The toilet may not be the most flattering feature of the home, but by and gosh is it the most important. Without a functioning toilet, our homes, simply put, won’t feel like home.
Going to the toilet is a very private affair, so it is always nice to know that you can come home from wherever you have been to a toilet that you can trust. Fitting the right toilet seat is a big part of that trust.
There is no such thing as a “one seat to fit all toilets” approach to sizing up toilet seats. In saying that, here in the U.S there are two standard toilet shapes that subsequently equate to two standard toilet seat sizes.
An elongated toilet seat is exactly that, it’s elongated. Elongated toilet seats are not thinner in width, they are longer in length. This extra length makes them a great option for particularly tall and large people who require a bigger toilet seat.
As a result of elongated toilet seats suiting tall people as well as shorter people, they are the most common toilet seat type for public toilets and businesses. Most hotel, airport, and shopping mall toilets will be elongated for this reason.
Round toilet seats are most commonly fitted in the home environment. This is because, as a general rule of thumb, most homeowners tend to prefer extra bathroom space instead of a larger toilet.
You will find that the majority of round toilet seats come in at 16.5 inches in length and 14 inches in width. This reduced length means they can fit into tighter toilet-specific spaces and rooms which is another reason why they suit the home environment best. It is rare to find a round toilet in a public set of toilets, but it does happen.
Now that you know exactly what is meant by a round toilet seat, it’s time to find out what makes them shine. Round toilet seats, in general, are the less expensive toilet seat type.
Probably the worst aspect of a round toilet seat, when compared to elongated ones, is its comfort level. Kids aside, round toilet seats are generally less comfortable for adults.
Elongated toilet seats are fast becoming the standard toilet type, both in the public arena and the modern home. The biggest reason for this is that elongated toilet seats are the more comfortable option for people to sit down on. It is suggested that most adults tend to find elongated toilet seats offer a more pleasurable sitting experience.
The fact that they are a little longer, and a little larger than round toilet seats means it doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to assume that elongated toilet seats are also more expensive. For this reason, anyone on a tight budget may prefer to go down the traditional route and purchase a round toilet seat instead