Over these last few years, you may have heard about the growing popularity of bidets in households worldwide. As we become more open to change in the West, we’re learning that toilet paper is wasteful and inefficient. Many Eastern countries have been using bidets for a while now!

While many toilets come with installed Bidets, most of us don’t have the budget to completely replace our toilets. Bidet converter kits allow us to transform our traditional toilets at home into bidets. But why should you buy a bidet converter kit? What is inside one of these things? And what should you look for in a bidet converter kit?

In this article, we answer these questions and more. Let’s start with the why and follow with the what. If you’re already knowledgeable about bidets, feel free to skip straight to our top picks!

There are three primary points to consider when shopping for a bidet converter kit:

Environmental friendliness
Comfort during use
Affordability

Bidets provide all three of these things, impacting your life in the best way.

Why Should You Buy a Bidet Converter Kit?

1. It’s more affordable than a full bidet toilet

Let’s get this out of the way first: If you’re looking for the full bidet experience and money is no object, I’d strongly suggest you take a look at all of the options for different bidet types. I’ve written another article on The 12 Types of Bidets that goes over them in detail.

However, if you’re looking for a bidet converter kit because you’d like a clean tush without breaking the bank, read on!

2. It’s Environmentally Friendly

Did you know that most people use 20,000 sheets or 100 rolls of toilet paper, each, per year? Multiply that by the billions of humans on this earth, and you have… well, a big environmental impact. A bidet can drastically reduce (or even entirely, if you’re open to trying bidet towels) the need for your family to use toilet paper. With less toilet paper, fewer trees have to die. When fewer trees die, the environment benefits.

Don’t forget: less toilet paper also means less plastic is wasted on wrapping rolls for purchase in grocery stores. A bidet is a great place to start if you want to do your part in preserving our home planet.

I’ve actually written an entire article on why bidets are environmentally friendly if you need more reasons!

3. It’s More Comfortable

Bidets have many extra features you can attach to them. From massage abilities to heated seats, a bidet can make your restroom experience much more enjoyable than a standard toilet. Comfort is much simpler to obtain with a bidet system.

Do I need to mention the benefit of removing the need to stand over the toilet rubbing yourself raw with dry paper?

4. It Saves Money

We don’t often think about how much toilet paper costs, but it’s a significant amount each year. Depending on how much you’re willing to spend on comfort, a 24-pack can cost anywhere from $20 to $35 per pack. At 100 rolls per year, that’s $80 to $140 per person! You could outfit your whole house with bidet conversion kits for less than the price of one year of toilet paper.

You can save a lot of money by investing in a bidet converter kit. You can then spend your money on items that will serve you better in the long term.

What Comes in a Bidet Converter Kit?

Now that I’ve explained why it makes sense to invest in a bidet converter kit, you might wonder what comes inside one of these items. What can you expect from a bidet converter kit? What will be inside for you to attach to your current toilet seat? How long does it take? Is it hard?

Most bidet converter kits come with:

The bidet seat
The sprayer nozzle
Extra additions

These always come with instructions, and although they usually advertise up to 15 minutes of installation I’ve seen up to 30 minutes for some of the more complicated set-ups. In most cases, it’s as simple as removing your toilet seat, placing the bidet converter kit on top, connecting it to your water line, and replacing your toilet seat.

But don’t let me bore you with my words! If you’d like a quick run-down of how to set up a bidet converter kit, take it from one of the best in the business: ClearRear! (Caution: May contain hilarious jokes about butts and the cleanliness thereof. You’ve been warned!)

If you found this as hilarious and informative as I did, you can read my in-depth ClearRear Bidet Review for more information!

My top 7 bidet converter picks

Based on experience with different bidets, bidet converter kits and their features, here are my top 7 picks. Keep in mind that there are essentially three distinct types of bidet converter kit:

Electric seat
Non-electric seat
Attachment only

An electric seat will generally be heated (oh, the luxury!), while a non-electric seat or an attachment will not. However, it’s nice to have fewer wires running to and from your toilet, so if being neat and tidy is more important than a heated bum, or if you’re looking to stay within a budget, the attachments may be more your style!

I won’t be adding any non-electric seats here because I presume (and sincerely hope!) you’ve already got a toilet seat on your toilets and have no need to spend an extra $50 or so replacing a part you already own.

