About the Brondell Swash toilet

Submitted by brad on Thu, 2005-02-17 07:24
Topic: 
Technology
Review

You'll recall an earlier post about the Silicon Valley 100 and getting stuff for free. I promised I had something to say about toilets anyway, so I will describe my experience with the Swash I was given as well as the Daelim Cleanlet which I bought a few years ago.

If you've gone to Japan, you have probably seen these fancy high-tech toilet seats, which try for a bit of bidet function in a seat. Their prime function is to have a heated water reservoir and a little wand that comes out to squirt water at what the Daelim manual calls the "personal area" and the "feminine area." They also tend to heat the seat, and make it descend slowly so it doesn't make a noise when you put it down. Both of these also have the optional feature of fan to blow heated air to dry your personal or feminine area.

I've got these two units, and I have tried various others in Japan. None of them can really compete with the water flow and cleaning ability of a real bidet, but most people don't have the space in their bathrooms for one of those. I was going to suggest the slogan "Every asshole needs one" but I don't think they are likely to use it.

These bidet-seats are about the only high-tech toilet invention to get a decent market, which is surprising because if you ask the patent office, toilet inventions are among the most common patent applications. I guess people spend a lot of time on toilets with nothing else to think about.In Japan, many people still use squat toilets, which are little more than a basin in the floor. This is also true in Turkey and surrounding areas and a lot of the rest of the world. Since that's the natural position, it actually works better but it's less comfortable and puts strain on the knees. The Japanese are switching to western toilets, and often add the bidet seats.

I've often wondered why they don't make a seated toilet where the seat is
effectively reclined, to put you in an artificial squat without making your knees do the work. It's possible the bidet seats could offer that as an option, but most toilets are not designed to allow the user (there's a nice euphamism) to lean back very far. There are, however, many attempts to sell this. As I noted, most toilet innovations have had little success.

The Swash is a more expensive unit than the Cleanlet, but is similarly priced to other units like the Toto which is the most popular in Japan. It looks a lot nicer. It has glowing blue and red LEDs at the base of the seat showing status -- of course you could never actually see these status indicators while seated on the toilet, so I am not so sure of the point.

The Swash uses an IR remote control (though John Cage of Ally McBeal would not be satisfied as it doesn't let you flush remotely.) This actually is nice because it makes the unit narrower and it can fit in a smaller space, and you don't have to contort to push the buttons. It seems to be more durably made, and you can lean back with it, something you can't do with the Cleanlet.

I was surprised, however, to find the cheaper Cleanlet performed better. It provided more water pressure, and allowed you to adjust the position of the nozzle at the controls. This is important. The Swash just isn't aimed right for me, and some female guests at my recent party reported the same for their "feminine area." You need to adjust. The pulse mode on the Swash is close to useless, it just has the water turn on and off slowly. The Cleanlet wiggles the wand around for more coverage.

The industry likes to claim that you don't need TP with these devices, but I doubt that's true most of the time. You might save a bit of paper but not much.

One thing neither does, that I suggested to Brondell, is to put the seat back down if it has been left up for a while (or if it detects a flush, via sound or pressure or flow in the water pipe.) Then all the women of the world would rush out to buy them.

Some time ago I tried to see if one could easily make a device that attached to the flush lever of typical toilets which would cause a stick to poke outwards and push the seat down on flush. Again for the ladies who get so annoyed at our highly efficient algorithm of just leaving the seat where it was last used. :-)
All the units also have an issue that standing men with imperfect aim can get urine in places not so easily cleaned. The Cleanlet is worse at this.

In spite of these problems, these are handy devices to have, particularly during menstruation (I'm told) or "digestive problems" (This blog post wins the title for most euphamisms.)

So, do foks still think I would give a positive review just because I was given the product?

