Best Low Flow High Efficiency Toilets
Do you really ever think about how much water you flush out of your home on a daily basis? Most people don’t think about it at any time unless there is a water shortage or they see their water bill steadily rising. Low flow toilets are becoming more popular because they can save you money and are much more eco-friendly. In this post, we will cover:
High Efficiency Toilets Comparison
| Unit | Finish | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
TOTO Ultramax II | Cotton White; Sedona Beige | 4.5 | Check Price |
Kohler Santa Rosa | Almond; Biscuit; Black; Dune; Ice Gray; Sandbar; White | 4.2 | Check Price |
TOTO Eco Soiree | Colonial White; Cotton; Sedona Beige; Bone | 4.1 | Check Price |
Kohler San Raphael | Almond; Biscuit; Black; Dune; Ice Gray; Sandbar; Thunder Gray; White | 3.0 | Check Price |
Danze Orrington | White | 3.8 | Check Price |
Top 5 Low Flow Toilet Reviews
1. TOTO Ultramax II
The TOTO Ultramax II is a sleek, high profile, one piece, WaterSense certified toilet. It features a wide backsplash and provides a wide basin for comfort of use. This toilet delivers a quiet, powerful flush each time you use it. It is in compliance with ADA regulations for toilet height. The toilet features a SanaGloss ceramic glaze coating to help you keep the bowl clean and reduce the amount of water and chemicals necessary to clean it. This unit uses the Double Cyclone Flushing system, which shoots jets of water around the rim of the bowl to create centrifugal force that delivers a powerful reliable flush each time you use it.
Pros
- Smooth SanaGloss glaze provides a super smooth finish keeping the bowl cleaner and more sanitary
- The kit includes everything you need to install it
- It includes a toilet seat with purchase of the toilet
- It is designed to lower the seat gently so it does not damage the toilet
- Customers report that they feel it is a good value for the money
Cons
- The toilet is made of plastic which may make it more susceptible to damage than a traditional porcelain toilet would be
- The top of the toilet is sloped so you cannot use it as a surface to place things on
- The handle is not located in an easy to reach location
Read our full review of the TOTO Ultramax II
2. Kohler Santa Rosa
The Kohler Santa Rosa toilet was designed to be the ultimate space-saving, high efficiency toilet on the market. It has a contemporary one-piece design and it is compact enough to fit into any bathroom. It features a unique flush engine, the AquaPiston. This flush engine makes it possible for water to flow into the bowl from all 360 degrees at the same time. This provides a powerful, fast flush that does not promote clogging.
The Santa Rosa uses 1.28 gallons of water per flush. The company states that the Santa Rosa will save you over 16,500 more gallons of water per year than a tradition 3.5 gallon toilet would; yet they promise not to sacrifice performance.
Pros
- Comes in different colors you can choose from
- It features a small footprint so it can easily be installed in a small area
- It has an elongated bowl for increased comfort
- It sits high enough to make standing and sitting more comfortable for most people
- The tank and bowl are combined into a convenient one-piece design
- It is easy to clean because it has a limited amount of seams and creases
Cons
- The flush is not quiet
- The toilet does not ship with a soft close seat. You will need to order and install one if you want to add it
- The unique base design and the height of the fixtures on the unit may require you to fix flooring or extend hookups before this toilet can be installed
- Customers complain that this model often runs and leaks water when it is not being used
See more details in the full review of the Kohler Santa Rosa
3. TOTO Eco Soiree
The TOTO Eco Soiree is a low consumption toilet that features a powerful Double Cyclone Flushing system to use gravity to help increase flush strength while maintaining low water consumption standards. Two nozzles are used to shoot water around the rim and bowl more efficiently. This helps to keep the toilet clean and sanitary while increasing the flush strength. Less dirt and bacteria get trapped around the rim. This helps reduce mold, bacteria and debris from collecting in the bowl.
Pros
- This toilet is ADA compliant
- It comes as a one piece toilet, for ease of installation
- It features TOTO’s unique SanaGloss ceramic glaze to help provide protection and increase cleanliness
- Features a SoftClose seat so that the seat does not slam down and damage the toilet bowl
- Features an elongated front bowl for increased comfort when sitting
Cons
- This unit is constructed of plastic and may not offer as much durability as a porcelain bowl
- The unit features a powerful flush, but it is very loud
- It may require professional installation as it is a little different than a traditional toilet
- The unit fits flat against the wall, which may require some people to move their shut-off valve before they can install this toilet
See the TOTO Eco Soiree Review
4. Kohler San Raphael Pressure Lite
The Kohler San Raphael elongated toilet has the lowest water consumption of any of the models reviewed. It uses just 1 gallon of water per flush. It comes in a variety of colors so it is capable of fitting into any décor. It is marketed toward a commercial client who may need to meet residential or hospitality needs. The toilet features an all in one design with an elongated bowl. It features a polished chrome lever and comes with a Quiet-close seat.
