The 10 Best Soft Close Toilet Seats – Comfort, Sturdy, Stylish

Last Updated on July 17, 2023 by toilethaven

Soft-close toilet seats, also known as slow-close toilet seats, are designed to close quietly, eliminating the irritating sound of a seat slamming on the bowl. Modern toilet seats have this feature, like heated seats, nightlights, and even bidet toilet seats.

Slow-close toilet seats are a bit more expensive than regular seats but worth it. Make sure that you measure your toilet seat so that you order either an elongated or a round one. You will also need to choose between a plastic and a wooden toilet seat.

The 10 Best Soft Close Toilet Seats are:

1. Bath-Royale-BR237-00

• Available for round and elongated toilets
• Made of Eurocast
• Quick-release
• 4.5 to 6.5 inch bolt spread

2. Kohler K-4636-0 Cachet

• Available for Round and elongated bowls
• Grip tight bumpers
• Quick-release
• Plastic
• Bottom fixing

3. Bath Royale BR606-00

• Available for round and elongated bowls
• Quick-release
• Top and bottom fixing
• Plastic
• 4.5-6.5 inch bolts spread

4. Mayfair 1847SLOW 000 Kendall

• Available for round and elongated toilet bowls
• STA-TITE fastening system
• Enameled wood
• Quick-release
• Bottom fixing

5. Brondell LumaWarm

• Available for round and elongated bowls
• Heated
• Nightlight
• Top fixing
• Plastic

6. Delta Faucet Morgan 811903-WH

• Available for round and elongated toilet bowls
• Non-slip seat bumpers
• Bottom fixing
• Wood material

7. Toto SS114#03 Transitional

• Available for round and elongated toilets bowls
• Plastic
• Bottom and top fixing
• Ergonomic design

8. Kohler K-4734-0 Rutledge

• Available for elongated toilets only
• Quick-release hinge
• Bottom fixing
• Plastic

9. Mayfair 1830CHSL 000

• Available for elongated and round toilets
• Chrome/brushed nickel hinges
• Sta-tite fastening system
• Enameled wood

10. Hibbent Premium Toilet Seat

• Available for round and elongated toilets
• Quick-release
• Plastic
• Bottom and top fixing

Best Soft Close Toilet Seats Reviews

1. BATH ROYALE BR237-00 MasterSuite

The Bath Royale MasterSuite is a high-end toilet seat that we strongly recommend. It is available for elongated and round toilets in white, biscuit/linen, and almond/bone. It fits all toilet brands, including Toto, Kohler, and American Standard.

It is made from Eurocast, a technologically advanced material that is harder and stiffer than other plastic toilet seats. It is, therefore, long-lasting, heavy-duty, and scratch resistant. The seat has been tested to 400 pounds.

Not all toilets have access to the underside of the toilet bowl. These are called skirted toilets. The MasterSuite soft close toilet seat is therefore designed for top fixing, and you can hence install it on skirted and non-skirted toilets.

The top fixing style is also helpful if you have a bad back and can’t bend too low to tighten a nut at the bottom of the toilet bowl. These toilet seats also tend to be sturdier because of the rubber expansion nuts, unlike ordinary wingnuts, and are also easy to tighten in case they start to shift.

Its quick-release mechanism ensures you can remove it in seconds while cleaning the bowl. Just push 2 buttons on the seat hinge and lift it off. The mountings remain intact and fastened. After cleaning, simply slide the seat back on the mounting pins.

After purchasing this toilet, you are given 2 pairs of mounting bases. One is color-matched to the seat, while the other is chrome plated. The color-matched plastic mounting bases are longer lasting, especially if you live in an area with hard water.

The downside to the Bath Royale MasterSuite soft-close toilet seat is that it is more expensive than most of the others. If you decide to buy this seat, it will, without a doubt, be worth the extra dollars.

2. KOHLER K-4636-0 Cachet

Kohler is among the top 3 manufacturers of toilets, and they continue to win here. The Kohler K-636-0 Cachet is, in our opinion, the second-best soft-close toilet in the market today.

It is available for round and elongated toilets and fits most toilet brands. It is available in white, almond, black, cashmere, dune, ice gray, sandbar, thunder gray, and biscuit.

Now, you can’t buy a toilet solely on the ease of installation, but it counts in the grand scheme of things. This is one of the easiest toilets you will ever install.

Start by driving the bolts through the toilet seat mounting holes, then place them on the toilet bowl. Direct the two bolts through the bowl’s mounting hole and tighten each bowl with a wingnut from underneath the toilet while holding the bolt head with a screwdriver.

