Doug Mahoney: There is clearly a bidet for every budget. You can get a cold water model for maybe $25, or you could get something like the Toto Neorest, which is this high-end toilet with a bidet integrated into it. And there's one of those models that costs $25,000.

Christine Cyr Clisset: What?

Christine Cyr Clisset: I'm Christine Cyr Clisset.

Kyra Blackwell: I'm Kyra Blackwell.

Rosie Guerin: I'm Rosie Guerin. And you're listening to The Wirecutter Show.

Rosie Guerin: Hey there, it's Rosie. This week we're re-airing one of our favorite episodes about one of our very favorite topics, bidets. If you haven't heard it yet, you're definitely going to want to tune in. As always, we've updated links to our top picks in the show notes. And quickly before we get into it, I want to remind you about a special offer. If you're not already a subscriber to the New York Times, you can now explore the Times for free and without paywalls during your first month using the New York Times app. You can find all your favorite shows, including the back catalog of this show, as well as Modern Love, The Daily, and more on the new shows tab. Okay, on with our show.

Rosie Guerin: My pod friends.

Christine Cyr Clisset: Hi.

Kyra Blackwell: Hi.

Rosie Guerin: A little serious today. I have now known you both for about a year. I'm ready to be open. I really trust you both. Um...

Christine Cyr Clisset: And everyone listening to this podcast.

Rosie Guerin: I feel that it's intimate. I feel it's an intimate group of us and I am ready to be a little bit vulnerable and I'm finally ready to come out to you both. Um, I am bidet-curious.

Kyra Blackwell: Rosie, we were wondering! So that I felt so happy for you.

Rosie Guerin: I am really curious about getting a bidet.

Christine Cyr Clisset: Well, I think Rosie, you know that Kyra and I are pretty hardcore team bidet.

Kyra Blackwell: But we respect all walks of life.

Christine Cyr Clisset: We... if you are not into it, it's totally cool. Totally fine. Love is love. But I think this is really one of the coolest products that you could install in your bathroom.

Kyra Blackwell: Truly life-changing.

Christine Cyr Clisset: It will change your life. It makes you feel cleaner. It saves on paper. At Wirecutter, we've been testing bidets for the past eight years.

Rosie Guerin: I have a couple of reasons that I haven't taken the plunge. One, I'm a renter, and I don't feel like my landlord's going to approve. Two, I don't have an outlet anywhere near my toilet. And three, which is probably the biggest hurdle, is the ick factor. I keep thinking the water that's spraying at you is toilet water, and the idea of that shooting back up at me is super weird.

Christine Cyr Clisset: Understood.

Kyra Blackwell: Well, Rosie, for every one of those issues, we have an answer.

Christine Cyr Clisset: Coming up, Wirecutter senior staff writer Doug Mahoney joins us to answer all your questions. So whether you're bidet-curious, bidet-skeptical, or a complete convert like Kyra and me, we've got you covered. Stick around.

Christine Cyr Clisset: Welcome back. Today we are diving into the world of bidets. And to help us get to the bottom of it all, we've got Wirecutter senior staff writer Doug Mahoney. Doug, welcome to the show.

Doug Mahoney: Good to be here.

Doug Mahoney: Yeah, all that stuff.

Doug Mahoney: Sometime in around 2018, I took over the bidet guide. I thought it was pretty fun, and you know, there'd be plenty of puns. But it turns out that they're really useful and great products.

Rosie Guerin: Doug, I want to get straight to debunking my "ick factor." Where does the water come from when you use a bidet? Is it coming from the toilet bowl, the tank, or the fresh water supply?

Doug Mahoney: It comes directly from the fresh water line from your wall. That's the same potable water that comes out of your sink tap and your showerhead. It does branch off at the toilet shutoff valve, but before it ever touches the toilet, it splits into the bidet line. It is 100% clean drinking-quality tap water.

Rosie Guerin: That is such a relief. What about the nozzle itself? It sits inside the bowl—doesn't it get dirty from toilet use?

