How to choose a toilet suite
A toilet suite is a pan, a cistern and a seat. The pan is the bowl, the cistern holds the water for the flush, and the trap is the curved channel that carries waste from the pan to the drain. Style matters, but three plumbing measurements decide whether a suite will fit a bathroom at all: where the waste leaves the pan, where the water comes in, and how far the pan reaches into the room. Check those first and the rest of the choice gets simple.
This page covers the suites and pans in the range, from close coupled and back to wall suites to concealed cistern and wall hung pans, plus smart toilets. Each suite has its own set out, pan height, projection and flush volumes, so the numbers below tell you what to look for.
Measure the set out before anything else
The set out is the distance from the finished wall to the centre of the waste outlet, and it applies to pans where the waste leaves through the floor. Measure from the finished wall, not the skirting or old tiling that may be removed. If the waste leaves through the wall instead, the measurement runs from the floor to the centre of the outlet.
The existing waste position usually decides the choice, unless you are prepared to redo the plumbing. Replacing a toilet in the same spot is a different job from planning a new bathroom, and the first is far more constrained.
S trap, P trap, skew trap and universal trap
An S trap sends the waste through the floor and is the most common set out in Australian homes. A P trap sends the waste out through the wall, which is common in apartments, and a wall hung pan needs a P trap set out. A skew trap sends the waste out to one side. It is the least common, but it solves a bathroom where the outlet sits to the left or right of the pan, and the Caroma Profile 4 Skew Trap suite on this page is built for that layout.
A universal trap pan can be fitted to either an S trap or a P trap set out. Many suites are universal, and several include a connector that moves the pan position. The Caroma Luna wall faced suite, for example, has an S trap range of 60 to 185mm and a P trap set out of 185mm, and its Uni-Orbital connector shifts the pan within a 50mm radius. The Caroma Aire Concorde connector suite has a set out of 155 to 255mm, with S trap and P trap versions chosen from the drop down.
A set out well over 200mm or under 100mm narrows the choice, because fewer pans reach that far in either direction. If your measurement sits near either end, check the set out of each suite before you fall for a design, and check whether a connector extends the range.
If you cannot tell whether the current toilet is on an S trap or a P trap, look at where the waste meets the pan. Waste that disappears into the floor is an S trap, and waste that disappears into the wall is a P trap. A photo of the existing installation with the measurement is enough to point you to suites that fit.
Check where the water comes in
A bottom inlet connects below or beside the cistern, so the pipe and tap are visible and easy to reach. A back inlet connects at the rear of the cistern, which hides the plumbing and looks tidier. Many cisterns can take either, and several suites on this page are made for both. If the supply already comes in at one position, the new suite needs to match it, or a plumber has to move the pipe.
Concealed cisterns have no visible inlet at all. The cistern sits inside the wall, and the water supply is part of the in-wall plumbing. That is why a concealed cistern pan has no inlet position of its own, and why the in-wall cistern and buttons are chosen along with the pan.
Allow for projection and clearance
Projection is how far the pan extends from the wall. A pan that reaches too far can block a door, a cupboard or a shower screen, and it is hard to correct after the toilet is in. Projection on this page runs from 500mm on a compact pan to about 705mm on the longest close coupled suite, so the difference between models is large enough to matter in a small room.
Leave room beside the pan as well, at least 20cm on each side for elbow room. An ambulant or accessible toilet needs more, around 800mm of clear space to one side. If a toilet is being chosen for someone with limited mobility, start with the accessible toilets and plan the surrounding space first.
Choose a suite format
The format decides how the cistern and pan are arranged. It changes how the toilet looks, how it is cleaned, and how much wall or floor work the install needs.
Connector or link suites join the cistern and pan with a short pipe, and the pan can sit further forward or back. That flexibility makes them the easiest format to fit to an existing set out, which is why they are common in replacements. The pipework is exposed, so the toilet is a little harder to wipe down.