The seat has matching caps that conceal the mounting hardware and also hold the seat in place. If you need to remove the seat for cleaning, you will not need to remove the mounting hardware; just pop open the caps and slide the seat out. Once you are done cleaning, slide it back and put the caps back.

One problem most people experience with their toilet seats is rocking or shifting from side to side. To address this problem, this seat features rubber bumpers that tightly grip the bowl and prevent the seat from wobbling.

If you have a skirted toilet with no access to the underside of the toilet bowl, you cannot use these toilet seats. You will need to buy a top-fixing soft-close toilet seat.

The Kohler Cachet is not the most comfortable toilet seat, but it is not overly bad. For most people, it will suffice.

3. BATH ROYALE BR606-00 Premium Toilet Seat

Bath Royale’s premium soft close toilet seat is comfortable and well-made. It will fit all brands of toilets, whether elongated or round.

Its design allows it to fit into the standard bolt spread of 5.5 inches, but if your toilet bowl has a non-standard bolt spread of 4.5 to 6.5 inches, it can be adjusted to fit. It is available in almond/bone, biscuit/linen, and white.

The seat’s quick-release mechanism is amazing. You simply lift the toilet, push a button at the back and lift it off. There are two pins sticking out from the mounting bases. They are made of stainless steel and hence can’t rust.

To reattach the seat, just align the holes with the pins and push it inside. You can choose mounting base caps color-matched with the seat or stainless steel ones, just like the pins. Both the color-matched caps and stainless steel ones are sold with the seat.

This is both a bottom-fixing and top-fixing toilet seat. It is a great feature, especially if you have a skirted toilet. The only disappointing thing is that you will need to buy the top-fixing hardware separately.

There are 4 slip-resistant bumpers at the bottom of the toilet seat that prevents it from shifting sideways while using the toilet. The seat can, however, get loose with time, and you will therefore need to tighten it when it happens.

You will receive a 2 years warranty after purchasing this seat.

4. MAYFAIR 1847SLOW 000 Kendall

The Mayfair 1847SLOW 000 Kendall is the improved version of the Mayfair 1848SLOWB 000 soft-close toilet seat, which had a few issues, including easy peeling off and staining.

This toilet seat is very sturdy. It will hardly ever wiggle due to the design of the mounting hardware. Mayfair calls this system the sta-tite fastening system.

Basically, the mounting bolt has a rectangular head which you slide inside a fitting slot in the toilet seat hinge. The bolt is then fastened with a nut from underneath the bowl until the bottom part of the nut snaps.

This system ensures that the toilet seat bolt cannot turn around, and therefore the toilet seat remains sturdy throughout its usage. If somehow the seat starts to wiggle, you will only need to tighten the nut under the toilet bowl, and you will be good.

The Mayfair Kendal is made of enameled wood and only weighs 7.35 pounds. Its smooth surface will not chip or absorb water or any liquid. The slow close feature ensures these toilets last long by avoiding hard slamming on the bowl.

You will need access to the bottom of the toilet bowl in order to install this toilet seat. If you own a skirted toilet, this one may not work out for you.

The quick-release mechanism ensures that whenever you need to clean your toilet bowl, you will not struggle. Simply close the toilet seat, pop up the toilet caps, and slide out of the seat. To reattach it, slide it back and put the caps back on.

Mayfair Kendall soft close toilet seat comes with a 1-year warranty.

5. Brondell LumaWarm Heated Nightlight Toilet Seat

The Brondell LumaWarm has everything you could ever need from a toilet seat. In this case, it has many other nice features, not just the slow-close toilet seat feature.

This toilet seat is ergonomically designed to offer maximum comfort to the user. You will, therefore, not feel like you are sitting on the rim of a bucket as some toilet seats do.

Using the toilet on a cold day can be seriously dreadful. This is where the LumaWarm comes to the rescue. It has a heated toilet seat meaning you can go about your business without fear of freezing on the seat.

You can choose from one of its temperature settings (97-104 degrees Fahrenheit), which will always be heated anytime you visit the bathroom. A standard GFI wall power outlet is needed to connect this seat.

Another exciting feature of this toilet is the nightlight. It is illuminated by an LED blue light which is so cool at night. You will, therefore, never need to switch on the bright lights in your bathroom or stagger in darkness again.

The Brondell LumaWarm can be installed in either skirted or non-skirted toilets. If you have a skirted toilet, be sure to ask for the top mounting fixings.

Another thing to also get right before buying is the shape of your toilet bowl. This toilet seat is available for both round and elongated toilet bowls. It is only available in white and biscuit colors.

