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Chances are if you've landed on this page, you've made the important decision of buying a good quality toilet. You have most likely settled on the KOHLER brand which is certainly one of the leading names in this industry with notable designs for the bathroom such as faucets, toilets, and baths.
But just how good are they? We aim to give our readers a full overview with information on individual toilets flush mechanisms, footprint, power, efficiency, and how they loook.
| Image | Product | Flush | GPF | Bowl | Rating? | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  |
KOHLER K-3987-96 Wellworth | Dual | 1.6 | Round | 88% | Here |
  |
KOHLER K-3889-0 Highline | HET | 1.28 | Elongated | 88% | Here |
  |
KOHLER K-4007-0 San-Souci | HET | 1.28 | Round | 87% | Here |
  |
KOHLER K-3901-0 Numi | Dual | 1.28 | Elongated | 87% | Here |
  |
KOHLER K-6669-0 Memoirs | HET | 1.28 | Elongated | 87% | Here |
  |
KOHLER K-3819-0 Memoirs | Single | 1.6 | Elongated | 87% | Here |
  |
KOHLER K-3810-0 Santa Rosa | HET | 1.28 | Elongated | 86% | Here |
Separating the good toilets from the bad can be quite an arduous undertaking. Especially when you consider all the different styles, types, designs, and ranges currently available to consumers. Our reviews below aim to give readers an overview and outline of individual products best features and whom they may work well for.
The K-3987-96 is from the Wellworth range, which is a bit of a coincedence in itself as it's something we believe is well worth the price. Upon purchase, you will be presented with a two piece design in a biscuit color, that also comes equipped with a round front bowl. It will fit a 12 inch rough, looks modern, and has no overly complex shapes or ridges effecting the aesthetics. This is personal taste of course, but it's something I pick up on.
It's got a trip lever located to the side of the tank, which gives you a choice between 1.1 and 1.6 gpf. The fact it utilizes a trip lever over a button in a dual flush system is fairly unique and a nice touch. Couple that with its class five flushing mechanism, you can also expect good bulk waste disposal performance too.
It fits nicely into the mid range budget models, making it more affordable than many of its competitors, good news for those looking to upgrade with price limitations.
Overall, this is worth keeping tabs on, some nice functions, a contemporary design, and to top it off, there is some good feedback too.
If you're looking for more comfortable options, then the K-3889-0 from the Highline range could be right up your street. It combines comfort height seating with an elongated shape bowl, which are two things that will certainly help in that respect. With a taller than average bowl, accessibility improves, as well as relieving pressure on joints and muscles as you sit and stand.
Fits a 10 inch rough in, and comes with class 5 flush, which is all about waste removal performance from the bowl. The higher the class the better. All this is achieved with a 1.28 gallon flush, which is eco and enviromentally friendly, with the manufacturer noting that you are able to save up to sixteen and a half thousand gallons compared to several other units.
Upon purchase, you are get one years limited coverage on its warranty policy, in case it needs to be replaced.
Like the model above, this is another medium range item that's reasonably affordable and well suited to the residential environment. There has been some positive feedback found about in our research to date, which is something we always try to keep track of.
The San Souci finished as one of the top picks for several reasons. The more obvious one to me was the unique style. Not everyone is going to have the same taste in how they renovate their bathroom, so different shapes and external appearances are always welcome.
It has a beautiful round front, one piece design, that will potentially help people working with smaller spaces. The overall dimensions are just 25.6 inches by 16.8 inches by 24.2 inches, so for those wanting something for a small bathroom, this could work well.
Despite it being categorized as a high efficiency loo, it will still effectively clean the bowl thanks to built in AquaPiston flushing technology which allows water to pour into the bowl from all sides, providing a fuller, cleaner flush, that will reduce the chances of bacterial and odor build up.
One advantage it does have over many units in this industry, is that it includes a soft close toilet seat. Seating is often sold as an extra these days, so despite it being seen as more expensive at first glance, you need to think about small extras like this that would ultimately cost you quite a bit more when sold separately.
However, with all its inclusions in its spec list, that comes at a cost. Those of you wanting to install this will have to pay an above average price to get your hands on it. It's not particularly suited to people with a tight budget.
