7 Best American Standard Toilets: Flush Power & Design
Last Updated on May 18, 2022 by toilethaven
Which American Standard Toilets are the Best?
American Standard toilets are made by American Standard, one of the largest plumbing fixtures manufacturer in North America. So, is American Standard a good toilet brand?
In this post, I will in detail review some of the best toilets by American Standard. For a company that has been in existence for more than 140 years, you can be sure they have survived that long by making quality products.
American Standard was founded as a result of the amalgamation of smaller companies into one big brand. It started off as the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company in 1875.
In 1899, it merged with other smaller plumbing manufacturers, which helped the company pioneer many of the plumbing improvements we see today. These include:
- One-piece toilets
- Built-in tubs
- Combination faucets
- Corrosion-proof chrome finishes for brass fittings
At the time, Standard Sanitary was the largest manufacturer of bathroom fixtures in the World.
In 1929, Standard Sanitary Corporation merged with the American Radiator Company to form the American Radiator and Standard Sanitary Corporation. The merger’s name was changed to American Standard in 1967.
In February of 2008, American Standard further merged with Crane Plumbing and Eljer to form the American Standard Brands.
In all these years that American Standard has been in existence, they have made hundreds of great toilet models, some of which are better than others. It is however not exactly easy to know which toilet is good for you, especially if you have no plumbing experience.
So, in all the toilets made by American Standard, which one is the best? What should you look for while buying a toilet?
I have used many American Standard toilet models and I have also spent many hours testing other models just to see how well or not they work. And I have the verdict
The 7 Best American Standard Toilets are:
| Toilet | Flush Rate | Style | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. American Standard Champion 4 | 1.6 GPF | One-piece | Best flushing |
| 2. American Standard Compact Cadet 3 | 1.28 GPF | One-piece | Best compact |
| 3. American Standard H2 Option | 0.92/1.28 GPF | Two-piece | Best dual |
| 4. American Standard Cadet 3 Skirted | 1.28 GPF | Two-piece | Best skirted |
| 5. American Standard Colony | 1.28 GPF | One-piece | Best shortest |
| 6. American Standard Cadet 3 Corner Toilet | 1.6 GPF | Two-piece | Best corner toilet |
| 7. American Standard H2 Optimum | 1.1 GPF | Two-piece | Best budget |
1. American Standard Champion 4
American Standard 2034.314.020 Champion 4 is a single flush one-piece comfort height elongated toilet. It is available in white, bone and linen.
American Standard Champion 4 is one of the most popular toilet by American Standard. Older versions of this toilet used to have a two-piece design until the manufacturer decided to combine beauty with performance.
The Champion 4 is considered by many as one of the strongest flushing toilet in and out of American Standard. You will hardly ever come across a clogged Champion 4. So what makes this one of the best flushing toilet?
Unlike most toilets which use a 2-inch flush valve, American Standard Champion 4 uses a 4-inch flush valve. A flush valve is the opening at the bottom of the toilet tank through which water leaves the tank and enters the bowl during flushing.
Due to its extra-large flush valve, water flows from the tank to the bowl so quick. This means that the water is dumped in the bowl forcefully, which creates a powerful flush. A 2-3/8 inch fully-glazed trapway which is also wider than usual also helps to move the waste out of the bowl just as fast but quietly.
I like the new American Standard Champion 4’s one-piece design which looks so elegant and beautiful than the previous two-piece design. The absence of the bowl to tank crevice gives it a seamless and compact design which will surely complement any bathroom style/décor.
Champion 4’s surface is coated using American Standard’s patented EverClean antimicrobial additive. These substance inhibits the growth of mold, mildew and odor-causing bacteria, making it really easy to clean this toilet and keep it that way for long.
The distance from the floor to the rim of the bowl is 16.5 inches. With the addition of a toilet seat, it means you will be sitting at a height of 17.5 inches. The Champion 4 is therefore compliant with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
If you are one of those people who just prefer a standard height toilet, there is a Champion 4 model for just that. Its bowl rim height is 15 inches.