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Comments

albert

Thu, 2005-02-17 22:50

>Most toilet innovations have had little success
You see more and more toilets witch have 2 buttons
one for flushing small erins and one for big erins. Another successfull innovation is the toilet that is attached to the wall instead of the floor for easy cleaning.

Also the plumbing had greatly improved to prevent blockage (PVC instead of iron) Removing blockages has also become highttec, they even use cameras !

>Turkey, Japan
It is true that toilets are a part of culture. In Islamic cultures the use of water is prefered to water. (As far as I know that is not compulsary by that religion, but the religion tends to emphasize a lot on being clean) In absence of a bidet you often see a kettle or flower watering can in toilets of people who are used to using water.

I once read that the advantage of water over paper is that you can get small wounds from rubbing with paper (sanding) that tend to infect in tropical countries.

>squatting
Not everybody is able to squat in a comfortable and balanced way (e.g. with their feet flat on the ground and their behind just above the ground). I actually have been training this for a few weeks with little success, I only ripped my jeans. This also seems part of ones culture, asians and africans seem to be beter at this than western people. Maybe because they are not used to/can't afford proper seats. (I also wondered if it has something todo with the exersize they get on the toilet)

>lean back very far
A toilet which allows you to comfortably lean back would be a great improvement. I once ate something wrong and head to go to the toilet every 5 minutes, and I could not go to sleep because of that. Other people have the opposite problem, it won't come out. Would be nice if they could lean back read the paper, drink some coffee smoke a sigarette.

I am very interessed in the kind of water that is used for flushing the toilet. It amazes me that it is still very common that the same super clean water is used everywhere in the house. Where I live the water is so clean you can drink it out of the tap without getting sick and it doesn't even taste bad.

Kee Hinckley

Sat, 2005-03-19 04:39

If you ever go to someone's house and see a flower watering pot next to the toilet, you're seeing the other alternative to a bidet. My wife's family is from Iran, and that's what they use regularly. I find that pretty awkward, but wetting the toilet paper is a huge gain (best if your toilet is right next to a sink). Some companies have tried to market pre-moistened toilet paper, but requiring a special dispenser (and marketing problems) apparently haven't made it very successful.

E

Wed, 2005-03-23 00:01

what an interesting site. bidets are awkward for westerners, but I see it catching on in hotels nationwide. apparently moist-towelettes aren't enough. I saw a commercial recently that showed a girl wiping a muddy dog with dry paper, then wiping it with a wet paper cloth. the wet paper cloth (moistened toilet paper) worked much better, and showed how inefficient dry paper is.
I'd like to make the switch to a more "efficient" cleaning system like a bidet, but I rent my apartment, and there isn't enough room for a seperate unit. maybe these all-in-one units will have to do.

Riemer

Thu, 2006-05-18 04:59

What do you think of an Automatic Toilet Seat, ATS, that raises to the upright position when a convenient button is pushed leaving the hands, and feet free and sanitary. In the raised position the ATS has a secondary timer that lowers the toilet seat th the seating position after a timer senses a nominal period of time, adjustable, set at a nominal ten minutes. The ATS is powered by a low voltage motor,which is water proof and impervious to toilet environment. The ATS is always in the lowered position for childrens usuage with the access Button located at a height suitable to children. Cost is about $25 . I have an operating prototype. EZSTO@AOL.COM

brad

Thu, 2006-05-18 23:53

Don't really need a motor to lift the seat. The seat, especially the edge, is suprisingly sanitary. Urine is not unsanitary, it's sterile, in fact in a pinch it can be used to clean wounds! I can't imagine wanting to press a button to raise it unless I were disabled.

Automatic lowering after would make the ladies happy, though.

Ed Ray

Thu, 2006-11-02 09:24

Great Idea. Everyone seems to think they would sell like hotcakes. I'll take 2 myself. My wife complains about me leaving the seat up. Let me know when they ae available or if you'd like me to test a prototype.

Ed Ray

Anonymous

Mon, 2007-01-29 13:20

Does anyone have rear experience with the biobidet 1000?