The reason we placed this toilet in the 5th position and not the 1st is due to its cost. Apart from the cost, this is an excellent toilet seat with many nice features.

If you would like a soft-close bidet toilet seat, the Brondell Swash 1400 will be an excellent choice. Check it out here.

A limited 1-year warranty is given after buying this seat.

6. Delta Faucet Morgan Slow Close Toilet Seat 811903-WH

The Delta Faucet Morgan is another great enameled wood soft close toilet seat. It is available for both elongated and round toilet bowls.

To avoid shifting around as you do your business, this toilet seat has non-slip bumpers that firmly grip the toilet bowl. Its enameled surface is smooth, preventing the seat from soaking up water or any other liquid.

The finishing of the toilet is also of high quality and thus prevents it from fading, staining, chipping, or peeling. The soft close mechanism also ensures it does not slam on the bowl, preventing cracking.

Installing this toilet seat is a cinch. You only need to slide the bolts through the seat hinge and the bowl’s mounting holes. Hold the head of the toilet seat bolt with a screwdriver, then tighten the plastic nut from underneath the bowl. When tight, pop on the plastic caps at the top of the seat to conceal mounting hardware.

Unfortunately, this toilet seat is only available for bottom fixing/mounting. If you have a skirted toilet, you will have no way of reaching the underside of the bowl to tighten the nut and, therefore, can’t buy it.

Another unpleasant thing, although not for many people, is that this seat is only available in white. If you were looking for something out of the ordinary white, then you will need to check out another seat.

A one-year warranty is offered after the purchase of this seat.

7. TOTO SS114#03 Transitional Soft Close Toilet Seat

Toto is one of the biggest toilet manufacturers alongside Kohler and American Standard. People trust their products because they are very consistent with quality. The Toto Transitional Soft close toilet seat is no different.

It is available for round toilet bowls (SS113#03) and elongated toilet bowls (SS114#03) and is compatible with many toilet brands. The colors available are bone, colonial white, cotton white, ebony, and Sedona beige.

If you have used Toto toilet seats before, this will feel a little flimsy or cheap compared to the old solid Toto seats. Those sentiments will, however, change once you install the seat though. In general, soft-close toilet seats are designed to be lightweight in order to work efficiently.

Another concern is that this toilet seat is not very sturdy. It tends to shift sideways when you are using the toilet. The reason for this is due to the fact that the bolt mounting holes on the seat are oval and not round.

It is designed this way for ease of installation, especially where the bolt spread is not standard. You should make a point of tightening the seat every time you notice it wobbling.

This toilet seat, unfortunately, does not have a quick-release mechanism. Once you install it, there is no quick way to remove it during cleaning. You would have to uninstall the entire thing and then reinstall it after cleaning.

You can install this seat from the top or the bottom of the toilet bowl. The top fixing hardware is, however, sold separately.

Apart from those shortcomings, the Toto Transitional soft close toilet seat is comfortable, and the slow close feature works amazingly well.

8. KOHLER K-4734-0 Rutledge

The Kohler Rutledge Soft Close toilet seat works as advertised. It is, however, only available for elongated toilet bowls and comes in white, almond, and biscuit.

Installing this toilet seat is easy. You will only need a screwdriver, and it will not take you more than 10 minutes. Just insert the bolts through the seat hinge and toilet bowl holes and hand tighten the nut from underneath the seat.

Before using the screwdriver to fully tighten the seat, make sure it is well aligned to the bowl, then go ahead and tighten it. Pop on the color-matched plastic caps to prevent the seat from shifting.

The Kohler Rutledge is also designed with a quick-release mechanism. You lift the caps and slide it out whenever you want to remove it. To reinstall it, slide it back and place the caps back on.

This seat also has non-slip bumpers that grip the toilet bowl firmly to prevent sideways shifting. Some seats, however, have very tight bumpers that tend to pop up after days of use. This is, however, not the case in most seats.

The downside of this seat is that you cannot use it if you have a toilet with a concealed trapway (skirted). To tighten the bolt, you will need access to the underside of the bowl, which is impossible with a skirted toilet.

9. MAYFAIR 1830CHSL 000 Toilet Seat

This is a great soft-close toilet seat from Mayfair, a subsidiary of Bemis manufacturing company. It is available for both round and elongated toilet seats.

One thing you will love about this seat is that it is sturdy thanks to the sta-tite fastening system. You tighten the bolt using a wrench, and when it is tight enough, the bottom part of the nut snaps.

The toilet seat hinges are so stylish. You can choose from chrome, brushed nickel, or oil-rubbed bronze hinges. The colors available are red, black, and white.

