Most people don’t realize how important and comfortable it is to think about an ideal toilet seat height. The following guide is on Toto toilet comfort heights and the concept of comfort toilet height in general. A good example is the Drake 1.6 GPF Elongated Two-Piece Toilet with Tornado Flush (Seat Included).
Toto comfort height toilets refer to the toilet’s height measured from the floor to the topmost part of the toilet seat exclusive of the toilet cover. The measurements should be about 17 to 19 inches high. This toilet height is similar to that of any other ADA compliant toilet. On the other hand, a standard average toilet would be about 17 inches high or lower. That makes any toilet that is above 19 inches a non-standard piece. However, a clause to 604.4 of the American Disability Act for toilet seats is exempted from this category.
ADA Standards for Accessible Design: Plumbing Elements and Facilities (Chapter 6).
604.4 Seats. The seat height of a water closet above the finish floor shall be 17 inches (430 mm) minimum and 19 inches (485 mm) maximum measured to the top of the seat. Seats shall not be sprung to return to a lifted position.
EXCEPTIONS:
- A water closet in a toilet room for a single occupant accessed only through a private office and not for common use or public use shall not be required to comply with 604.4.
- In residential dwelling units, the height of water closets shall be permitted to be 15inches (380mm) minimum and 19inches (485mm) maximum above the finish floor measured to the top of the seat.
For Toto toilets, the term comfort height is not necessarily what they use. The company refers to it as the universal toilet height. The terminology does not make a difference since the ideal measurements for the toilet are about 17 to 19 inches. On that note, the term comfort height will be used throughout this page.
Is Comfort Height an Actual Toilet Feature?
For you to refer to your toilet’s height as comfort height, you have to be able to sit on it and stand back up without struggling at all. Of course, that has everything to do with your height and your mobility capabilities.
It is important to note that your ideal height for a toilet would not necessarily be the comfortable height for a disabled or an elderly person either. This is the point at which the ADA and comfort height toilet makes a difference.
For a toilet to be termed as standard size, the seat’s height should be about 15 inches or at least below 17 inches. Therefore, there should be about an additional 3 to 4 inches of height for the toilet to be rightfully referred to as a comfort height toilet. These additional inches should be fitting for the elderly, people with injuries and those with disabilities.
The Truth About Toilet Comfort Height
The ideal toilet comfort height is made up of two major elements; the bowl’s height and the toilet seat’s height.
For a toilet to be deemed as a comfort height, they have a minimum height of about 17 inches or at least 16 inches.
Ideally, if you need an 18-inch toilet seat, you can pretty much get a toilet bowl that is about 17 inches tall. And if you need a 19-inch toilet seat, you need about an 18-inch toilet bowl.
However, there is not a single toilet bowl that is exactly 17 inches tall. The reason is, there is typically no need for a 17-inch toilet bowl. Otherwise, you can buy a toilet seat extender that is about 2 inches high. Some extenders are 4 inches high too. These extenders can be used to increase the toilet seat’s height to one that is comfortable according to your needs.
If you need to add a few inches to the toilet seat but you are comfortable using a regular toilet seat, you can construct a platform that is raised to your preferred height. Alternatively, you can get a toilet base riser.
Issues with toilet seat risers and toilet base risers
Toilet seat risers and toilet height extenders (view Toto toilet seats) are a good addition to your Toto toilet if you need extra height. There are downsides to these risers as well and they are as follows:
It doesn’t stay put
The fact that the risers are add-ons means that they are not as secure and as good a fit as porcelain. For the elderly and people who have injuries or are disabled, an extra high toilet seat extender is not the best fit for them since they are not so stable.
It is not hygienic
The urinating angle for ladies is raised for the toilets that have risers so the sprays would most likely end up landing on the insides of the walls of the high seat. Keeping both the riser and the toilet clean on the inside and outside may be quite difficult to sustain daily.
Inconvenience to other users
For other users that do not need a toilet riser, it could be bothersome when re-attaching and detaching the seat back every now and then.
Conclusion
It is important to think about the comfort height when choosing the right toilet for your household!