Toilet Advice may earn compensation through affiliate links on this page.
Loud flushing noises can be a nuisance, especially if you live in a smaller home with lots of people living in close proximity. They can wake you up in the middle of the night or simply effect your concentration. Because of this, toilets with a quiet flush are becoming an increasingly popular choice among consumers.
We've hand picked a few of our favorites below. They utilize mechanisms known to keep the noise down to a minimum, making them a suitable replacement for your bathroom. We also gather information about their performance, water usage, comfort, and overall design.
The Ultramax II is a range we're familiar with, having looked over its spec list on several occassions as well as checking out others experiences with it.
It's made by Toto, a company that's well known in the sanitary ware industry. They've built up a solid reputation over many years by producing high quality goods. The MS604114CEFG#01 is no different.
The tornado flushing mechanism and CEFIONTECT glaze is an excellent combination for leaving the bowl spotless after use, plus it doesn't waste much water in doing so. A WaterSense standard, 1.28 flow rate proves this.
The 800 grams scored on MaP's scale indicates the power and performance is also there despite lower than average volumes of water flowing from the tank through the bowl.
  |
  |
  |
  |
|
| Toto UltraMax II | KOHLER Tresham | WoodBridge | KOHLER Memoirs | |
| Model number | MS604114CEFG#01 | K-3950-0 | T-0001 | K-6669-0 |
| Flush type | Double Cyclone | AquaPiston | Dual | AquaPiston |
| Touchless | ||||
| Trip lever | ||||
| Button | ||||
| GPF | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.0 / 1.6 | 1.28 |
| ADA | . | |||
Rim height
Height without seat
|
16-1/8" | 16-1/2" | 16-1/2" | 16-1/2" |
| Elongated | . | |||
| Round | ||||
| Square | ||||
| Dimensions | 28 3/8 x 16 1/2 x 28 3/4" | 28.5 x 16.5 x 14.5" | 28.5 x 14.5 x 27.5" | 31.4 x 28.2 x 20.1" |
| Weight | 99 lbs | 72.8 lbs | 119 lbs | 101 lbs |
| Concealed trap | ||||
| Skirted | ||||
| One piece | ||||
| Two piece | ||||
| Intelligent | ||||
| Floor mount | . | |||
| Wall mounted | ||||
| Colors | White | White, Biscuit, Bone | White | White |
| Seat | ||||
| Rating | 88% | 86% | 85% | 84% |
There are a number of specs to watch out for that can help you identify which toilets have a quieter flush than others. But first, you should explore the things that could potentially be making the noises externally. Sometimes, it has nothing to do with the product you've chosen, but the piping installed, how tight it is to the structure, and even the material used.
However, if you are adamant that the problem lies with the toilet itself, we recommend avoiding getting a replacement that operates on a pressure assisted mechanism. These are known to be louder than your average gravity fed unit. Then you can choose to get a model which utilizes a swirling motion through the bowl.
But these shouldn't be the only things you focus on. The amount of time it takes to refill the tank afterwards can be a frustration for many people. That constant trickle of water is something you want to minimize.
There are plenty of positives we can find within the Ultramax II specs. This is a popular choice among consumers for various reasons, not least of all its ability to handle waste with less water than your standard 1.6 gallon units.
Then there is the seamless, one piece style that does away with the gap between the tank and bowl. The gaps in two piece designs can be at the center of a range of issues, most notably of which is leaking. So by removing this from the design, it eliminates a common problem.
The Toto brand is recognized globally, and has a solid reputation among plumbing professionals and your average joe looking to upgrade and improve his bathroom.
It's also universal height, which ensures everyone gets a more comfortable experience due to the extra inches added to the bowls height. User comfort and body support while seated is an overlooked area in our view, especially when you consider how much time we spend on the toilet.
The surface also has a very useful CEFIONTECT glazing that protects and gives the surface a more lubricious feel which is designed to stop bacterial growth in the porous surface of the Vitreous China material.
