TOTO S550e Washlet

Quick Note:  The TOTO S550e and TOTO S500e are identical, except that the S550e has an automatic opening/closing lid and LED night light.  Besides that, the two models are exactly the same.

The TOTO S550e Washlet is an elite bidet toilet seat and top-of-the-line model offered by TOTO.  It is an update to their previous S350e model.  The S550e washlet has a brand-new body design that comes in two different styles - Classic or Contemporary.  The difference between them lies wholly in the design of the lid.  The Classic style comes with beveled edges that add a bit of depth and a somewhat more ornate look, while the Contemporary style is flat all the way across the surface for a slightly more modern and clean appearance.  Everything else is identical on both versions.

The TOTO S550e offers an excellent cleansing experience and is equipped with both rear wash and feminine wash functions.  Both wash functions offer adjustable water temperature control with the built-in tankless water heater.  The position of the spray nozzle can be moved forward and backwards for a more personalized cleaning, and the water pressure can also be adjusted.  The oscillate feature will continuously drive the nozzle back and forth, which provides better cleaning coverage. You can dry off residual moisture after washing with the warm air dryer.

The S550e comes with a host of unique features you'll enjoy.  This includes an automatic opening and closing lid.  The bidet seat has a body sensor that detects when you are approaching and raises the lid for you.  For men who would like to raise the seat, just press the button on the top of the remote to put the seat up.  The washlet will gently close the seat and lid automatically after you walk away.  The e-Water feature utilizes the disinfecting quality of electrolyzed water to pre-mist your toilet bowl before use.  This exclusive feature helps keep the surface of the toilet bowl clean.

The double-sided remote control for the TOTO S550e comes with a new slimmer design.  Some of the most-often used buttons have been moved to the front of the remote for easier operation.  The remote is also easier to hold in one hand and is thinner than previous remotes.  Settings can be pre-programmed easily with two user-preset buttons found at the bottom front side of the remote.  The presets allow you to save the water pressure, nozzle position and water temperature preferences for up to two people.

Available in Cotton White and Sedona Beige.  Elongated Size only.  If you need Round Size, please see TOTO S350e.

TOTO S550e Washlet | Contemporary 360 View:

TOTO S550e Washlet | Classic 360 View:

TOTO S550e Washlet Features:

Editor's Note:

Here is a link to our official review of this washlet:  bidetsPLUS' TOTO S550e Review.  But you can continue reading below for some additional background on this bidet seat.

The TOTO S550e washlet comes in your choice of two styles, "Contemporary" or "Classic" - which determines the type of lid your bidet seat comes with.  Keep in mind this unit features an automatic open/closing lid, so your lid will almost always be closed.  And because of this, the type of lid you choose has a huge influence on what your washlet will look like in your bathroom.  The "Contemporary" lid has a cleaner, minimalist look while the "Classic" lid is busier - with beveled edges going around the contour of the lid.

Once you get underneath the lid though, everything else is the same.  The base unit and features are exactly the same no matter which style you choose, so it is strictly an aesthetic choice.

The TOTO 550e washlet features both feminine and rear wash functions.  Both water pressure and water temperature can be adjusted.  The bidet has a tankless, on-demand water heater built right into the seat which provides a continuous warm water wash.  You can adjust the position of the spray by adjusting the position of the wash nozzle more forward or backward.  There is also an "oscillate" function which automatically moves the nozzle back and forth, extending the cleaning area.  Also available, is a "wide" spray function which sets a larger radius for increased coverage.

All of these features are controlled through the use of the wireless remote control.  A wall mounting kit is included, so you can conveniently mount the remote on the wall next to your toilet.  Buttons for the most commonly used features - such as wash, oscillate, stop and dry are all located on the front of the remote.  On the back of the remote, you can adjust more advanced features such as the eco-power saving modes and strength of the air dry fan.  Once you get your initial setup done, however - you'll be using the front of the remote 95% of the time.

Most of the bidet seats you come across will have the basic features of feminine/rear wash, adjustable water pressure/temperature, adjustable spray, and warm air dry.  What really sets this bidet seat apart though, are the non-wash features.  These non-wash features are what really makes the TOTO S550e a "smart" toilet seat.  Let's start with the automatic open/close lid.  A body sensor detects when you're approaching the toilet and will raise the lid for you.  And for men - tapping the button on top of the remote will raise the seat too.  Both the seat and lid will automatically close when you walk away.

The included LED night light turns on and off using this same body sensor.  So the toilet lights up for you when you walk towards it, and dims when you walk away.  We also note that you can customize these settings thru the remote control.  So you can de-activate your lid from opening by itself, or de-activate the night light if you so choose.

