Urinal Buying Guide

While they won’t be unseating toilets as the most important bathroom product anytime soon, there’s no denying the pivotal role that urinals play for business all across the world.  In recent years, we’ve even seen an increase from curious homeowners wondering if they should install one in their homes. And why not?

Urinals do offer a unique set of advantages over the traditional toilet.

They require less space than toilets, they’re much easier to clean and maintain, and they can save you a ton of money by using less water per flush. In fact, some urinals don’t even require water to operate! They are also quick and efficient to use – probably part of the reason men’s restrooms have long had a reputation for shorter lines.

Of course, despite all of the benefits they may offer, a pretty large segment of the population won’t ever need or use a urinal. So, the toilet will continue to hold court as the throne of choice in bathrooms all around the world.  But there’s certainly a case to be made for why a urinal can save you money and make cleaning the bathroom less of a chore.

To help you learn more about urinals, we’ve put together an in-depth buying guide that covers everything you should know as you look at your options. Whether you’re buying a urinal for a commercial business or adding one into a bathroom remodel, our guide will help you gain a better understanding of your options, so that you can make an informed decision.

Types of Urinals

Before you make any purchase, the first decision you need to make is the type of urinal that would work best for your intended use. Unlike toilets and bidets, there are only a few different types for you to choose from here. To help you narrow down your choices, let’s take a closer look at the two main options available to you.

Flush Urinals

The most common option is the traditional flush urinal. They work similarly to a standard toilet. You do your business, and once you’re done, you flush it down. Upon flushing, water is released and aids in removing all the “liquid waste” from the bowl and down the drain.

Because this is the most common type available, you’ll have a pretty wide assortment of options to choose from. This would include designs, styles, finishes and features. (Yes, urinals do have features available.)

The great thing about a urinal that uses water in the flush, is that you don’t have to clean it as often as their waterless counterpart. This is because the water released in the flush will do most of the work for you. Though, don’t be mistaken, they still need to be cleaned and santitized on a regular basis.

For many consumers, especially those buying a urinal for a commercial property, this is going to be the most popular option. Not just because there are more options to choose from, but also because there is a sense of familiarity.

Summary:

• Most common type of urinal.
• Lots of options available to choose from.
• Requires less maintenance and cleaning.
• More affordable to purchase than waterless urinals.
• Water usage per flush can add up over time.

Waterless Urinals

The waterless urinal is something entirely different. It likely piques your interest, as the curious among us wonder how does it remove urine without water? Well, it all comes down to its design. 

Instead of a surge of water released into the bowl, the waterless urinal is designed to use gravity to remove all of the liquid waste. Like a flushing urinal or traditional toilet, they are connected to your sewer system, so there’s no extra work on your part.

They are becoming increasingly popular, especially for large venues and stadiums, because they have the ability to dramatically slash the amount of water used. This not only saves a ton of money, but is also great for the environment. A win-win for everyone.

The main downside of a waterless urinal, is that they need to be cleaned more frequently than other types of urinals, and may also require a little more maintenance. For many business owners, the savings and environmental benefits are worth it. 

Summary:

• Cuts down on water use.
• Saves money and is great for environment.
• May require more maintenance and cleaning.

10 Factors to Consider When Buying a Urinal

Whether you’re buying a urinal for a business or for a bathroom remodel in your home, you’ll have a lot of the same factors to consider as you narrow down and browse all of your options. Here are ten considerations that you should keep in mind as you shop.

1) Size

Size is one of the most important considerations to make during your search. While one of the most prominent benefits of urinals is that they take up less space than toilets, they still come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Some urinals are quite large, taking up a pretty goode amount of space. 

Before you even start looking at your options, it’s strongly recommended that you take measurements of the space you have available. You don’t want to waste time looking at urinals that won’t even fit. Or worse, buy one that you think is perfect, only to discover that it doesn’t fit the space.

