Best toilets for the home in 2023, according to testing

Our top commode picks will bring form and function to any bathroom.

There is plenty of room for potty humor in this story, but choosing a new toilet for your home is no joke, given how much use it will get and how dire the results can be if you end up with a, er, bum model. (OK, just the one!) Seriously, a toilet with weak flushing power will lead to frequent clogs, wreaking havoc on your home’s plumbing. Some toilet types are prone to unsightly stains, and others are so loud when they flush that you risk waking the entire household if you go in the middle of the night.

Those are some of the findings the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have made through decades of toilet testing. For this latest round, our engineers performed a battery of tests to find models that combine performance and efficiency. As with other household products we evaluate — from blenders to dehumidifiers to sewing machines — this roundup is made up of past topperforming models, road tests of newer units, and brands with proven track records. Here are the best-tested toilets of 2023.

BEST OVERALL TOILET: Kohler Corbelle Comfort Height Toilet

Through years of toilet tests, Kohler has earned a reputation with our engineers and product experts as one of the best manufacturers of bathroom fixtures. That positive track record continues with the Corbelle two-piece gravity-feed toilet, which made short work of even the toughest solids in our flushing tests. We were able to flush 21 tissues, seven sponges and 14 golf balls in our tests. The comfort-height design offers superb ergonomics for older homeowners, and the toilet is extremely water-efficient, using just 1.28 gallons per flush. Keeping the toilet clean is also easy, thanks to the skirted trap way and surface treatment that helps inhibit the growth of water scale and mineral stains.

BEST VALUE ONE-PIECE TOILET: Glacier Bay One-Piece Toilet in White

This no-frills toilet from Glacier Bay was one of the best in our tests at flushing away solid and liquid waste. Even with its amazing price tag, it has some innovative features, including dual-flush technology, nice for keeping your water bill in check. The elongated seat offers maximum comfort, and the one-piece design makes it easier to clean because there are not so many crevices.

BEST VALUE TWO-PIECE TOILET: Delta Foundations Two-Piece Toilet

The least expensive toilet in our winner’s circle is also one of the most capable. In our lab tests, we were able to flush a whopping 21 golf balls. The two-piecer from Delta, with an elongated bowl and comfort height, offers solid flushing performance, using just 1.28 gallons at a time, good enough for the Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense label. The slow-close lid is a feature usually reserved for more expensive models, and there is even a splash guard to keep liquid from getting under the tank, a common complaint with two-piece toilets.

BEST TWO-PIECE TOILET: TOTO Drake

Prefer the traditional look of a two-piece toilet? The Drake from Toto, another leading brand in toilets, is one to consider. Though we did not test it in our labs, our engineers expect it to perform similarly to other tested Toto toilets. That is because it features the same cyclonic flushing technology, which we have found to be extremely effective at sending solid and liquid waste on its way. The tradeoff is it uses a bit more water — 1.6 gallons per flush, which misses the EPA’s WaterSense label requirement of 1.28 gallons per flush. The toilet’s comfort-height design makes it an excellent choice for homeowners with more limited mobility.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING THE BEST TOILET

• Comfort height or traditional height?

Many new toilets come in “comfort height,” usually between 17 and 19 inches, versus the 15 inches of traditional toilets. The few extra inches make them easier to get on and off, which older homeowners or those with knee issues may appreciate. Another important size consideration is the toilet’s rough opening or the distance from the finished wall to the center of the toilet’s floor drain. Twelve inches is the standard, but some models come with 10-inch and 14-inch openings. It is important to match the new toilet with the existing one, otherwise, you’ll have to make pricey modifications to the floor and plumbing.

• Single flush or dual flush? Traditional toilets have one flushing option, typically a lever on the tank that you press down. They still exist, but the market has become crowded with dual-flush toilets. These usually have two buttons on the top of the tank that let you do a partial flush for liquid waste and a full flush for solid waste. In theory, dual-flush toilets save water, but sometimes their flushing power is a little weak, so you end up having to flush twice, though that is not the case with the dual-flush models that make our list here.

• Round bowl or elongated bowl? It is not a huge factor, but if you are short on space (say in a powder room), you are better off with a round bowl, since those toilets are a bit smaller than elongated models. If space is really tight, you might want to consider a wall-mounted toilet. With this option, the tank is hidden behind the wall, so you gain a good 6 inches. These toilets tend to be more expensive, and installation is more involved and pricey, but they are a great fit for tight spaces.

• Gravity-feed or pressure-assisted? Unless you have a large household, you are probably better off with a gravity-feed toilet, which uses a traditional tank and the law of gravity to move waste down the drain. Pressure-assisted toilets use compressed air to force water and waste down the line, making for a very noisy flush. They are very effective and can handle a lot of flushing, which is why they are more common in commercial buildings.