7 Best American Standard Toilets: Flush Power & Design

Last Updated on September 6, 2023 by toilethaven

Which American Standard Toilets Are the Best?

American Standard toilets are made by American Standard, one of the largest plumbing fixtures manufacturers 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 2008, American Standard 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, of 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 to see how well or not they work. And I have the verdict

The 7 Best American Standard Toilets are:

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 toilets 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 toilets 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 toilets?

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 quickly from the tank to the bowl. This means the water is forcefully dumped into the bowl, creating a powerful flush. A 2-3/8 inch fully-glazed trapway, which is wider than usual, also helps 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 more elegant and beautiful than the previous two-piece design. The absence of the bowl-to-tank crevice gives it a seamless and compact design that will surely complement any bathroom style/décor.

Champion 4’s surface is coated using American Standard’s patented EverClean antimicrobial additive. This substance inhibits the growth of mold, mildew, and odor-causing bacteria, making it easy to clean this toilet and keep it that way for long.

The distance from the floor to the bowl’s rim 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 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 closed 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 into designing the seat. It feels flimsy, and you will 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 two 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, but only 2 of those have impressed me. Most of the others are old and, as such, do not have the latest features that you may want in a toilet.

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 the 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 comfortable 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 on 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 forms 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 comfortable height toilet or a standard height toilet.

A dual flush toilet is a toilet where you can flush using two 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 is for flushing liquids, while you use the 1.28 gallons full flush to flush away the solids.

As a result, the H2 Option complies with the 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, go with the much more comfortable elongated model.

The H2 Option also allows you to pick a standard height toilet model or the comfort height model. Again, the decision to buy a comfortable-height toilet or a standard-height one comes down to the buyer’s preference.

Apart from being a great performing toilet, the H2 Option is also pretty attractive. The tank sits elegantly on the bowl, and 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 have a seat, and you must buy one separately. You will, however, receive two 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 has a two-piece toilet, a concealed trapway, and a front-round bowl.

A toilet with a concealed or a skirted toilet such as this one serves two 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 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 bathrooms. As we had seen earlier, the Cadet 3 Compact FloWise also does the same. So, which model does a better job of saving bathroom space?

The depth of the American Standard Cadet 3 Compact is 28.5 inches, while that of the 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 reasons. In that case, 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 the top of its bowl rim is 16.5 inches. This translates to 17.5 inches of 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 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; 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 comfortable height, skirted, easy-to-clean round front toilet, this is the one.

5. American Standard Colony

American Standard 2961A104SC.020 Colony is a sleek single flush, one-piece, elongated, comfortable 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 easily stand out.

If you are big on aesthetics, this toilet will be one to consider. Its exterior is beautifully crafted, 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 a 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. Therefore, it can be sold in all the states as it complies with WaterSense, CEC, and CalGreen requirements.

If you like to sit on a high toilet, 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 and 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 slowly closed.

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 profile one-piece elongated toilet with a comfortable 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 a single flush, two-piece elongated corner toilet. It is available in a comfortable 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 work 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 rinse 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 sitting 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 two-piece round front toilet with a standard height. It is only available in white.

I chose 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 meager 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 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 of seat height. This is, therefore, not an ADA-compliant toilet. Although it’s not too short, some people still prefer comfortable height toilets, 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, check out this one. It comes with a 5-year limited warranty.

American Standard Champion 4 vs Cadet 3 Compact FloWise

American Standard Colony vs. Fairfield

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 as 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 to buy 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.

Installing a toilet with a round bowl is always a good idea for people who are squeezed out for space.

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 on 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 four 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 installed, you can measure the distance from the wall to one of the two 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 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 manufacturing 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 use 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 of those states, this is something that you need to check out.

While on that issue, another way to make sure that you use 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 a 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 has its 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 two boxes for two-piece toilets can arrive at different times. There are people who have been unfortunate only to 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 or a standard height of 15 inches.

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 has their advantages and disadvantages.

It is very easy to sit and stand from a comfortable height toilet, especially if you are tall, old, or recovering from a knee/hip surgery. Standard-height toilets are also great for people who are not very tall and children.

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 in 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 TotoToilets and Kohler Toilets, as well as other smaller plumbing companies, American Standard still maintains a good chunk of the market share.