Commercial Spaces:

For busy bathrooms in commercial spaces, being able to fit more urinals into the space can mean traffic moves through the bathroom more quickly and cuts down on the wait time for your users. Going with smaller urinals can therefore be useful. Of course, putting urinals too close to each other can make things, well, a bit awkward for people.

Homes & Bathroom Remodels:

If you’re buying a urinal for your home or planning a remodel, you may be constrained with how much space you even have to work with. If so, you’ll certainly want to triple-check your measurements and consider a smaller urinal. No homeowner wants to discover that the urinal they bought and installed is taking up too much space. This will only make it difficult to move around in the bathroom.

Making the Case for Larger Urinals:

While the design of a urinal plays a role here, one benefit of choosing to go with a larger-sized urinal is that they are more likely to capture the waste. And let’s be honest, as I guy, I can confirm that we sometimes have terrible aim. A larger urinal can do wonders in improving our accuracy, thus decreasing the necessity of cleaning up the mess on the floor or wall. Also, larger urinals also have the potential to enhance the feeling of privacy. Again, this all depends on the design of the urinal itself, as well as the rest of the bathroom environment.  

2) Cost of Urinal

The initial purchase price of a urinal is much like that of a toilet or bidet. It can be as little as $100 for a basic flushing urinal, or run up to a $1,000+ for a high-end unit with a bunch of features. The price for a urinal trough can go even higher.

Features that make a urinal more efficient will generally add to the upfront cost, but are also likely to save you money over time. Some features that add convenience, such as an automatic flush, will increase the cost as well. In addition to that, brand reputation and the design of the urinal make a difference in how much it costs. A well-designed urinal that looks good and is easy to use and clean is likely to cost you more than one that just gets the basic job done.  

3) Flush Options

If you go with a flush urinal, there are a few different features and options you can choose from. Many urinals have a handle or lever people can use to manually flush the urinal after use – much like what you would find with toilets.

For users that prefer a more sanitary solution, you can provide handleless flush urinals. These either have a sensor that can tell each time a user is finished and flush automatically when needed, or a timer that automatically flushes the urinal at set intervals. If you’re buying a urinal for a bathroom in a commercial space, these options can both ensure your urinals stay a little cleaner so your cleaning staff has an easier job and can provide your users some peace of mind in not having to encounter germs when touching a lever to flush.

4) Aesthetics

Urinals come in wide range of designs and styles, so if it’s important for you to choose something that looks nice, you have plenty of options here.

Maybe you want a sleek and minimal design that’s mounted on the wall and fits into the modern decor of your bathroom. Or, perhaps, you just want a floor-mounted urinal or large trough that can help “improve the aim” of those using it. Maybe, you just want something that works, and don’t have much prefrence on whether it looks good.  

Aesthetics are of course in the eye of the beholder, so if you care about how good your new urinal will look in the space, spend some time browsing your options and see what you like the look of. 

5) Design

The design of a urinal both influences appearance (as just discussed) as well as functionality. Some shapes are designed to help the urine flow more naturally downward (particularly with waterless urinals).

Some are better for catching the flow of the urine, which may lessen the amount of splatter and mess to deal with. Trough urinals are designed to accommodate multiple users at once which makes them a cheaper alternative to buying several urinals, but they also don’t offer much in the way of aesthetics or privacy.

When choosing a urinal, consider how the design will affect the experience of using and cleaning it. While they all provide the same basic functionality, the experience can differ enough between models to make it worth thinking about.

6) Ease of Cleaning

Obviously, any urinal you buy will need to be cleaned. That’s probably the worst part of owning a urinal (not that toilets fare all that much better in this regard). The biggest factor that relates to how easy to clean a urinal will be is the flush type.

Waterless urinals often need to be cleaned more frequently. Since flush urinals get flushed with water throughout the day, the cleaning process can be a little easier – as long as the people using them actually do flush regularly (one of the benefits of automatic flush features is not having to worry about that).

