Toilets and Basins

Choosing between toilets comes down to the format first: close coupled (cistern bolted on top, simplest to fit), back to wall (cistern hidden in furniture or a stud wall for a cleaner look) or wall hung (pan floats off the wall, hardest install, easiest mopping underneath). Then the style, modern or traditional, and whether you want a rimless bowl that is easier to clean.

Sort those three and the shortlist almost picks itself. The guide and quick answers below take each decision in turn, with the full range in the grid underneath. If you already know what you want, go straight to close coupled toilets, back to wall toilets or rimless toilets.

What to look for in a toilet

Pick your format first. This is the big one, because it decides how hard the install is and how the finished room looks. Close coupled is the classic floor-standing toilet: the cistern sits straight on top of the pan, on show. It is the simplest and usually the cheapest to fit, and the easiest to get at if something needs adjusting, so if you are swapping like for like or doing a no-fuss bathroom, start here.

Of the two Litchfield close coupled toilets we point to here, the Litchfield Aura Rimless Close Coupled Toilet is the cheaper at £139, and it comes with a rimless bowl and a 3L/6L dual flush cistern. The Litchfield Nova Close Coupled Toilet is £159 and also has a 3L/6L dual flush cistern, so unless you prefer its shape, the Aura is the better value. Browse the lot under close coupled toilets.

Back to wall hides the cistern inside furniture or a stud wall, so only the pan shows and the whole run looks tidier. It is a planned-in job rather than a quick swap, because the pan needs a concealed cistern behind it, housed in a frame or a WC unit. See the back to wall range.

Wall hung mounts the pan off the floor on a concealed frame, so you can mop straight underneath and the bathroom feels bigger. It is the hardest install of the three, because the frame carries the load inside the wall, and you are paying for the frame as well as the pan.

Then the style. Modern is the clean, square or soft-square look that suits most new bathrooms. Have a look at the modern toilets range, including the Suzie Rimless Close Coupled Toilet at £209, which comes with a soft-close, quick-release seat and a 3L/6L dual flush. Traditional is the curvier, classic-pan styling for period and cottage bathrooms, and it looks best when the basin and taps follow the same lead.

Rimless or rimmed? A rimless pan has no hidden rim channel around the inside of the bowl, which is exactly where limescale and the streaks you can never scrub out tend to live. Lose the channel and there is far less to clean. The honest version: a good rimless toilet rinses the bowl well, but flush performance comes down to the specific pan and cistern, not the word “rimless” on the badge, so buy from a brand that knows what it is doing rather than on the label alone. Worth it if you hate cleaning under the rim, and it does not have to cost more: the rimless Aura is the cheaper of the two Litchfield pans above.

If you want the seat sorted as well, the Linea Rimless Close Coupled Toilet is £209, the same as the Suzie, and also comes with a soft-close, quick-release seat and a 3L/6L dual flush. Browse the full rimless toilets range for the rest.

A few things people forget to check. Height is the first. A comfort height toilet has a taller pan, which is easier to get on and off if you have dodgy knees or you are fitting a bathroom for an older household, so look at the comfort height toilets before you settle on a standard pan. Then there is what comes in the box. Some pans include a seat and some do not, and back to wall and wall hung pans need a concealed cistern or frame behind them, so never assume a soft-close seat is included: the Suzie and Linea come with one, and for anything else, read the product page before you order.

Dual flush is the easy win. It gives you a smaller and a larger flush, so you are not sending a full cistern down every time, and the Aura, Nova, Suzie and Linea above all run a 3L/6L dual flush. On a back to wall or wall hung pan, the flush depends on the concealed cistern you pair with it. If you are repairing or upgrading rather than replacing the whole toilet, push buttons, concealed cisterns and frames, and douche kits all sit under cisterns, fittings and accessories.

Quick answers

What is the difference between close coupled, back to wall and wall hung toilets? It is about the cistern. Close coupled puts the cistern on top of the pan, on show, and is the simplest and usually cheapest to fit. Back to wall hides the cistern in furniture or a stud wall, so only the pan shows, which looks tidier but needs a concealed cistern or frame behind it. Wall hung mounts the pan off the floor on a hidden frame so you can clean underneath, which looks the cleanest but is the hardest and priciest to install. If you want no fuss, close coupled. If you want a hidden-cistern look, back to wall or wall hung.

What is a rimless toilet and is it better? A rimless toilet has no hidden rim channel around the inside of the bowl, so there is nowhere for limescale and grime to collect and a lot less to scrub. The flush sweeps around the open bowl from an outlet near the back instead of dribbling out of holes under a rim. For most people it is the better buy, mainly because it is easier to keep clean. Just remember flush quality depends on the actual pan and cistern, not the rimless badge on its own.

Do your toilets come with a seat? It depends on the model. Some pans include a soft-close seat and some do not, and back to wall and wall hung pans usually need a separate cistern or frame too. The Suzie and Linea, both £209, list a soft-close, quick-release seat in the spec, for example. For anything else, check what is included on the product page before you buy.

What is a comfort height toilet? A comfort height toilet sits taller than a standard pan, so it is easier to sit down on and get up from. It is the go-to if you have knee or mobility issues, or you are fitting a bathroom for an older household. Heights vary from model to model, so measure your current pan before you choose. Browse the comfort height toilets to see the options.

Which toilet is best for a small cloakroom? A compact close coupled pan or a short-projection back to wall unit, depending on whether you want the cistern on show or hidden. Close coupled is the easier and cheaper fit in a tight cloakroom, and a rimless bowl is a nice touch in a room you do not clean as often. The Litchfield Aura at £139 is rimless and listed as ideal for cloakrooms, so it is a sensible starting point. Measure the space and check the pan’s projection before you order.