The K-3901-0 Numi is an expensive WC for good reason. It's a model that combines functionality and technology to give people a better bathroom experience.
The shoppers among you who are concerned about hygiene and overall cleanliness needn't be. For this is equipped with an integrated bidet which utilizes a spray wand, odor filter, and dryer all together in one package.
Something that caught our attention even more so than the bidet, was the foot warmer and seat heating, which is ideal for those who get cold easily. There are very few products in the industry that address such needs like this.
When flushing water through the bowl, you're also using smaller levels of water, up to 1.28 gallons, but with the ability to use 0.6 gallons too with the dual flush mechanism. It fits WaterSense criteria and will certainly help you make cash savings on things like water bills. Each gallon adds up.
The seat is motion activated via sensors, which will enable it to open and close automatically when it detects someone is in the vincinity. No need to get your hands dirty.
This is really a match for someone wanting something a cut above the rest. For the combination of warmth, convenience, and comfort, this could be just what you've been looking for. However, it isn't going to be cheap.
The K-6669-0 Memoirs Stately Comfort toilet features a more traditional exterior with a combination of straight and ridged edges on the tank and bowl. Its bowl is of a taller heightheight than the traditional standard, meaning above seventeen inches, which is great for people who struggle to bend down too low due to pain or disabilities.
The trapway is concealed which isn't just good news for how it looks externally, but cleaning also becomes less time consuming.
The flow of water through the bowl is operated with the trip lever located on the left of the tank and AquaPiston technology will provide thorough cleansing and flush out waste effectively. But even with water being poured through its bowl at three hundred and sixty degrees, it still manages to conserve it well, with a 1.28 GPF.
Falls in at number five on the list thanks to the unique design, and decent spec list, whilst still being within the medium to upper tier price range.
Another model from the Memoirs collection. However, the main difference between them is that this one operates on 1.6 gallons of water per flush compared to the K-669-0's more efficient mechanism. However, this is still considerably better than older style loos which consumed more than 3 gallons. What's more it's equipped with the AquaPiston technology which sends water through the bowl from every angle, washing down any excess waste with its class five performance which includes having a MaP rating of 1000. This is the highest score they give in their tests.
Meets the ADA criteria in terms of how high the bowl is, being labelled as "Comfort height". Even if it doesn't make much of a difference, some family members or guests may find the height difference that little bit easier on the joints and muscles when sitting down.
It's a two piece product that combines the K-4380 bowl and K-4642 tank. Both compliment each other to stick to the stately theme.
Keep in mind that you will need to buy a seat separately as it's not part of the package. So you will end up paying that little bit extra and should account for that.
After scouring most of the resources we use to conduct our research, we found that it has received quite a lot more positive feedback than negative, which is usually a good sign. Well worth looking into if you've got a unique style taste, or just want great flushing power.
Whilst there are many ranges to choose from, the Santa Rosa seems to be another popular choice among consumers for several reasons.
Certainly, there is a growing appreciation and demand for toilets that are more efficient, and easier on the wallet. This meets that criteria through its usage of 1.28 gallons per flush, saving cash on household bills, and saving as much as twenty percent versus regular 1.6 GPF units such as the K-3819-0.
Its rough in size is 12 inches, and it has a very unique design with smooth edges. Both the tank and its elongated shape bowl look effortlessly contemporary, making it as a sensible choice to compliment a modern decor theme throughout a house. What's more, the fact that it has a smooth style about it means cleaning it becomes less time consuming and a simpler task.
Worth looking at as a mid range model. But there is plenty of competitors that can work well as an alternative.
