger sitting area and are typically more comfortable for adults. They do, however, occupy more room. They typically extend a few more inches. A round toilet can be a better option if you have a small bathroom or require additional space for a wheelchair walker or scooter.
How Much Does a Comfort Height Toilet Cost?
The price of comfort height toilets varies by model and brand. Most popular brands like TOTO, Kohler, and American Standard tend to be more popular than most upcoming brands. Their prices usually range from $300 upwards. In addition, due to their additional seat height, they are a little more expensive than regular toilet varieties. They also come in a range of colors, with white and beige being the most common options. Sometimes, the usual color can come at a price higher than usual.
Is a Comfort-Height Toilet Better Than a Standard-Height Toilet?
There can’t be a yes or a no answer to this question because each toilet has its uniqueness, and both serve different purposes. You’ll have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the two before making a choice. However, these are the key factors to know about comfort height toilets.
Comfort height toilets are not for kids
The standard toilet can be termed as the best for small children. The reality is that when children use toilets that are too tall, their feet are always dangling. It is not a good practice and can affect children. Children in this state are exposed to a lot, from leg pain to foot numbness due to inadequate blood flow circulation.
It can be great for tall people
Comfort height toilets are not for everyone, even though the elevated seat height can sound like a luxurious lifestyle. While the comfort height toilet is perfect for handicapped bathrooms and ADA complaints, it also benefits tall people. When it comes to taller people, this is considered a great buy compared to the regular toilet.
This is because taller people simply have fewer options to choose from when it comes to getting a toilet because of their height. Although there are comfortable height toilets with seat heights ranging from 17 to 19 inches, the most common ones are still closer to the 17-inch end of the range.
For some tall people who are 6′6″ and up, even a 17-inch high toilet seat can be considered too low. A 17-inch high toilet seat may be acceptable for someone just over 6 feet tall.
Great for seniors or those with mobility issues
Seniors or people with mobility challenges can benefit greatly from this toilet style. They require a toilet with a higher seat because this group of people frequently struggles with injuries in bones or muscles that are losing stability.
A comfort height toilet allows the user to sit down and stand up with less effort, which is especially helpful for joint, knee, hip, leg, or back issues.
What is the Difference Between Comfort Height and ADA Toilets?
The comfort height toilet and the ADA toilets have no differences because both are created for the same purpose. Most users who are not familiar with the terms usually confuse the difference between comfort height and ADA toilets.
They are made to make toilet usage convenient for the tall, the elderly, and most especially the disabled. Also, the comfort height toilet dimension is the dimension that meets the ADA standards.
What is the Difference Between Comfort Height and Chair Height Toilets?
The extensive use of comfort height toilets has brought a lot of questions and controversy, especially from people unfamiliar with comfort height toilets.
However, a dispute in terminology arises when people start using different wording to refer to the same product. Most people think that the chair height and comfort height toilets are different because of their different names. Manufacturers gave these names to it for marketing strategy. There are no differences between the chair height toilet and the comfort height toilet; instead, both refer to the same product with a height of around 17-19 inches.
The only toilet type different from the chair, comfort, and ADA toilet is the standard toilet known as the conventional toilet, whose height is around 15-16 inches. It is primarily safe to consider installing a standard toilet in your home if your household has a lot of young children.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Comfort Height Toilet
The quest for a comfortable height toilet has made some people change their minds about the standard toilets, but there are specific points when homeowners need to find a replacement for the bathroom at home.
Height or size of the replacement
One thing to consider is the height or size of the replacement toilet, which can be fixed perfectly by a handy plumber. However, the comfort height dimension is a great deal, and the differences in height between it and a standard one are a few inches.
The dimension of the comfort height toilet is done to fit the user’s demands, according to the American Disabilities Act. Which sometimes makes them have a lower price and is easily demanded by customers. It can be challenging for short people and, likewise, the kids.
Installation cost
Another thing to consider when choosing the comfort height toilet demands the customer to know more about the installation cost. Their installation can be quite tricky and it’s best installed by a professional plumber.
Consider the designs
There are considerations such that you can choose whether the comfort height toilet should be an oval bowl, dual flush, or be a certain color. In the long run, most of the time, the final engagement lies with the needs of the user and family members.
Conclusion
While we have clarified the primary question of what is a comfort height toilet and its features, it is okay to state that the comfort height toilet has proven to be the best fit for the household with users specifically in need of it.
If you’re not physically challenged or taller but wish to install a comfort toilet in your home, you’re good to go, provided you won’t share it with kids. However, some medical professionals contend that the chair-like position of this toilet may interfere with natural toilet use.