Some people, unfortunately, have had an unpleasant experience with this seat, where the chrome finish starts fading off after a few months of usage. This happens especially when you have hard water.

If you live in an area with hard water, you should opt for the brushed nickel hinge type instead of the chrome hinges. This is, however, available with white seats only. The black and red seats have chrome hinges and no option for the brushed nickel ones.

To install this seat, you will need to access the bottom of the toilet bowl. If you have a skirted toilet, this will not work out for you.

10. Hibbent Premium Toilet Seat

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Hibbert is not a big name in the industry, but it is standing tall alongside the giants. It is very well-designed, comfortable and is available for both elongated and round toilets in white and almond/bone.

Unlike most top-fixing toilet seats that have 2 mounting bases, the Hibbent has one long mounting base for both pins. This prevents the seat from shifting and makes installation easy, as you don’t need to keep aligning the pins.

The quick-release mechanism works perfectly well. You push a button on the right-hand side of the seat and then lift the seat off. To reinstall it, align the holes on the seat to the pins and gently slide it in.

The fact that you can mount this toilet seat from the top makes it compatible with both skirted and non-skirted toilets. You also don’t need to bend your back to install it.

This toilet seat is also made from solid non-recycled propylene, which is non-absorbent and stain resistant. As a result, it can support more than 400 pounds.

The Hibbent premium soft-close toilet seats are also compatible with bidet attachments.

Soft Close Toilet Seats Buying Guide

How do you make sure you buy the best soft close toilet seat? What are the factors to consider when buying a soft-close toilet seat?

Cost

Toilets seats are only a small fraction of the entire toilet’s cost, yet they are so vital. A bad toilet seat can make the most sophisticated toilet look utterly useless. Toilet seats are priced differently by different manufacturers based on their features and the branding/marketing of the manufacturer.

Is the most expensive soft-close toilet seat the best one? May yes, maybe no. On the other side, is the cheapest soft close toilet seat the best one? Definitely not. It is a delicate balance.

That said and done, you can’t spend money you don’t have. You may wish to buy the best soft close bidet toilet seat, but without the money, that will remain a dream.

The best thing is to determine how much money you need to spend to buy the seat and thoroughly research all the available channels. Toilet seats are quite affordable, so you should try not to be under budget.

Comfort

Comfort in a toilet seat is everything. You could have the slowest closing toilet seat, but if uncomfortable, you will be better off with a slamming but comfortable seat.

 What makes a toilet more comfortable or less comfortable? The first thing is the design of the toilet. Thankfully most toilet seat manufacturers are now manufacturing ergonomic toilet seats. These seats are designed to assume the body of a human being and are hence comfortable whether you are a big person or skinny.

A comfortable toilet seat should also fit your toilet seat in length and width. If it falls short of these important dimensions, you will not enjoy your time on the throne very much.

Contoured toilet seats are a thing in the market now. They are designed to fit on the toilet bowl nicely but tend to be thinner at the top where you sit. Some people love them, while others don’t.  An example of this is the Kohler Cachet soft-close toilet seat. Contoured toilet seats are very sturdy.

Sturdiness

Apart from a slamming toilet seat, the second thing that irritates most, if not all, people is a wobbly toilet seat. Soft close toilet seats, luckily, are phasing out the slamming seats but what about the wobbly ones?

Not all toilet seats wobble, but most toilet seats will shift from the side at some point during their lifetime. Some are more prone to this than others, though. It is especially worse when you have plastic bolts, and you are afraid you will strip them if you tighten them more.

A cheap toilet seat will shift more than a moderately priced seat. That is why it is cheap. The manufacturer needs you on the market again.

What ultimately makes toilet seats wiggle is the loosening of the bolts that attach them to the bowl. The up-and-down movements put so much strain on the hinge that the bolts start to back off slowly.

It is especially worse when you have a slamming seat. When it slams on the bowl, it sends vibrations across that loosen the bolts faster than the case with soft closed toilet seats.

While buying toilet seats, therefore, ensure the mounting hardware is high quality. Whenever you feel your toilet seats rocking, take a screwdriver and tighten it before it gets worse. A rocking toilet seat can break off easily and is a health risk.

Color

When buying a toilet, you will most likely buy a white toilet or sometimes a black one. You will hardly see any other color of a toilet. Toilet seats and soft-close toilet seats specifically are different.

A toilet is more than just something you sit on while using the toilet. You can use it to complement your bathroom décor. Also, you can match or contrast your toilet seat with different items in the bathroom.

