How to Choose a Smart Toilet? What are the Essential Features?

Contents

• 1 How to Choose a Smart Toilet? What are the Essential Features?
• 2 Should You Choose an Instant Heating or Storage Heating Smart Toilet?
• 3 What Do Instant Heating and Storage Heating Mean?
• 4 Water Pressure Issues with Smart Toilets
• 5 What Are the Sensor Types for Smart Toilet Lid and Seat Opening, and How to Choose?
• 6 Key On-Body Sensor Types:
• 7 Recommended Sensor Types:
• 8 Are Smart Toilets Waterproof?
• 9 Smart Toilet Deodorization and Sterilization Functions
• 10 Is the Cleaning Water of Smart Toilets Safe for Women’s Intimate Areas?

How to Choose a Smart Toilet? What are the Essential Features?

When selecting a smart toilet, it’s important to consider two main aspects:

Home Considerations:

• Material and Glaze: The quality of the toilet material and glaze treatment.
• Flushing Capability: The toilet’s ability to effectively flush.

Appliance Considerations:

• Smart Features and Comfort: Automatic lid opening and flushing, seat sensors, temperature control, and bidet functions.

Should You Choose an Instant Heating or Storage Heating Smart Toilet?

Answer: Always opt for an instant heating smart toilet.

What Do Instant Heating and Storage Heating Mean?

In simple terms, instant heating and storage heating refer to the method of heating water for the bidet function. The differences are:

• Instant Heating: Heats the water directly using a heater as it flows. This method provides fresh, temperature-controlled water, which is more hygienic.
• Storage Heating: Heats water stored in a tank. This method uses stagnant water, leading to temperature instability and potential bacterial growth.

Additional Information:

For instant heating smart toilets, according to national standards, the water temperature must not be lower than 30°C when it contacts the skin. After 3 seconds of contact, the temperature must not drop below 35°C and should be maintained between 35°C and 42°C within 30 seconds. Rapid heating is essential for comfort, reducing the sensation of alternating hot and cold. Stable temperature control is also crucial for maintaining comfort.

• Heating Performance: The water temperature should not be lower than 30°C upon initial contact and should reach at least 35°C within 3 seconds.
• Temperature Stability: The water temperature for cleaning should be maintained between 35°C and 42°C. Instant heating smart toilets should maintain a temperature variance of ±2°C within 30 seconds, while storage heating smart toilets should not have a temperature drop greater than 5°C within 30 seconds.

Water Pressure Issues with Smart Toilets

The term “built-in water tank + booster pump” pertains to the toilet’s flushing function (removing waste) and is different from the storage heating tank, which is used for bidet cleaning water.

Smart Toilets Without Built-in Water Tanks Have Water Pressure Requirements

Toilets without a built-in water tank generally require adequate water pressure. However, modern built-in water tank models are widely available and affordable. Therefore, it’s recommended to choose a product with a built-in water tank. The booster pump enhances flushing performance. For better cleaning, consider a product with a “built-in water tank + booster pump.”

Are There Quieter Smart Toilets?

While the “built-in water tank + booster pump” system is preferred, it can be noisy during flushing. For those sensitive to noise, such as in master bedrooms with attached bathrooms, manufacturers have developed quieter solutions. For example, Leton-Smart’s “water-in-water” technology reduces noise by using a water flow that masks the sound of the booster pump during flushing.

What to Do When the Smart Toilet Seat Sensor Doesn’t Respond for Children?

Common smart toilet seat sensors are located on one side of the seat and require user contact to activate functions like seat heating, bidet washing, and auto-flushing. However, small children often do not trigger the sensor. To address this, companies like LetonSmart Smart toilet have developed user-friendly solutions, such as integrating a gravity sensor into the seat pad. When an external force of 15kg is applied, the sensor activates, ensuring the toilet functions correctly. This thoughtful design also prevents accidental activation.

What Are the Sensor Types for Smart Toilet Lid and Seat Opening, and How to Choose?

There are various sensor types for smart toilets available in the market. Here’s how to select the best one. Sensors can be categorized into two main types:

1. On-Body Sensors: Infrared sensors, capacitive sensors, laser sensors, and microwave sensors.
2. Off-Body Sensors: Remote control, app control, voice control, and wave sensors.

Note on Off-Body Sensors: Off-body sensors, such as remote control, app control, voice control, and wave sensors, offer a better human-machine interaction experience. However, their necessity depends on personal preference. These are not core features and may not be frequently used (for instance, I rarely use them with my smart toilet).

Key On-Body Sensor Types:

1. Infrared Sensors: These are the most basic type of sensors for smart toilets. They can be affected by dim lighting and dark-colored shoes and socks, leading to less accurate responses.
2. Laser Sensors: Laser sensors overcome interference issues and perform well even in dark environments and with dark-colored shoes and socks. They provide millimeter-level sensing, making them more reliable than infrared sensors.
3. Microwave Sensors: These sensors automatically open the lid when a person enters a certain distance. The sensing range can be adjusted based on the bathroom size. However, this type is usually the most expensive.
4. Capacitive Sensors: Capacitive sensors resolve the sensitivity issues of other sensors and do not require holes in the toilet body for installation, preventing water damage to the device. However, they require touch to activate the lid opening.

