Most bidet seat lids serve only as a decorative cover for the toilet bowl. Sitting on one of these lids may crack it or damage the electronics housed inside the seat’s frame. However, a handful of electric bidet seats have lids that are specially designed to bear weight. With one of these seats in your bathroom, you can continue to sit on the lid to dress, clip toenails, or help someone bathe without worrying about breaking or damaging your bidet.

Cascade 3000

The Cascade 3000 comes with a wide array of luxury features including a sittable lid that safely supports up to 330 lbs. And there’s lots to love about the Cascade besides the heavy-duty lid! This high-end, ADA compliant seat has a heated seat, front and rear wash modes with an oscillating spray option, unlimited warm water and a powerful warm air dryer.

Construction is another area where the Cascade shines. It’s crafted from durable, long-lasting polypropylene plastic which is stronger than the cheaper (and lower quality) ABS plastic used in many bidet seats. The nozzles are made from premium stainless steel, which is tougher and easier to clean than aluminum or plastic.

For your convenience, the Cascade 3000 has a built-in LED nightlight gently illuminates the bowl (and the area surrounding the toilet) so that it’s easier to navigate the bathroom in low light. The auto wash feature conveniently runs a wash and dry cycle at the touch of a button, and the generous time intervals provide plenty of time to get clean and dry. The Cascade also comes with a built-in deodorizer that banishes noxious odors before they can overwhelm your bathroom.

For added hygiene, the inside of the Cascade’s tubing and nozzles are coated with a sterile, silver-nano solution that keeps the water crystal clean. And like most electric bidet seats, the Cascade’s nozzles self-rinse before and after each use.

The Cascade’s sleek design allows it to fit on most one and two-piece toilets, including many French Curve toilets. It offers two remote styles, large or small, and comes in two seat sizes, round or elongated. In addition, the Cascade’s four-year full warranty is one of the best standard warranties on the market, giving you peace of mind about your investment.

If you want a seat that offers a sittable lid along with a supremely comfortable cleansing experience, the Cascade 3000 is for you!

Budget Friendly Alternative to the Cascade 3000: Galaxy GB-5000

While not as feature heavy as the Casacde 3000, the Galaxy GB-5000 offers many of the same comfort and convenience features, including a sittable lid. In addition to a heated seat, front and rear washing, adjustable settings and a warm air dryer, the GB-5000 comes with a wash option the Cascade doesn’t have: pulse wash! This feature quickly varies the water pressure for a massage sensation that soothes tender areas and relaxes the bowels.

Notably, the GB-5000 has a hybrid water heater. Hybrid heaters keep a tank of warm water on hand at all times so you have consistent warm water from the get-go. Once the tank runs out, the instant heater begins heating water on demand. However the GB-5000’s instant water heater can’t keep up with the seat’s high water flow rate, so the wash water will gradually cool off the longer you run the wash cycle. In contrast, the Cascade 3000’s more powerful instant water heater provides unlimited warm water.

Other differences between the two seats include the fact that the GB-5000 has aluminum nozzles (versus stainless steel), only one remote option (large), and no deodorizer. In spite of these differences, it’s a good option if you’re looking for a seat with a sittable lid and are willing to forego some features in favor of a lower pricetag.

Eco Nova

The Eco Nova is the newest bidet seat in this lineup, and it’s quickly become a fan favorite thanks to high end features and a moderate price tag. The Eco Nova has the sleekest, thinnest silhouette of any electric bidet seat we’ve seen, but the quality construction and heavy duty polypropylene plastic make it strong and durable. This durability translates to the lid as well, which boasts an impressive weight limit of 400 lbs (the same as the seat).

In addition to a chic look and quality build, the Eco Nova is packed with popular bidet features. It comes with front, rear and turbo washing, nozzle oscillation and a unique pulse option that alternates the water’s temperature (rather than pressure) for a refreshing, soothing cleanse. The Eco Nova’s powerful warm air dryer performs on par with other top bidet dryers on the market, and the seat is equipped with a built-in night light that makes it easy to see the toilet bowl in the dark.

The Eco Nova features self-rinsing, stainless steel wand and nozzles plus a few extra hygiene perks. A sterile, silver nano solution coats the interior of the tubing and nozzles to stop microbial growth, so the wash water stays clean as it moves through the unit. The seat also has a UV on-demand sterilizing system that bathes the nozzle in ultraviolet light to kill off any germs or bacteria.

The Eco Nova’s remote is just as stylish as the seat itself, with a brushed stainless steel exterior in a rose gold finish and raised black buttons. The remote comes with a holder that can be mounted to the wall for easy access. An added benefit to the Eco Nova’s remote is that it uses a radio frequency signal, which is more reliable than the infrared signals commonly found on bidet remotes.

All in all, the Eco Nova offers terrific value and is a great choice if you want a feature-packed bidet with a middle-of-the-road price point.

