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Tushy Ace Electric Bidet Seat
Pros
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Beautiful design
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Streamlined remote
Cons
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Intense water jet
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Narrow drying
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I bought my first bidet about three years ago. I’d heard that using a bidet toilet could help reduce the amount of toilet paper one consumes, and it could also eliminate the need for those supposedly “flushable” wipes that actually clog up and cause massive problems for citywide sanitation systems. I was immediately on board. I knew a good bidet could help with hygiene in general, but it was only about a year ago that I began thinking about how installing a bidet converter kit could specifically help my aging mother, who has advanced Parkinson’s and, as a result, has very limited flexibility and mobility. A product like the Tushy Ace Electric Bidet Seat seemed to be a suitable solution to those problems.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of seniors—one in four adults over the age of 65—fall each year. Falls are common among older adults and, according to the CDC, one out of five of these falls causes serious injury such as a head injury or a broken bone. While there are many situations where older adults could lose their balance and fall, moving around, getting up, and shifting positions to clean up after using the toilet is one potential cause.
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Does a bidet really help?
Keeping clean has never been easier with the Tushy Ace Electric Bidet.
A bidet can help in this scenario because the water can reach areas that may be difficult for a person with limited flexibility or mobility to reach, meaning they’re less likely to have to shift around or stand up to get a better reach. Not only can a bidet reach areas that are difficult for someone with mobility or flexibility challenges to reach, but the spray of water can also do a better job than most hands could ever do.
Since it’s so difficult for my mother to use the shower (it’s small, cramped, and awkwardly shaped so it can’t easily accommodate a shower chair), she washes up a bit every morning while sitting on the toilet. This helps her stay clean between actual showers and baths. The toilet seat is low, she has support bars around it, and, thanks to the ultra-narrow cabinet I installed next to the toilet, she has easy access to her mirror, wipes, deodorant, hairbrush, and other items.
Using a bidet with a toilet safety rail
The Essential Medical Supply support rail makes for a good combo with the Tushy Electric bidet, and it doesn't require any bolting!
Each morning, my sister or I give our mother a clean, wet rag for her to use during her morning routine. In addition to a bidet potentially helping maintain hygiene after having a bowel movement, I wondered if it could be helpful to my mother during her morning hygiene routine.
The main challenge I encountered when using a bidet was that the vast majority of toilet support bars on the market attach to the rear of the toilet seat. Since the bars attach in the exact same place— and using the exact same bolts—that a bidet requires, I worried it may be impossible to use both. Fortunately, I found a standing toilet safety rail that went around the front of the toilet so I wouldn’t have to remove the bidet.
When my mother arrived, I still had the same basic Tushy Classic bidet I’d been using for years. Since I knew I wanted to upgrade to the new electric Tushy bidet, I timed the delivery to coincide with her visit so that she could try out both the regular spa bidet and also the fancier electric bidet to see which she liked better. Turns out, she liked both, but she loved the electric bidet, so we also ordered one for her home in Wisconsin.
About the Tushy Ace Electric Bidet
The Ace Electric Bidet by Tushy differs from standard bidets in that it is not merely a simple bidet attachment that attaches to the back of your existing toilet seat and sprays water. Instead, it’s a bidet system integrated into a completely new toilet seat that replaces your existing toilet seat. It has many high-end features and wash modes, which are controlled by a small remote control (included).
What I like about the Tushy Ace Electric Bidet
It’s very thorough
The remote allows you to control all of the Tushy Ace's basic features.
Unlike most bidets, which have a single stationary nozzle that is positioned toward your buttocks, the angle of the nozzle on the Ace Electric Bidet is adjustable and there are both front and back settings (“front” and “bum”). By using the remote and adjusting the angle, you can move the nozzle from front to back, essentially hitting anywhere between the “front” and “bum.” As a result, you clean a much larger area than you could with standard bidets.
It has many helpful features
Not only can the bidet spray water, but the electric nature of the bidet means you can choose from five temperature settings ranging from cool to very warm. Not only can the temperature of the water be controlled by the remote, but you can also adjust the temperature of the seat itself.
There’s also a dry function that sends a burst of air at your backside to help with drying. Admittedly, the drying process is quite slow, and my mother usually winds up finishing up with toilet paper anyway, but she says she likes the feature because the seat can start drying her while she’s turned her attention to another aspect of her routine.