American Standard Champion 4 comes with a soft close toilet seat. Although a soft close toilet seat is very helpful in eliminating the constant and annoying seat slamming, you get the feeling that American Standard did not put a lot of effort in designing the seat. It feels flimsy and you will therefore need to buy a decent seat after a while.
One thing to note is that the Champion 4 uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush. It therefore exceeds the 1.28 gallons per flush requirement by some states like California and Texas. The Champion 4 can unfortunately not be sold in those states.
For people in those states or those who need a more water-efficient toilet, check out the American Standard Champion 4 Max.
The dimensions of the American Standard Champion 4 are:
- Depth: 29.75 inches
- Width: 16.75 inches
- Height: 29.5 inches
- Rough-in: 12 inches
The American Standard Champion is without a doubt a fantastic toilet that will hardly disappoint you. It also comes with 2 color-matched toilet bolt caps and a 10-year warranty
2. American Standard Compact Cadet 3-FloWise
American Standard 2403128.020 Compact Cadet 3-FloWise is a single flush one-piece comfort height and compact elongated toilet. The finishes available are white, bone and linen.
American Standard has lots of toilets in the Cadet Collection buy only 2 of those have really impressed me. Most of the others are old and as such do not have the latest features that you may want in a toilet.
To start with, the Cadet 3-FloWise Compact is a powerful flushing toilet almost rivaling the Champion 4. With a MaP score of 1000 grams, you can be sure that the Cadet 3 will easily flush away all of your logs.
It uses the Cadet 3 flushing system which involves the use of a 3-inch wide flush valve and a 2-1/8 inch trapway. This allows water to flow to the bowl fast and forcefully resulting in a powerful and quiet flush.
For every flush, the American Standard Cadet 3-Flowise Compact toilet uses only 1.28 gallons per flush. It is therefore compliant with the requirements of EPA’s WaterSense as well as California Energy Commission (CEC). This toilet can therefore be sold all over the United States without restrictions.
One of the most distinct features of the American Standard 2403128.020 Compact Cadet 3-FloWise is its compact design. Such toilets are referred to as compact elongated toilets.
As we know, while buying a toilet you will either need to buy a round toilet or an elongated one. Elongated toilets are more comfortable than round toilets but round toilets are more space-efficient than elongated ones.
The cadet 3 Compact toilet merges both of these concepts. Its size allows it to take up the same space as a round toilet while at the same time offering the comfort of an elongated toilet.
To add on that, the Cadet 3 Compact toilet is also a comfort height toilet with a bowl rim height of 16.5 inches. It is therefore very easy for the old, tall and people with limited mobility to sit and stand from this toilet.
The one-piece design means that cleaning the Cadet 3 is a cinch. Its EverClean-coated surface will keep away dust and other form of impurities hence your toilet looks clean and newer for longer.
In order to avoid seat slamming, the Cadet 3 comes with a slow close toilet seat. To make it even more interesting, the seat features a unique sanitary lift tab meaning that you don’t need to touch the seat with your hand to lift it.
The dimensions of the American Standard 2403128.020 Compact Cadet 3-FloWise are:
- Depth: 28.5 inches
- Width: 15.5 inches
- Height: 28.5 inches
- Rough-in: 12 inches
If you are looking for an attractive, comfortable and space saving toilet then the American Standard 2403128.020 Compact Cadet 3-FloWise is the toilet for you. It comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
3. American Standard H2 Option
American Standard 2889218.020 H2 Option is a dual flush two-piece toilet available in both elongated and round front bowls. You can also choose to have a comfort height toilet or a standard height toilet.
A dual flush toilet is a toilet where you can flush using 2 different water volumes depending on what you want to flush. Over a period of time, these toilets save a lot of water since people generally use the toilet to do the number 1 more frequently than the number 2 which uses less water.
American Standard H2 Option gives you the option to either use 0.92 or 1.28 gallons per flush. The 0.92 gallons if for flushing liquids while you use the 1.28 gallons full flush to flush away the solids.
As a result, the H2 Option is compliant with both EPA’s WaterSense and the California Green Building Standards Code (CalGreen). It can therefore be sold all over the United States.
The H2 Option combines a siphon jet bowl technology with American Standard’s PowerWash rim technology. In this flushing system, most of the water enters the bowl through a jet at the bottom of the bowl which pushes the waste directly into the trapway.