Anonymous

Sun, 2007-02-11 06:50

Yes, I have used the biobidet 1000 at my mother n laws home. I live in an apartment and couldn't install electric unit but went out and bought my self a BB-200 from Bidet Services. I love it, wife loves it. Can't wait to move because the bio bidet 1000 is the first thing to be installed!

Anonymous

Mon, 2007-02-12 09:38

EVIEW AND INQUIRY
I did my research and decided that I was between the Jasmin Toto washlet and the Biobidet 1000.

The only model I was able to test was the Jasmin. I am an average weight taller American woman and I could not get the bidet (fem wash) to hit anywhere near where it should. Sorry to be crude, but the closest it came to the right spot was my taint, which doesn't need the wash. I leaned in all direction and backed up so far I was sitting on the back, but nothing hit right. I was angry and sad when finished testing. I can only imagine is works for a woman if your parts are EXTREMELY close together.

I only recommend the Jasmin Jasmin Toto Washlet to short small bottomed women and less hairy men. The Jasmine perfect for rear cleansing (get a model with rear soft wash though! it is wider cleaning instead of one tiny stream). My husband complained that the pressure was not hard enough to clean the area completely, but it helped him relax, prior to going. He wanted to buy one just for this. It hit the rear spot perfectly for both me and my husband, a memorable pleasure! I felt cleaner than I have ever been, even cleaner than after showering.

In the end we will not be getting the Toto model, because the wand is not aimed correctly for the fem. area at all. It would need a second wand at a different angle and wider spray to hit the area properly. Has anyone tried both a Toto model and the BioBidet 1000? I am wondering if there is hope that Biobidet is designed for a larger woman with parts not so closely arranged. Purchasing something that you have never tried is hard to do....I have not found a place that will take a free return.

I am also now considering a manual model and read about the Biffy. It looks like it would be wide enough and something that I could rig to aim properly--but I loved the warm water and fear cold water!!!

Anonymous

Wed, 2007-08-08 23:43

After using the Bio Bidet BB1000 for almost a year, I can assuredly report that it performs all functions as advertised for both myself and my wife. She was a bit confused as to why we would want to buy an expensive toilet seat at first, but it was soon "love at first sit". The 'aim' is perfect for both of us, even though I am much taller than she. The remote control has handy settings to adjust how far the sprayer extends as well as temperature controls from cool to very warm. As a sufferer of several GI maladies, I find its 'whirly' mass of water very effective and comfortable at loosening stubborn constipation. I think that the BB 1000 offers the best combination of features and solid engineering compared with its competitors. It costs about $500 if you shop for it online.

Anonymous

Sun, 2007-09-30 09:12

I finally installed the BB-1000 and love it! The wife loves it and can't stop telling her friends. For some reason they don't share the same passion! We found our at www.bidetservices.com. I believe we paid a little over $500 but shipping was free.

Dianne

Tue, 2007-08-14 14:26

The most simple and effective bidets can be seen all over Turkey... there is simply a nozzle in the correct 'line of fire, as it were', in the body of the toilet pan, just below seat level at the rear of the pan.. it is operated by a tap at the side , water is channeled from the water supply nearest to the toilet/ bidet... I wish I can get one in UK !
Di

brad

Tue, 2007-08-14 19:06

Those may be hard to make up to US/UK sanitary codes, due to the nozzle being inside the bowl of the toilet. I know that even the non-toilet bidets that have nozzles inside them need to have special anti-backflow nozzles at the least. That's why not all have the water come up from below.

Anonymous

Mon, 2007-10-01 18:25

I also have the BB-1000 from Bio Bidet. It works great for my wife, kids and I. Much better than the Brondel which went into the trash can. Expensive lesson. The TOTO did not cut it either but glad we could try for free. Buy the Bio Bidet the first time..or another brand. The biffy was nice in Mexico but cold water was not fun.

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