If you’re reading this after the great Coronavirus Quarantine of 2020, you’ve probably heard the tales of toilet paper shortages across the nation. Even those of us who consider ourselves “preppers” were caught off guard by the sudden run on toilet paper despite the fact that intestinal distress was not a symptom of COVID-19.
Although I had plenty of TP in stock distributed throughout my house and in my garage, I realized that even I could be stressed by the prospect of a prolonged lack of access to those soft cottony squares that keep me from feeling self conscious in close proximity to others. So, I decided that I needed to plug this gaping hole in my preps. I would never again be subject to the panic-buying of the unwashed masses where my butt was concerned.
I was going to buy a bidet!!!
I don’t mean that I was going full European second-bowl bidet. I mean the kind that attaches to your existing toilet plumbing to provide a refreshing wash for the nether regions of you and your loved ones.
Quick Comparison
  SonTiy Hand-held Bidet Sprayer |
  Luxe Bidet |
|
| Cleaner than toilet tissue alone | ✔ | ✔ |
| Use less toilet paper | ✔ | ✔ |
| Control The Wash Angle | ✔ | ✗ |
| High water volume/pressure | ✔ | ✗ |
| Use it to clean cloth diapers/potty | ✔ | ✗ |
| Use it to clean bathroom/shower | ✔ | ✗ |
| Convenient for reduced mobility | ✗ | ✔ |
Why Buy a Bidet?
As I’ve already stated, my primary motive for purchasing a bidet was to reduce my dependence on the toilet paper industry and it’s supply chains. But, the most important benefit of the bidet in practical everyday life, is simply cleanliness. I had never been overly concerned with the level of cleanliness I was achieving through my usual use of toilet paper, flushable wipes, and regular showers, but I will say that after owning a bidet, I am even more confident in my personal hygiene.
Using a bidet gives you almost the same feeling of cleanliness that you have after your shower, having used significant amounts of flowing water to remove any particles or fluids from your skin.
Benefits of a Bidet Sprayer
- It gets you cleaner than toilet paper alone
- You use less toilet paper overall
Which Bidet is Best?
As I said above, I did not install an entire bidet bowl, instead I purchased a hand held bidet sprayer. In choosing a bidet sprayer, I had narrowed the purchasing decision down to the best of the two common styles: the hand-held (hand-shower) type and the under-the-seat type.
Under the Seat Bidet Sprayer
I like the under the seat style of bidet sprayer. It was the first type I had ever used as my mother-in-law has had one for a very long time. It has all of the usual benefits of a bidet sprayer. It gets your bottom clean and reduces your toilet paper use. The one linked here also has the cool features of having a self-cleaning ability and an easy to use pressure dial.
Hand Held Bidet Sprayer
After looking around, I decided to go with a hand-held sprayer despite not having any first-hand experience with the design. I saw several benefits beyond those offered by the under-the-seat models that I will list here:
Greater Control of the Wash Angle
With the under-the-seat model, I found that if I needed to adjust the angle of the water, I had to shift my body around on the seat. You can get some level of control over where the water hits you since you’re holding the wand in your hand.
This may not be a benefit, however to anyone who would have trouble reaching behind themselves such as someone with a shoulder injury.
Greater Water Volume
While the under-the-seat version of the bidet sprayer sends a nice targeted stream of water with a very predictable trajectory, the hand-held bidet wand sprayer offers a high-volume gush of water which may not be to everyone’s liking, but I find it rather nice.
Other Unexpected Benefits
In addition to the above benefits that are unique to the hand-sprayer design, I have discovered additional benefits that I would not have anticipated before actually buying and installing the sprayer.
Useful for Potty Training
We have a toddler who is just starting his journey from diapers to undies. The hand-sprayer bidet has actually been a benefit in that it makes it extremely easy to wash his potty directly into the toilet. No more reaching into the potty with a wad of toilet paper to delicately wipe away the proof of his accomplishments while trying to not get it on your hands.
You Can Clean Your Shower With It!
My toilet is right next to my shower. It’s a stand up shower so I can’t fill it with water, and it does not have a hand-held shower head. Surprisingly, my hand-held bidet sprayer has enough hose length and water flow to be used in wetting down and rinsing my shower after I’ve scrubbed it.
Why This Model is Better than Other Wands
Beyond choosing a hand-held bidet model, I specifically chose the SonTiy Hand-held Bidet Sprayer for two very important reasons.
One, It Has a Long Wand
There are other designs that use either a shorter wand or no wand at all. I’m not the most limber individual and I like to keep my hands as far away as possible from any flying debris. So, the SonTiy Hand-held Bidet Sprayer is ideal for my purposes.
Two, It Has a Stainless Steel Hose
One thing I learned by reading a lot of product descriptions before ordering is that most hand-held bidet sprayers have some form of plastic hose. This is not a terrible design flaw, but it is a big concern when you read the instructions and find out that those sprayers should be turned off at the water valve when not in use. I did NOT want to have to turn the sprayer on and off at the base of the toilet tank whenever I wanted to use it. Especially because I cannot guarantee that every time I need it will be planned out in advance.
The SonTiy Hand-held Bidet Sprayer has a stainless steel hose that allows you to leave the pressure in the hose all the time making it extremely convenient compared to all of the others.
This one feature was worth its weight in stainless steel. And as far as I found, it was the only brand with that feature.
I’ll Eventually Buy Both
Though I love my SonTiy, my wife does prefer the under-the-seat style for its ease of use. Since we are fortunate enough to have more than one bathroom, I will eventually buy the Luxe Bidet so that my family will have options when it comes to keeping clean and fresh.