With more than 100 years of experience in the toilet industry, Kohler and American Standard toilets have been known to provide the best flushing technologies, superior durability, and advanced features.
The real question is, though, which brand is best? Some people swear by American Standard toilets because of their increased efficiency, while some prefer Kohler toilets for the added comfort.
We’re here to answer that question with a thorough comparative review of Kohler vs American standard Toilets to help you choose the toilet brand that works best for you!
Let’s first dig into both companies and look at whether their toilets are made in the USA or not.
Kohler toilets are made in three U.S. plants in Kohler, Wisconsin; Brownsville, Texas; and Spartanburg, South Carolina, and one big plant in Monterrey, Mexico. American Standard toilets are made in Piscataway, New Jersey, which also houses the company headquarters.
Kohler and American Standard Toilets Features Comparison
Below we have an in-depth guide about each brand that will help you choose between Kohler or American Standard.
Material and Durability
When it comes to durability and maintenance, Kohler toilets are a bit difficult to maintain. Consumers have noted that Kohler toilets tend to clog and leak a lot, which causes a lot of inconvenience throughout the years.
Kohler toilets are manufactured with materials like china, vitreous china, porcelain, and ceramic. Vitreous china is very sturdy and durable as it is coated ceramic, which lasts years without causing damages.
American Standard is very popular due to its highly efficient toilets that don’t clog or leak, lessening the need for a plunger. American Standard uses vitreous china and porcelain to construct their toilets, making these toilets easy to clean.
Both of these brands are American companies, which makes ordering spare parts very easy.
Clearly, American Standard proves to be the better toilet brand in the durability department.
Flushing System
Flushing power should always be the main focus when you’re looking for a new toilet. It can not only allow you to save on your water bill, but it also ensures that all the waste contents in the toilet bowl are rinsed off with a single flush.
While American Standard offers advanced VorMax flushing technology, Kohler provides water efficiency with its Class Five and Ingenium flushing systems, saving up to 16,500 gallons of water every year (if the flush is 1.28 GPF).
Let’s take the Kohler Highline and American Standard Champion 4 into consideration.
We’ve found that the Highline is unable to flush away solid waste without causing clogs or flushing twice.
On the other hand, the Champion 4 rinses off the waste with one powerful flush because it has a 4-inch tank flapper rather than the standard 3-inch.
In this department, American Standard wins because of its highly efficient flushing mechanisms, even though they make a little noise.
Cleaning
Both toilets are very easy to clean and maintain. Kohler utilizes an outstanding surface finish, while American Standard offers the EverClean finish along with a powerful flush that leaves the toilet bowl very clean after every flush.
Remember that Kohler asks you to use soft abrasive cleaners to clean the toilet instead of strong abrasives to ensure that the vitreous china doesn’t get damaged.
However, it all comes down to the choice of toilet design. One-piece toilets are much easier to clean than two-piece toilets because the lack of gaps between the tank and bowl prevents dirt particles from sticking to the corners.
Toilet and Bowl Types
Both American Standard and Kohler provide a wide variety of toilet type selections in the marketplace along with different types of toilet bowl designs.
Kohler offers one-piece toilets, two-piece toilets, urinals, and wall-hung toilets with round-fronted or elongated bowl designs. Elongated bowl designs are very comfortable since they evenly distribute the weight on the bowl.
American Standard provides a selection of one-piece toilets, two-piece toilets, wall-hung toilets, floor-mounted toilets, and WC close-coupled toilets equipped with elongated or round-fronted bowl designs.
Design and Colors
Whether to go for a Kohler or American Standard toilet all depends on you and your design needs.
Kohler toilets are extremely popular for their sleek, computerized design that often comes with an elongated bowl and Right Height feature. These features make Kohler toilets very comfortable to operate and accessible to everyone in the house.
Kohler toilets are also ADA-certified when the height is more than or equal to 16 ½ inches while still being compact. They are very suitable for en-suites, powder rooms, and bathrooms with limited space.