Close coupled suites put the cistern directly on the pan with no gap. They are neater than a link suite and the simplest format to install, though the trap pipework at the back still needs cleaning.
Back to wall suites, also called wall faced, sit flush to the wall with no gap behind the pan, so there is nowhere for dust to gather. They need a flat, plumb wall, and some models have a concealed cistern that needs an access panel.
Concealed cistern toilets hide the cistern in the wall, so only the pan and the flush plate show. The pan can be floor mounted or wall hung. The pans in this format are sold to pair with a cistern you choose, so confirm what is supplied before you order. The Geberit cistern and toilet suite packages sit together in their own collection.
Wall hung pans are fixed to the wall and leave the floor clear underneath, so mopping is simpler and a small bathroom looks larger. They need a steel frame and structural preparation in the wall, they need a P trap set out, and the flush plate must stay accessible for servicing. Decide on one before the wall is sheeted and tiled.
For a traditional bathroom, the traditional toilets use heritage styling. The Turner Hastings Stafford suite, for instance, pairs that look with a back to wall design that conceals the pipework and has a universal S or P trap with an adjustable pan bend.
Rimless pans and how they clean
A rimless pan has no enclosed rim under the bowl edge, so the channel where waste and residue collect on a standard pan is gone. That makes the bowl quicker to wipe. The rimless toilets collection gathers these pans, and the tornado flush models are grouped separately.
Rimless is not universal on this page. The Caroma Luna wall faced suite uses a glazed box rim and trap, and the Luna Cleanflush suite is the rimless version in that range. If a rimless bowl matters to you, check the suite and do not assume it from the format.
Smart toilets and bidets
A smart toilet adds features such as a heated seat, warm water washing, a warm air dryer and an automatic lid. These need a power outlet near the toilet in addition to the water supply, and a plumber should connect anything that takes water. Confirm the outlet during the planning stage and not after the toilet arrives. The St George smart toilets, for example, come with a remote control and a T valve in the box, and a bottom water inlet. See the smart toilets and bidets for the full set of wash modes and features on each model.
Seats, buttons and what comes in the box
Most complete suites on this page have a soft close seat with a quick release hinge, so the lid does not slam and the seat lifts off for cleaning underneath. The Caroma Luna wall faced suite box holds the pan, the cistern with round chrome dual flush buttons, and a soft close seat. The Caroma Aire Concorde connector suite has a plastic cistern with elongated chrome buttons and a standard hinge seat. Box contents differ by suite, so confirm the contents for the toilet you are choosing.
On a concealed cistern, the flush button is chosen separately from the toilet. The concealed toilet buttons come in a range of finishes, and the right plate depends on the cistern behind the wall. If a toilet needs a replacement seat later, the toilet seats cover the common fittings.
Colour and finish
Most toilets here are gloss white vitreous china or ceramic, and the matte white toilets are collected separately. The finish is a choice of look, and the measurements above still decide the fit.
Installations this page does not list
Some compact toilets use a solenoid inlet instead of a cistern, and some use a macerating outlet that grinds waste so it can pass through narrower pipes. Both need an electrical connection and suit difficult installations. This page lists neither. It lists suites, pans and smart toilets with a conventional trap. If you only want washing without replacing the toilet, a bidet seat that fits the toilet you already own is a separate product; see bidet toilet seats. Because bidet products connect to the water supply, use an expert installer for them.
Shop by brand
If you already know the make you want, go straight to that make's toilets: Caroma toilets, Fienza toilets, Turner Hastings toilets, Bao toilet suites, Indigo toilets and Studio Bagno toilets.
Finish the bathroom around the toilet
A toilet is rarely the only thing that changes in a renovation. Plan the toilet roll holder position early, and match the finish of the flush plate to the rest of the room. The same measurements apply to the room around it: the vanity and the basin need their own clearances, and a wall hung toilet changes how close the vanity can sit.