#7: TUSHY Spa 3.0 Bidet Converter Kit (Attachment)

The Tushy Spa 3.0 is an attachment that features a water warming feature (I can’t understate how much this affects comfort) and also comes with stylish bamboo knobs. For a price tag of $120, it’s on the higher end for an attachment, but if the comfort of warm water appeals to you, it’s a definite consideration! I ordered this one for my parents and had to set this up for them as the directions were a bit more complicated than some of the others I’ve installed.

One thing to note about this model is that it takes no electricity, so where does the warm water come from? If you’re purchasing the warm water version, you will want to ensure your toilet is near your sink so that the attachment can draw warm water from below it. Keep this in mind as you plan, otherwise, you may find yourself either drilling through walls to get the warm water delivered to your tush or without the warm water feature.

#6: LUXE Bidet Neo 185 (Attachment)

The LUXE Bidet Neo 185 makes this list because it’s one of the least expensive, most highly rated, and easiest to install attachments on the market. It lacks the heating of the TUSHY, but it’s hard to compete with a price point of $39.

It comes with nozzle cleaning and feminine wash features, a retractable nozzle, and chrome-plated fixtures, making it feel like you’re getting quite a lot of functionality for the price point.

Personally, I’m not a fan of round and chrome style, but if that style is up your alley, this product comes with a ton of value.

#5: Clear Rear Bidet (Attachment)

Although this only comes in at #5 for the best bidet converter kit overall, I will point out that it is #1 on the best bidet converter kit attachment. Although attachments are easy to install and at a lower price point, they just can’t compete with the warming capabilities of electronic seats. However, if you’re looking for an attachment, look no further than the clear rear attachment.

At $49, the attachment is relatively inexpensive and looks much more stylish than its counterparts at similar price points.

#4: Brondell Swash Electronic Bidet (Electronic Seat)

Oh my, have I mentioned the value of heat in a bidet converter kit? This fully-featured electronic seat comes with two ways to warm your rear: Warm water and air. That’s right — a warm air dryer for a completely luxurious and paper-free experience.

I’ve personally never had issues using the controls on the side of the bidet. However, I can see the value in the remote control that comes with this bidet, particularly for anybody with mobility issues that may have trouble reaching down to their side.

Due to being a full seat and the controls being detached, this bidet seat actually camouflages as a normal toilet seat pretty well, which is a huge positive in my book.

#3: Cascade 3000 (Electronic Seat)

The Cascade 3000 is the Lamborghini of electronic seat bidet converter kits (and I don’t just mean the $900 price tag!) While only saving 20-60% on an actual full toilet-bidet combo at this price, it does come with a ton of features that are hard to all find in one place:

Adjustable everything (water temperature, water pressure, nozzle position, dryer temperature)
Warmed seat!!
Build-in deodorizer
Self-cleaning function
Safety features; bidet only operates when someone is seated
The lid supports up to 300lb

The first on our list to feature a warmed seat, I’m super excited about this one. Okay, so maybe you don’t install one of these on each of your toilets (or do you?), but this one’s a top contender for the throne in the master bathroom if you’re looking to pull out all the stops!

#2: Brondell Swash SE400 (Electronic Seat)

Coming in at a much lower price of $279, the Brondell Swash SE400 boasts the holy trinity: Heated seat, heated dryer, and heated water! Although it’s missing some of the features of the Cascade 3000 (namely, the deodorizer and some of the adjustable options), it’s hard to compete with this price tag.

I have a couple of these in my home, and I can’t recommend them enough for the price. If you’re not on a strict budget, I strongly suggest trying out all the heating and drying features this model offers.

#1: SmartBidet SB-1000 (Electronic Seat)

Last but certainly not least, we have my absolute favorite and the best bidet converter kit available today: The SmartBidet SB-1000 Electric Bidet. At a price point of $239 and boasting more features than the Brondell SE400, it’s a clear winner.

In addition to the heated seat, heated dryer, and heated water, it offers a skin sensor, remote control, and soft close lid and seat. This was the latest addition to my home, and despite paying less for this model than my SE400s, this seat felt sturdier and had more options I actually use. If I ever decide to move, these will be my go-to!

Conclusion

Summarizing everything together here at the end, there are two primary types of bidet converter kits that I would recommend to most, depending on your situation:

Attachments are a great solution for anyone new to bidets that are looking to test the waters (no pun intended) or are on a budget
Electronic seats are the luxury solution for anyone looking to bring luxury and comfort on top of making a smart choice for the environment and their long-term expenses