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The manufacturer, Swiss Madison, describe their toilets and products in general as 'well made forever'. Hinting that what they design is durable and reliable. Having spent time researching what they have to offer consumers, we believe this to be true. A look at some of their most popular toilets shows that they are efficient and rinse the bowl effectively. These innovative designs could be a welcome addition to any modern bathroom.
In our guide below, we hope to educate our readers of the pros and cons of each collection, ranging from the flushing system in place, to the materials used in their construction.
The SM-1T254 is beautifully crafted, featuring an elongated bowl with smooth sides that provides the necessary support and comfort for everyday usage.
The flushing mechanism in place uses small quantities of water, and gives users a choice between a strong and weak current depending on the waste you're dealing with. This is known as a dual flush systyem.
It has a soft closing seat to eliminate problematic slamming of the lid, and will fit a standard twelve inch rough in. We think this could be a great addition to your bathroom.
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| Swiss Madison St. Tropez |
Swiss Madison Concorde |
Swiss Madison Ivy | |
| Model number | SM-1T254 | SM-1T106 | SM-1T112 |
| Rough in | 12" | 12" | 12" |
| Flush type | Dual | Dual | Dual |
| Touchless | |||
| Trip lever | |||
| Button | . | ||
| GPF | 0.8 / 1.28 | 0.8 / 1.28 | 0.8 / 1.28 |
| WaterSense | . | ||
| ADA | . | ||
Rim height
Height without seat
|
15.5" | 15.5" | 15.5" |
| Elongated | . | ||
| Round | |||
| Square | |||
| Dimensions | 26.6 x 15 x 31" | 27 x 14.3 x 29.5" | 26 x 14 x 29" |
| Weight | 120 lbs | 89 lbs | 90 lbs |
| Trap size | 2.75" | 2.75" | 2.75" |
| Concealed trap | . | ||
| Skirted | . | ||
| One piece | . | ||
| Two piece | |||
| Intelligent | |||
| Floor mount | . | ||
| Wall mounted | |||
| Colors | White | White | White |
| Seat | . | ||
| Soft close | . | ||
| Bidet | |||
| Supply | |||
| Rating | 84% | 83% | 82% |
This is a company that manufacturers a variety of different sanitary ware. Not only toilets but also shower heads and bases, baths, vanities, and sinks. They stand out from their competitors through building and designing hardware that has contemporary themes.
Some of their most popular product collections include the St. Tropez, Sublime II, CHÂTEAU, Concorde, Ivy, Monaco, CARRÉ and VOLTAIRE. They have options for both wall hung and floor mounted styles, as well as dual and single flush.
Many of their products offer skirting which hides the trapway. Combined with the fact that many of these are one piece, and you have the formula for a beautiful external design that's both smooth and stylish.
We explore the specification sheets of our picks in detail below. We want to know how they perform, information about their size and measurements, plus how accessible / comfortable they are for users.
The St Tropez contains some top features that will further improve your bathroom experience. A beautiful design is just one aspect of our findings. This is coupled with a great flushing mechanism too. We delve deeper into the specifications for your benefit below.
It has a two flush system, one of these flushes uses less water than the other. This is commonly known as a dual flush. People who prioritize the amount of water consumed will find this model appealing too. A 0.8 / 1.28 GPF flow rate shows just how efficient it can be in comparison to older units.
And unlike the traditional use of a trip lever on the side of a toilets tank, the SM-1T254 uses buttons located on the tanks lid instead.
How a product looks from the outside is important too. Get this wrong, and it can ruin the bathrooms overall theme. From our perspective, we think it looks great. Its sleek and smooth and most importantly, conceals the trapway effectively. Arguably the ugliest part of it.
Consumer reports that we've found about it at the time of this review have been mostly positive. It appears to be highly rated by consumers, which is great considering it's relatively inexpensive in comparison to other big brands in the industry.
The soft closing seat is included. This makes a nice change from manufacturers upselling this after you've made the purchase. The quiet close feature is also highly recommended if you currently have a old seat that tends to slam shut. Both from a damage prevention point of view and for people who want peace and quiet in the household.
It fits a twelve inch rough in, which is the most common size in washrooms, so this will usually be a good fit for most buyers. However, you'll want to check your rough in size to make sure. We have a guide on our home page showing you how to do this.
The bowl is also comfort height, which, as the name might suggest, is designed for providing people the comfort they require in their bathroom visits. This means it's slightly taller than standard toilet bowls (usually seventeen inches and up). The purpose of this is to make sitting and standing easier for those who need it. This also crosses over into the Americans with Disabilities Act, ensuring less able bodied people can access the toilet easier.
It's floor mounted, made in a ceramic china material, finished in white, and has dimensions are 26.6 x 15 x 31 inches.