This is one of our favorites, ranking highly in our best overall list, due to its ability to conserve water (WaterSense), while achieving strong levels of performance.
Like the MS604114CEFG#01 above, the K-3950 Tresham has the benefit of being manufactured by a well known company with plenty of reputable products being released from showers and baths, to sinks and toilets.
The K-3950 model is one the stands out for us for a number of reasons. The first is the unique exterior. Unlike many designs we've looked at on the market, the Tresham has a beautiful exterior that will improve the aesthetics of any modern bathroom. The ridge details on the tank and bowl are a nice touch that give it character in our opinion.
It also uses far less water than many of its counterparts. The 1.28 GPF flow rate highlights this, and will help you save many thousands of gallons of water across the products lifetime, even more so if you currently own a older 3.5 or 5.0 GPF unit.
The bowls taller than average too, which is advantageous for disabled users and even people who're tall. It gets the comfort height label, which can only be used to describe products that are at least 17 inches tall. It may not seem like much, but this can be quite a difference when you consider standard bowls measure about 15 inches on average.
If you shop around, you'll also be able to find it in a number of different colors. White is typically the most popular choice, but there is some great, and perhaps unusual alternatives such as ice gray, dune, and biscuit.
Our opinion is that WoodBridge Bath are very much under the radar. People tend to go with the big names, which is understandable, but by doing so, you stand to miss out on some fantastic alternatives. We think the T-0001 is an example of this.
The two flush system, one for liquids, one for solids, is a excellent way to save water. This is known as a dual flush and is operated via two buttons on the tank. One button when pressed will use a very efficient, 1.0 gallons of water to clear the bowl of waste, while the other utilizes 1.6 gallons, this is particularly handy when you need to clear a larger quantity of waste, for example solids. This enables it to average out at 1.28 gallons, which is the number required to be labelled as a high efficiency toilet.
The elongated, chair height seating is once again taller than your standard bowl, which is becoming more common in homes. The advantages are clear, and the ease of access important to many people.
Externally, it looks nice, with simple, clean lines that hide the trapway. What's more, a seamless integration of both bowl and tank finish off a solid, modernistic design.
Another stylish option made by Kohler is the K-6669 from the Memoirs product line. Something we look for from a visual point of view is skirting around the bowl. This is something that some manufacturers avoid adding because it generally increases manufacturing costs due to the extra material required around the edges of the bowl. However, if you're not working with a tight budget, it's a feature worth researching into as it improves the looks by removing the trapway from view.
The bowl itself is elongated, which has many benefits over a rounded shape, namely the extra comfort and support for your legs. The stylish ridging on the lid and at the base seems to be a common theme with some Kohler collections, but one that we appreciate. You can also find it available in white, black, biscuit, almond, and several others to match your washrooms theme.
It meets the Environmental Protection Agencies WaterSense criteria, with a water efficient, 1.28 gallon flush, that operates on Aqua Piston technology. This can make a difference in both environmental and economical terms. When you think about how much water your home uses yearly, the reduced utility bills will come as welcome news to many buyers.
It's 31-7/16 inches tall from base to tank lid, 18-7/8 inches wide, and 29-5/8 inches from the back of its tank to the front of its bowl.
This could work well in a family home with extensive use. Good performance, as shown by its 1000 gram MaP score, customers seem happy for the most part, and aesthetically pleasing.
Rough in measurement - How far is your waste outlet from your wall? This is an important measurment to know about. Get your tape out and measure from the wall to the middle of the waste outlets closet bolts. This will give you your rough in size and determine how effectively it fits. You'll know you've got a poor fit when there is a large gap behind the tank and bowl or it sits to tight to the wall. Many readers who do this will find theirs fits a standard twelve inch rough. However, it's necessary to do it regardless of what's seen a standard, because some homes require fourteen inches or ten inches too.