| K-3987-96 | K-3889-0 | K-4007-0 | K-3901-0 | K-6669-0 | K-3819-0 | K-3810-0 | |
| Type | Two piece | Two piece | One piece | One piece | Two piece | Two piece | One piece |
| Flush | Dual | HET | HET | Dual | HET | Single | HET |
| GPF | 1.6 | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.28 | 1.6 | 1.28 |
| Bowl | Round | Elongated | Round | Elongated | Elongated | Elongated | Elongated |
| Comfort height | |||||||
| Color | Biscuit | White | White | White | White | White | White |
| Dimensions | 28.5 x 18 x 29.2" | 31.2 x 29.5 x 18" | 25.6 x 16.8 x 24.2" | 25.8 x 14.5 x 17.9" | 29.6 x 20.5 x 31.4" | 31 x 28 x 17" | 31 x 20.8 x 29" |
| Weight | 41 lbs | 93 lbs | 92 lbs | 50.5 lbs | 100 lbs | 98 lbs | 102 lbs |
| Rating | 88% | 88% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 87% | 86% |
KOHLER has been around for quite some time. Founded in 1873, they manufacture a large variety of bathroom fixtures worldwide. With this experience has come numerous products over the years that have built consumer trust to reach the levels of sucess and popularity they enjoy today. Even when you look across the various online shops, you'll find many items that are highly rated with lots of positive feedback from customers. In terms of where it falls from personal experience, I'd definitely say the top 3 for loos.
Like many of the well known names, such as TOTO, American Standard, Gerber, and Mansfield consumers get an excellent amount of choice in terms of product ranges. Some of the favored and better selling ones include Highline, Cimarron, Gabrielle, Kathryn, Persuade, Kelston, Memoirs, Numi, Santa Rosa, and Tresham.
When you actually look into each of their specifications, there are some differences between them, be it in functionality, performance, or design. It's this variety that drives the levels of choice and innovations units have between competitors, which is great.
Perhaps the most interesting out of all the ranges are the intelligent designs such as Numi, Veil, and Karing. They are each designed to make every day life more convenient and comfortable. A good example of this is the ability to control the lighting, or the ability to utilize a built in foot warmer and heated seat. These are all fairly new concepts, but we see such things catching on fast. Some models even allow the user to sync their music system so that you can enjoy your favorite tunes to pass the time. Expect to see more changes like this in the near future.
As with anything you purchase online, you should be taking time to research into key features that effect a toilets overall performance. We list out several of the things to take into consideration below.
Rough in - Knowing your rough in size is very important. In an ideal world there would be a one type fits all solution, but unfortunately, the sheer variety of residential and commercial settings will never make this a possibility. This is simply a case of measuring from the wall behind the tank to the middle of its hold down bolts. More on this on the link above. Alternatively, if you already know the size required, you can always check our 10 inch guide, or alternatively, our 14 inch guide.
Comfort height - Have a look into the bowl height. There are subtle differences across brands and sizes. Ones that include the comfort height name tend to be bigger than your average loo. They tend to have a seated height that commonly falls between the measurements of seventeen and nineteen inches, and they aim to make sitting and standing more accessible for people. Traditional styles tend to be sixteen inches and below. This can make a big difference in user experience, especially elderly users.
Bowl shape - Because this company manufacturers so many different styles, you're also going to find lots of choice not only in exterior shapes, but also bowl shape. We advise sticking with the two more popular options that consumers tend to go for, those include roud front and elongated. Just keep in mind that elongated styles tend to have a bigger footprint so they're not always the sensible choice for people hoping to save space.
Flush - There are two main things to ponder over when it comes to individual flushing systems. The first thing is to understand the mechanism as a whole. There will be options that are designed to save water, which are commonly known as HET or high efficiency toilets, dual flush for the combination of two power levels for liquid and solid waste, and some that are pressure assisted that include some higher performing products on the market. Then of course, checking out the amount of water it consumes should be one of your priorities, especially if you want something more economically viable.
Finish - When we refer to finish, we don't just talk about the color. Although, we suggest going for something in a later shade as they tend to fit a lot of peoples bathroom style requirements. However, you should also be looking at whether a product has a glossy surface or not, especially within the bowl. This will make the whole maintenance process simpler as the flush will wash out most bacteria and germs before you even clean it.
After reading through our KOHLER toilet reviews and research above, you should hopefully have a clearer picture on what to expect from individual units, and how small differences in mechanisms can ultimately effect the product as a whole. Try to keep the main criteria from the buying guide above in mind whilst shopping as it should really help reduce the chances of first time buyers making costly or frustrating mistakes. Here's to setting your dream bathroom, and as always, be sure to read the FAQ if you've got any queries.