This bidet attachment cleans, it rinses, and it sure as heck wakes you up in the morning.
Speaking as someone who grew up on the other side of the Atlantic, America has always seemed to have an odd distrust of bidets. They’re still a somewhat uncommon sight in this country, often regarded as somehow either unclean or superfluous. A lot of the former is down to the way bidets were first encountered by Americans, of course — namely, in French brothels frequented by US soldiers during the two World Wars. (It’s true!) This stigma of uncleanliness (in a moral as much as a hygienic sense) has stuck with the bidet, causing several generations of Americans to disregard them completely.
It’s the idea of them being unnecessary that’s harder to wrap my head around, however. If you’ve ever tried to clean spilled chocolate pudding off the floor with nothing but dry kitchen towel, you’ll already know what I’m getting at here. There is a reason why, when we want something cleaned properly, we turn to the liberal application of water: It works. Honestly, once you’ve started using a bidet, you’ll wonder how you ever felt clean without one.
One big reason for the unpopularity of bidets may simply be that having a second toilet-sized appliance takes up a lot of valuable bathroom real estate. This is where brands like Tushy are looking to clean up: Rather than a whole separate installation, they offer an attachment that turns your existing toilet into a functional bidet, a sort of 2-in-1 combo for your bum.
I’ve been using the Tushy Wave bidet attachment for the better part of five months now, and without getting into too much unnecessary or unpleasant detail, I can honestly tell you that the experience has been a delight. Here’s why.
Tushy Wave
Pros:
- Straightforward, unobtrusive design.
- Extremely easy to use.
- Very effective.
- Slow-close lid.
- Doesn’t require power.
- Choice of round or elongated lid.
- Choice of bamboo or metallic control knob.
- Fits most standard toilets.
Cons:
- Lid is not terribly sturdy.
- Warm water option costs extra.
- Only available in white.
- Installation might not be straightforward for some.
Specs
Price: $199.
Dimensions: 19.4 inches long x 14.7 inches wide x 2.6 inches high (elongated), 18.5 inches long x 14.7 inches wide x 2.6 inches high (rounded).
Refund policy: Return for full refund (minus restocking fee) within 30 days.
The Unboxing
The Tushy Wave arrived in a no-nonsense cardboard box. Inside was the device itself, a template for helping to figure out the right positioning, an instruction manual, and a box of, in their words, “assential” parts. Inside were:
- A base plate.
- A tank adapter.
- A flexible hose.
- 2 mounting brackets.
- 2 mounting bolts.
- 2 top-mounting rubber inserts.
- 2 bolt washers.
This was a press sample, and as such I can’t speak to the buying experience or delivery time, but everything certainly arrived in good condition, with no need for any replacements.
The Design
While the Wave has its flaws — more on that momentarily — I do appreciate the way it merges pretty seamlessly with my existing toilet. (I opted for the elongated seat and the wooden knob.) That’s not a ton of options, but it should work for most people (per Tushy’s site, it fits 95% of toilets). It also features a slow-closing lid — a must, especially if you have kids who would otherwise slam the toilet closed like they’re getting paid by the decibel.
Where it falls down is in its sturdiness. The closed lid definitely doesn’t feel as safe to sit on as a regular lid, as it buckles slightly in the middle. Likewise, the lid attachments may occasionally need tightening to stop the lid popping off, although the good news is that this doesn’t require any tools. So far, despite all the abuse my kids have thrown at it, the lid has only come off once in five months, and I reattached it in a matter of minutes. Still, it’s worth mentioning.
The Installation
Tushy touts the ease of installation of its seats, and it helps that there’s no electricity involved: This means that even if you do decide to install it yourself and mess it up, the worst you’re probably looking at is a clean-up job. Tushy’s estimate of eight and a half minutes for installation might be unrealistic for many, however: Several reviews I found online mentioned that it took closer to an hour, especially if you’re not overly familiar with the inner workings of your toilet. Personally, I didn’t feel confident messing with the pipes in my bathroom, so I got a plumber to do it for me.
Now, admittedly, this guy was a pro, but even so I was surprised at how fast he completed the job — a mere three minutes. The plumber was equally impressed with the rig, regaling me with several stories of nightmarish installations before saying that he was going to recommend the attachment to other clients in need of a bidet, if only to make his job easier.
Once it’s installed, that’s it: You can start using it right away (although if you did have a plumber install it, it’s only polite to let them leave the room first).
The Experience
The Tushy Wave doesn’t have much in the way of features: It’s a straightforward, functional product, designed for everyday use by multiple people. Once you’re ready, you simply turn the dial on the side to either Front or Rear as appropriate, then adjust the level as desired. If you opt for a milder, less intrusive clean, the Tushy Wave will offer a gentle sluicing in the general area.
If you have more serious business to attend to, then turning the dial further will result in an astonishingly accurate jet of water going straight to where it needs to go (and then some). This might not sound like an ideal scenario to some, and indeed, if you’d told me a year ago that I would come to appreciate the experience of receiving an icy blast of water straight to nature’s most private bullseye, I would have been skeptical at the very least. But come to appreciate it, I have.
Beyond just how incredibly effective it is at its job, I have, frankly, become reliant on its function simply as a wake-up tool. You can talk about the energizing power of meditation or stretching or whatever, but believe me, a frigid torrent hitting you with the unerring accuracy of a seasoned proctologist will shock you into full alertness in a matter of microseconds.
Not that you have to use cold water — at least, not if you opt for the slightly pricier ($239 vs $199) Tushy Oasis, which gives you the option of warm or cold water. To each their own, but speaking personally, the cold water option has negated the need for a morning cup of coffee.
The Maintenance
Cleaning the Tushy Wave and the surrounding area may look tricky at first, but I’m glad to say that this has been taken into account. A quick-release button (shown above) allows the entire device to slide easily off its mountings, allowing you to scrub where needed. If you decide your seat needs to move a little further forward or back, this is also how you access the base, where you can adjust as needed with nothing more than a screwdriver.
Tushy Wave
The End Result
All in all, the Tushy Wave is simple but effective, attaching neatly to your existing toilet and providing you with a fast and effective tool for proper cleaning (to go back to my charming chocolate pudding analogy, this thing mops, rather than sweeps). It could stand to be a little sturdier, but the ease of use and unobtrusive design make this one a winner — especially if you struggle to wake up in the mornings.
