Types of Toilets Around The World
All The Different Water Closets In the Industry

A simple explanation would be if you push a button or pull a trigger, there is water running down the pipeline. Then you have a flushing toilet. The other significant character of a flushing toilet would be the “S, P, U, J” shape of trapway.

In modern society, if there’s a toilet available, it is probably a flushing toilet. Even in countries like China or Vietnam, you could lay your butt on a squatting flushing toilet. The opposite of the flushing toilet is the “dry” toilet, which is obviously waterless and has a peculiar way of disposing and sanitation process.

There are different flushing toilet types though and each has its trademark respective of power and performance. There are tornado flush, cyclone flush and G-max flush to name a few.

These are all trademarks from different brands and are really endearing to consumers especially if they are super powerful and quiet at the same time.

This is the one of the toilet styles where the toilet’s tank is connected to the bowl, making the whole toilet one unit of ceramic.

The clear advantages of these toilet types is that the size of the water tank is typically smaller and there is no crevice in the middle, so it is easy to clean.

Most of the time, buying a one-piece toilet comes with a toilet seat, and thus it’s not a problem. The only drawback would probably be the money, but it is well worth it.

The other great thing about one-piece toilets are its shorter breadth from the wall and you need not worry about putting the tank together with the bowl and seat. The only installation process is mounting the toilet properly with the drain on the floor and the water supply on the wall.

This is probably one of the most common types of toilets that is spreading across the continent. Opposite to the one-piece toilet, the water tank and the bowl are separated, and thus the tank has a larger volume to store water.

Although nowadays people tend to go for a one-piece toilet, the two-piece toilet has its strengths. The greatest factor is the durability and TOTO Drake II, for example, is one of the toilet types that can last for decades.

There are also other types of toilets that are durable, but the two-piece toilet is easy to repair and replace parts. The only thing you really need to be careful with is which brand you choose.

One great example for these toilet types is this smart design toilet by Saniflo. What makes upflush toilets unique is that along with the technology of Saniflo, you can install a toilet in any place you like in your house, because you don’t need a drain line beside it.

And the best part of these toilet types is that you don’t need to break a large hole in your floor, and it is fully mobile.

So far, the upflush toilet and the Saniplus system are amazing. With some rare exceptions, there is a callback to check some minor problems like a clogging pipe or wobbly toilet seat.

These types of toilets are designed to fit in small bathrooms. Due to their small compact designs, they are perfect if you want to save space or are just struggling to fit a loo in there.

They usually include wall-mounted toilets, toilets with no tank or just small in size. These types of toilets are great for tiny houses, RV, motorhomes and marine boats.

Now you have more space in your bathroom to give room for cabinets, plants or weird stuffs you don’t want the entire household to know about.

These toilet types are often called a triangle toilet, and the reason for this is evident because the water tank is the shape of a triangle and thus it can comfortably fit into the corner.

The clearest plus point of corner toilets is that it can squeeze right into a tight space. However, these toilet types look bizarre for some people and are rarely bought unless there is a need for more space and design restrictions.

The most significant point is that it is hard to find toilet styles with the right setting for a corner set without blocking anyone’s path. Think twice before making your move on this one though.

Well, here comes a peculiar and sought-after toilet types. Most of the time, when speaking of a wall-mounted toilet, we are generally referring to the bowl being attached to the wall, and it is elevated not touching the floor. The nicest part of these toilet types is that it appears to be tankless.

However, it is not literally without a tank. The tank is actually hidden inside the wall. Imagine it -- a toilet without a tank, with only a bowl hanging on the wall. It makes the cleaning process so much easier and you never have to worry about leaking problems from the tank.

That being said, if you want to switch from normal toilets to different toilets like a wall-hung one, the process can often be a pain in the ass. You need a little help with plumbing and installing it to make sure it is stable and immovable.

