Smart toilets with heated seats and warm-water jets are gaining popularity in US homes, but will they make toilet paper obsolete?

There has been a silent trend among US homeowners about choosing a smart toilet, and some headlines may give you the impression that it could potentially be the end of toilet paper by 2026. Smart toilets have evolved over the years, starting from the Japanese bidet system, where a single nozzle would come out to spray water and wash the designated area.

Over the years, engineers have fitted systems inside that you could spray hot or cold water depending on the needs, and adjust the temperatures, pressures, and even the direction of the water spraying jet. Some smart toilets sometimes have a heated seat, an in-built dryer, and a self-cleaning nozzle with a remote control.

Bidet is the top choice among renovating US homeowners

Last year, The Philadelphia Inquirer published a report citing the 2024 Houzz Bathroom Trend Report, which found that over two in five renovating homeowners in the US chose toilets with specialty features, and a bidet system topped the list.

During the pandemic, the toilet paper shortages of 2020 may have also pushed many people to try the smart toilet, and a lot of them continued the practice. TUSHY, a Brooklyn-based bidet company and one of the well-known brands in US, says it has sold about 2.5 million units since 2015.

Prices of smart toilets seats

Prices of smart toilet seats in the US may vary. Non-electric attachments that can be slipped under the existing seat cost around $30 to $50, the outlet estimated.

Those with electric seats with warm water and drying features can cost a few hundred dollars, and more advanced ones with fully integrated smart toilets may go up to a few thousand dollars. Simple ones can be installed by DIY, but the ones with electrical components may require you to hire an electrician or a plumber.

Can a smart toilet really replace toilet paper?

Although using toilet paper is simple, it doesn't need any electricity, electronics, or training, but depending on the uses, it needs regular restocking. Similarly, the seat also needs maintenance, and you also need to disinfect the nozzle and the seat, especially if you live in areas where limescale clogs the jets.

“Toilet paper is not disappearing overnight, but in more and more homes it has become the backup, not the main act,” the thecoolist estimates before making a case for so that both can co exist, “Warm water, a heated seat, a roll that lasts a month. That’s the trick.”

New Zealand-based outlet HygieneDirect, however, is not convinced that smart toilets will be replacing toilet paper by the end of 2026.

As per them, the growing adoption of smart toilets is not a sure-shot indication that the end of toilet paper is coming. The outlet views that new technologies often coexist with traditional solutions.

“One of the biggest advantages of toilet paper is its simplicity,” the outlet notes. It requires no electricity, specialist installation, plumbing upgrades, or regular maintenance. And this is what makes it an affordable and reliable hygiene option for homes, schools, offices and healthcare sectors.