Have you moved into a new home and found the current toilet seat to be too small? Maybe you have felt this way for a while but are only now getting around to doing something about it. So what can you do if your seat is too small?
Aside from changing the entire toilet altogether, you can opt for a new toilet seat if the one you currently have is too small. However, it is essential to know that the size of your seat is limited by the size and style of the toilet itself.
In this article, we have put together pertinent information about standard toilets and regular toilet seats to help you decide what to do if your toilet seat is too small.
Is There a Standard Size for Toilet Seats?
If you need to replace your seat because it is too small or due to tear and wear, you might wonder if toilet seats are produced in one standard size.
The answer is that toilet seats are made in various sizes. The rationale behind different-sized toilet seats is valid since some people are physically bigger than others. However, this does not mean that you can install a toilet seat of any size on your specific toilet.
What If Round Toilet Seat Is Too Small?
Most people choose to install round toilet seats in their homes. One of the reasons for this is that round toilets are compact enough to fit perfectly in small bathrooms. But what if your round toilet seat is too small?
You could consider replacing your round toilet with an elongated toilet bowl. These types of toilets feature a longer, design that generally gives them a seat with a length of 18 to 19.5 inches.
Of course, being bigger than round toilets, an elongated toilet requires more room, so you must carefully consider your bathroom’s dimensions.
What to Do if Toilet Seat is too Small
Having a toilet seat that is too small can be a pain. In a perfect world, you can choose any size seat for any toilet you happen to have, but that is not the case. Still, there are some things that you can do, such as buying a custom toilet seat, installing an adjustable toilet seat, or changing to a different type of toilet.
Buy a Custom Toilet Seat
Some manufacturers offer custom-made toilet seats. While this will give you much more control over your toilet seat’s size, it can be costly.
The price of custom-made toilet seats makes them prohibitive for some consumers. You might still consider them, taking into account how vital your toilet is in your household and how much time you spend on it.
Install an Adjustable Toilet Seat
Believe it or not, there are adjustable toilets that can solve your problem. An adjustable toilet seat expands its sides outward to become more expansive. This enables bigger people to fit on the toilet seat more comfortably.
Some manufacturers of adjustable toilet seats even claim that they can support up to 1,000 lbs.! That would make these toilets big enough for obese individuals and those who need a wider toilet for other reasons.
Install a Square Toilet
As mentioned above, you can always replace a round toilet with an elongated bowl. While round and elongated toilet seat designs are the most common, there are other choices you might want to look into as well, such as a square toilet.
Square toilets feature a modern design that stands out. Plus, their shape can be more comfortable for big people.
Choosing the Right Size Toilet Seat
If your toilet is surprisingly tiny and you are not heavyset, you might want to look into whether the toilet is actually meant for adults or not. Often, people will buy smaller toilets because they are cheaper without realizing that they are meant for kids or young adults.
If you just moved into a new house or apartment, the landlord or previous tenant might have done precisely that.
Assuming that your toilet is meant for adults, the standard way to choose what toilet seat size you need is to measure its size. You can do this by placing measuring tape at the bolts that hold the seat down and measuring all the way to the front.
You can also measure from one side of the toilet bowl to the other to get the width.
If your actual seat is too small, those measurements will help you figure out how much bigger you want your toilet seat to be.
Can I Raise My Toilet?
Some people feel that the size of their seat is adequate, but the entire toilet is just too low. If this describes your situation, you might want to know if you can raise your toilet a few inches or more.
There are various ways to raise your toilet so that it is more comfortable for you. In fact, you can raise your toilet from 2 to 6 inches by using a toilet base riser, installing a toilet frame on the seat, or buying a tall toilet.
If you want to raise your toilet because you are tall, a base riser or tall toilet are permanent solutions that will work perfectly.
However, if this is being done for special needs, you might want to consider toilet frames since these tend to have arms and handles that can assist people who need support while using the toilet. These toilet frames can keep older adults from falling.
Conclusion
Living with a toilet seat that is too small is stressful, but you do not have to. There are plenty of things that you can do about this situation. Hopefully, one of the solutions we mentioned here will work for you.