The shape of the square toilet seat is closer to a rectangle than square, and square toilets are one of the different toilets you rarely see. It is claimed that these types of toilets have a bigger bowl to catch more waste. However, the downside of these toilet types would be the difficulty in accessing the replacement parts and it is quite uncomfortable to sit on.

The only reason I could think as to why people would install one in their house, is probably for aesthetic reasons. Square toilets are uncommon and it can be a theme of its own. If you are thinking about weirdly different toilets in your interior, a square toilet could fit into the unusual design.

Also seen as an oval shape, it is believed that this sort of shape fits your butt the best. The benefit of these types of toilets is that it is more comfortable for adults. Thus, this is more patronized by consumers and is more popular than its round counterpart which is the round toilet.

Sometimes people say elongated toilets take more space than other types of bowls, but often, this isn’t necessary. And generally, the elongated toilet styles has a larger pipeline than other types of toilets.

The large bowl and water surface is good for catching all the mess. However, a little drawback of this will probably be that the feces sometimes leave a mess on the little hill of the elongated part.

Aside from its cute shape, the best part of the round bowl toilet is the size. It is advisable though that you choose these types of toilets only when necessary because the difference of its length is only a few inches compared with the elongated toilet seat.

The round toilet’s flushing power in comparison to the elongated toilet is lesser. However, the round toilet is more preferable especially in places like a powder room or when you need an extra toilet in the garden or pool area.

Wait, how does a toilet without a tank work? Well, these types of toilets are linked straight to the pipe, and when the water is rushing down the pipe, the tankless toilet’s bowl has an electric pump to make the flush powerful.

Tankless toilets usually have a wider pipe compared to other types of toilets, and it is because the bowl needs a higher volume of water to make a clear flush.

The benefit of these toilet types is the contemporary design, and the size is much smaller. However, the installation is sometimes complicated and if the battery is dead, the toilet can’t flush.

There are mechanically designed tankless toilets though that do not need an electric pump but it is not going to be as clean as a powerful flush and you would need a lot of water to push the waste down the pipe.

The term “composting toilet” has a different definition in different countries, but the term loosely means a toilet without water washing away your dump. Maybe calling these types of toilet a “dry” toilet would be a better way to put it.

Human waste isn’t suitable for composting, especially when you mix urine and feces together, but most of the composting toilets use bulking materials to absorb the moisture. Namely sawdust, wood chips and so on.

Some composting toilets also have a separate tube for the urine and it does not mix with the solid wastes that goes into the layers of compost. This is to ensure there is less odor and the urine does not mess up the oxidation and decomposition of the solid materials.

Well, if you’re reading this, you probably own a flushing toilet, and you probably need a portable toilet for hiking or camping. These toilet styles are as obvious as the name itself. A portable toilet is one of those types of toilets that can be moved easily. You can see these toilet styles in festivals or building sites to provide sanitary ware.

While most of the time when people talk about portable toilets, they immediately think of a box shaped like a telephone booth. However, the one made for households is shaped more like a box.

Basically, you can carry the box around in places like mountains, rivers, or even boats, because clearly, you shouldn’t make your mark in nature, and thus these toilet types provide a great solution.

Usually these toilet styles are more common for the commercial use of restaurants, but it is also starting to get more attention in residential areas.

The function of pressure-assist toilets is that when the water pumps into the valve, it creates air-pressure in the chamber. And when the flush button is pressed down , it releases the pressure.

The positive aspect of these toilet types is it flushes efficiently and makes the bowl cleaner, but the downside of the pressure-assist toilet is that it is noisy and costs more compared to normal gravity flush system toilets.

Almost all these different toilets are using gravity to flush down their waste. Basically, when you press the flushing handle or button, a lift chain linked to the flush lever inside the tank lifts up the flapper valve and the water rushes down.

When the water level in the tank goes down, so does the float boat, and thus activating the flush valve, which results in water pouring into the tank. After the water fills the container, the cycle begins again when the trigger is pulled.

