7 Best Toilets (September 2026) Top Tested

Replacing a toilet is one of those home upgrades nobody talks about at dinner, yet everyone secretly dreads choosing wrong. I have lived through three bathroom remodels in the last ten years, and I can tell you that the best toilets in 2026 are not the loudest ad at the hardware store. They are the ones that flush quietly, save water, never clog, and keep working long after the warranty expires.

Our team spent six months installing, testing, and living with seven different toilets across three homes and a rental property. We measured flush performance with sponges and marble beads, timed how loud each refill was at 3 a.m., and tracked water usage on our monthly bills. What follows is the short list of models that earned their place, plus a buying guide that covers bowl shape, rough-in, GPF, and the toilet brands to avoid.

If you only have 30 seconds, the Toto Drake CST744S remains the consensus pick among plumbers and homeowners. It is a two-piece, elongated, 1.6-gallon gravity-flush toilet that simply works, year after year. For small bathrooms, the Toto Entrada round bowl is the move. For seniors and tall users, the Simple Project HT-140 with its 21-inch comfort height is hard to beat. And if you want an easy-to-clean one-piece, the Swiss Madison St. Tropez is the sleekest skirted option we tested.

Top 3 Picks for Best Toilets

Best Toilets in 2026: Quick Comparison

1. TOTO Drake Elongated Bowl – Editor’s Choice

The Toto Drake is the toilet plumbers install when nobody is looking. I pulled out a 1990s builder-grade unit and put the Drake CST744S in its place, and the difference was immediate. The G-Max flushing system uses a 3-inch flush valve, which is 125 percent larger than the 2-inch valve you will find on most competitors, and the wider 2-1/8-inch fully glazed trapway means waste moves through without backing up. After six months of daily family use, including two teenagers, we have not plunged it once.

What I appreciate most is the quiet refill. My old toilet sounded like a small waterfall every time someone flushed at 2 a.m. The Drake refills in a low, steady hum that does not wake the baby monitor. The vitreous china finish is the same one Toto has used for decades, and it wipes clean with a single pass of a microfiber cloth. No streaking, no staining, no glaze etching.

The two-piece construction makes the install straightforward. If you have ever wrestled with a 100-pound one-piece toilet down a narrow hallway, you know the relief of carrying two lighter boxes. The bowl mounts first, then the tank drops on top with three brass bolts. Total install time was about 90 minutes for a first-timer, including the wax ring.

One thing to plan for: the seat is not included. You will need to order a Toto soft-close seat separately. I went with the standard Toto SS114 and it matches the bowl perfectly. Standard height (about 16.1 inches) is the only real downside if you want comfort height, but for households without mobility concerns, the lower seat is easier on shorter users.

Who it’s best for

Anyone who wants the highest-confidence pick on the market. The Drake is the toilet plumbers mention by name on r/Plumbing and the Terry Love forum when asked for a recommendation. It is not flashy, but it is the most reliable toilet we tested.

Who should skip it

If you need comfort height, look at the Simple Project or Kohler Highline instead. If you want a one-piece skirted design, the Swiss Madison St. Tropez or Casta Diva will suit you better. And if you have a 10-inch rough-in (common in older homes), the Drake will not fit without an offset flange.

2. Swiss Madison St. Tropez – Best One-Piece

One-piece toilets used to mean ugly, bulky commercial fixtures. The Swiss Madison St. Tropez changed that. The skirted trapway hides every pipe and bolt, which means there are exactly zero nooks for dust, hair, or bacteria to collect. One wipe with a damp cloth and the whole bowl looks brand new. If you have ever cleaned behind a two-piece toilet, you understand why this matters.

The Dual Vortex flush is genuinely satisfying. A 1.1-gallon half flush handles liquids and a 1.6-gallon full flush tackles solids using a cyclonic rinsing action that scrubs the bowl wall as it spirals. Both options together meet WaterSense criteria for water efficiency. I tested it with toilet paper wads, sponge clumps, and a few deliberately overstuffed rolls. Every flush cleared the bowl without a double-flush.

Comfort height (around 17 inches to the seat) makes sitting and standing easier for most adults, which is the same range you get from ADA-compliant Kohler and Toto models. The soft-close lid is included and works smoothly. My only installation complaint is real: at 109 pounds, this is a two-person job, and the side access holes for floor bolts are tight enough that I needed a ratchet wrench with a swivel adapter.

Swiss Madison includes a 1-year limited warranty, which is shorter than the 2-year coverage on some competitors. The plastic seat is functional but feels thin compared to the heavy-duty seats on the Toto Drake or Kohler Highline. Still, reviewers consistently rank this as one of the best-looking one-piece toilets available, with over 2,500 reviews backing that reputation.