Recommended Sensor Types:

• Laser Sensors: Detect foot movement within a blue light zone for activation.
• Capacitive Sensors: Reliable and water-resistant without needing to puncture the toilet body.
• Microwave Sensors: Often combined with other sensor types for enhanced functionality, though they are more expensive.

Choosing the best sensor type depends on your budget and specific needs.

Laser Sensor: Activates when your foot enters the blue light sensing area.

Capacitive Sensor: Requires touch with your foot.

Additional Note: When selecting a product, be sure to carefully read the detailed descriptions on the product page. For example, some products may claim to have laser sensing but only for lid opening and closing, without the ability to control the seat, which means the automatic flushing function will not work.

What is the Function of the Foam Shield in Smart Toilets?

The foam shield in smart toilets primarily serves two functions:

1. Enhanced Water Seal: The foam shield effectively increases the water seal, preventing odors from escaping.
2. Splash Prevention: It forms a thick layer of foam that helps prevent splashing.
3. Wall Cleaning: The foam shield creates a coating on the toilet bowl, helping to prevent waste from sticking to the surface.

However, the foam shield requires the use of a cleaning agent, which involves two considerations:

1. Consumable Cleaning Agent: The cleaning agent is a consumable item that needs to be replaced when it runs out.
2. Integrated Refill Port: It is advisable to choose a product with an integrated refill port for a more convenient and aesthetically pleasing design.

Additional Note: The foam shield function is quite useful. Similar products with a foam shield typically cost several hundred more. Whether to opt for this feature depends on your needs. Additionally, many brands are improving their foam shield technology.

LetonSmart Smart Toilet has upgraded its foam shield technology. It features two internal rotating spray nozzles that spray half circles along the toilet bowl, evenly distributing the foam on the inner walls, which enhances the wall cleaning effect.

Another technology point that smart toilet manufacturers can focus on is combining foam and flushing water. LetonSmart has integrated this feature, so when the user flushes after use, the water is not just regular tap water but foam-infused water. This not only helps to suppress odors but also provides a better cleaning effect on the inner walls of the toilet bowl. I think this is a very meaningful feature.

Are Smart Toilets Waterproof?

Many brands advertise their smart toilets with an IPX4 waterproof rating. It’s important to note that most smart toilets on the market meet the IPX4 whole-unit waterproof standard, so there’s no need to be overly concerned about this rating. According to national standards for smart toilets, the waterproof rating must be at least IPX4, and current brands and models adhere to this standard. Therefore, as long as you purchase compliant products from reputable brands, there should be no issues.

Smart Toilet Deodorization and Sterilization Functions

Let’s break down the deodorization and sterilization aspects, as many users are not very clear about these functions and have many questions. Here’s an overview:

Deodorization Function: Primarily addresses odors that occur after use. Common methods include:

• Activated carbon deodorization
• Diatomaceous earth deodorization
• Photocatalytic deodorization
• Water deodorization

Some high-end products feature a foam shield function that helps with deodorization. For example, activated carbon only absorbs odors without decomposing them and requires regular replacement. Diatomaceous earth not only absorbs odors but also effectively eliminates odor molecules, purifying the air and having a longer lifespan.

Sterilization Function: Focuses on water sterilization and toilet bowl cleaning. It purifies the air inside the toilet bowl and treats the water used for cleaning. Common methods include:

• Electrolyzed water sterilization
• Plasma sterilization
• UV sterilization

Each function varies in its effectiveness and range. When choosing a product, carefully understand the specific sterilization methods and their coverage.

Is the Cleaning Water of Smart Toilets Safe for Women’s Intimate Areas?

The water used for cleaning is in direct contact with the skin, so various measures are taken to ensure its safety. Here’s an overview of the treatment methods:

Before entering the toilet: Usually, an external water filter is installed to remove dirt, iron filings, and insect eggs from the water. Higher-end filters, like those from LetonSmart, have two layers, with the second layer filtering out algae and red worms.

Secondly, Water Path Design: Water entering the toilet is typically divided into two areas: for cleaning the buttocks and for flushing the toilet. When choosing a smart toilet, it is recommended to select a dual water path design, which completely separates the water used for cleaning the buttocks from the water used for flushing the toilet.

Thirdly, Water Sterilization After Entering the Toilet: Water flows through the toilet and enters the nozzles on the spray wand, coming into contact with the buttocks. During this process, some products from different brands sterilize the water using methods such as UVC ultraviolet sterilization and electrolyzed water sterilization. This was already discussed above, so no further explanation is needed.

Additional Note: Women’s intimate areas require very high standards of hygiene, and many manufacturers are aware of this need. For example, this year, a product was noted for its unique development for women.

An external water path can be connected, allowing a container to hold special care solutions. This way, the toilet can prioritize using the external water supply, applying the care solution directly for cleaning the buttocks.