Its rim holes are designed in such a way that as the water enters the bowl it mixes with trapped air in the rim chamber, compresses it and then forcefully ejected out, an action which is very effective in rinsing the bowl. This is the PowerWash rims technology.
The chrome plated flush buttons are mounted at the top of the tank, on the lid. The bigger button is the one used to deliver a full flush while the smaller one is for the half flush.
Depending on your preference as well as the bathroom space you have available, you may opt to choose the elongated or the round model of the American Standard H2 Option. The round toilet is most preferred by people with small bathrooms. If space is not a problem then go with the much comfortable elongated model.
The H2 Option also gives you the option of picking a standard height toilet model or the comfort height model. Again, the decision to buy a comfort height toilet or a standard height one comes down to the buyer’s preference.
Apart from just being a great performing toilet, the H2 Option is also a pretty attractive toilet. The tank sits elegantly on the bowl and also the absence of the trip handle gives it a smooth outlook.
The dimensions of the American Standard H2 Option round toilet are:
- Depth: 27.75 inches
- Width: 15 inches
- Height: 30 inches
- Rough-in: 12 inches
- Bowl rim height: 15 inches
The dimensions of the American Standard H2 Option elongated toilet are:
- Depth: 29.75 inches
- Width: 15 inches
- Height: 31.5 inches
- Rough-in: 12 inches
- Bowl rim height: 16.5 inches
Unfortunately the American Standard 2886218.020 H2Option does not come with a seat, and you will hence be needed to buy one separately. You will however receive 2 color-matched bolt caps.
4. American Standard 2988101.020 Cadet 3 FloWise
American Standard 2988101.020 Cadet 3 FloWise is a single flush two-piece round front skirted toilet. This model is only available in white.
The main difference between this model and the American Standard 2403128.020 Compact Cadet 3 FloWise is that this model is a two-piece toilet, has a concealed trapway and has a front round bowl.
A toilet with a concealed or a skirted toilet such as this one serves 2 purposes. The first one is that it is such a modern and stylish design and the second is that it removes all the nooks and crannies found in other toilets, making it really easy and quick to clean.
With a round toilet bowl, the American Standard 2988101.020 Cadet 3 FloWise is without a doubt made to save space especially for people with small bathroom. As we had seen earlier, the Cadet 3 Compact FloWise also does the same. So which model does a better job saving bathroom space?
The depth of the American Standard Cadet 3 Compact is 28.5 inches while that of Cadet 3 skirted toilet is 28.25 inches meaning it will save ¼ inch on depth. Cadet 3 skirted toilet is wider by ¼ inch and also taller, measuring 30.75 against the Cadet 3 Compact’s 28.5 inches.
It is therefore correct to say that American Standard Cadet 3 Compact FloWise is more space-efficient. What’s even better is that it saves space but still manages to offer the comfort of an elongated toilet.
Despite the fact that round toilets save space, some people prefer them to elongated toilets for varied reason. In that case then the skirted Cadet 3 FloWise would be your best option.
With a 3-inch wide flush valve, this toilet is able to produce a powerful flush using only 1.28 gallons of water per flush. The PowerWash rim technology ensures that your bowl is scrubbed and rinsed after every flush.
Having complied with the requirements of bodies like WaterSense and CEC, American Cadet 3 FloWise can be sold in every corner of the United States.
The distance from the floor to top of its bowl rim is 16.5 inches. This translates to 17.5 inches seat height. The Cadet 3 is therefore an ADA-compliant toilet, with an easy to sit and stand from height.
One of the main challenges of skirted toilets like this one is that installation is not always easy. Unlike in non-skirted toilets where the toilet bolts are exposed, in skirted toilets the bolts are inside the skirted.
You therefore have to push your hand through a small opening to tighten the bolts. This is not easy especially if you have big hands and you might therefore need to call in a plumber, which is an additional cost.
The toilet however comes with a top-mount slow close seat. Since you cannot access the underside of the bowl to tighten the seat bolt nuts, skirted toilets normally use top-mount seats and fortunately American Standard provides one.
