TOTO Washlet Reviews: C5 vs S5 vs S7A (2026)

Note: Our current TOTO buying option here is the already-reviewed S7A. The linked SW4736AT40#01 is contemporary elongated cotton white, not a round-seat substitute. It is a more expensive automation-focused upgrade, so choose it only if its fit and features suit you. We no longer list the S5 as a current buy; the C5 is discontinued and uses a tank heater. Compare delivered prices and warranty terms across sellers.

TOTO Washlets share many core features, but water heating, fit, and automation differ. The comparison below makes the tradeoffs easier to see; the discontinued C5 is still worth a look.

This page is our hub for three reviewed Washlet seats: the discontinued C5, the S5, and the S7A, our current buying option. We have reviewed each one individually, and here we put them side by side to answer the two questions people actually ask. Is a washlet worth it at all, and if so, which one.

Is a Washlet Worth It?

Short answer: yes, if you will use it daily and you have a GFCI outlet near your toilet.

The case for is straightforward. You buy it once, and TOTO seats use no replaceable filters or cartridges at all, so the ongoing cost is only electricity, roughly $3 to $5 per month. Most owners cut toilet paper use substantially. The heated seat and warm air dryer are the features people quietly become most attached to, especially in winter.

Every Washlet needs a suitable nearby GFCI outlet. Budget $150 to $300 for an electrician if you need one, in addition to the seat itself. Installation costs vary by bathroom.

So the honest answer is conditional. If you own your home, have or can add the outlet, and will use it every day, a Washlet is one of the better-value fixture upgrades you can make. If you are renting short term or the outlet situation is difficult, start with a cold-water attachment instead. We break that decision down further in our guide to whether bidets are worth it.

TOTO Washlet Comparison: C5 vs S5 vs S7A

The Feature Ladder

Spec tables tell you what each seat has. They do not tell you whether the extra money buys anything. So we did something we have not seen anyone else do with this lineup.

We built a 17-point checklist of every meaningful feature across the three seats, covering wash functions, comfort, hygiene tech, and automation. Then we scored each model on the features it actually delivers.

The raw count is less useful than deciding which features you will actually use.

The more useful number, though, is what each step up costs. This is where the lineup's logic becomes obvious:

Both steps add three features in our unweighted checklist, but the S7A step adds far more to the price than the S5 step does. A feature count is only a rough comparison; one feature you need can outweigh several you do not.

The C5-to-S5 upgrade buys endless warm water, a nightlight, and four-user presets. The S5-to-S7A step buys lid automation, bowl EWATER+, and a thinner profile. Neither step is free: weigh those features against your budget rather than treating the feature count as the whole buying decision.

One caveat on the method: features are counted, not weighted. Endless warm water matters far more day to day than a nightlight. That actually strengthens the conclusion, because two of the S5's three added features are the heavily weighted ones.

Specification comparison: Best for Most People: TOTO Washlet S5

Best for: anyone buying their first Washlet, households with multiple users, and anyone with a round toilet bowl.

The S5 is the lower-priced of the two Washlets here with an instant water heater. It keeps water warm throughout a wash and avoids waiting for a small tank to recover between users.

The wireless remote stores presets for up to four users, so each person saves their own water temperature, seat temperature, pressure, and wand position. Combined with endless warm water, that makes the S5 the clear choice for a family bathroom.

It is also the only one of the three available in both elongated (SW3446) and round (SW3445) versions, which quietly matters, since round bowls are common in older and smaller bathrooms and most premium seats ignore them.

You get everything that makes a TOTO a TOTO: PREMIST wets the bowl the moment you sit, EWATER+ sanitizes the wand before and after every use, and the catalytic deodorizer and heated SoftClose seat run with no cartridges to replace. Power draw is 1,271W during active washing, which sounds high next to the C5's 403W, but the instant heater only draws power while warm water is actually running.

What you give up: the auto open and close lid, and EWATER+ bowl cleaning. Both live on the S7A.

Read the full TOTO Washlet S5 review for spray volumes, installation detail, and how it compares against non-TOTO seats in the same price band.

Current buying option if the premium fits: TOTO Washlet S7A

Best for: buyers who want the lid to operate hands-free, and anyone who wants a seat that looks built-in rather than added on.

The S7A is TOTO's flagship seat, and its two signature features are things you notice immediately rather than things you read on a spec sheet.

The first is the auto open and close lid. An approach sensor raises the lid as you walk up and closes it when you leave, so the only thing you touch in the entire sequence is the remote. The second is the 4.06-inch ultra-slim profile. Most bidet seats sit visibly on top of the toilet and announce themselves. The S7A largely disappears into the fixture, which is why it turns up in renovations where the bathroom design actually matters.

