Every toilet gets a score from 0 to 100% built from five factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Toilets are grouped by type, manual marine, electric marine and RV gravity-flush, and use the same factors in each group.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Value | price against its own group (manual, electric or RV) | 25% |
| Flush water | lowest flush volume the maker states, gallons | 20% |
| Power draw | amp draw at 12 V; manual and gravity toilets use none | 15% |
| Features | ceramic bowl, soft-close seat, freshwater flush, water-saver flush and household-size bowl | 25% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 15% |
Where the numbers come from
Flush volume, amp draw, bowl details and warranty come from the maker’s data sheet or catalog, or from the maker’s own copy on a retail listing. A figure the maker does not publish is left out rather than guessed. Prices are checked at Amazon, and the lowest price at a store the page links to is used.
The factors
Value is the current price on a log scale, against reference points for the toilet’s own group so a $300 hand pump and a $300 electric head are not judged alike. Manual heads score zero at $500 and full marks at $120. Electric heads score zero at $1,000 and full marks at $300. RV toilets score zero at $420 and full marks at $130.
Flush water is the lowest flush volume the maker or listing states, on a log scale: 1 gallon scores zero and 0.2 gallon full marks. Where a maker gives an eco and a normal flush, the eco figure counts. Makers that state a range count the larger figure.
Power draw is the amp draw at 12 V, from 30 A at zero to 8 A at full marks. If the maker gives only motor watts, the draw is the watts divided by 12 V. Manual and gravity-flush toilets draw nothing and score full marks.
Features is 25% for a ceramic, porcelain or china bowl, 20% for a soft-close seat, 20% for a freshwater flush, 15% for a water-saver flush such as an eco or dry-bowl setting, and 20% for a household-size bowl.
Warranty is the maker’s warranty: 1 year scores zero and 5 years full marks.
What isn’t scored
Weight, bowl height, rough-in, hose sizes, voltage, whether the macerator is built in, and release date are listed but not scored.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. Features score neutral only when none of them is published; a feature the maker doesn’t mention otherwise counts as absent. The exception is warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as a one-year warranty, and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.