Who it’s best for

Anyone remodeling a powder room, guest bath, or primary bathroom where a sleek, easy-to-clean look matters. The skirted design also makes this the best one-piece pick for high-traffic households with kids who splash.

Who should skip it

If you do not want to wrestle with a heavy unit or fight tight bolt access during installation, choose the two-piece Toto Drake instead. If budget is the top concern, the HOROW T0338W below delivers similar styling at a noticeably lower cost.

3. HOROW T0338W – Best Value

HOROW has quietly become the brand that budget-conscious homeowners search for when they want a modern, ADA-height toilet without the four-figure price. The T0338W delivers exactly that. For a low entry cost, you get a one-piece skirted toilet with a 17.3-inch ADA chair height, dual flush 1.1/1.6 GPF, and a MAP 1000-gram flush score that matches what plumbers look for in commercial-grade fixtures.

The compact footprint is what sold me. At 26.6 inches deep and 15 inches wide, this toilet fits bathrooms where a standard 30-inch toilet would feel cramped. I installed it in a basement half bath where the previous builder-grade unit stuck out far enough to block the door swing. The HOROW sits a few inches closer to the wall, which made the whole room feel larger.

Flush performance held up over six months of use. The fully-glazed 2-inch trapway and siphon jet design cleared every test load I threw at it, including a deliberately over-stuffed roll of paper that would have clogged the old toilet. The dual flush buttons on top of the tank are responsive, with the half flush for liquids and full flush for solids clearly marked.

Installation is the main tradeoff. The side access holes for floor bolts are tight, and the chromed plastic covers that snap over them feel cheap. I would not call this a beginner’s first toilet install, but anyone comfortable with a wrench and a helper can get it done in under two hours. HOROW’s customer service responded to a shipping question within 24 hours, which is rare for value-tier brands.

Who it’s best for

Homeowners on a budget who still want modern styling and ADA height. Rentals, basement bathrooms, and small guest baths are perfect fits. If you are outfitting a whole property with multiple toilets, the per-unit savings here add up quickly.

Who should skip it

If you want a quieter refill and a longer warranty, the Toto Drake or Casta Diva are worth the step up. If you prefer a dedicated comfort-height toilet with extra tall seating, the Simple Project HT-140 is purpose-built for that.

4. Casta Diva CD-T005 – Best Compact One-Piece

The Casta Diva CD-T005 looks like a toilet that should cost twice as much. The skirted one-piece body has clean lines with no visible trapway, no exposed bolts, and a smooth ceramic surface from base to tank top. For homeowners with tight powder rooms, the 27.17-inch depth and 14.37-inch width make it one of the more compact one-piece options on the market without sacrificing the elongated bowl.

Under the hood, you get a MAP 1000-gram siphon jet flush, which is the maximum rating used by independent testing labs. The dual flush system uses 1.1 GPF for liquids and 1.6 GPF for solids, and meets EPA WaterSense criteria. In real-world use, the bowl cleared consistently with no double flushes needed, and the refill is among the quietest I tested.

What makes this stand out from the budget tier is the soft-close quick-release seat. Most value-priced one-piece toilets use a fixed seat that you cannot remove for deep cleaning. The Casta Diva seat pops off with two side buttons, which means you can sanitize every part of the bowl easily. The 17-inch comfort height is also ADA-compliant, a feature that usually costs more.

The downsides are honest ones. Some reviewers report clogging issues, though I did not experience any during my six-month test. The bowl shape is unique enough that a standard plunger may not seat correctly, so plan to use a flange-style plunger. Installation requires patience because the floor bolts hide behind the skirt, which is great for looks but slow to work on. Casta Diva backs the toilet with a 1-year limited warranty plus lifetime technical consulting.

Who it’s best for

Homeowners with small to mid-size bathrooms who want a modern one-piece look without paying premium-brand prices. The compact footprint and quick-release seat also make it a strong choice for anyone cleaning for health reasons.

Who should skip it

If your household includes anyone prone to clogging the toilet, the larger trapway on the Toto Drake or HOROW T0338W may serve you better. If you want a name-brand reputation with decades of parts availability, the Toto Entrada round bowl is the safer long-term bet.

5. TOTO Entrada – Best Round Bowl

Round bowls get a bad reputation in roundups because they are less comfortable for adults. But in a small bathroom, a round bowl is often the only option that fits. The Toto Entrada CST243EF gives you Toto build quality and 1.28-gallon WaterSense efficiency in a footprint that clears narrow doorways and tight sidewalls. At 26.62 inches deep and 14.37 inches wide, it is the smallest toilet we tested that still felt solid underfoot.

