Goodbye to toilet paper in 2027, the more practical bathroom upgrade that is already trending worldwide
There’s a roll of toilet paper on the wall and a familiar-looking toilet beside it. You might spot the change only if you look behind the bowl, where a narrow hose branches off the water line. The hose is easy to miss. What it changes is the moment you usually reach for the roll.
The change is under the lid
It’s a bidet seat, made to fit onto a compatible toilet in place of the original seat. Turn a dial or press a button and a small nozzle sends up a stream of water for rinsing after you use the toilet. A hose feeds it from the same fresh-water line that fills the tank. The bowl can stay right where it is.
The upgrade is showing up more often in U.S. bathroom renovations. Among homeowners in Houzz’s 2026 survey who were adding or upgrading a toilet as part of a bathroom remodel, 31% chose a bidet seat. That was up 10 percentage points from the previous year and made it the most common specialty toilet feature in the 2026 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study.
Why the new routine appeals
The first thing you notice is the rinse. Water does most of the cleanup, so there’s less reaching for the roll. On a model with adjustable pressure, you can start with a gentle spray and turn it up to whatever feels comfortable.
A basic non-electric seat can run on the pressure from the water line. An electric seat can heat the water as it comes in, and some models add a heated seat or a warm-air dryer. The heated seat is the feature you feel as soon as you sit down on a cold morning. The dryer changes what you do afterward, if you have time to let it run.
What to check on the toilet you already have
Start with the shape of the bowl. Round and elongated toilets take different seats, and the space between the mounting holes and the tank matters too. In a typical installation, the old seat comes off, the new one mounts in its place, and a fitting splits the incoming water line so it can feed both the tank and the seat.
For a powered model, check where the cord will reach and what kind of grounded outlet the manufacturer requires. With an accessible water shutoff and a suitable outlet, the job can be mostly a seat swap and a hose connection. If an outlet needs to be added, factor in an electrician. TOTO covers fit, water connections and power requirements in its bidet seat FAQs.
Where the roll fits in afterward
The seat and nozzle still need routine cleaning. In a home with hard water, a spray that gets weaker over time is a reason to check the model’s instructions for cleaning the nozzle and filter.
And the roll can stay within reach. A little paper is handy for patting dry, especially if your seat has no air dryer or you’re in a hurry. The same roll is still hanging beside the toilet. You reach for it at the end.
That’s the trick.