The total assembled dimensions of the American Standard 2988101.020 Cadet 3 FloWise are:
- Depth: 28.25 inches
- Width: 15.75 inches
- Height: 30.75 inches
- Rough-in: 12 inches
- Bowl rim height: 16.5 inches
If you are looking for a comfort height, skirted, easy to clean round front toilet then this is the one.
5. American Standard Colony
American Standard 2961A104SC.020 Colony is a sleek single flush one-piece elongated and comfort height toilet. It is only available in a white finish.
There are many toilets in the American Standard Colony collection but the American Standard 2961A104SC.020 Colony is my favorite one. I love its one-piece sleek and low profile design which makes it to easily stand out.
If you are big on aesthetics then this toilet will be one to consider. Its exterior is beautiful crafted which is further enhanced by the seamless link between the tank and the bowl, without the usual crevice. As a result cleaning this toilet is so easy since there are no hidden spots for dirt to hide.
The total assembled height of the American Standard Colony is 26.18 inches. This low profile design allows it to fit in tight spots. It could also be an advantage if you have s small bathroom and need to stack up over-the-toilet-storage units.
The Colony’s flushing power is great and you will hardly ever need to flush a second time. Its water consumption is only 1.28 gallons per flush. It can therefore be sold in all the states as it is compliant with WaterSense, CEC and CalGreen requirements.
If you like to sit on a high toilet then you will be happy to know that the Colony is an ADA compliant toilet. With a bowl rim height of 16.5 inches, sitting and standing from the toilet is very easy especially if you have painful knees or are just tall.
And if you feel like losing your mind whenever someone uses the toilet ad slams the seat on the bowl, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. The American Standard Colony comes with a slow close toilet seat to take care of that issue. Both the lid and the seat are slow close.
The dimensions of the American Standard 2961A104SC.020 Colony are:
- Depth: 29.93 inches
- Width: 16.375 inches
- Height: 26.18 inches
- Rough-in: 12 inches
- Bowl rim height: 16.5 inches
If you are looking for a sleek low profile one-piece elongated toilet with a comfort height then the American Standard Colony will be a perfect choice for you.
6. American Standard Cadet 3 Corner Toilet
American Standard 270AD001.020 Cadet 3 is single flush two-piece elongated corner toilet. It is available in a comfort height in white color only.
Corner toilets are toilets with a triangular tank which allows them to be installed at the corner of the bathroom. They are a great option for people with small bathrooms or basically anyone who needs to maximize their bathroom space.
One thing to know is that you can replace a standard toilet with a corner toilet. To do that you have to remodel your bathroom and move the drainpipe towards the corner where the toilet will be installed.
Apart from the shape of the tank, corner toilets works just the same way as standard toilets. Unlike in standard toilets, the rough-in of corner toilets is measured from one of the 2 sidewalls to the center of the toilet’s drainpipe.
With its use of the Cadet flushing system which combines the use of a 3-inch wide flush valve and PowerWash rims, this toilet will flush away your waste, scrubs and rinses your bowl.
Unfortunately, the Cadet 3 Corner toilet cannot be sold to California and Texas residents as it uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush. This exceeds the maximum 1.28 gallons per flush set by these states as well as EPA’s WaterSense.
For your comfort, this toilet comes in an elongated bowl and a comfort height of 16.5 inches bowl rim height. When you add the extra height from the slow close toilet seat that it comes with, you will be seating at a height of 17.5 inches.
Just like other modern American Standard toilets, the Cadet 3 corner toilet is coated with EverClean antimicrobial glaze for ease of cleaning.
The total assembled dimensions of the American Standard 270AD001.020 Cadet 3 corner toilet are:
- Depth: 35.18 inches
- Width: 19.375 inches
- Height: 32.06 inches
- Rough-in: 12 inches
- Bowl rim height: 16.5 inches
It comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
7. American Standard H2 Optimum
American Standard 288DA114.020 H2 Optimum Siphonic is a single flush two-piece round front toilet with a standard height. It is only available in white.
I choose this toilet for a variety of reasons, some of them being:
- Water-efficiency
- Space-saving
- Budget-friendly
- Easy installation.
