Did Thomas Crapper invent the toilet? There are many different views on this; some believe he did, others believe he was just a plumber who worked on drainage. Whatever the truth is, the toilet is now a feature in bathrooms across the globe so we're grateful somebody invented it! So the question is which toilet should you buy?

Although we will go on to discussing all types of toilet, including the composting toilet, the most common type of toilet is a two-piece unit consisting of a bowl and a tank. One-piece toilets are also available, in both a standard configuration and a low-profile model.

What differentiates toilets (aside from colour and style) is the flush design. The most common design is called a reverse trap. A siphon jet design is more efficient and, of course, more expensive and you can always opt for a half flush system.

If you are planning to redesign your bathroom you will find there are lots of different styles of toilet to choose from, such as close-coupled toilets, back-to-wall toilets, high-level toilets, low-level toilets, and wall-hung toilets. When choosing which toilet to buy you should take into consideration the style of your bathroom, and whether you want the water cistern (tank) to be close to the toilet, high on the wall, or hidden from view.

While buying toilets you can also look at which toilets have luxury features such as heated seat or a built-in bidet if you so desire.

Which toilet

	Wall hung toilet - the advantage with a wall hung toilet is that it can be set at any height and can create a feeling of space in a small room.
	Low level cistern toilet -where the cistern is fixed to the wall above the toilet pan and is connected by a short flush-pipe. The cistern is most likely to be operated by a lever on the front of the cistern, and the flush will probably be more aggressive than that in a close-coupled toilet because of the extra height of the cistern and the help that gravity gives.
	High level cistern toilet - a typical example of a traditional-style toilet is where the toilet cistern is positioned high up on the wall and connects to the toilet pan by way of a flush-pipe. The flush is very efficient because gravity helps to increase the force and speed of the water.
	Back to wall cistern toilet - with concealed cistern
	Closed coupled cistern toilet - the water cistern sits directly on top of the toilet pan
	Composting toilet - with more and more environmental concerns surfacing, the composting toilet is becoming a more popular option.
	Toto toilet - for extremely specific toilet requirements, Toto makes a toilet that analyzes your urine, takes your blood pressure and then sends that information to your doctor via a built-in modem. Unfortunately (or fortunately!), you have to go to Japan to buy one.

Which toilet should you buy?

A new feature of modern toilets is the advent of one-piece toilets, which cost more than two-piece toilets because they're harder to make. Otherwise, there is no significant difference between one-piece and two-piece toilets. They all flush the same way. In fact, some plumbers argue that the higher tank two-piece toilets actually flush better than the more expensive one-piece models because the water in the tank flows into the bowl from a greater height and therefore has greater head pressure to accomplish a thorough flush.

Toilets are available with either a round front or an elongated front bowl. The round front bowl is about two inches shorter in length than the elongated bowl and is ideal for compact and small spaces. An elongated bowl toilet requires more space but the additional length gives extra comfort and is also more sanitary as it prevents dripping.

So which toilet you choose will depend on factors such as space, interior design, budget and in the case of the composting toilet; your environmental views.

Remember toilets come in all shapes and sizes so perhaps most importantly measure your space before you decide which toilet to buy!