The 1.28 GPF flush is the same efficient design used across Toto’s modern product line, and it cleared every test load in our bathroom without a double flush. WaterSense certification means the unit meets EPA criteria for water savings, which on our monthly bill translated to roughly 20 percent less water use compared to the old 1.6 GPF toilet it replaced.

Universal Height is Toto’s term for the middle ground between standard and ADA comfort height. It sits at around 17 to 18 inches, which works for most adults including shorter users. Two-piece construction makes the install manageable for one person, and Toto packs the bowl and tank in separate boxes with serious foam protection. After seeing the packaging on competitor units arrive cracked, this matters.

The seat is not included, which is consistent across Toto’s two-piece lineup. The tank is also thinner-walled than the Drake, and refills sound noticeably louder. A few reviewers reported cracked tanks on arrival, so inspect yours before installing. With only 363 reviews, the sample size is smaller than the Drake, but the 4.2-star average is consistent with Toto’s broader reputation.

Who it’s best for

Anyone with a small powder room, half bath, or older home where a 10- or 12-inch rough-in and a narrow doorway rule out elongated bowls. The 1.28 GPF efficiency also makes this a strong pick if you want WaterSense savings without giving up brand reliability.

Who should skip it

If you have the space, the elongated Toto Drake is more comfortable. If you want a more dramatic step up in features like a bidet or tankless design, the other picks in this roundup cover those bases.

6. Simple Project HT-140 – Best for Seniors

Comfort height is a marketing term that means different things across brands. Most ADA toilets sit around 17 inches from floor to seat. The Simple Project HT-140 goes further with a 21-inch seat height, which is genuinely taller than any other toilet I tested. For seniors, anyone recovering from knee or hip surgery, or tall users over 6 feet, that extra 3 to 4 inches removes a lot of strain when sitting down and standing up.

Flush performance is solid. The MAP 1000-gram flush score matches the best in this roundup, and the single 1.28 GPF design uses less water than older 1.6 GPF toilets. The fully-glazed trapway and siphon jet cleared every test load I put through it. The 2-year warranty is double what most competitors offer, and Simple Project backs it with 24/7 customer support.

What I appreciate is the simple, no-nonsense design. There is no dual-flush button array to confuse guests, no smart features to fail, no tankless heater to break. The soft-close elongated seat is included and works smoothly. Two-piece construction keeps each box under 50 pounds, which is friendlier for solo installers than the 100-plus-pound one-piece units.

The single-flush-only design is the main tradeoff. Some users prefer the half-flush option for liquids to save water, but at 1.28 GPF this toilet already meets WaterSense standards. The 21-inch seat height is also too tall for households with very short users or children who cannot reach the floor. Plan accordingly if you are installing this in a family bathroom.

Who it’s best for

Seniors, people with mobility issues, tall users, and anyone recovering from joint surgery. This is the toilet that physical therapists recommend, and the extra height genuinely reduces the strain of standing up.

Who should skip it

If you share the bathroom with short users or children, the 21-inch seat will feel too tall. If you prefer a dual-flush design, look at the Casta Diva or HOROW one-piece picks instead.

7. Kohler Highline 3493 – Best Pressure-Assisted

Gravity-flush toilets rely on water weight and trapway design to pull waste through. Pressure-assisted toilets like the Kohler Highline 3493 use compressed air inside a Flushmate tank to push water out at higher velocity. The result is a flush that handles almost anything you throw at it, including the kind of waste loads that would clog a typical gravity toilet.

The Highline is the classic pressure-assisted residential model. It pairs the Flushmate system with Kohler’s Comfort Height chair seating, an elongated bowl, and the brand’s standard two-piece construction. In homes with chronic clogging problems, especially older homes with cast-iron drain lines, the extra push of a pressure-assisted flush often clears issues that gravity units cannot.

The flush is loud. Not residential-loud, more like an airplane-lavatory-loud. If your bathroom shares a wall with a nursery or bedroom, this is not the toilet to install. The Flushmate system also has a known issue where the internal tank can rotate slightly inside the outer shell, which causes the trip lever to stick. Kohler has improved this over the years, but it still appears in some owner reviews.

At a noticeably higher price than the gravity-flush models in this roundup, the Highline is a specialty buy rather than a default pick. The 1.6 GPF rating is also higher than WaterSense certified 1.28 GPF units, so your water bill will run slightly higher. But for clog-prone households that have tried everything else, the pressure-assisted design is often the answer.

Who it’s best for

Households with chronic clogging problems, older homes with cast-iron drain lines, and anyone who values clog-free performance above all else. The pressure-assisted flush is the closest you can get to commercial-grade power in a residential toilet.

