How to Choose a Toilet

A toilet is the one fixture in your house that every guest uses and nobody wants to think about — until it clogs, runs, or wobbles. Choosing the right one is mostly about three numbers and one decision, and getting them right the first time saves you a return trip and a second wax ring.

Start with the rough-in — the one measurement that matters

The rough-in is the distance from the finished wall behind the toilet to the center of the closet bolts that hold it down (the same line as the center of the drain). Measure to the bolt caps, not the baseboard. Get this wrong and nothing else about the toilet matters — it won’t sit against the wall or it won’t reach the flange.

The overwhelming majority of homes are a 12-inch rough-in. Older houses sometimes run 10 inches, and a few run 14. If you measure something odd, don’t panic — 10-inch and 14-inch models exist, but they’re special-order and pricier, so confirm before you buy. While you’re back there, look at the shutoff valve and supply line; a 20-year-old toilet usually means a 20-year-old valve you’ll want to replace at the same time.

One-piece vs. two-piece

A two-piece toilet ships as a separate tank and bowl that you bolt together during install. A one-piece is molded as a single unit. Both flush the same — the difference is cleaning, weight, and price.

Tip: For most bathrooms a two-piece is the smart buy — it’s cheaper, easier to muscle up the stairs, and the internal fill and flush valves are identical to a one-piece, so repairs down the road cost the same.

Bowl shape, height, and the flush

Three comfort choices decide how the toilet actually feels day to day:

• Elongated vs. round. Elongated bowls (oval) are more comfortable and now the default. Round-front bowls save about two inches front-to-back — buy one only in a tight powder room where the door or a vanity would otherwise hit the bowl.
• Comfort height vs. standard. “Comfort” or “chair” height seats sit about 17–19 inches off the floor (like a chair), versus 15 inches on a standard bowl. Easier on knees and backs — the right call for most adults. Standard height is friendlier for small kids.
• Flush type. Gravity-fed is quiet, reliable, and cheap to fix. Pressure-assisted flushes harder (good for busy or hard-to-clog lines) but is loud and pricier to repair. For a home, gravity-fed wins.

Federal rules cap new toilets at 1.6 gallons per flush, and most quality models today use 1.28 GPF (WaterSense certified) without sacrificing power. In California and a few other states 1.28 is the legal maximum, so it’s the safe default everywhere. Skip anything advertised as vintage-flow or 3.5-gallon — it wastes water and often isn’t code-legal.

Don’t forget the parts that make it work

The toilet box usually does not include everything you need to install it. A clean job means having the small stuff on hand before you pull the old one:

• A wax ring or waxless seal and new closet bolts — look in flanges and closet hardware. Never reuse an old wax ring.
• A fresh braided supply line and, ideally, a new quarter-turn shutoff valve.
• A toilet seat — many bowls, especially budget two-piece models, ship without one.
• A bead of caulk around the base (leave a gap at the back so a hidden leak can show itself) and a couple of basic plumbing tools — a closet-bolt wrench and a level.

Buying these together in one trip is exactly the kind of project your neighborhood hardware store is built for — someone at the counter can hand you the matching wax ring and bolt kit instead of you guessing online.

Pick by bathroom

Frequently asked questions

Buy the right rough-in, pick comfort-height and elongated, and stick with a brand you can get parts for, and your new toilet will outlast the bathroom around it. When you want to see it in person and grab the exact seal and bolts that fit, your local independent hardware store is the fastest path — and if you’re stuck between two models, ask us here.