Then there's the eWater, or electrolyzed water feature.  Electrolyzed water was originally used in the restaurant industry, used to disinfect knives, utensils and cutting boards.  The TOTO S550e uses eWater to pre-mist your toilet bowl before you go to the bathroom.  Pre-misting your toilet helps prevent material from adhering to the sides of the bowl, and increases flushing efficiency.  The washlet then mists your toilet every 8 hours which further helps keep your toilet clean, and reduces the need for scrubbing your toilet with harsh chemicals.

The heated toilet seat is another popular feature.  Sitting on a freezing cold toilet seat is not the best way to start your day.  The temperature of the seat can be adjusted as well, and of course - you can turn it off during the warmer months of summer.  A built in air deodorizer is also included which works with active carbon filtration, helping to filter bathroom air of unwanted odor.  An occupied seat sensor works as a "safety," which means none of the wash functions will work unless you are sitting on the seat.  This helps prevent your three-year old toddler from accidentally activating the spray.

This very well-thought out design and feature set makes this model one of the best bidet toilet seats available.  If you're looking for the best seat money can buy, then look no further.  The TOTO S550e is the washlet for you.

TOTO Models At-A-Glance:

New to TOTO?  A Brief Q & A:

Who is the TOTO Washlet S550e best for?

If you are new to bidet toilet seats you might take a look at all of the different models and feel like there are too many options to go through without getting overwhelmed.  It can be hard choosing what the best option is for you when you are starting from a large number of choices, so we have narrowed down some of our top-sellers and customer favorites and tried to provide a bit more information to help you decide which model best checks all your boxes.  Here in this section, we will tackle the TOTO Washlet S550e and why it may be the right choice for you.

TOTO is the pioneer of the modern electric bidet toilet seat, so it is no surprise that they are probably the best-known brand on the market.  The TOTO S550e is their flagship washlet so many people are immediately drawn to it just for the fact that it is the best model from the most recognizable brand.  But aside from brand loyalty, the S550e comes equipped with some unique features that make it the best seat for some people.  For example, it includes an automatic opening and closing lid feature that is triggered when you approach the unit.  It also includes TOTO’s e-Water feature which uses electrolyzed water as a disinfectant that mists the surface of the toilet bowl to keep it clean.  So, if the auto opening and closing lid is a key feature for you, along with the e-Water functionality and a slim design, then the TOTO Washlet S550e is a great choice for you.

Besides these unique functions, the S550e is quite simply, in our opinion – the best looking seat you’ll find.  As your eyes roll over the smooth, beautiful lines of this bidet seat, it truly stands out as a luxurious addition to your toilet.  With other bidet seats, the lid only covers the seat-portion of the unit, leaving the back of the unit (and its indicator lights) exposed.  The lid on this model however, completely covers the unit underneath providing a seamless look.  The TOTO S550e is also the thinnest electronic bidet seat in the world.  The maximum height of the washlet at the rear of the unit is just under 5”, whereas most comparable units are between 5.5” and 6” at their maximum height.

The TOTO Washlet S550e is also unique in that it offers a choice in lid design.  You can choose either the Classic design, which has a beveled edge on the lid similar to other previous models from TOTO, or the Contemporary design, which has a flat straight line design for a modern look.  You also can choose between the standard Cotton White color or Sedona Beige.  If you are looking for a beige color tone to match your bathroom, you would want to go with either the S550e, S500e or the Brondell Swash 1400 which all offer white or beige options.

Now we will take a look at the remote control and how it is used to operate the bidet.

How do I use the TOTO Washlet S550e?  A breakdown of features and using the remote control

The washlet is operated by a wireless remote control that is two-sided, with the most commonly used buttons on the front side and less often used features and settings adjustments located on the back side of the remote.  The slim silver remote comes with a wall mounting kit so you can place the remote on a wall or surface where it is most convenient.   There are nine primary feature buttons aligned vertically on the front of the remote with the rest of the functions and settings on the back side.  Let’s first take a look at the front of the remote which you will using most regularly.

