Guide
Toilet seats and bathroom turnover
Round or elongated, and the three numbers that decide it.
3 min read · First Ave Supply, 1587 First Avenue
Short answer. Measure from the middle of the two bolt holes at the back to the front edge of the bowl. About 16 and a half inches is round. About 18 and a half inches is elongated. There is no third size in ordinary residential fixtures, so if you land between the two, measure again.
While you are there, measure the bolt hole spread, centre to centre. Standard is 5 and a half inches on almost everything.
The three numbers
| Measure | Round | Elongated |
|---|---|---|
| Bolt holes to front edge | ~16.5 in | ~18.5 in |
| Widest point of bowl | ~14 in | ~14 in |
| Bolt hole spread | 5.5 in | 5.5 in |
Width is the same on both, which is why people guess wrong from looking. Length is the only thing that tells you.
Plastic or wood
Plastic. Lighter, cheaper, does not chip, wipes clean, survives commercial cleaners. This is what a building should buy for turnovers.
Wood, moulded. Heavier, feels better, holds a finish, costs more, and the finish eventually crazes in a bathroom with no exhaust fan. Fine for an owner unit, not for a rental turnover.
Hinges matter more than the seat
Plastic hinge with plastic bolts. Cheapest, and the bolts are why the seat is loose again in six months.
Metal hinge. Lasts. Worth the difference on anything you do not want to do twice.
Quick release. Pops off for cleaning. The porters will thank you and the bathroom stays cleaner because the hinge area actually gets wiped.
Slow close. Stops the slam. Nice in an owner unit, one more thing to break in a rental.
For a turnover
Buy plastic, elongated and round, metal hinge, in a case. Most prewar buildings have a mix of both bowl shapes, sometimes on the same line, so stocking one size guarantees a second trip.
Case pricing on seats is a building account price. Sign in and the price on this page is yours.
The fast check
Take a photo of the bowl from directly above with a tape measure laid from the bolt holes to the front edge. That one photo answers it and we can pull the right seat before you get here.
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