Having said that, I must also say that most prefer matching the color of their seat to the color of their toilet. And they are not wrong. White looks great too on the toilet and is also good to go with if you want to have your bathroom looking simple but classy.

Type of Fixing

When it comes to installing a toilet, there are 2 ways to do it. There is the top fixing method and the bottom fixing method. This is, however, not something you choose to do. It is determined by the type of toilet seat you have bought.

The bottom fixing toilet seat is where you need to access the bottom of the toilet bowl to tighten a nut on a toilet seat bolt. It is the oldest and most common way to install a toilet seat.

Top-fixing toilet seats are installed from the top of the bowl without needing to reach underneath it. It is a great innovation if you don’t like to bend over a bowl to tighten a nut. All skirted toilets use top-fixing toilet seats, although they can also be used for non-skirted toilets.

Material

Toilet seats are either made of plastic or wood. There are two types of wooden toilet seats. There is the lightweight enameled wood which contains thin strands of wood, and then there are the solid wooden toilet seats.

Soft closed wooden toilet seats are made of enameled lightweight wood. Solid wood toilet seats are impossible to install the slow close feature going on how heavy they are.

There are always concerns about how hygienic wooden toilet seats are and whether they retain moisture like urine. Wooden toilet seats are vanished with a high-quality gloss and can therefore not soak in moisture unless they are peeling off, a point at which they should be replaced.

Wooden toilet seats tend to be warmer than plastic ones, making them attractive to most people.

Quick-Release Feature

A quick-release toilet seat can be quickly removed from the mounting hardware and reattached. This involves pushing a button or simply sliding them out.

The quick-release feature is really helpful, especially when cleaning the toilet bowl. Instead of uninstalling the entire seat, you will only need to take the seat out and leave the mounting hardware intact. As soon as you are finished cleaning, you attach it back.

While buying a soft-close toilet seat, it would be awesome if you could match the slow-close feature and the quick-release feature.

Type of Toilet Bowl

There are 2 types of toilet bowls, round and elongated toilet bowls. A round bowl will need a round toilet seat, and an elongated bowl will need an elongated toilet seat.

On average, elongated toilet bowls are normally 18.5 inches long, while round toilet bowls are about 16.5 inches long. Always measure the size of your toilet bowl before buying a toilet seat.

Another important thing to remember is the bolts spread. This is the distance between the two toilet seat bolts mounting holes on the toilet bowl. In the United States, the bolt spread is a standard 5.5 inch, but it could be different in other countries (4.5 – 6.5 inches)

How to Install a Soft Close Toilet Seat

Soft-close toilet seats are sold with a manual explaining how to install them. If you would, however, want to read a detailed guide, here it is: how to install a soft close toilet seat.

How to Remove a Soft Close Toilet Seat

If you want to buy a new soft close toilet seat to replace it with an old one, but you are not sure how to remove it, we have written a guide on that. Read how to remove a soft closed toilet seat here.

Are wood or plastic toilet seats better?

If you would like to read more about wooden and plastic toilet seats, we have written an article. Read about the pros and cons of plastic and wooden toilet seats here.

Can you adjust a Soft Close Toilet Seat?

Soft-close toilet seats are adjustable. During installation, before tightening the bolts, ensure the toilet seat is aligned to the toilet bowl. If not, move it sideways or back and forth until it is aligned. Tighten the 2 bolts alternatingly to ensure that the seat is not offset.

How long do Soft Close Toilet Seats Last?

The longevity of a soft closed toilet seat depends on its quality, usage, and material, among other factors. Just like in other manufactured products, some soft close seats are defective from the word go, and that is why they come with a one-year limited warranty.

If an old couple buys a soft-close toilet seat, then a young couple with 3 kids buys the same type of seat; it goes without saying that the young couple will replace theirs while the old couple’s is still as good as new. This has nothing to do with the seat but rather with the usage.

Some soft-close toilet seats, however, just stop working on their own. You find that only the lid is softly closed but not the seat or vice versa.

How to Measure a Toilet Seat

Before buying a soft-close toilet seat, or any other toilet seat for that matter, it is important that you know the dimensions of your toilet bowl. There are 3 toilet bowl dimensions that you need to know:

• Toilet seat length
• Toilet seat width
• Bolt Spread

For more detailed information on how to measure a toilet seat, read this article.

How to tighten a loose Toilet Seat

Toilet seats get loose with time due to the amount of traffic they receive. As a result, they start shifting sideways on the toilet bowl, which can cause risk, especially for kids and older adults.

Here is a great resource to help you understand how to tighten a wobbly toilet seat.