American Standard focuses its functionality more on efficiency than design. So, if you want to buy a toilet that looks amazing, we’d always suggest a Kohler toilet.
American Standard offers color selections that include linen, white, and bone, while Kohler offers white, biscuit, dune, black, and almond.
Price Difference
American Standard produces the most affordably-priced, quality toilets on the market. They are slightly less expensive than Kohler toilets while providing high-performance, easy maintenance, and superior features.
Clearly, American Standard provides much more efficient products with the added advantage of an affordable price.
Certifications
American Standard and Kohler exceed industry standards due to their exceptional performance. These companies are affiliated with a lot of certifications.
American Standard toilet is certified with CEC, EPA WaterSense, CalGreen, and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Kohler is also affiliated with all the above certifications along with Declare and Universal Height.
These certifications ensure that the toilets are water efficient and are being manufactured without polluting the environment.
Warranty
American Standard provides a warranty of 5 to 10 years with every purchase. On the other hand, Kohler provides a 1-year limited warranty.
Advanced Features
American Standard
Champion 4 Flushing System – The Champion 4 system is supplied with a 2 3/8-inch siphonic trapway and a 4-inch large flush valve that exceeds industry standards. These features reduce the need to plunge and prevent clogs and backups while conserving water with every flush.
Slow-Close Seat – American Standard toilets have a slow-close seat and lid that makes sure that the seat closes gently and there’s no abrupt slamming of the toilet seat.
EverClean Finish – The EverClean finish by American Standard provides a layer of glaze on the surface of the toilet, preventing any dirt particles from sticking to the toilet.
Kohler
Quick-Release – This feature by Kohler makes easy cleaning possible by enabling the removal of the back hinges of the toilet seat.
Quiet-Close Seat – Much like the Slow-Close seat feature by American Standard, the Quiet-Close seat ensures a gentle close of the toilet seat without abruptly slamming it.
Class Five Flushing Technology – This powerful flushing technology by Kohler includes a glazed trapway and a 3¼-inch flush valve that provides great results.
Top Picks
American Standard Toilets
Top Pick – American Standard Champion 4
Featuring an effortlessly beautiful design, this one-piece toilet model comes equipped with an elongated bowl design and EverClean surface finish, which makes cleaning a lot easier. It also offers the very efficient Champion 4 flushing mechanism that includes a 4-inch piston flush valve, which makes power flushing a priority. It also includes a 10-year warranty with every purchase.
Best Value for Money – American Standard H2Option
Equipped with a round-front bowl design, this high-efficiency toilet offers water-efficient H2Option flushing technology with a dual flush. It also includes the signature EverClean surface finish and Right Height feature, which makes this toilet very easy to access for people of all ages, including the physically challenged and the elderly.
Kohler Toilets
Top Pick – KOHLER K-6299-0 Veil
This contemporarily designed toilet is one of the most popular Kohler toilets. With a beautiful one-piece design, this toilet model comes with a Grip-Tight reveal feature that holds the seat of the toilet in place so that it doesn’t wobble. The in-wall tank gives the toilet a seamless look, and the dual flush conserves water with every flush. Also, it saves up to 12-inches of space in the bathroom.
Best Value for Money – KOHLER K-3609-0 Cimarron
Featuring Kohler’s Comfort Height feature, this toilet, with a neat and modern-age design, provides accessibility and beauty at the same time. With an AquaPiston flush system that fills the toilet bowl with a 360-degree swirling motion, this toilet provides great efficiency and convenience. The 1.28 GPF power flush saves 16,500 gallons of water every year.
Kohler vs American Standard? Which Is a Better Toilet?
After a careful evaluation of the pros and cons of each brand, we’ve come to the conclusion that American Standard is the better option between these two toilet manufacturers.
With its advanced flushing technologies, superior features, and affordable price, this leading giant proves to be a much better option considering both efficiency and cost.
This is why the American Standard brand is so popular among both commercial and residential applications. We hope this detailed guide helped you decide the toilet brand that works best for your home.
You did a great job of comparing both toilets. You made my decision easy. Thanks.
Great! I’m glad we could help.