A designer handbag or a fancy set of wheels is undeniably posh, but if you had to ask me what the true arbiter of luxury is, I’d say this: A fully tricked-out, smart toilet equipped with a nozzle that emits a targeted spray of water for the sole purpose of rinsing your hindquarters post-potty. In other words: a bidet.
Regular readers of this site may recall that earlier this year, I took the internet-famous Tushy Spa Bidet for a spin. My booty had never felt cleaner post-poop, and using less TP was a move I could feel really good about. However, when Tushy — the startup founded in 2015 with a mission to bring affordable bidets to American households — announced the launch of the Ace, a premium bidet seat powered by electricity, I was very interested. After all, what could be more luxe than a remote-controlled toilet-fixture that warms, rinses, and dries your b-hole? (If you’ve already decided that a bells-and-whistles bidet is for you, skip the breakdown and proceed straight to Tushy’s website — and, to make sure you get your high-falutin’ shit in time for Christmas, use code HOLIBIDET, which earns you free express shipping anywhere in the US.)
A quick refresher on Tushy’s offerings to date: The existing Classic and Spa models are compact bidet attachments that you manually screw into the rear of the toilet seat and are equipped with flexible hoses that route (clean!) water from your toilet tank or bathroom sink, through the bidet’s nozzle, and into your bunghole. (They are, IMO, a bit easier to install since you don’t need to toss your old toilet seat — you simply remove it, mount the Tushy to the backplate, and re-attach the seat.) In contrast, the Ace is an electrically-powered bidet meant to replace your standard toilet seat, equipped with sophisticated functions like a seat-warmer, posterior and front-facing nozzles for cleaning both sides of your downtown and what the brand calls a “derri-air” dryer — all brand-new, high-tech upgrades from Tushy’s lower-fi models.
Keep reading as I test the Tushy Ace and compare it with the brand’s entry-level models.
TUSHY Ace Electric Bidet Seat, $599
Installing The TUSHY Ace
For the purposes of an honest, unbiased review, I was graciously offered a gratis Tushy Ace. Since I’d installed the Tushy Spa all by myself, I was feeling pretty confident that I would ace (heh) the setup for my high-tech Tushy. However, since the Ace is a bidet seat (aka you stow away the original seat your toilet came with), you first need to determine whether your toilet bowl shape is round or elongated; Tushy has instructions on how to figure this out at home, but it’s pretty straightforward stuff. Next, you need to do some further toilet investigating and see whether you have a skirted toilet; I had never heard of this term until about a week ago, but TL;DR this is when your commode’s water tank is semi-concealed for a cleaner, sleeker appearance. In order to accommodate, Tushy makes a separate Skirted Toilet Seat Kit that includes extra accessories needed to install the Ace.
Back to the action: In addition to a genuinely helpful installation manual, Tushy includes a QR code to a video walkthrough which was in short, life-changing. (Seriously — if IKEA did this, I’m sure a lot of couples would still be together.) Anyway, so armed with a flat and Philips head screwdriver, I proceeded to take my porcelain throne from basic to booty-ful.
The Features
The Ace itself looks and feels like a regular toilet seat, but has a back panel towards the rear that houses all of the bidet’s wiring and components (like the booty faucet, etc). On one end, there is a connection point for the water hose, and on the other, a short power cord to plug into your outlet to bring the Ace to life.
No detail has been spared when it comes to the Tushy Ace. The seat itself has five heat settings, so you can stay toasty while doing your business. The heat range here starts at a barely-noticeable warmth to toasty but nowhere near uncomfortably so. (A little background info if you’re new to the world of bidets: Most bidet nozzles retract like a turtle’s head when not in use, and are only visible when spraying water.) Also, good news for you: The nozzle has an automatic self-cleaning function to keep it squeaky-clean before each use.
Other specs: There’s also a front-spray function, which helps freshen up your entire down-there region. (This is more of a supporting actor feature compared to the backdoor spray, IMO.) When you’re all done, the Tushy Ace can even air-dry your bits before dabbing with TP – and of course, you can choose between five heated air settings. The luxury!
The Test
After plugging the bidet in, the seat beeped and booped as it came to life before my eyes. So after enjoying some Raisin Bran Crunch and waiting for my bowels to do their thing, the time came to go Number 2.
When I tell you that what happened next was the best poop of my life, I’m not exaggerating. To say that my humble commode has been transformed into a veritable throne would be a massive understatement; having previously reviewed the Tushy Spa, I can say that this one is a major step up in almost every way. With a couple taps of the remote (which magnetically attaches to your wall via an included mounted dock), I could activate a stream of water to my butt, in addition to adjusting the angle and temperature of said stream with a tap of the remote. I will say, the addition of the air-dry function is a major upgrade; it’s not a Dyson-esque blast of air per se, but more like a soft cloud of air gently whisking away droplets to leave you feeling oh-so-fresh.
Is the TUSHY Ace worth it?
Let’s talk about the price tag: Is $600 for an upgraded toilet seat expensive? Very. The price is a significant bump from the $99 Classic and $119 Spa models. However, it’s in line with similar models from competitors like Toto, so if you’re interested in . My lone pain point is that the design of my bathroom means that I needed to use an extension cord in order to power my Tushy Ace. (If your toilet is located within three feet of a grounded, three-prong outlet, this won’t be an issue for you.) Put simply, the Ace isn’t a starter bidet — and for those, you truly can’t go wrong with the Classic or Spa models — it’s a finisher bidet. This is an investment for people who are looking for a seriously upgraded bathroom experience, and Tushy delivers that and much more with the Ace.
BTW, if you want to treat yourself (or a lucky giftee), you can get free express shipping (within the U.S.) on your Tushy order with promo code HOLIBIDET.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
from Refinery29 https://ift.tt/3mhxKd9
via IFTTT