Doug Mahoney: Most modern bidet seats and attachments have self-cleaning nozzles. The nozzle stays retracted behind a little guard gate. When you activate it, it rinses itself with fresh water before extending and after retracting. Many higher-end models even use electrolyzed water to sanitize the nozzle, so it's extremely hygienic.

Christine Cyr Clisset: Doug, there are so many different types of bidets on the market. Can you break down the main categories for us?

Doug Mahoney: There are basically three main categories:

First, you have bidet attachments. These usually cost between $25 and $60. It's a thin plastic plate that mounts under your existing toilet seat. They are non-electric and operate purely on mechanical water pressure. The tradeoff is they only offer cold/ambient temperature water and basic controls.

Second are electric bidet seats, which cost between $200 and $700, like our long-standing top picks, the Toto Washlet C5 or the Coway Bidetmega 200. You completely replace your toilet seat with a full electronic unit. These require a nearby electrical outlet and give you warm water, heated seats, warm-air dryers, oscillating nozzles, and wireless remote controls.

Third are integrated smart bidet toilets, like the Toto Neorest series. The bidet is seamlessly built into the porcelain toilet bowl. They look sleek and offer auto-opening lids, automatic flushing, deodorizers, and nightlights, but they cost anywhere from $2,000 to well over $10,000.

Rosie Guerin: As a renter, my biggest worry is the installation. Does it require permanent plumbing changes? And when I move out, can I uninstall it and return the bathroom to its original state?

Doug Mahoney: That's actually one of the best things about bidets: it is completely reversible and causes zero permanent changes to the plumbing.

Installation takes about 15 to 30 minutes:

1. Shut off the water supply valve below the toilet tank and flush to empty the tank.
2. Disconnect the flexible water supply hose.
3. Screw on the included metal T-valve adapter to the bottom of the tank.
4. Reconnect the supply hose to one branch, and connect the bidet hose to the other.
5. Secure the mounting bracket to the seat bolt holes and slide the bidet seat in.

When you move out, you just reverse the steps, put the original seat back on, and your landlord will never know.

Kyra Blackwell: What about the electricity issue? What if you don't have an electrical outlet near the toilet?

Doug Mahoney: If you don't have an outlet nearby, you have two main routes: First, go with a non-electric mechanical attachment. You'll only have ambient tap water, but many people find it refreshing and completely fine. Second, if you really want heated water and luxury features, you can hire an electrician to install a GFCI outlet near the toilet, which typically costs $150 to $300. Alternatively, some renters safely route a heavy-duty, moisture-resistant extension cord neatly along baseboards from the sink vanity outlet.

Christine Cyr Clisset: A lot of first-time buyers worry that cold water is going to feel shocking or uncomfortable. In your testing experience, Doug, is cold water actually tolerable?

Doug Mahoney: Most people get used to it after just two or three uses. Ambient water in indoor plumbing is usually around 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's refreshing rather than freezing painful. But if you live in a very cold northern climate in winter, a heated model with continuous warm water is definitely worth the upgrade.

Kyra Blackwell: Since switching to a bidet, my household toilet paper consumption dropped by at least 75%. You really only need one or two squares to pat dry, or if your model has a warm-air dryer, you barely need any paper at all.

Doug Mahoney: Exactly. Whether you look at it from personal hygiene, skin health, preventing plumbing clogs, or environmental sustainability, adding a bidet is one of the highest-ROI upgrades you can make to your daily routine.

Rosie Guerin: That completely eliminates all my hesitations. I think I'm officially ready to buy one this weekend for my apartment!

Christine Cyr Clisset: Welcome to the club, Rosie! If you want to check out the specific models Doug recommended and our step-by-step installation guide, visit the Wirecutter website. Doug, thank you so much for joining us.

Doug Mahoney: My pleasure. Happy spraying, everyone!

Kyra Blackwell: Thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe to The Wirecutter Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. See you next week!