Front Side of Remote Control

The buttons on the front of the long slim TOTO S550e remote run up and down basically in one vertical column and are marked with small symbols rather than text, so we will just go button-by-button from the top to the bottom.  The first button at the top of the remote is a small black square and this is the Stop button.  As you might expect, you will use this to stop all features that are currently in operation.  Next is the rear wash button noted by a dotted spray under an outline of a person’s backside.  Push this to begin the posterior wash function.  To the left you will see another dotted line spray symbol which you can press to change the regular posterior wash spray patter to a soft spray pattern in case you want a gentler spray.  Under the posterior wash button is the feminine wash button noted by a dotted line spray pattern under an outline of a person sitting.  This of course initiates the feminine wash function.  Just like the posterior wash, there is a soft feminine wash option for a gentler spray pattern and the button is noted by a dotted triangle pattern to the right of the regular feminine wash spray button.

The fourth button down on the front of the remote is for the drying function.  Press this button that looks like three curved horizontal lines and the warm air dryer will begin and blow a warm stream of air to help dry off after washing.  The next two buttons are for two different wash patterns.  Directly under the air dryer button is an icon of a wash nozzle and below it a line with arrows on each end.  This buttons operates the oscillating cleanse.  This popular wash function will move the nozzle back and forth during the wash cycle so that a greater area is cleaned and a more thorough cleaning provided.  You can press it again and the nozzle will go back to a stationary position.  Next is the pulsating cleanse feature which is noted by an icon of a nozzle with a dotted spray pattern above the nozzle.  Pressing this will cause a spray pattern that alternates from high pressure to low pressure for a pulsating massage-like affect.  The next button also is noted by the nozzle icon and has two small stars over it.  This is for the TOTO S550e’s nozzle cleaning function.  If you want to periodically do a thorough cleaning of the nozzle to keep it sanitary you can press the nozzle cleaning button and the wash nozzle will extend and the unit will use electrolyzed water (also known as eWater) to sterilize the nozzle.  Since the unit is set up to automatically clean the nozzle after use, you may not need to manually do this very often.

The bottom three features on the front of the remote all have utilize two buttons that you will swipe towards to the left or right to make adjustments.  First you will see a Minus (-) button on the left side and a Plus (+) button to the right.  These are for adjusting the water pressure level.  There are five levels, and swiping toward the minus button will decrease pressure and swiping toward the plus will increase water pressure.  Next are an up arrow and down arrow, and these buttons allow you to change the position of the wash nozzle with the up arrow moving the nozzle farther forward and the down arrow moving it back.  You can adjust the nozzle across five positons for both the posterior and feminine wash.  Finally, the last two buttons at the bottom of the remote’s front side are the User Presets.  These allow two different users to save their preferences for the nozzle position, water pressure and water temperature.  There are two buttons that look like small outlines of people with a number 1 and 2, so you can simply swipe toward your number then press the wash function you wish to use.

One last button we’ll mention here is actually located on the top end of the remote control.  On the top right of the remote there is a small icon that looks like a toilet with the lid up and an arrow in front of a lid that is halfway up.  Pressing this will automatically raise the toilet seat so you don’t need to manually raise the lid.  The lid uses a sensor and automatically opens when you approach the toilet.  This button on top of the remote lets you similarly raise the seat.


Back Side of Remote Control

The back of the TOTO Washlet S550e remote has a small display screen and below the screen is a keypad of buttons to navigate through the display screen.  Use the arrow buttons (up, down, left and right) scroll through and highlight the different options displayed, and the black circle between the arrows acts as the Enter button to choose on option.  There is also a Menu/Return button to go back in the menu, and a temperature adjustment button that has a small thermometer icon. The thermometer icon has a button of its own, since temperature settings tend to be something users will want to access more commonly.  When you press this button you will see three categories to choose from with the up and down arrows: Water Temp, Seat Temp and Dryer Temp.  Once you select the feature you will be able to adjust the temperature setting across five different temperatures from low to high.  The water temperature and seat temperature can also be turned off by pressing the left arrow button until it says OFF.

Moving on to the main menu - five categories are listed on the display screen when pressing the menu button (the button with three horizontal lines on it).  The first category is Manual Cleaning.  Under this category you can select the wand cleaning function which uses electrolyzed water to sterilize the nozzle or you can select manual cleaning which will extend the nozzle so you can manually wipe and clean the extended nozzle with a soft cloth.  The nozzle will automatically retract after about five minutes.

The second category is Energy Saver.  This lets you adjust the settings for the power saving feature that limits energy consumption when the unit is not in use.  The energy saver will detect times when the washlet is not generally in use and will lower the seat temperature or completely turn the heater off to save energy.  You can also select the Timer Saver to have the unit turn off the seat heater for a six or nine hour period.