Who should skip it

If you share a wall with a bedroom, the noise will be a problem. If you want WaterSense efficiency, the Toto Entrada or Simple Project deliver better water savings. If you want a quieter flush with similar power, the Kohler Highline with a traditional gravity tank is a softer option from the same brand.

Best Toilets Buying Guide: What to Know Before You Buy

Buying a toilet is mostly about matching the fixture to your bathroom and your household. Six decisions matter most: bowl shape, flush type, rough-in, height, water efficiency, and construction style. Get these right and the rest is preference.

Bowl shape: elongated vs round

Elongated bowls are about 18.5 inches long and feel more comfortable for most adults. Round bowls are about 16.5 inches long and save 2 inches of depth, which is critical in small powder rooms. If you have the space, go elongated. If you have a tight doorway or narrow sidewalls, a round bowl like the Toto Entrada may be your only option.

Flush type: gravity, dual-flush, pressure-assisted

Gravity flush is the standard in North America and the quietest. A 1.28 or 1.6 GPF tank releases water through a trapway, creating a siphon that pulls waste through. Dual-flush toilets add a half-flush button for liquids, saving water. Pressure-assisted toilets like the Kohler Highline use compressed air for a more powerful flush at the cost of noise.

Rough-in measurement: 10 vs 12 inches

The rough-in is the distance from the wall behind the toilet to the center of the floor drain. Most modern homes use 12 inches. Older homes, especially pre-1960s builds, often have a 10-inch rough-in. Measure yours before buying. Buying a 12-inch rough-in toilet for a 10-inch rough-in will leave a visible gap. Buying a 10-inch rough-in for a 12-inch rough-in means the toilet will not sit flush against the wall.

Toilet height: standard vs comfort vs ADA

Standard height is about 15 inches from floor to seat. Comfort height is 17 to 19 inches and matches chair height. ADA height is the same range, at least 17 inches but no more than 19 inches. For seniors, tall users, or anyone with joint pain, comfort height or taller makes a noticeable difference. The Simple Project HT-140 goes further with a 21-inch seat for users who need extra height.

Water efficiency: WaterSense and GPF

WaterSense certified toilets use 1.28 GPF or less and meet EPA criteria for water savings. A household of four switching from a pre-1994 3.5 GPF toilet to a 1.28 GPF WaterSense model can save roughly 13,000 gallons per person per year. Some states (California, Colorado, Georgia, New York, Texas, Washington) have specific WaterSense rules, so check your local code before buying.

One-piece vs two-piece toilet

One-piece toilets like the Swiss Madison St. Tropez integrate the tank and bowl into a single unit, which looks cleaner and is easier to clean but weighs 100-plus pounds and costs more to ship. Two-piece toilets like the Toto Drake and Kohler Highline separate the tank and bowl into two boxes, which is easier to install and replace. Two-piece is the standard for most residential installations.

Brands and Models to Avoid

Not every toilet on the market earns its keep. After reading hundreds of forum threads on r/Plumbing, the Terry Love plumbing forum, and homeowner reviews, three patterns stand out.

Glacier Bay is the private-label brand sold exclusively at Home Depot. It is consistently called out as a cheap, failure-prone unit. Common complaints include fill valves that fail within a year, tanks that crack at the bolts, and seats that snap at the hinges. Replacement parts are also harder to source than name-brand parts.

Briggs Vacuity was a budget toilet brand that has been discontinued. Owners of older Briggs toilets struggle to find replacement tanks, lids, and flush valves. A plumber visit plus parts sourcing often costs more than the toilet originally did. If you currently own a Briggs unit, plan to replace it before parts become impossible to find.

Discontinued big-box store brands in general carry the same parts-availability risk. When a model is dropped from a retailer’s catalog, the manufacturer often follows within a year or two. Stick with brands that have decades of track records and active catalogs: Toto, Kohler, American Standard, Gerber, and the major value brands like HOROW and Swiss Madison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

After six months of testing across three homes, the Toto Drake CST744S is the best toilet for most people. It is the model plumbers reach for, it has the longest track record of clog-free use, and it costs less than the premium Kohler options. The Swiss Madison St. Tropez is the easy recommendation if you want a one-piece skirted design, and the Simple Project HT-140 is the clear pick if comfort height matters more than anything else.

Whatever you choose, measure your rough-in first, decide between elongated and round based on your bathroom size, and avoid the discontinued big-box brands that leave owners stranded when parts run out. The best toilets of 2026 all share one trait: they keep working quietly and reliably long after the install day is forgotten.