Are Clear Toilets The Next Big Bathroom Choice?
Many people enjoy more creative toilets than the basic white look, opting for black toilets to keep bathrooms looking clean. Some daring people even commit to colorful toilets, flaunting pink, blue, or yellow thrones in their restrooms. But, just when you thought toilet styles couldn't get more unconventional, TikTok users started talking about clear toilets. TikTok user @the.muscle — who has over three million followers — posted a video of a completely see-through-looking toilet, captioning the post, "New toilet for the house."
Although the video received over 13,000 likes, don't expect the outlandish design choice to catch on, as many viewers expressed more concerns about the product than anything else. While many comments were quite gross, some tamer ones included, "This should be illegal," "Why would someone use that," and "No. Immediately no. I've seen all I need to see and no." So, judging from all the grossed-out and unimpressed feedback, clear toilets probably won't be the next big bathroom choice.
A spin on the clear bathroom idea is popular in Tokyo
The TikTok account @the.real.estate.additcts shared a video addressing how strange and impractical the clear toilet concept is, being clearly — pun intended — against the idea, describing it as "just wrong." The TikTok user then drew a parallel to how Tokyo has public bathrooms with somewhat clear, colorful doors. Those Toyko bathrooms are transparent when no one is using them, but the restrooms don't stay clear once people turn a lever, thanks to smart glass, as you can see in this video by @gogonihon.
Still, some people don't like this twist on transparent bathroom technology, either. "I am not willing to risk my privacy because someone wants to make a fancy toilet," Sachiko Ishikawa, a writer/translator from Tokyo, told The New York Times. "[Assailants] could be waiting for you if you're getting out of the bathroom, so the argument of protection does not hold for me." Even this type of clear bathroom receives concern and backlash, making it unlikely for most transparent restroom technologies to gain popularity in America and worldwide.
If anything, clear toilet seats are more likely to catch on
Again, clear toilets or restroom doors aren't likely to be the next prominent bathroom choice. However, some people enjoy clear toilet seats with decorative details on classic opaque toilets for a unique but relatively practical touch. For instance, someone gave the Anqidi transparent safety resin toilet seat, $62 from Walmart, a perfect 5-star review, writing, "It's sturdy, pleasing to the eye and not [too] pricey!!" The toilet seat includes hinges and features seashell and plant-inspired designs, adding more pizazz to the otherwise-clear item.
A similar product with even more decoration is the Sea Treasure clear round toilet seat and lid by Daniels Bath, available for $74.39 at Wayfair. The item appears more translucent than transparent, as it's covered in fish and seashell designs with touches of yellow and other hues. It has 4.6 out of 5 stars, and a happy reviewer wrote, "Love it! Matches my decor. Have gotten many compliments on it." Therefore, clear toilet seats appear to be more acceptable to shoppers and have a better chance of becoming trendy in the bathroom and toilet decor and design worlds than full-on transparent toilets.