Oh yeah, that's right baby, we've finally entered the future. Touchless toilets are those types of toilets where you don't have to touch the handle or the flush button to open the water valve. Sounds amazing, right? But in reality, almost every dual flush toilet could switch to touchless toilets.

Most big name brands like Kohler or American Standard sell something like a "touchless toilet flush kit" which means you could modify your own toilet's flush button into a sensor and when it detects movement, the valve will automatically open itself. Pretty cool huh?

One of those toilet styles that you can consider touchless are smart toilets. They already have sensors that flushes the toilet when you stand up so you do not have to lift a finger. They are expensive though and these types of toilets are tackled in the succeeding sub-topics below.

Wait, do people still use these types of toilets? This is quite medieval and obsolete but let yourself be acquainted to it anyways.

The principle behind the pull chain toilet types is clearly gravity, while the water tank is placed above the bowl when someone pulls the chain and triggers the valve to open, the water flushes down and washes away the waste.

The well-known manufacturer for these toilet types is Signature Hardware, and the price of pull chain toilet in comparison to other kinds of toilets is relatively high.

The benefit that come to mind is it usually does not need maintenance, but on the other hand, it is a hassle to install these toilet styles.

The term “water-saving” is somehow a myth. But the efficiency of different toilets that lessen the use of water is what makes it water-saving.

As technology evolves through time, the amount of water used per flush is reducing. 10 or 20 years ago we had toilets that used 3 gallons per flush. Now we have types of toilets that can use 0.8 to 1 gallon per flush or even a bit lesser than that.

Recently the amount decreased to 1.6 gallons and hopefully, in the future we’re all going to see 0.8 gallons per flush. That being said, some countries, namely the USA, have a certification of types of toilets that are water-efficient, such as WaterSense.

So, if you are confused about how to trim your water bill, pick WaterSense certified toilet types and you will surely be glad you did.

If your toilets have a circle divided into two buttons, then you probably own a dual flush toilet. Much to my surprise, these toilet types first appeared in 1980 by a sanitary ware factory staff, and from then on, dual flush toilets have spread across the world.

The double flush system relies on the siphon to do the trick, which means it has two water hole located on high and low. The dual flush is used for waste or your liquid waste, and usually, the water usage stands at 1.6 gallons or 0.8 gallons respectively.

While the benefits are obvious like water-efficiency and performance, the drawback is the cost higher than other types of toilets.

The regular toilets usually stand at 15 inches, and the market considers 17 to 19 inches to be the most comfortable height to rest your legs when sitting down. Well, to be honest, it is more like an advertisement slogan. The most comfort height toilet for a person should depend on the person’s height.

Also, if you are buying a toilet for your house, remember to take your kids or elderly into consideration. Plus if there is someone in your family using a wheelchair, 17 to 19 inches of toilet bowl height is probably not the best choice.

The US has a certification for height friendliness especially for people with disabilities. Look for ADA compliant toilet types and surely the seat height is safe and comfortable. ADA stands for American with Disabilities Act penned and published by the Department of Justice in September 2010.

How expensive can a toilet be? Well, very. I’m not saying some toilet types are built out of gold or precious metal. I’m talking about toilet styles that are produced by legit brands like TOTO or Kohler.

These types of toilets have such high prices for a good reason, and the primary one is that it provides a luxury experience. However, to be completely honest with you, I don’t think you should throw your cash on this. Come on. You can spend such money on anything but a computerized toilet.

So how expensive can a toilet be? Some can be over 5,000 dollars and some even go as high as 60,000 dollars. But they are for vanity and some are just really impractical.

Why are they expensive? Well, these are smart toilets that are really state-of-the-art when it comes to technology that the user does not even have to do anything. You just have to sit down and stand up and you are good to go.

Some are artsy toilet styles that are hand painted by famous artists and some are gold plated or colored lavishly to fit the theme of the home’s interior. They are also paired with the features of a smart toilet so they seem to be custom-built for the elite.