Budget Friendly Alternative to the Eco Nova: Axent Slims Intelligent Toilet Seat

If you love the Eco Nova’s sittable lid and sleek design but aren’t a fan of the price tag, take a look at the Slims intelligent toilet seat from Swiss bidet manufacturer Axent. This thoughtfully designed bidet seat delivers a comfortable cleanse, sittable lid and chic design, all for well under $400. It’s also constructed from the same high quality polypropylene plastic as the Eco Nova and Cascade 3000, so it’s one of the sturdier seats on the market.

Like the Eco Nova, the Axent Slims has a heated seat, an instant water heater that provides unlimited warm wash water, front and rear wash modes, nozzle oscillation and pulse spray. One difference to note is that the Slims’ pulse wash varies the pressure (versus the temperature), resulting in a soothing, relaxing massage. While the Slims doesn’t come with a deodorizer or air dryer, it does have a convenient, built in night light.

The Slims is a bit unique in the electric bidet world because it doesn’t have a remote or a side arm control panel. Instead, the Slims is controlled by turning dials on the side of the seat. Though elegant, these controls can take some getting used to and probably won’t be a good fit if you have limited mobility.

The Slims comes with a 3 year limited warranty, which is longer than the Eco Nova’s 2 year warranty but isn’t as comprehensive in the coverage it provides. Like the Eco Nova, the Slims comes in white and elongated only, so neither seat will be a good fit if you need to match a beige or round toilet. (For a beige toilet, check out the Brondell Swash 1400, below, and for a round toilet consider the Cascade 3000 or Swash 1400).

If you don’t mind the unconventional controls and are looking for a bidet with a slim profile, durable construction and a sittable lid, all for a price that really can’t be beat, the Axent Slims is a great seat to consider!

Brondell Swash 1400

The Brondell Swash 1400 is a tried and true customer favorite with a mid-range price point! The Swash 1400’s lid is rated to support up 270 lbs, and the seat itself can support up to 330 lbs. It’s got all the standard wash and dry features including front and rear wash modes, multiple spray widths, nozzle oscillation, and a warm air dryer, as well as a heated seat for extra comfort. The instant water heater generates unlimited warm water for a cozy wash from start to finish.

Swash 1400 also features an LED nightlight and automatic deodorizer for added convenience. Two user presets allow you to pre-program your favorite settings into the remote for a totally customized one button wash and dry experience. A silver-nano sterilization system releases tiny particles of silver into the water used to clean the nozzles for top-notch unit hygiene.

Overall, the Swash 1400 offers a very gentle wash, so if you’re looking for a seat with a broad range of water pressures, this unit may not be for you. In addition, we have seen some lids crack even with proper use, and Brondell’s warranty typically won’t cover damage to the lid. In every other way, however, we’ve seen nothing but good things from Brondell’s customer support team, and they’re usually very quick to address issues that are covered under the warranty.

Speaking of warranties, the Swash 1400 comes with a 3-year limited warranty that can be upgraded to a 5-year full warranty for $99 if you’d like some extra peace of mind. The seat itself is available in two colors, white or biscuit, so it’s easy to match with most bathroom color schemes, and it comes in both round and elongated seat sizes.

If you want to maximize economy and function, the Brondell Swash 1400 is a great seat to consider!

Budget Friendly Alternative to Swash 1400: Brondell Swash SE400

If you want to save money while enjoying a seat that feels similar to the Brondell Swash 1400, we recommend checking out its simpler cousin, the Brondell Swash SE400. The SE400 is about as budget friendly as they come, and it offers a range of creature comforts, including a sittable lid that can support up to 270 lbs.

Since there are many similarities between the two seats, we’ll start with the differences. First and foremost, the Swash SE400 has a tank water heater versus the Swash 1400’s instant water heater. Tank heaters do a great job generating consistent warm water without the quick burst of cool water that instant systems often produce at the start of the wash cycle. The downside, however, is that tank heaters only only produce between 30 and 60 seconds of warm water at a time. If you run the wash cycle longer, the unit will switch to using cool water until it can refill the tank and heat the water, a process that takes 3-5 minutes.

Another noteworthy difference is that the Swash SE400 is controlled via a panel attached to the side of the seat instead of a wireless remote. We typically don’t recommend side arm control panels if you’re a heavier individual, have difficulty looking down, or plan to use your feet to control the seat’s options. Beyond these special circumstances, the control method is mostly a matter of personal preference. Additionally, the Swash SE400 doesn’t offer a deodorizer, wide spray, nozzle sterilization (though it does rinse the nozzles before and after each use), user presets, or a beige option.

While it may seem like there are a lot of differences between the SE400 and the Swash 1400, there are actually many areas in which the two seats are alike. Both offer front and rear cleansing, nozzle oscillation, one button wash/dry, an LED nightlight, and stainless steel nozzles. The SE400 even comes with pulse wash, which varies the pressure between firm and soft for enhanced relaxation (the 1400 doesn’t offer this).

If simple is more your style, take a look at the Swash SE400 from Brondell!