Dual or single flush? - Toilets that operate on a dual flush mechanism give people a choice of either a half or full flush. This simply means that the lighter of the two will use less water. Why do manufacturers offer such a system? Well, in comparison to solid waste, liquids don't take much power to remove from the bowl. Over time, using the less strong flush for liquid enables consumers to make significant savings on the number of gallons used.
Efficiency - Regardless of the system in place, you'll also want to research a products overall efficiency. Does it do a good job in conserving water compared to its competitors? Does it meet the Environmental Protection Agencies standards? These are some things to explore. If you've got a very old installation, you may find that both 1.6 GPF and 1.28 GPF are significant improvements. You can check our calculator here to find out more.
Height of bowl - If you're after improved accessibility, perhaps for elderly or disabled residents, then the bowls height is very important. A standard bowl measures around fifteen to sixteen inches in height to the seat. These are usually fine for your average buyer, but there are taller alternatives known as comfort height which takes pressure off the joints and muscles when sitting and standing. There isn't anything special or unique about the designs themselves. In fact, in most cases, the only difference is they are around two inches taller, and will have a bowl height between seventeen and nineteen inches.
Shape - Both elongated and round shaped bowls can have their advantages. For example a round bowl will offer a lower profile, which is usually an important feature for people with smaller homes. Then there is those with an elongated shape. These are a great choice for ensuring you get the best seated posture, with great support beneath your legs, and that added bit of comfort where you don't feel cramped. Alternatively, there are rectangular options that have an aesthetic appeal about them and give users more seated space. Which one you choose from these three will ultimately come down to how big your bathroom is, and user preferences.
Trapway - You'll need to ask yourself three things about the trapway. The first is how big do you want it to be? A bigger trapway can in theory handle a larger quantity of waste. This is all dependent on the mechanism of course, but the bigger the passage, the more it can send through. Then you should check if it's fully glazed. This helps prevent streaking and smoothes over the sides, ensuring less bacteria and germs are left behind. Finally, do you want skirting that conceals the trap? From a design viewpoint, products that are skirted look more appealing and modern. From a maintenance perspective, they are easier to clean as there is no cracks for dirt to hide in.
MaP score - The Maximum Performance score is a ratings scale from a third party that designates toilets a score between 0 and 1000 grams based on how well they remove waste from the bowl. This is a reliable system that filters the poorly performing models from the ones that excel. We suggest you avoid anything that scores less than 500 grams for the simple reason that many products these days, even the most low flowing ones, achieve this quite easily while remaining affordable for most consumers.
Gloss - Becuase ceramic china is used in the wide majority of toilets, there can be little pockets on the surface that dirt, mold, mildew and the like can get stuck in. However, many manufacturers now offer special coating, known as gloss that covers this porous surface, making the bowl smoother and less of a breeding ground for bacteria. This smoothness also helps leave the bowl cleaner after each bathroom visit because less waste sticks. Companies have different names for such features, but EverClean and SanaGloss are two popular ones.
Brands - What is seen as a top brand is a matter of opinion for many. You'll find differentiating opinions from plumbing professionals about their go to brand names. However, there are clearly some which are more popular than others, and the reviews on online shops tend to reflect this. Among these are Toto, Mansfield, Kohler, and American Standard. However, we've also spent time researching what WoodBridge, Sterling, Ove, Delta, and Swiss Madison could potentially offer buyers too. Because there is so much choice here, we recommend you read our guides on each, you'll learn about their history, innovations, reliability and much more that will help you come to a more informed decision.
Even the quietest toilets need to have a respectable list of specifications that ensure they handle waste in bulk effectively and function well for day to day use. The products we've chosen above have a great combination of things we look for. Strong performance, user comfort, stylish, and accessible. But make sure you read what consumers are saying about each unit, as well as our other buying guides before you make a decision. Taking time to compare products is a sensible step to take that may save you from running into problems in the future. If the noise is becoming frustrating, you may also want to consider these fixes.