Review Explorer

My family of six has used the 2.5 SpaLet Bidet for over 2 months and it is wonderful, even with a few very small quirks. Let me start with a story first from 21 years ago... I visited Japan for 10 days during the Spring of 1999. I was college-aged and amazed at the wonderful technology found inside the electronic bidet. Warm seats, adjustable nozzles, fans…it was another world. I swore to myself I would obtain such a bidet someday. As the years passed, I thought that my dream was just a fantas... Read More

My family of six has used the 2.5 SpaLet Bidet for over 2 months and it is wonderful, even with a few very small quirks. Let me start with a story first from 21 years ago... I visited Japan for 10 days during the Spring of 1999. I was college-aged and amazed at the wonderful technology found inside the electronic bidet. Warm seats, adjustable nozzles, fans…it was another world. I swore to myself I would obtain such a bidet someday. As the years passed, I thought that my dream was just a fantasy. Lesser bidets do not have the key features that make this such a marvel. When I had the opportunity to review the 2.5 SpaLet and saw the sticker proclaiming “Advanced Japanese Technology” on the top, I had high expectations. And I wasn’t disappointed. Installation Installing the bidet took about 30 minutes. The instructions were clear and the water line modifications below the water tank were not difficult. You will need a standard (15v) electric outlet within reach of the cord. The only instruction that was a little confusing was testing the nozzles. You need to apply pressure in a certain area of the bidet to activate the nozzles due to a weight trigger. It’s toward the back, but the instruction booklet does not point out this detail clearly. Design and Appearance The design of the bidet is modern yet tastefully subtle. The lid has has a lip that covers over the seat portion, creating a refined and smooth line. A small two-LED display on the right side displays when the unit is powered on and if it is in Power Saving Mode (more about Power Saving Mode later). Overall, the bidet is solidly made. All the parts fits precisely together, there is no creaking or shifting, it is a well assembled unit. The only distraction from the overall shape and composition is the water line and power cord. They border on obtrusive, but I humbly do not think there is a way to obfuscate their visual appearance due to their necessity. The small, but noticeable, flaw of the SpaLet 2.5 lies in the lid’s weight and hinge, which I will address at the end. Functionality Every important and necessary function in a modern bidet is found in this package. The abilities of this bidet are worth every penny. The available adjustments alone are worth the price. With a family of six, adjusting nozzle position (6 settings), water temperature (5 settings), spray strength (6 settings), seat temperature (5 settings), and fan temperature (3 settings) is a necessity. No one sits concerned that adjusting their experience is cumbersome. One great feature is that all of these settings change so quickly when requested. Settings settle to their adjustment between instantaneous to two seconds (depending on the adjustment). Sitting on the seat makes this the most revered “seat” in the house. Warm and soft, it fits all sizes comfortably. The night light casts a gentle glow that does not bleed out beyond the toilet bowl, keeping its light focused exactly where you want it during late night excursions. The SpaLet 2.5 has two nozzles: cleaning and bidet. The cleaning nozzle (for the posterior) has two different motions and each can function with a gentle pulsing message. It is a delightful balance of thorough cleaning and calming sensation. The bidet nozzle (for the front), though heavily directed toward women in the instructions, is also useful to men and comes with multiple motions as well. The nozzles combined with the quick adjustments noted above make for a complete experience. To finish your cycle, the fan has three different settings, which is a welcome addition to those living in conditions that can range from hot, humid summers to dry, frigid winters. It has noticeable improved our skin condition and kept sensitive areas clean and hydrated during our time with the bidet. Remote Control The remote control comes in a small caddy that can be fastened to the wall with screws. I recommend using 3M Command strips instead. The remote is not very heavy at all and such stripes will keep it in place securely. The response from the bidet after pushing buttons on the remote is without delay. It reacts as if the remote was wired to the bidet itself. All the functions are quite self explanatory or discoverable with a little experimentation. I have a few recommendations to improve the remote that I will cover below, but its design achieves the right equality between necessary buttons and approachable interface. In other words, you and yours will not think you are entering Darth Vader’s bathroom upon encountering the SpaLet 2.5 Sanitation and Cleanliness Make no mistake, this unit cleans itself obsessively. When you sit, it rinses. When a nozzle is finished its job, it rinses. When you stand up, it rinses. We have cleaned the toilet itself, but never have we needed to clean the nozzles. The are kept behind what I can only describe as the world’s smallest garage door. Built into the rear of the seat, the “garage” protects the nozzles from all foreign objects. Also, the door only opens when weight is applied, so no rascals can hit buttons in the hope of spraying water on your ceiling. Improvements A few small improvements and one big request. The remote doesn’t light up and not every button has a raised indicator for you to memorize by feel. Only the Stop and Cleaning (nozzle) buttons have raised indicators. The power saving mode goes for 8 hours at a time, which might be too long if you turn it on at 10pm, for example. I think if it lasted 4 hours, that would allow some savings of power without leaving you out in the cold when visiting at 3 in the morning. The nozzle position buttons on the remote should ideally allow you to orientate to your bidet's installation. If the remote is on the right of the bidet, the forward and back buttons position as you expect. However, when placed to the left of the bidet (as is mine), the position buttons work opposite. Not a big issue and it is learned very quickly and easily after the second visit. The only big flaw is the lid. The plastic is thin and very light in weight. Therefore, when you lift the lid, it will certainly fall back down. And it will fall down precisely at the moment you are lowering yourself to the seat. You need to lift it and hold it in its perpendicular position for a good 2-3 seconds for it to stay in place. The lid seems like the only part of the SpaLet 2.5 that was not tested nor vetted properly, or possibly targeted as the area to cut costs in production. Please, American Standard, make this heavier and engineer the hinges to allow for the lid to rest upward against the toilet tank! Final Conclusion Yes. In one word, “yes”. This is a great addition to your daily routine not only for the cleansing of the sensitive parts of your body, but for your comfort throughout the day. It leaves you refreshed and clean, not to mention using less toilet paper and less exposure of your hands to undesirable matter and/or contaminants. Bidets that cost less are lacking so many features, they are not worth a purchase. More expensive bidets add little to the SpaLet 2.5 for the cost (and you’ll easily be spending 4-figures looking for an imported Toto bidet/toilet combo). This is truly a jewel in American Standard’s crown. Which is quite appropriate, since you’ll feel like a king (or queen) on this throne.  Read Less

