The toilet is one of the most important features in your bathroom. This essential installation is easily overlooked when it’s working properly, but you’re sure to notice if you have a toilet that doesn’t flush well, is uncomfortable, or makes it difficult to keep the bathroom clean.

Kohler and Toto are both well-known toilet brands that offer a broad range of options. Whether you’re upgrading your bathroom or constructing a new house, toilet design is something you’ll want to think about. Here’s our Kohler and Toto toilet comparison so you can see how they stack up.

Flushing System

toto toilet
Image via Unsplash by hausphotomediacom

The flushing system is one of the most important features in a toilet. This fixture is designed for a single purpose, and it can’t accomplish that if it doesn’t flush cleanly and properly. Toto and Kohler use different flushing systems.

Kohler

Kohler’s Class Five flushing system is designed to handle bulk flushing effectively. The large flush valve and direct-fed jet offer ample water flow so you get a powerful flush. The optional Ingenium system focuses on quiet performance, so you can get up in the night without waking others in the house. Kohler offers a wide selection of flushing mechanisms, including:

  • Single-flush: Consistent use, consuming about 1.28 gallons of water with each flush.
  • Dual-flush: Offers an option between light or heavy flushing for greater water efficiency. The light option uses as little as 0.6 gallon of water per flush.
  • Touchless flush: The cleanest option, this toilet lets you flush with a contactless wave of the hand.

Toto

Toto toilets are available with several flushing systems. This variety makes it easy to customize your selection to fit your needs, efficiency goals, and budget. Toto’s toilets also tend to flush more quietly than Kohler’s.

  • G-max flushing system: These toilets use a fully glazed trap and a 3-inch flush valve to dispose of waste in one flush, using about 1.6 gallons each time.
  • E-max flushing system: A more efficient alternative that Toto provides for homeowners who want to cut back on water use, the E-max uses just 1.28 gallons.
  • Cyclone: This system uses 0.8 to 1.6 gallons per flush and has a powerful water nozzle and a small tank.
  • Double Cyclone: Two water nozzles are directed at waste, using 1.28 gallons per flush.
  • Tornado: Three jets around the toilet bowl wash away waste efficiently.

Maintenance

Ongoing maintenance is an important consideration with your toilet. While you can make every effort to care for this fixture properly, any installation can fail or require repairs. Think about the likelihood and simplicity of repairs for your chosen toilet.

Kohler

Kohler is an American brand, so replacement parts are generally easy to get and come from inside the country. Kohler typically requires regular maintenance as it’s a more budget-friendly purchase. You will pay less upfront for a Kohler toilet but may have to call the plumber a little more often.

Toto

Toto is a Japanese brand, so you may need to outsource parts from outside the country. Depending on the complexity of the repair, this could add to your downtime. However, Toto is a premium toilet brand. Since you’ll pay more for this type of toilet upfront, you will usually find that you need less maintenance and fewer repairs in the long run.

Design

While your toilet is a functional installation, there are also design elements to consider when upgrading your bathroom. You want a toilet that’s aesthetically pleasing and well-coordinated with the rest of the bathroom. After function, the overall appearance of the toilet is one of its most noticeable elements.

Both toilet brands use vitreous china, which is a durable material that’s easy to clean. They offer one-piece, two-piece, and wall-hung toilet styles.

Kohler

Kohler is often considered the better brand for a classic design. However, you’ll find that there are many distinctive-looking Kohler toilets on the market.

You can shop a variety of sleek and modern designs like the Numi, Veil, or Eir toilets. Kohler makes toilets in a range of colors, including several shades of white, almond, gray, and black. You can even find select designs with gold or rose gold trim and floral accents.

Toto

Like Kohler, Toto offers a variety of sleek, modern toilet designs as well as more traditional toilets. There are fewer color options with Toto toilets, but you can still choose from various shades of white or a simple black finish. Toto offers a matte silver finish as well. Toto’s toilets tend to be smaller, making them great for small bathrooms that need space-saving designs. However, the smaller design can make these fixtures slightly less comfortable than their Kohler counterparts.

Cleaning

Toilet cleaning isn’t the most pleasant task, so you naturally want to choose a fixture that makes the job as easy as possible. Both Kohler and Toto offer some elements that can enhance their cleanliness.

Kohler

All Kohler toilets are constructed from vitreous china and are fairly simple to clean. However, some of their products go above and beyond. Those with Revolution 360 flushing technology also feature Kohler’s CleanCoat technology. This adds a thin layer of nanoparticles to the surface of the toilet to repel water and dirt and prevent calcification. Mildew, bacteria, and mineral deposits have a harder time sticking to this surface, so it stays clean longer.

Abrasive cleaning products, bleach, acids, solvents, or alcohol can damage this coating, so it’s important to clean it properly with a gentle toilet bowl cleaner.

Toto

Toto toilets feature a patented CEFIONTECT glaze. This is designed to stop particles from sticking to the surface of the toilet, so it’s easier to clean. The coating helps prevent stains, scaling, and mold build-up. You must avoid abrasive cleaners, bleach, and products with acid or alkaline detergents to keep this glaze in prime condition.

Whether you’re leaning towards Kohler’s classic and affordable design, or you prefer the small, sleek Toto toilet line, we can help you find the products you’re looking for. Start exploring our bathroom fixtures now to find the right fit for your needs.