The third category in the main menu is the Auto Function.  You can select this category to make adjustments to some of the washlets automated features.  For the automatic opening and closing lid function, you can adjust the amount of time before the lid closes or will open again after it has closed, and you can turn the function completely off you you like.  You can also adjust on or off the automated wand cleaning which rinses the nozzle after every use; the bowl cleaning function which sprays a mist of water before and after use as a way to prevent material from adhering to the surface of the bowl keeping it cleaner.  The deodorizer function on the TOTO Washlet S550e can also be set on or off under this category.  The other automatic feature to adjust in this section is the light functions, including the soft light which is a small light to illuminate the bathroom with a soft light, the night light which illuminates the bowl area with a soft blue light, and the indicator light which tells when you the nozzle cleaning or bowl misting feature is in use.

The fourth item in the main menu is for selecting the language in which the text on the display screen will appear.  This will likely only need to be used the first time you set up your washlet.  The fifth and final category is for Other Settings.  Here you can choose whether or not you want the beep sound on when using the washlet or turn it off.  You can also lock settings so they can’t be changed or unlock this function.  Probably the function you are most likely to use from the Other Settings category is for setting the two user presets.  Choose Personal Setting and then you can select Register 1 or Register 2, and then you will be able to select the preferred water pressure, water temperature and nozzle position settings for each user preset.

What might I be missing with this bidet seat compared to others?

Before you make a decision on any new purchase, most people will take a moment to go beyond all the selling points of a particular product and look at what that product might be missing compared with other brands or models.  Here we will take a look at what the TOTO S550e is missing when compared with other similar bidet seats.

The first thing that people often notice about the TOTO S550e is its higher price compared with other seats.  If you are on a budget or simply looking for a good quality bidet without paying the highest price, then you would probably want to look at other options.  Besides price, a functional difference of note is the lower spray volume on the S550e.  While the wash spray is sufficient for most, those looking for a stronger spray might want to consider the BB 2000 from Bio Bidet.  And while the S550e does include an automatic opening and closing lid, the lid is not weight bearing so you shouldn’t sit on the closed lid.  If having a sittable lid is important, the Brondell Swash 1400 would be a good option.  The warranty is also a bit weaker than other brands as there is only a one year manufacturer warranty included.  Several other models offer three year warranties or have options for extended warranties.

Here you can read our head-to-head comparison of the TOTO S550e vs. Bio Bidet BB 2000

And here’s our head-to-head comparison of the TOTO S550e vs. Brondell Swash 1400

And finally, our comparison vs. the all new Bio Bidet Discovery DLS:  TOTO S550e vs. Bio Bidet Discovery DLS

A Note on the Auto-Opening/Closing Seat and Lid

If you’ve never had a toilet automatically open the lid for you, it’s hard to grasp how useful the automatic opening/closing seat and lid feature is.  A lot of people may look at this feature, roll their eyes, and think it’s not that hard to put the seat/lid up.  But imagine if every time you walked thru the front door of your house, the door automatically opened for you.  And after you walked in, the door automatically closed behind you.  Every time.  You wouldn’t have to put your groceries down as you fumble around for your keys.  You wouldn’t have to touch around blindly in the dark.

Certainly, the automatic opening lid on the TOTO S550e is cool.  And your house guests will be quick to ask how your toilet opens the lid by itself like that.  But coolness and awesomeness aside, it really is a convenient addition to your life.  And even better – it’s hands free!  You don't need to touch the toilet with your hands to go to the bathroom.  Think about that.

For men, tapping a button on top of the remote raises the seat too.  And when you guys are done, simply walk away and both the seat and lid will automatically close.  And the best part?  Your wife always finds the seat down.

Final Thoughts on the TOTO Washlet S550e

The The TOTO S550e is a luxury bidet toilet seat with many high-end features that make it an attractive option for those looking for a top-of-the-line washlet with all the bells and whistles.  It’s also excels in the “looks” department and is arguably the best looking bidet seat available.  The automatic opening and closing lid plus the e-Water sanitizing feature add an extra level of luxury to this fully featured model from a leader in the industry.  The slim body and lid design options also give this washlet an added esthetic appeal.  While the price is a bit more than other bidet seats, those looking for the best seat from the most well-known brand in the business will find a lot to like in the TOTO S550e.

TOTO Product Naming Conventions:

TOTO maintains internal product SKUs which are different from the branded product name.  For example, you might have heard the TOTO S550e being called the TOTO SW3056#01.  For your convenience, here is a mapping table to help you understand TOTO's naming conventions:

Read:  bidetsPLUS' TOTO S550e Review

View:  Owners Manual:  TOTO S550e | TOTO SW3056#01 and SW3054#01

See:   TOTO Product Specifications Sheet

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