We have tested a host of bidets over the last two years. We reveal our favorite brands to you.
WHAT IS A BIDET FOR?
A bidet is used to rinse between the legs.
We've just pooped (or are menstruating) and need to wipe. Instead of wiping dry and spreading everything out, there's nothing better than a jet of water to rinse to remove any residue, blood or poop smell. Then we can simply mop up the water. In short, the bidet is used to stay clean after going to the toilet.
The new perception of the bidet to avoid using disposable toilet paper (from an ecological perspective) is recent. In some countries, it is not to avoid toilet paper that the bidet is used, but rather because it is inconceivable to remain dirty.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIDETS?
There are different types of bidets. From the porcelain bowl bidet, to the bidet that fits under the toilet seat, to the hand shower or portable bidet!
If you want to know more about the different types of bidets that exist and their functions, I explain it all here in detail: What does a bidet look like?
This way, you will be able to better understand what I am talking about in this article.
BIG TOILET BIDET BRANDS
Among the most popular brands in North America are Tushy, LUXE and Brondell.
They each offer different models and we tested lots of them to find the differences between each. If you want to know the details of each model between LUXE and Brondell, we have made a complete comparison here: Bidets: Brondell VS Luxe
TUSHY
Many people think of Tushy first when talking about bidets. The reason being that they are very very aggressive with their advertising on social networks. It's an American brand that makes millions of dollars (because it invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising), so their ads are only in English and if you want to order their products, they are sold in the United States or recently on Amazon in Canada. The price: $94-140. These are the most expensive bidets with characteristics fairly equivalent to other brands of bidets. So we mainly pay for the brand (or for their marketing, so that they can sell even more)!
Their marketing is great, that’s for sure. It's a brand that wants to be funny and that is reflected as much in their communications as in their products. We tested the Tushy bidets and their basic model is very good. As soon as we activate the jet, it automatically cleans the nozzle, then it sends the water into our buttocks. The Tushy only has one nozzle, so if you want to direct the jet front/back, there is a small “control” on the handle of the bidet to send it where you want.
I wanted to offer their bidets on our site and even during our Kickstarter campaign. I sent them emails several times, very professional in that sense, and I never got a response. Only employees who answer soullessly automatic things, as if we were dealing with the 'support team'. Finally, I leaned towards doing business with LUXE which was much more open to discussion and which seemed to me to be a company on a more human scale.
LUXE Bidet
LUXE offers very good quality bidets at really attractive prices. The NEO 120, their entry-level model (single nozzle and cold water) can be found at ridiculously low prices (less than US$40) at Walmart in the United States.
Then, to have a little more “LUXURY”, the NEO 180 and 185 with cold water and 320 with hot water are highly superior with their offer of two nozzles (front and rear) that can be activated directly from the lever on the side. For the price, it still remains affordable with an offer around $78-89.
Recently, LUXE has innovated by offering a brand new series of bidets, the NEO PLUS. They add to the LUXE three new features that we really like: a nozzle cleaning which also cleans the nozzle cover, hinges to lift the bidet in order to clean underneath and an installation system which requires you to unscrew the bidet a little. toilet seat to install it underneath, but without needing to remove it completely.
BRONDELL
Brondell offers bidets with good value for money if you have a smaller budget. We offer the Brondell brand because it offers bilingual products that can be found on the shelves of our stores in Quebec.
We really believe that an ecological store or even pharmacies in Quebec should offer bidets. It's not just a hardware product relegated to RONA, it's a daily hygiene product! Well... what's more, there are seat baths at Jean-Coutu! Why are there no bidets?
Brondell is one of the only brands to have deigned to translate their instruction booklets into three languages English - Spanish - French (for LUXE, we translated the booklets into French ourselves and print them in-house in black and white, but we cannot translate the boxes). This is why it is mainly Brondell that we find in hardware stores or Costcos in Quebec. And now, in several of our points of sale because we want to promote them everywhere! The bidet is life!
SHORT PORTRAIT OF THE SHOWER BIDET
Before installing toilet bidets, I was in love with my hand shower. It came so well in time when I was in the middle of washing both children's diapers.
Do you have children with reusable diapers? Read this, otherwise, go to 👉
All those parents who say you can put a washable insert in the diaper and then drop the poop ball in the toilet are LUCKY. This happened to me once. I had two children with crazy poop . So I either had to throw a disposable paper full of poo into the trash (because no, it doesn't flush); which stank... or else, I had to scratch (and then, where is the use of the leaflet, I ask you!).
I tell you, the bidet spray saved my spoon scraping! Besides, I really don't know why people scrape with a spoon, a spoon has a cavity!! Clearly, the knife is better. Well, in short, no need for slips anymore; before washing, I took my batch of ferrous diapers and I rinsed everything in the toilet using my shower before putting it in the wash.
Do we agree that the little trace of poop on washable toilet paper is a CHARM compared to that? In short, the bidet shower is LIFE for pre-washing diapers. And the cool thing is that it also doubles as a bidet for us!
👉 OK, you can resume reading here.
The bidet shower, for us
What's cool about the bidet shower is that the jet can be sent wherever you want. Its T has a water pressure adjustment, so the pressure is not too intense. The only thing is that you have to pass it between your legs, so from front to back. This is probably why my boyfriend always shunned it (during all the years we had it, he never really used it because he said it wasn't practical for a guy ). For him, a real bidet is a toilet bidet.
IN CONCLUSION
If you have reusable diapers to rinse right now, the best bidet to have is the hand shower bidet !
Otherwise, we recommend the LUXE NEO 185 Plus bidet for a cold water bidet or the LUXE NEO 320 Plus for the hot water bidet . These are really our favorite models and we also like the brand which wants to stand out, not by advertising, but because it wants to offer an excellent product.
And if you prefer to support a local physical store, don't hesitate to choose a Brondell bidet. These are also good bidets for the price.
Ready for the bidet?
If you want to read the reasons why people still doubt, we wrote an article about it . If you still doubt yourself, perhaps you will change your perception?