In general the seat shape is comfortable and the heated seat function is nice. There were no issues with the back cleansing and nozzle position, oscillating functions, massage function, and water temp and spray strength adjustments. Though I do not foresee myself using the oscillating and massage functions often. The nozzle cleaning was easy and the initial smell of the deodorizer is not overpowering even though I am sensitive to chemical smells. I do not have much use for the night light, but p... Read More

In general the seat shape is comfortable and the heated seat function is nice. There were no issues with the back cleansing and nozzle position, oscillating functions, massage function, and water temp and spray strength adjustments. Though I do not foresee myself using the oscillating and massage functions often. The nozzle cleaning was easy and the initial smell of the deodorizer is not overpowering even though I am sensitive to chemical smells. I do not have much use for the night light, but perhaps it would be useful for male members of the household. It would be better if there was a light sensor for the night light. Power saving mode is less useful since one of us is always home. There were two aspects of the unit that were small issues. First the unit makes the toilet sit a few inches too high for complete comfort because we already have a ADA compliant toilet. The second is that the lid and the seat do not fully rest in the upright position and will often close again. Perhaps this is due to the shape of our toilet water tank that is slightly curved outward in the front. The most disappointing was that the front cleansing nozzle position did not adjust forward enough for female cleaning unless one was sitting way back on the seat. Also, all the other adjustments had indicator lights but the nozzle position did not so it was difficult to tell if a maximum was reached. In general, the user manual is easy to understand. However, there was only one mention of the the nozzle position adjustment in the section picturing the remote. The bidet and back cleansing sections did not mention it. Also, the nozzle cleaning the instructions stopped after the front cleansing nozzle was extended. They did not continue to tell one how to exit the mode. Installing the seat is easy, I only had one issue due to the toilet seat attachment holes being slightly too small. I got around this by inserting the screw from the bottom and pulling the seat attachment hardware through the opening.  Read Less