It also extends EWATER+ from the wand to the bowl itself, applying electrolyzed water to the ceramic as well. Combined with PREMIST, that is the most complete hands-off hygiene package TOTO offers, and it still requires no filters or chemicals.

The S7A costs far more than the S5. Both provide endless warm water and core comfort features. The extra cost buys automation, bowl EWATER+, and the slimmer profile rather than a different basic wash.

We rate it 4.8, our highest score of the three, and we still do not recommend it to most buyers. Those two facts are not in conflict. It is the better seat; it is the worse value. Buy it if the lid and the profile are things you genuinely want, not because it sits at the top of the range.

The TOTO Washlet S7A review covers the Classic and Contemporary lid variants and the auto-flush compatibility in detail.

Best Only at Closeout: TOTO Washlet C5

Best for: buyers who want lower upfront cost and accept a discontinued model, a tank heater, and elongated-only fit.

TOTO discontinued the C5 in December 2025 and named the S5 as its replacement, but stock is still moving through authorized retailers, so it remains a live option for now.

The hardware is good. It has the full TOTO core: warm water rear, soft rear, and front cleansing with oscillating and pulsating options, a five-setting heated seat, a warm air dryer, a catalytic deodorizer, PREMIST, EWATER+ wand cleaning, and a SoftClose lid, all with no filters to replace. There is one genuine advantage over its successors: a 403W draw, less than a third of the S5's, which is easier on the older bathroom circuits common in pre-1980s homes.

If closeout pricing puts the C5 below the S5 when you shop, that saving makes it reasonable for shorter washes on an elongated toilet. The S5 premium buys continuous warm water, a nightlight, more presets, and round fit.

Choose the C5 if that saving matters more to you than the S5 upgrades. Check seller support and warranty eligibility on a discontinued seat. If you expect long washes or several users in succession, the S5 is worth considering.

Our full TOTO Washlet C5 review walks through the closeout math and what discontinuation means for parts and service.

What Every TOTO Washlet Shares

Whichever you choose, a few things are constant across the lineup, and they are a large part of why the brand is worth the premium.

No consumables, ever

None of these seats uses a replaceable water filter or a carbon deodorizer cartridge. The catalytic deodorizer regenerates itself. Many competing electric seats run $25 to $40 a year in filters, so over a five-year life that gap is $125 to $200 in TOTO's favor, which narrows the sticker-price difference more than most buyers expect.

PREMIST and EWATER+

PREMIST mists the bowl as you sit, so waste struggles to adhere to wet ceramic and flushes away more cleanly, using very little water. EWATER+ is electrolyzed water, plain tap water given a mild electric charge to make it a chemical-free sanitizing rinse for the wand before and after each use. Both are automatic and need nothing from you. If you want the background on why this matters, see our explainer on whether bidets are sanitary.

The same wash core

All three offer a rear cleanse, a softer rear spray, and a front cleanse, each with oscillating and pulsating modes, plus five-level adjustment of water temperature, seat temperature, and dryer heat. The wash experience itself is more similar across these three seats than the price spread suggests. What changes is how long the warm water lasts and how much the seat does on its own.

The same installation requirements

Each seat installs in roughly 15 to 30 minutes on a compatible bowl using the included T-valve, and each needs a GFCI outlet within about four feet. Our bidet seat installation guide covers the full process, and if your bathroom has no outlet near the toilet, read our guide on installing a bidet without an outlet before you commit to an electric seat.

The Verdict

We no longer list the S5 as a current buy. Its specification advantages are endless warm water, round fit, and four-user presets. It covers 14 of the 17 features on our checklist, and its additions over the C5 include endless warm water.

Choose the S7A if you specifically want lid automation and the slimmer profile. It covers all 17 checklist features, but its three additions over the S5 cost far more than the S5's three over the C5.

Choose the C5 if it is priced below the S5 when you shop, its tank heater and elongated-only fit suit you, and you are comfortable buying discontinued inventory.

If you want to see how TOTO stacks up against Brondell, BioBidet, and others before committing to the brand, our guide to the best electric bidet seats compares across manufacturers, and our roundup of the best bidet seats covers cold-water options if a Washlet turns out to be more seat than you need.

For the linked S7A, confirm elongated fit against TOTO’s official fit chart. TOTO identifies SW4736(AT40) as compatible with traditional and WASHLET+ bowls; auto-flush hardware is an optional separate upgrade.