Although it does not have the same flushing power as the American Standard Champion 4, this toilet still has a decent flush. Its consumption is a meagre 1.1 gallons per flush. Texas and California residents can therefore buy it as it is compliant with the CEC and WaterSense water-use regulations.
The water from the tank enters the bowl through 2 channels. The first one is the direct siphon jet at the bottom of the bowl which pushes the waste straight into the trapway. The second one is through the rim using American Standard’s PowerWash rim technology which cleans and rinses the bowl.
For anyone with a small bathroom, this toilet would be very ideal for them. A round front toilet is always more space-economic since it is normally about 2 inches shorter than an elongated toilet. The depth of this toilet is 27.75 inches which is not bad at all.
The H2 Optimum is also a very budget-friendly toilet too. If you are not willing to spend too much on a toilet but also do not wish to compromise on quality then this toilet is the ideal one for you.
It unfortunately does not come with a toilet seat and you will therefore need to buy one separately. You will however receive 2-color matched toilet bolt caps.
The distance from the floor to the top of the bowl rim is 15 inches which translates to 16 inches seat height. This is therefore not an ADA-compliant toilet. Although it’s not too short, some people still prefer comfort height toilet so this might not appeal to everyone.
The total assembled dimensions of the American Standard H2 Optimum are:
- Depth: 27.75 inches
- Width: 15 inches
- Height: 30 inches
- Rough-in: 12 inches
- Bowl rim height: 12 inches
If you need a round, water-efficient and budget-friendly toilet then check out this one. It comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
American Standard Champion 4 vs Cadet 3 Compact FloWise
| Factor | Champion 4 | Cadet 3 compact |
|---|---|---|
| Flush rate | 1.6 GPF | 1.28 GPF |
| Flush valve | 4-inch | 3-inch |
| Trapway | 2-3/8 inches | 2-1/8 inches |
| Dimensions | Depth: 29.75 inches Width: 16.75 inches Height: 29.5 inches |
Depth: 28.5 inches Width: 15.5 inches Height: 28.5 inches |
| Bowl height | 16.5 inches | 16.5 inches |
| Shape | Elongated | Elongated |
| Cost | More expensive | Relatively cheaper |
American Standard Colony vs Fairfield
| Factor | Colony | Fairfield |
|---|---|---|
| Flush Rate | 1.28 GPF | 1.6 GPF |
| Bowl height | 16.5 inches | 16 inches |
| Bowl shape | Elongated | Elongated |
| Dimensions | Depth: 29.93 inches Width: 16.375 inches Height: 26.18 inches |
Depth: 29.25 inches Width: 16.125 inches Height: 26.25 inches |
| Style | One-piece | One-piece |
| Cost | Relatively cheaper | More expensive |
American Standard Colony and the American Standard Fairfield are 2 toilets that have a similar design and are also short and would therefore appeal to the same buyers.
which is the better toilet between these 2? Let’s compare and contrast them.
American Standard is in my opinion cheaper but still as good the Fairfield. If you would nonetheless like to buy the Fairfield check out its reviews on Amazon here
American Standard Toilets Buying Guide
Prior to buying a toilet whether from American Standard or any other brand, there are a few factors that you need to put into consideration to make sure that you end up with the best toilet possible.
Some of those factors include but not limited to:
1. Toilet Dimensions
Your available bathroom space and the dimensions of the toilet you need to buy have to match. There is no need of buying a toilet that you cannot install because it is too big.
American Standard toilets just like other toilets have varying dimensions. Most of the time the size of a toilet and especially the depth is determined by the shape of the bowl.
Toilets will either have an elongated or a round front bowl. An elongated bowl has an average length of 18.5 inches while a round front bowl has an average length of 16.5 inches. As a result, toilets with an elongated bowl tend to be longer than those with a round bowl.
For people who are squeezed out for space, installing a toilet with a round bowl is always a good idea.
Another way of doing it is by installing a compact elongated toilet. A compact elongated toilet features an elongated bowl but takes up the same space as a round toilet. An example of this is The American Standard Cadet 3-FloWise compact toilet.