Pros
- Toilet seat features quick release capability with a quiet closing system
- Meets EPA WaterSense program standard
- This product may allow you to earn LEED Green Building Rating System Water Efficiency points
- The San Raphael is compliant with ADA regulations
- Customers state it is very comfortable to sit on
- It features a Limited One-Year Warranty from Kohler
Cons
- Many customers report leaking, running and loud sounds coming from the toilet
- Flush strength is not always sufficient for removing solid waste and paper
- It is very expensive
- It requires special tools and the assistance of a plumber to do something simple, like replacing a toilet seat
Get more info on the full review of the Kohler San Raphael
5. Danze Orrington
The Danze High Efficiency Elongated Toilet is made to be ergonomically designed for comfort. Its design was carefully considered to make it both attractive and easy to clean. The elongated bowl is intended to bring added comfort to the seat. It has an attractive design that will be a compliment to any modern bathroom.
Pros
- It is designed with a 16.5 inch set height, for those who may have trouble standing or sitting on a traditional toilet
- This water saving toilet uses only 1.28 gallons of water per flush
- Strong jets of water help improve the flushing power of the toilet to increase its efficiency
Cons
- Some customers complain it is not efficient at removing waste and staying clean with a single flush
- There are some complaints about the bolt covers not fitting well and that the only way to correct the problem is to replace the toilet
Head over to the full Danze Orrington review
What Are Water Efficient Toilets?
Low flush toilets are designed to save more water with every flush than conventional full-flush toilets. Toilets that use 1.3 gallons of water or less per flush are also known as low flow, low-flush or high-efficiency toilets. Traditional toilets typically use up to 1.6 gallons of water or more per flush. These high efficiency water saving toilets were designed and introduced in the 1990s, in order to address U.S. water conservation concerns.
Many people are worried that low flow toilets will not work as well at eliminating waste from the toilet like some of the best selling flushing toilets. However, that is not the case. Most high efficiency toilets use a pressurized flush valve to ensure that the water is powerful enough to flush waste out so that you do not have to double flush. This is made even more possible because a low flush toilet will typically have a large trapway as well. This makes it easy for you to flush away the toilet paper and solid wastes with a tiny bit of water pushing it out.
Why Choose High Efficiency Toilets?
- Low-flow toilets are designed to use less than 1.6 gallons of water per flush
- Toilets that use less than 1.3 gallons of water per flush can receive a WaterSense sticker issued by the EPA that certifies it as a water saving toilet.
- The best low flow toilets are designed to save the average American home up to $90 per year
- High efficiency toilets can lead to a lifetime savings amount that can exceed $2,000 (over the lifetime of the toilet)
Potential Problems with Low Flush Toilets
- Many of the early low flow toilets problems revolved around issues on not having sufficient water power to remove solid waste from the bowl without a second flush.
- This caused consumers to end up using more water to make the toilet operate effectively
- Some cities experienced a back-up of solid waste in the sewer system that were designed to function with higher water volume
- Newer designs are implementing a drain pipe with a smaller diameter so waste is less likely to accumulate and settle along the drain pipe.
Summary: Best Low Flow Toilet Reviewed
If you are in the market for a high-efficiency low flow toilet, we recommend the TOTO Ultramax II. This is a great toilet for the price and is one of the best TOTO toilets. It features an easy to clean, one piece design. It has a strong flushing system and has a high customer satisfaction rating. The SanaGloss glaze is effective at reducing the time, effort, water and chemicals needed to clean it. This makes it a better choice for the environment. Customers claim that it provides a strong, reliable, quiet flush each time.
The Kohler San Raphael Comfort Height Pressure Lite would be the best choice for you if you are looking for the model with the highest water efficiency, but we did not select this model as our recommended product because it had many poor customer satisfaction reviews. Many people claimed that they could not get the water to stop running and the toilet actually increased their water consumption. The TOTO Ultramax II seems to provide a more consistent performance. For more high efficiency toilets that we love, keep reading!
Runners Up
American Standard Town Square Flowise
If you’re looking to buy a fabulous dual-flush toilet, this is just the thing you need. This model comes in white and linen – and both colors look stunning. Elongated bowl, concealed trapway, slow close seat and cover all work together to deliver efficient and stylish toilet. The flush mechanism won’t let you down as it works great and is quite powerful, leaving the bowl clean after each use. In addition, cleaning this toilet will be easy, as it doesn’t have a lot of curves.
However, a slight concern is that the unit is one piece, thus it’s very hard to install it. Also, this model is a tad taller which some users didn’t like.
Click to read more on the Town Square Flowise
TOTO Eco Drake
This toilet is equipped with an E-Max flushing system and uses only 1.28 GPF. It is a standard size, elongated toilet that is slightly decorative. It is a 10-in rough in and features a chrome trip lever. Price wise, it is very economical.
Kohler Cimarron
This toilet not only saves you money but it can save you from falling. It is a comfort height toilet that flushes using an AquaPiston canister and a large 3in flapper. It is an elongated, two-piece toilet. The good news is, there are a variety of colors for you to choose from.
Read more about why we love the Kohler Cimarron
American Standard H2Option
The H20ption is actually a dual flush toilet, allowing you to choose from a lighter flush or more powerful flush depending on your needs. It is available in round or elongated toilet bowl sizes. It has a chrome plated top mounted push button flush system and requires a 12-inch rough in. The seat has to be purchased separately, but overall the style is appealing to many people.
Head on over to the American Standard H2Option full review
American Standard Baby Devoro Flowise
This is a 10-in high round front toilet - a compact toilet great for smaller bathrooms. It has a fully glazed 2 1/8 inch trapway and requires only a 10in rough in. In general, it is affordably priced and simple enough to appeal to most people.