so what's a $5,000 toilet like?
While we’ve become pretty much numb to the reports of swag dished out to celebs during Oscar Weekend in Los Angeles, here’s one thing that shook us out of our jaded-stupor: One company was giving away $5500 Toto toilets. Now, just the thought of say, Will Smith (who supposedly has one) using one of these gets us chuckling, but how do you take home a swag toilet? Put it in the back of your Hummer? What makes a toilet worth that much money? Over at Toto’s website, we found the Neorest 600, which boasts an integrated washlet for front and rear water washing, and an automatic air dryer and deodorizer. But we’re not sure: Do they mean that the toilet cleans itself… or does it clean YOU? It also is equipped with “Sanagloss,” an ion barrier that cleans the toilet with each flush and supposedly refills in a second, with no noise. Has anyone ever had the chance to test drive one of these deluxe commodes? We’re dying to hear how these babies really work, firsthand.
My mom just got two Toto toilets but they’re on the low end of the spectrum (no music, deoderizers, automatic seats, or sinks). The ones with more features have a slightly longer bowl than the standard American brand toilet. The seats are rounder and more comfortable (for what that’s worth) and in Hawaii you get a one-time tax credit if you get one because these are low water use. My Japan-born mom is happy (she likes the “washlet” and the seat warming features) and I’m glad she’s saving water but I don’t know if I’d buy one myself.
My mom just got two Toto toilets but they’re on the low end of the spectrum (no music, deodorizers, automatic seats, or sinks). The ones with more features have a slightly longer bowl than the standard American brand toilet. The seats are rounder and more comfortable (for what that’s worth) and in Hawaii you get a one-time tax credit if you get one because these are low water use. My Japan-born mom is happy (she likes the “washlet” and the seat warming features) and I’m glad she’s saving water but I don’t know if I’d buy one myself.
ummm…it’s for washing and drying you. wow, the website for the washlets says that they offer oscillating and pulsating massage. also, the air jet dryer function sounds scary, like you might get blown off the toilet or something!
I could almost understand if it was a composting tolet.
They are expesive and big but so worthwhile…Giving back to the earth.
You also mentioned hummers, those things use so much energy they should be illegal.
My parents have one. My dad’s an architect and he used Toto toilets in a building he worked on a while back so he got one at a discount. It doesn’t have all the fancy features, but it does have the bidet (front and back) and the seat warmer. The warm seat’s nice, but I’ve never used the other features. The one bad thing – the lid is flimsy and plasticy, so sitting on it is not a good idea. But it’s a pretty old model so maybe they’ve improved it since.
I haven’t used that particular brand, but I did stay at a friend’s boyfriend’s place once and he had this Japanese contraption that he’d added to the generic toilet in his rental. I’m sure it was *way* less than $5500. It had a cushy heated seat and water jets and a dryer to wash and dry you. It was sort of funny and actually quite pleasant but I can’t see fussing with that stuff myself on a regular basis.
Ah, Toto. My boyfriend has the their Washlet 5000 [or something like that] that is, I believe, a Toto seat that just attaches to a regular toilet? Paid somewhere in the ballpark of $600 for it. It does indeed wash YOU, and has a variety of settings for…erm…front and rear washing and air-drying and comes with a handy-dandy wireless remote control with which you can control water temp., pressure, pulse, etc. My favorite feature? On the remote, the icon for the “front” wash is a pink, female shape. Overall, I could take or leave the Toto. It’s neat, sure, and over time I’ve gone from being totally squicked out by it to kinda sorta maybe liking a little. The boy’s obsessed, though, to the point that at a recent trip to BBB, stopped to talk to a toilet-seat browsing couple–total strangers–about the wonders of the Toto and how it’s expensive but they would not at all regret it and it’s one of the best purchases he ever made, etc. His love for this device blinded him to the weirdness of discussing his toilet preferences and behind-cleanliness-issues with complete strangers.
Thanks so much for your responses. I would love to “spend some quality time” with one of these deluxe models myself one day. I remember once in a little restaurant in Cannes, there was a competely self-cleaning toilet that disappeared into the wall for a total hosing after each visitor left. My dinnermates and I, (which — forgive the name drop, but it makes the story so much more relevant — included John Waters) were all completely fascinated by its workings.
I stayed in a hotel in South Korea that had a top of the line Toto. I didn’t try the “wash and dry” features but the seat warmer did get turned on -by accident- by the cleaning staff. I must say it is an odd and uncomfortable feeling to sit on a warm toilet seat….like “ewwwwwwww, who has just sat here?!” kind of feeling. The lower end Totos are totally worth the money. I friend I stayed with just put one in their guest bathroom. It works so well.
[...] few months ago, we wondered what could possibly make a toilet worth $5,000. Toto’s super-luxe Neorest 600 comes with a self washer, dryer and deodorizer. It all sounds [...]
I’ve had the Toto S300 for a number of months (heated seat, back and front warm wash, heated blow dry, deoderizer and LCD remote control). Its an washlet addon to a one-piece Toto toilet. For both toilet and washlet, I paid under $1000 new from eBay stores. We love it so far – you always walk away clean. The only drawback is that due to slow drying, you need to dry-off using toilet paper. The Neorest is very nice, but you can get near the same thing (minus auto lifting/closing seat and flush) for a few grand less.
[...] 1. A luxury toilet could be worth the splurge. Mike wrote in to share this: “I’ve had the Toto S300 for a number of months (heated seat, back and front warm wash, heated blow dry, deoderizer and LCD remote control). Its an washlet addon to a one-piece Toto toilet. For both toilet and washlet, I paid under $1000 new from eBay stores. We love it so far – you always walk away clean. The only drawback is that due to slow drying, you need to dry-off using toilet paper. The Neorest is very nice, but you can get near the same thing (minus auto lifting/closing seat and flush) for a few grand less.” Click here to see more about Toto’s fancy toilets. [...]
You can’t believe everything the papers say about all that swag that celebrities get. You can find the Toto Neorest Toilet online for less than $4000.
Less than $4000 for a toilet? And they said it couldn’t be done! ; )
Whats wrong with a wet one