Two of the most popular choices of toilet seats in a modern home are either wood or plastic. The distinction between them is apparent, but both provide unique features that bring comfort to your business.
But the question remains—which of them is better than the other, a plastic or wood toilet seat?
A plastic toilet seat is cheap and has a longer lifespan, but it’s unaesthetic, stains easily, and is less effective in maintaining heat. While a wood toilet seat is stylish and effective in maintaining heat but tends to rot over time and is difficult to clean.
Today, I will share with you further insights about the features of wood and plastic toilet seats. And hopefully, it will help you determine which suits your preferences better.
Characteristics And Features Of Plastic Toilet Seats
Plastic is the most common material in manufacturing toilet seats because they’re cheaper than wood. However, there are more reasons beyond practical purposes why manufacturers use plastic as a standard in producing toilet seats.
For one thing, they are lightweight and easy to produce. As for the consumers, the lightweight characteristics of a plastic toilet seat allow us to lift and close them easily. They are also softer and more comfortable to sit on. However, plastic can’t maintain heat.
Plastics are very reliable because they are waterproof and have a long average useful life. However, you also have to note that they tend to stain easily, even though they are far easier to clean than wood.
In addition, they are less aesthetic and appear to be cheap, especially when they start to depreciate.
Advantages Of Plastic Toilet Seats
Below is a summary of the advantages of having a plastic toilet seat.
- A great advantage of plastic is that it has a longer average lifespan
- It is soft and comfortable
- Plastic toilet seats are lightweight
- It is waterproof and easy to clean
Disadvantages Of Plastic Toilet Seats
Below are the disadvantages of plastic toilet seats that you must also consider.
- It appears cheap and not aesthetically pleasing
- The shapes of the plastic seat distort easily when exposed to high temperature
- Although cleaning them is easy, it tends to stain and crack fast when you are unable to maintain them properly
- Plastic is not good at retaining heat
Characteristics And Features Of Wood Toilet Seats
You won’t usually see wood as toilet seats because they are more expensive than plastic. In addition, you may have to install them separately since plastic is the standard material that comes in the package of a brand-new toilet.
Nevertheless, wood has several advantages over plastic, making it desirable among homeowners. For starters, it is stylish, and the woodgrain finish is elegant.
Another factor that makes wood appealing is its enamel and veneer varieties. Enameled came from cheap wood with a coating of varnish solution.
On the other hand, veneer wood features a high-grade wood strip from the core of the tree. The purpose of extracting the core is to highlight the beauty of a woodgrain finish.
Thus, a wood-grain toilet seat will serve your purpose well if you aim for a toilet, bathroom, or a combination of both with a chic interior design. In addition to the design, wood is also harder and more durable. It is also more effective in retaining heat.
The downside, though, is they are heavier and are not as effective in getting rid of moisture. As a result, it will lead to rotting if you fail to maintain them regularly.
As you see, a wooden toilet seat is less functional than a plastic toilet seat. And it is preferable as a guest toilet or if you intend to use the room rarely.
By doing so, you somehow increase the average useful life of the toilet seat and maintain its beauty.
Advantages Of Wood Toilet Seats
The following is a summary of the advantages of a wooden toilet seat and why they may be the perfect option for your home.
- It is aesthetically pleasing and perfect for toilets with an elegant and stylish interior design
- Unlike plastic, wood is efficient in retaining a neutral and warm temperature throughout the year
- A wooden toilet seat is harder and more durable and tends to last many years, depending on the frequency of maintenance
Disadvantages Of Wood Toilet Seats
As shown below, you must also consider the disadvantages of a wooden toilet seat.
- In general, woods tend to depreciate or rot fast if the homeowner is unable to observe its proper maintenance
- Wood is ten times harder than hard plastic. Thus, it makes them inconvenient to deal with due to their heavier weight
- It is not effective in getting rid of moisture
Factors To Consider When Choosing a Toilet Seat
In choosing the best toilet seat for your home, you only have to consider four factors, including the following.
Purpose
First, you must consider why you opt for a plastic or wood toilet seat. The plastic toilet seat is the best option if you aim for functionality and affordability over style.
But if you rarely use the toilet and are looking for furniture and fixtures that complement the style of the room, then you can never go wrong with a varnished wooden toilet seat.
Durability
The durability of the toilet seat is an important factor to consider because I am sure you don’t want the inconvenience of having to replace them once every often.
Both the wooden toilet seat and plastic toilet seat are durable and reliable. However, the toilet seat made of standard plastic is the best buy under this category. Plastic is waterproof and more long-lasting yet lightweight and soft.
On the other hand, wood is hard and heavy. In addition, they are inefficient when shedding moisture from humidity. As a result, the moisture promotes the growth of fungi and bacteria beneath the wood’s surface, leading to rotting.
Hygiene
Although wood is aesthetically pleasing, plastic toilet seats are more hygienic than wood toilet seats. Plastic is a lot easier to clean and maintain. And this will still be the case even for many years.
On the other hand, a wooden toilet seat is hygienic when it is brand new and newly installed. And since it is inefficient in shedding moisture, it will slowly deteriorate because of the accumulation of fungi and bacteria.
The only problem with plastic toilet seats is that the material’s lightweight nature makes it easily cracked. The tiny gaps caused by the cracked surface can lead to fungi growth, making them less hygienic.
Also, plastic tends to stain easily under the failed observation of regular cleaning and maintenance. As a result, the hardened stains could also promote the growth of bacteria.
Comfort
Regarding comfort, plastic toilet seats are again the best option because they’re soft and lightweight. They also have smooth surfaces that make them comfortable to sit on. However, you must note that plastics are inefficient in retaining heat.
A newly furnished wood has a smooth surface and is warm. But it gets rough around the edges once they wear and tears over the years.
Which Type Of Toilet Seat Is Best?
A plastic toilet seat is the standard material we see in homes. And as you see, besides practical purposes, plastic offers tons of functionality over wood.
Although wood is uncommon, it gives certain benefits that a plastic toilet seat can’t provide. Aside from its elegant design, a wooden toilet seat can also deliver years of service before it fully deteriorates.
The bottom line is that the question of which type of toilet seat is better than the other rests on your purposes and specific preferences. Again, toilet seats are the standard because of their functionality and durability. Yet, this type of material is inexpensive.
A wooden toilet seat is not that bad. Even though they’re more costly than toilet seats made of plastic, a woodgrain finish in your home boosts the style of an area’s interior design.
As for functionality and durability, a wood toilet seat can give you years of service, but it is less effective or efficient than plastic ones.
FAQ
Which Toilet Seat Material Is Easiest To Clean?
The smooth surface of the plastic toilet seat makes it easier to clean than a wooden plastic seat.
On the other hand, wood is more challenging to clean. Plus, it deteriorates fast when exposed to water or cleaning agents regularly.
How Often Should I Change the Toilet Seat?
Depending on maintenance and usage, a standard plastic toilet seat can last 5 to 10 years. However, a wooden toilet seat could last only 5 to 6 years if the homeowner rarely uses it.
Due to constant exposure to humidity and chemicals, it might have a shorter lifespan than expected.
What Is the Strongest Material For a Toilet Seat?
Wood is durable but frequent exposure could weaken the compounds of the material. Plastic is a lightweight material, but they are more durable than wood that can give you years of service over toilet seats made of wood.
