Toilet seats are an essential fixture that we use every day. As such, it would be best to know that it won’t break underneath us comfortably. That is a thought that would barely cross our minds for most of us, but how about the heavier set person?
A toilet breaking beneath us while sitting on it can be catastrophic. So, the question that is now probably in everyone’s mind who is reading this right now is if toilets have a weight limit?
Well, of course, a toilet has a weight limit. But that limit differs depending on the type of toilet, its construction, and its design. For example, the industry-standard weight limit for floor toilets is around 453kg or 1,000 lbs. On the other hand, wall-mounted toilets can support 227kg or 500 lbs.
If you or anyone in your home is on the heavy side, or if you expect visitors who tend to be of a certain weight, you might want to consider the durability of your toilet. But, even besides that point, having a reliable and tough toilet will only offer nothing but advantages no matter the situation. So, to help you figure out what type of toilet to get, we compiled a list of factors you should keep in mind the next time you find yourself at the local home improvement store.
The Most Durable Toilet Material
Not all toilets are made the same as some are decent enough for everyday use while others offer exceptional durability. The toilet material will be a huge factor in regards to how much weight it can support.
Some toilets are made from porcelain or ceramic, concrete, plastic, and even wood. The good news is that you won’t need to scour the aisle for the most rigid type of toilet as the most common is considered the most durable. Yes, the standard porcelain toilet is currently ranked as the toughest type of toilet in the market.
The porcelain toilet can easily hold up to 1,000 lbs. of weight. Additionally, a porcelain toilet is incredibly easy to clean, maintain, and affordable. So, if you are looking for a reliable and sturdy toilet, look no further than the standard porcelain models.
Toilet Seat Options: Round or Oval?
Other than the toilet bowl itself, the toilet seat is also something to consider when purchasing. You will notice two variations of the toilet seat available in the market, the round and oval seats. Besides the appearance, these toilet seats come with their strengths.
If you aim for comfort, the oval toilet seat should be at the top of your list. The extra space of its elongated shape provides additional support and comfort when sitting down. The downside of oval toilet seats is that they tend to be too large for children to sit on properly.
If you have children at home, the round toilet seat will provide the smaller house occupants with enough support and stability when using the restroom.
Heavy-Duty Toilets for Heavy People
As stated earlier, the standard porcelain toilet will typically have a 1,000 lbs. weight limit. That said, you might encounter toilets that provide a significantly lower weight capacity than that. For example, some of the cheapest toilets out there will have a max weight limit of between 300 lbs. to 500 lbs. Of course, this is not much of a factor in most cases, but 300 lbs. are admittedly at the bare minimum.
For safety, we highly recommend you opt for toilets that provide a more than 300 lbs. weight limit. If someone of considerable weight is to use one of these cheaper toilet bowls, the chance of it cracking under stress is a likely scenario.
To help prevent this from happening, we recommend you go for heavy-duty toilets. While more expensive, these toilets more than make up for their excellent durability and longevity. So basically, pay more now and save money later down the road.
There are four factors to consider if you are looking for the toughest toilet in the market. But, first, read our buying guide below to optimize your selection of toilets.
- Weight capacity
The first factor is the most obvious one, the weight capacity. The higher the weight capacity of the toilet, the sturdier and long-lasting it tends to be. This is the primary factor to consider when picking a toilet. We can give you one piece of advice here that the weight capacity indicated is usually the static weight.
Static weight means that it is steady and not moving. Remember that if you are on a tight budget and looking for a toilet that supports a specific weight, we advise you to add a bit more to that number for additional weight allowance.
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Seat Height
The toilet seat height is the second toilet feature to consider —this part of the toilet factors into the overall comfort of using this bathroom fixture. The right size will easier to transition between sitting down and standing up. The correct toilet seat height also means it will be more comfortable to sit on.
The standard toilet seat height is around 15 inches. However, for exceptionally tall individuals, we recommend looking for a good comfort height toilet with a height of up to 17 inches or more. That seat height should prevent legs from cramping when sitting down for a couple of minutes or so.
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Bowl Width
The bowl width is intrinsically connected to the toilet’s overall durability. Basically, the wider the toilet seat width, the more weight it can support. However, you will need to consider who will be using the said toilet as while broader toilet width offers superb support and sturdiness, it is not exactly ideal for children.
Click here to see the differences between round and elongated toilets to choose what’s best for your home.
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Toilet Mounting Type
Finally, the type of installation is the last crucial element to consider when choosing a toilet. There are two types to choose from: the floor-mounted and the wall-mounted toilet. The floor-mounted provides the highest weight capacity with 1,000 lbs. and above, while wall-mounted toilets offer better space-saving capability for smaller bathrooms.
One of the main concerns with wall-mounted toilets is weight capacity. Therefore, if weight is your primary concern, we suggest sticking with the standard floor-mounted version. Pros and cons of wall mounted vs floor-mounted toilets.
To further help you narrow down your search for heavy-duty toilets, please check out our article on Best Toilet Seats for Heavy People with an updated list of recommended products.
Conclusion
It is essential to know the toilet’s weight capacity to avoid accidents. Regardless of your weight, though, we recommend you opt for the toilet unit with the highest weight limit that your budget can afford.