We think this could be one of the better choices on the market for people with a lower budget. It contains all the necessary features and functionality to handle a modern family households requirements.
The Concorde collection shares several similarities with the St Tropez. It's finished in a bautiful white color, fully skirted around the trapway, and offers the same level of water efficiency. Lets dig a little deeper below, and find out whether its suitable for your needs.
The flushing mechanism in use is dual flush. Utilizing just 0.8 gallons for the partial one, and 1.28 gallons for the full one. This meets a number of water and energy saving standards in the industry, but perhaps the most notable of these is the WaterSense program from the Environmental Protection Agency. This level of efficiency can certainly help you make a dent in your monthly utility bills. We have a calculator to further highlight this fact.
Again, the inclusion of the slow close seat is welcome. It also comes equipped with a useful quick release feature that lets people remove it easily to really get into the gaps for cleaning purposes. Everyone likes a hygienic environment in the bathroom after all.
Unlike the SM-1T254 however, it offers a square shaped bowl. These are not seen as being the most comfortable option available to you, but they look fantastic, and will provide the necessary space and support.
Its rough in is twelve inches, and is mounted to the floor. It's finished in white and the overall dimensions are as follows: 27 x 14.3 x 29.5 inches.
This is another quality product from this company. It's eco-friendly, contemporary, and will handle waste without using much water.
The Ivy range features a excelllent exterior that is aesthetically pleasing. The trapway isn't visible, and the smooth edges add a simple, but effective touch. However, does the spec list match the visuals? Lets take a look.
Looking at the internal flush mechanism in use, this a dual tornado flush system, which is designed to swirl water around the bowl more effectively and get to the more difficult areas. A thorough rinse is important as it keeps the odors and bacteria at bay for longer periods of time.
Like our other picks, we like to focus on efficiency, and the SM-1T112 certainly has it. The heavier flush uses 1.28 gallons, which is low flow in itself. However, the real savings are made with the 0.8 gpf flush. Over long periods of time, you will be saving tens of thousands of gallons per year, even more if you're making a upgrade from the older, inefficient 3.5/5.0 GPF models.
It's both elongated and comfort height. These two things seem to be the way forward nowdays in terms of seated comfort. The bowl is slightly higher up, making sitting down easier on the joints, and the elongagted bowl is the better option all round, especially for males.
The seat is part of the package, and includes soft close hinges. It's mounted on the floor, and made from a ceramic. For planning purposes, it measures 26 x 14 x 29 inches.
Rough in - Measure from the wall to the center of your waste outlet to get your rough in measurement. You'll need to know this before you start shopping. Round it down to the nearest standard size. (This will generally be either 10 inches, 12 inches, or 14 inches, depending on how old your house is).
Water use - We covered the benefits of low water usage briefly above. However, we think it's important to point out that despite using less, the performance doesn't suffer too much. A quick browse through the MaP scoring product list demonstrates this. For that reason, why choose something that increases your bills at the end of the month over something that is more economically friendly? You should look for products with the WaterSense label preferably.
Other brands - IF you've read our main toilet ratings page, you may have noticed that Toto, Kohler, and American Standard are among our favorites. However, we've also pointed out a number of strengths and weaknesses offered by other names too. Refer to our, WoodBridge, Mansfield, Icera, Sterling, and Ove guides for more information.
Location - You should have a thorough understanding of where you'll be installing your product before you shop around. For example, some consumers may find themselves wanting to install a bathroom in a basement. If that's the case, the required hardware and tools for doing so are quite different to those in a standard toilet where gravity does most of the hard work. If that's the case, you may want to look into macerating toilets instead of standard designs, due to there ability to send waste upwards. SaniFlo are a brand that specialize in this area.
Customer reviews - Take a moment to browse through what consumers have been saying about the product you're currently considering. We recommend sticking with the big retailers websites for such tasks, as well as big plumbing forums. Keep an eye out for people complaining about similar things as it may be a sign that the product isn't reliable or durable.
Glazing - We prefer products that offer a coat of glazing abover the china. It makes the surface slick and reduces the amount of waste that sticks to the bowl. This is key to ensuring there are no lingering odors and preventing the build up of bacteria.
Water surface - The surface of the water within the bowl shouldn't be too close to the seated height for obvious reasons. The splashing of such a situation can be unpleasent and unhygienic. Look for units that has a water line from the rim of at least five inches, preferably more.
You should also consider getting something with a generous water surface area. The wider surface is great for preventing waste sticking, but also fights rising odors. However, going too large can mean that the water level sits too high in the bowl as mentioned above. So make sure you look at both of these specs before buying.
Swiss Madison toilets are among our favorites in terms of design and affordability. Most of their sanitary ware contains specs to lower water consumption and ensure that the bowl is rinsed thoroughly after use. This brand is well worth a second look if you're looking to replace your current toilet.