The shape and design of your urinal will also influence how easy it is to clean. If there are hard to reach spots or crevices you have to clean, the work will be more tedious. And if the urinal’s design makes it easy for users to miss the bowl (it happens) then your cleanup job will be bigger than just the urinal itself and even less pleasant.

Cleaning is probably the biggest pain point when it comes to a urinal, so it’s important to think about it before you buy so you can figure out if you want to choose a model that minimizes the inconvenience and mess.

7) Installation Requirements

Much like with a toilet, there are a couple different installation options for urinals. These include wall-mount and floor-mount, and they each have their own set of pros and cons.

• Wall-Mounted – The most common option, these will be installed directly to the wall leaving a bit of floor space remaining in the area.
• Floor-Mounted – These are installed on the ground, but designed to rise up along the wall. The drain remains low on the ground.

If you’re replacing old urinals, then you’ll have an easier time installing the same type that was in place before, so you won’t have to mess with the plumbing connection. Waterless urinals are often considered to be easier to install than those that flush, but this is not always the case. 

8) Water Usage

Water efficiency is one of the big reasons why you should consider buying a urinal to begin with.  However, not all urinals are the same, and there’s some real disparity in how much water various models require. Obviously, waterless urinals fare the best in this category. If saving water in the bathroom is a top priority for you, then these will be your best option.

There are a number of flush urinals that are designed to emphasize water savings as well though. Below, you’ll find two measurements that can help you determine how much water the urinal will use.

Gallons Per Flush (GPF)

As your browsing your options, keep an eye out for the gallons per flush (GPF) rating. All urinals and toilets will use this as a way to advertise their flush efficiency to consumers. Generally speaking, urinals will almost always have a better GPF rating than toilets, which typically use about 1.28 gallons per flush. Urinals, on the other hand, will oftentimes use about 1/8 of that amount.

The most common options for urinals include:

• 0.125 GPF
• 0.25 GPF
• 0.5 GPF
• 1.0 GPF

If you want to buy a urinal that doesn’t use much water, you’ll want to go with a model that features a low GPF rating. The lower the number, the less water you’ll be paying for if you go with that urinal. 

WaterSense Certified

You can also look for models that have been certified by the EPA’s WaterSense program. Typically featuring a low GPF rating, any products with a WaterSense label has gone through rigouorous testing and has been approved to be a water-efficient product.

9) Compatibility

If you’re replacing urinals, then one of the most important things you need to think about before you select new ones is whether they’re compatible with the space they’ll be installed in.

This means going with the same type in terms of whether it’s wall mount or floor mount, and checking where the spud is located on your current urinals (the part where the urinal connects to the plumbing) so you make sure to buy a urinal that has the spud in the same place.

While you could technically hire a plumber to change things up if you really want a different type of urinal, you’ll be paying a lot more and making things harder for yourself. In most cases, you’ll want to go with a urinal that will work in the setup you already have.

10) Material

You’ll find that urinals are available in two main materials: ceramic and stainless steel.

• Ceramic – The most popular material you’ll find, including those made from porcelain or vitreous china. They are durable and waterproof, as well as come in a wide assortment of colors and styles to choose from.
• Stainless Steel – This material is more common for trough urinals, but can occasionally be found for bowl urinals, too. 

If they are properly maintained, neither material is necessarily better than the other. They are both durable and work well for their intended use. If poorly maintained, you may find that stainless steel is prone to rusting over time. Ceramic also has the potential to chip. Most urinals you see will be made of ceramic, so that’s what most customers are likely to go with.

Final Thoughts

Urinals can save you water, keep your commercial bathroom moving efficiently, or make your home bathroom a little more convenient for some members of the household to use. But finding the right one and doing the maintenance required matters if you want to avoid a urinal becoming a smelly, messy addition to your life. Take some time to consider your options and find the urinal that’s right for your needs.