Apart from the depth, the height of a toilet matters too. Sometimes people need a short toilet to fit under an existing fixture and in that case the American Standard Colony one-piece toilet is a perfect choice.
It can be a little tricky getting the actual dimensions of a toilet. Some websites simply put out approximations or even shipping dimensions. Others even mix up the depth and the height.
To get the correct dimensions of American Standards toilets, search the particular toilet model in their website. Click on the specification to find the precise assembled toilet dimensions among other specifications.
To know what model of American Standard toilet you have, remove the tank lid and check for 4 digits on the back wall of the tank. That is your toilet model number.
2. Toilet Rough-in
The rough-in of a toilet is the distance from the toilet’s rear finished wall to the center of its drainpipe.
If the toilet is already installed, you can measure the distance from the wall to one of the 2 toilet bowl bolts. They are normally installed at a drainpipe’s 3 and 9 o’clock positions.
The standard rough-in of a toilet is 12 inches. You will however still find toilets with a rough-in of 10 and 14 inches especially in old houses. Replacing such toilets with modern ones can be a little harder since non-standard rough-in toilets are not always available.
Although you can replace a 14-inch rough-in toilet with a 12-inch one, a 2-inch gap will be left between the toilet and the wall, which is not ideal for most people. 10-inch rough-in toilets cannot be replaced by any other toilet unless one with a 10-inch rough-in too.
If you need a toilet with a rough-in of 10 inches, check out the American Standard 270AB001.020 Cadet 3.
For a 14-inch rough-in toilet, check out the American Standard 215FC104.020 Cadet PRO.
3. Water Efficiency
A water-efficient toilet is good for the environment and also for your pocket. You should therefore try as much as possible to buy a toilet that uses less water.
The biggest challenge manufacturers had some years back was how to manufacture a toilet that uses less water but flushes powerfully. It makes no sense to have a low-consumption toilet that will need to be flushed several times to clear everything.
Through innovation, manufacturers have been able to come up with low flow toilets that uses less water compared to the older 3 gallons per flush toilets but still flush better. Currently in the United States toilets cannot use more than 1.6 gallons per flush.
In states like California and Texas, the regulations are even tougher. New toilets sold in those states should have a rating of 1.28 gallons per flush or even less. If you are a resident in those states this is something that you really need to check out for.
While on that issue, another way to make sure that you uses less water is by installing a dual flush toilet. Dual flush toilets have two buttons, one which when pushed releases less water for flushing liquids.
4. One-Piece vs Two-Piece Toilets
A toilet has a bowl and tank but some have bowl and the tank fused together while others (two-piece toilets) have the bowl and tank made separate and only joined together during installation.
So, between a one-piece toilet and a two-piece toilet, which one is better than the other? The truth of the matter is that each of these toilet designs have their advantages and disadvantages and the choice to buy either comes down to one’s preferences.
To start with, one-piece toilets are more compact than two-piece toilets. They are however difficult to ship and tend to break more often than two-piece toilets. Two-piece toilets are packed in 2 different boxes and it is therefore easy to transport and lift them.
Another thing to remember is that the 2 boxes for two-piece toilets can arrive at different times. There are people who have been unfortunate to only receive one box and never the other.
I wrote a detailed post on the pros and cons of one-piece vs two-piece toilets. To read more on that issue find it here.
5. Comfort height vs Standard height
American Standard makes toilets with either a comfort height of 16.5 inches bowl height or a standard height of 15 inches bowl height.
Comfort height toilets are the ones compliant with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 17 inches seat height. They are also known as right/chair/universal height toilets.
The decision to buy either comfort height or standard height toilets comes down to the buyer’s preference. Each of them have their advantages and disadvantages.
It is very easy to sit and stand from a comfort height toilet especially if you are tall, old or are recovering from a knee/hip surgery. Standard height toilets are also great for people who are not very tall and children too.
To read more on the pros and cons of Comfort height vs standard height toilets check out this post.
Summary
American Standard has been around for all those years due to their constant improvement on quality as well as innovation. Most Americans trust their toilets since they have served them well over the decades.
Although it faces stiff competition from Toto toilets and Kohler toilets as well as other smaller plumbing companies, American standard still maintains a good chunk of the market share.