The ability to adjust the water pressure is another great feature. The lowest pressure setting may not feel strong enough to get you clean, but the highest pressure setting might also be uncomfortable for anyone with sensitive skin. Since this sort of preference differs from person to person, it’s been very convenient to be able to easily switch between the five pressure levels.
It has a remote
The remote control attaches to a magnetic mount that could be easily affixed to the wall, cabinet, shower, or whatever is near the toilet. The most basic features, like spray and dry, can be controlled by buttons on the side of the toilet. But to adjust the pressure, angle, or temperature of the water (or to activate the seat warmer), you’ll need the remote.
Due to Parkinson’s, my mother often struggles with remote controls, cell phones, or anything with small buttons, so I worried she would have difficulty using this remote. Thankfully, she didn’t. Given that the buttons on the side of the electric bidet were difficult for her to reach (and the knob on the spa bidet was reachable but difficult for her to manipulate), the electric bidet remote proved to be the best option.
It’s relatively easy to install
By following the instructions in the manual, you should be able to install the bidet in 30 to 60 minutes. It shouldn’t be necessary to call in a plumber or even a handy friend but, if that makes you more comfortable, then do that—just make sure they turn off the water source before starting the process!
It’s very comfortable
After my mother tried out the Ace Electric Bidet at my apartment for the first time, I asked her what she thought of it. Her first words were “It’s so comfortable!” Indeed, it is an extremely comfortable toilet seat. It’s a bit larger than your standard toilet seat, and the back of it curves up so it feels more like a regular chair than you might be used to. Since she sometimes sits on the toilet seat for over an hour while she’s going through her morning routine, she has very much appreciated how comfortable it is compared to her previous standard toilet seat.
What I don’t like about the Tushy Ace Electric Bidet
It’s expensive
Some support rails are not compatible with the Tushy Ace Electric Bidet. Fortunately, the Essential Medical Supply rail fits perfectly well.
Most basic bidets cost about $100. The Ace Electric Bidet costs $399. That’s a lot of money for many in the senior and disabled demographics, and there’s no way around it. If you’re on a budget and you or your loved one just need a little bit of assistance on the toilet, then the Tushy Classic bidet will serve you just fine. However, if you can afford the splurge, the Ace Electric Bidet has a lot of useful features that make using the toilet (and cleaning up afterward) far easier and more comfortable.
It takes a while to learn
By no means is this bidet difficult to use. All of the settings—front, back, pressure, angle, and temperature—can be controlled by the remote, but it does take a while to learn. I read the manual, but it didn’t tell me absolutely everything I needed to know about the remote. It took some trial and error to learn each individual function.
My mom only had a few days to test out the electric bidet at my apartment before flying back to Wisconsin, so I didn’t have a chance to familiarize myself with all the remote settings. Basic functions like switching from “front” to “bum” are obvious, but we both were a little confused by some of the nuances in the settings. However, after spending about a week using it, I learned how everything works and I called her in Wisconsin to explain some of the settings over the phone so she could take full advantage of the Ace Electric Bidet that she now also had in her own bathroom.
It prevents you from using most toilet support bars
As I mentioned, I was able to find a set of freestanding toilet support bars that enabled me to maintain a bidet in my own home. When we decided to get a bidet for my mom’s home, I ordered her the same support bars she tried out at my apartment, and we removed the back-of-seat-attached support bars on her toilet. We wound up liking the freestanding bars far more than the seat-attached bars, but given that the vast majority of toilet support bars do require attachment to the back of the seat, and given that you may really like the support bars currently attached to the back of your toilet, those potential incompatibilities are worth considering.
Should you buy the Tushy Ace Electric Bidet?
For a little more money, it also might be worth looking at the Brondell Swash 1400, which earned top marks in our testing of the best bidets, but it does have a more complicated remote. However, if an electric bidet simply out of your budget, the Tushy Classic bidet a good runner-up that also does a great job.
If you or a senior or disabled loved one could use a bit of assistance cleaning up in the bathroom and you can afford it, the Ace Electric Bidet is absolutely worth the splurge. It’s become a key part of my mother’s morning and all-day bathroom routine, and it’s helped her maintain good hygiene while also preserving her dignity and autonomy in the bathroom.
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