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I bought a bidet on Amazon—and it changed my life

There's something better than toilet paper

Tushy Classic installable bidet Credit: Getty Images

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When a co-worker asked if anyone at the office wanted to test an installable bidet made by Tushy, a new and cheekily named toilet accessory company, I immediately raised my hand.

“And… you’ll write about it?” they asked.

“Yup,” I answered without hesitation.

The wry smiles appearing at the fringes of the room did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm. I was confident I wanted to try it because I already knew this: bidets are the far superior butt cleaning technology.

If an installable bidet was anything close to half of what I had experienced many years back, it would be more than worth it. A quick trip to Amazon.com and a few days later a box with a bunch of cheeky labeling and humorous descriptions showed up on my desk. Tushy, just like the folks who make the Squatty Potty and Poo-Pourri, knows this is a bathroom tool, and if you want to make people comfortable, keep things light. And it mostly works.

What's the deal with bidets?

Tushy bidet controls close up
Credit: Reviewed/Mike Roorda

The controls allow you to spray, clean the wash nozzle and direct the angle of spray

Despite their popularity in Asia and Europe, seeing an actual bidet in the US is a rarity for most people. As a result, the idea of a bidet is kind of awkward for most Americans. “I use it to wash… my butt? Like, with my clothes on?” they’ll ask, not understanding because using a bidet is just simply not done here. Instead, we buy the softest and thickest paper product we can get our hands on and use it liberally, delicate plumbing be damned. Someone once sold my father-in-law a toilet by promising that it could “flush up to 19 golf balls at once.” That’s the American way.

The truth of the matter is that bidets are better at cleaning your bum when the deed is done. I know this to be true. In college, a woman I dated had a bathroom on the main floor of her parent’s house that her dad had remodeled himself. He had sprung for the wildest of luxuries: a full porcelain bidet right next to the toilet. I was immediately on board. I’d heard about them, knew how they generally worked, and after some fiddling with the knobs and getting the temperature figured out, I had a revelatory experience. Initial trepidation aside, I felt much cleaner than I’d ever felt with just toilet paper. Like I’d just given my butt a quick shower. Which, essentially, I had.

How does the Tushy bidet work?

Tushy bidet wash controls
Credit: Reviewed/Mike Roorda

You can adjust the spray intensity with a bespoke wooden dial as well as clean the wash nozzle

The Tushy installs pretty easily with just a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, and the included hardware. Once you have it firmly fastened underneath your toilet seat, you turn off the water to your toilet and attach a small coupling to the water line.

If that seems like a lot, know that I initially saw the contents of the box and wavered. But after glancing through the instructions, I was completely convinced this was within my wheelhouse. And I was right. No actual plumbing knowledge was necessary. I mean you could call a plumber if you wanted, but they’re just going to come and tell you to read the instructions. It wasn’t difficult at all to get set up and has been working fine for a few weeks now.

Once it’s installed using the bidet is fairly straight forward. Use the toilet like you normally would and instead of immediately reaching for the TP, slowly turn the wooden dial on the Tushy’s control panel to the right. Once the spray is at your desired pressure (I strongly recommend starting out slowly) you can also adjust the angle of attack with a small toggle switch directly underneath the dial. Then, when you’re confident you’ve effectively power washed your undercarriage, turn the Tushy off and then pat dry with a little toilet paper of your choice. That’s it. Now all that’s left to do is bask in the joy of that freshly washed feeling.

What are the benefits to the Tushy bidet?

Tushy bidet on a toilet
Credit: Reviewed/Mike Roorda

The Tushy bidet is easy to install and a well designed accessory

In addition to being superior to toilet paper, the Tushy bidet might even save you money. Shortly after installing it, I immediately noticed we were going through our toilet paper at a greatly reduced rate. A quick rinse, a pat dry and that’s it. There’s so little toilet paper involved that I could probably throw out my plunger. (I’m absolutely not throwing out my plunger.) Using a bidet isn't going to completely remove the need for toilet paper from your routine, but the amount of toilet paper you use will absolutely go down.

If you're prone to "chafing" or are just suffering from an upset stomach having to repeatedly use toilet paper can cause some discomfort. With the use of a bidet you're using far less and wiping is less of an issue because you're mostly trying to dry off. It could still theoretically dry out your butt, but my guess is a lot less easily than regular toilet paper would.

For people with mobility issues, I imagine an installable bidet like the Tushy could be a game changer. I can’t speak to that issue with any authority, but I can say that when I badly threw out my back a few weeks ago, the Tushy bidet was extra appreciated. Not having to lean one way or the other while I cleaned up meant I could keep my spine straight and avoid further discomfort.

Is it at all like using a dedicated bidet?

Tushy bidet wash nozzle
Credit: Reviewed/Mike Roorda

The Tushy bidet wash nozzle hangs down in the back of the toilet and extends a few inches when the water is turned on

The mechanics of the Tushy bidet make it such that it’s not quite as comfortable as a normal, full-sized porcelain version. The full porcelain models mostly have a nozzle pointed straight up. It’s like a temperature controlled Old Faithful for your bum. The Tushy, on the other hand, hangs down in the back of your toilet, extends a bit and then shoots water up and at an angle.

I had no problems getting done what needed doing, but it just wasn’t as gentle as the full-sized version. That said, I had the chance to use another full-sized bidet recently and will say this: with the Tushy, you don’t have to disembark and move to a new location before splashdown and that is a huge check mark in their favor. In this way, it’s actually more convenient.

Is it worth it?

Tushy bidet controls
Credit: Reviewed/Mike Roorda

The Tushy bidet controls are fairly self-explanatory

Within a few days or so of using the Tushy I knew for sure, “I’m not going back to just toilet paper.” The one complaint I do have is that I got the first version of their product, which doesn’t have a temperature setting. It’s just tap water directly from a cold water line.

The Tushy is great, but I live in the Northeast part of the US and in the winter the tap water can get brutally cold. I’m probably going to spring for the $99 spa version with temp control. The slightly more expensive model comes with a hot water line attachment, and as long as there’s a sink nearby you should be able to regulate how hot or cold the water is.

Did the $70 Tushy bidet change my life? In a small but noticeable way, yeah. It actually makes part of my routine “activities” much more enjoyable. If you can make a small change in your life that brings you daily joy, you should probably do it. For me, that was accomplished by installing a bidet on my toilet and leveling up my bathroom experience.

Get the Tushy Classic Bidet Toilet Attachment on Amazon for $69.99

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