Light Up Your Bathroom With This Unique Toilet Seat Upgrade

When it comes to late-night trips to the bathroom, the last thing we're looking to see is a bright light. For most of us, the reality isn't as idyllic — we're forced to turn on the overhead light, waking us up from sleep mode by the time we've washed our hands and turned the light off. In September 2014, a business student at Brigham Young University created a motion-activated toilet nightlight that changed the way many deep sleepers use the bathroom in the middle of the night. If you're tired of using the bathroom while sacrificing your quality of sleep, a toilet night light might be right for you.

Illumibowl's introduction on Shark Tank caught viewers' eyes for the same reason: A solution to late-night bathroom trips. During sleep, our eyes stop producing tears, which leaves us with dry eyes immediately after waking up. Since our eyes have been dry for several hours, light sensitivity is at an all-time high when we wake up. While some home design experts prefer an entire bathroom lighting fixture makeover, all it takes is one powerful light. Illumnibowl is a small motion-activated light that clips onto the side of your toilet seat and lights up the bowl in a variety of customizable colors, providing soft and gentle light for those 3 a.m. trips to the bathroom.

Toilet seats come in a variety of shapes, materials, and additional features. Understanding the details and purpose of our toilet — and why we need a toilet seat night light — can help us make a more informed decision when selecting the type of illumination we want. In terms of style, 95% of all toilet seats are either made round or elongated. For round toilet seats, which are typically best for kids or smaller adults, a night light with a variety of accessible features is best, like this one from Vintar. With 16 colors and a motion-sensor light detector, it's perfect for kids to use while protecting their eyes.

For elongated seats, which are larger and more oval-shaped, larger adults or those who struggle with mobility issues may benefit the most. These users are likely to prefer Kohler's Lighted Toilet Seats, which offers a soft blue light that doesn't change color. If you're not interested in the color-changing abilities of toilet seat night lights, a simple blue light will prevent damage to the eyes while using the bathroom in the middle of the night. Similarly, J&L's Red and Green Toilet Light changes color for efficiency. When the toilet seat is down, the light turns green and when it's up, the light turns red. In the middle of the night, the last thing we want to do is assess the toilet seat's position.

Since toilet seat lights are typically motion-detected, they're able to sense when someone enters the bathroom. When installing the night light, it's best to make sure the detector faces the door to ensure that everyone who enters sees the light. One button will likely rotate through all the colors offered by your night light, or turn on the single-color soft glow you opted for. Unlike LED lights or smart bulbs, toilet lights can be installed in seconds and use significantly less energy than the lightbulbs around our house. Instead, they're either entirely disposable or powered by rechargeable batteries.

In addition to their most popular benefits, toilet seat lights can also help children with potty training, pregnant mothers, and other physically vulnerable populations. Being able to identify and use a toilet, especially in the middle of the night, is a privilege that many of us take for granted. According to USA Today, some toilet lights claim the ability to sanitize toilets, stating that UV lights disinfect 99.9% of germs and bacteria that are harbored by our toilets. Other companies produce aromatherapy toilet lights, which diffuse a pleasant smell in the process. The possibilities are endless with toilet seat night lights.