Like most people raised outside of Japan, the concept of an electronic bidet toilet seat sounded pretty weird to me at first. I’d heard about them and seen them popped into pop culture—like in Cars 2 when Mater gets completely startled by a high-tech Japanese toilet—but I never actually considered getting one for my own home.
However, like so many travelers, a trip to Japan completely flipped my perspective. Once you actually experience using one, going back to dry paper feels like stepping back into the Stone Age. Beyond the initial novelty, they offer a vastly superior level of hygiene, everyday luxury like warm water and heated seats, and a huge reduction in toilet paper waste—making the upgrade a total game-changer for both comfort and cleanliness.
Adding Power: The DIY Outlet Project
When my family decided they wanted one, the task naturally fell to me as the resident DIYer. Installing a bidet seat requires two basic things at the toilet: water and electricity. The water supply line is already right there, but electricity is where most homes fall short. Almost nobody has a power outlet right next to their toilet.
Thankfully, the layout of our main bedroom's bathroom gave me a break: directly on the wall behind the toilet—just on the other side—was an existing GFCI outlet. Knowing I could tap into that circuit made solving the power problem straightforward:
Cut Drywall Opening
Trace the outline and cut a neat opening in the drywall right next to the toilet where the new outlet will sit.
Run Romex Feed
Run a short piece of electrical wire through the stud cavity back-to-back from the existing GFCI socket.
Finished Protected Outlet
Install the cover plate. Wiring downstream from the existing GFCI ensures this new receptacle is fully GFCI-protected.
What is an Old-Work Box? Unlike standard electrical boxes that must be nailed directly to wall studs before drywall goes up, an "old-work" (or retrofit) box features built-in plastic tabs that clamp directly onto existing finished drywall. This allows you to mount a sturdy electrical box virtually anywhere on a wall without needing to open up large sections of drywall to find a stud.
Choosing the Bidet
After getting the electricity set up, it was time to actually buy a bidet. Starting the research process quickly felt overwhelming. The market is flooded with options, and the big-name brands come with eye-watering price tags that make it hard to pull the trigger on a first-time purchase.
Eventually, I found the KERDE P30B Bidet Toilet Seat on Amazon. It had acceptable reviews—around 4.2 stars across 200 ratings. Reading through the 1-star reviews, I noticed a few were obvious spam from competitors (two supposedly different verified buyers left almost identical negative text). Others complained about a difficult installation, which makes sense for the average homeowner—not everyone is a lifelong DIYer. In fact, one reviewer even noted that after watching the instructional video, it wasn't difficult at all. Seeing past the noise, I decided to take the plunge at $150.
For me, the installation ended up being super easy. I didn't even need to read the manual or watch a video; as a lifelong DIYer, how all the components fit together was completely intuitive.
Key Features & Daily Performance
Once it was up and running, we were thrilled with its performance—especially considering the budget-friendly price tag. It packed in all the core features you'd expect from high-end models, as you can see from its side control panel:
- Dual Control Options: It comes with both an attached full-function side panel and a wireless remote control, so operating it is effortless no matter which interface you prefer.
- Warm Water Wash: Features adjustable temperature and pressure settings, along with a self-cleaning stainless steel nozzle for reliable hygiene.
- Heated Seat & Warm Air Dryer: The seat offers multiple heat levels for cold mornings, and the integrated air dryer gives a completely hands-free finish.
- Smart Extra Touches: It includes an energy-saving mode to keep power consumption low, a quiet-close lid to prevent slamming, and a soft LED night light that guides you during midnight bathroom runs without blinding you.
The Second Bathroom Challenge
After using this first unit for about a month, my family was so hooked that they wanted a second one installed in another bathroom. This time around, power proved to be a much bigger headache. There was simply no clean way to cut into the drywall and add a new socket nearby like I did before.
Ultimately, I decided to run an extension cord hidden inside surface-mount cord covers. I did my best to route it cleanly, and it turned out so well that the cord is almost completely invisible. In fact, my wife pointed out that the cord cover framing the mirror actually made the mirror look better!
Final Thoughts
And just in case you don't believe how sold we were on these seats, here's a screenshot of my buying records showing both purchases:
On one final practical note: if you are ever due for a colonoscopy, getting an electronic bidet will be an absolute lifesaver. During prep day, you are expected to wipe 15 to 20 times in a 24-hour period. Even the softest bathroom tissue will scratch and burn after a while. A warm-water bidet brings incredible comfort and complete cleanliness without any painful friction.