Choosing between the TUSHY Aura and the TOTO WASHLET S5 is one of the toughest decisions in the premium electric bidet seat market right now.
Both offer instant warm water, heated seats, and full remote control — but they take very different approaches to the luxury bidet experience, and the one you pick could define your bathroom routine for years.
| Feature | TUSHY Aura | TOTO WASHLET S5 |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |
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| Dimensions (L x W x H) | ~20.5″ x 14.75″ x 5.5″ | 21″ x 15-1/16″ x 5.5″ |
| Bowl Compatibility | Elongated only | Elongated & Round |
| Water Heating | Instant (Ceramic Core Tech) | Instant (Tankless) |
| Auto Open/Close Lid | Yes (Motion Sensor) | No |
| UV Sterilization | Yes | No (EWATER+ wand only) |
| User Presets | Not specified | 4 User Presets |
| Deodorizer | Yes | Yes |
| PREMIST / Bowl Pre-Spray | No | Yes (PREMIST) |
| Buy Now |  |
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1. TUSHY Aura Luxury Electric Bidet Seat
The TUSHY Aura is the brand’s most premium bidet seat, and it shows from the moment you walk into the room.
Proximity sensors automatically open the lid before you even sit down, and the entire experience — from the instant warm water spray to the heated seat and air dryer — is designed to feel completely hands-free.
If you’ve been reading about the best bidets for home use and wondered what a truly wellness-focused seat looks like, the Aura is your answer.
Features
- Instant unlimited warm water via Ceramic Core Technology with 4 temperature settings
- Front and rear wash modes with adjustable nozzle position and nozzle oscillation
- Auto open/close lid and seat via Motion Sense proximity sensors
- UV sterilization on the wand and nozzle for antimicrobial protection
- 3-level warm air dryer (2x stronger than TUSHY Ace)
- Adjustable heated seat with multiple temperature settings
- Built-in night light and deodorizer
- Quick-release seat for easy cleaning
- Energy-saving mode
- Wireless remote with wall mount included
- 5 adjustable water pressure settings
- Elongated toilets only; 1-year limited warranty
Pros
- Fully hands-free experience from approach to departure
- UV sterilization adds a genuine hygiene edge most competitors don’t offer
- Slimmer, more minimalist profile — 20% slimmer design than earlier TUSHY electric models
- Warm air dryer is notably powerful
- Elegant and modern aesthetic that looks at home in a spa-style bathroom
Cons
- Elongated toilets only — round bowl owners need to look elsewhere
- No PREMIST or equivalent bowl pre-spray function
- Newer to the market, so long-term reliability data is more limited
- Auto-lid feature cannot be paired with WASHLET+ style concealed plumbing
If you want the most spa-like, hands-free bidet experience available without spending $1,000+, the Aura makes a compelling case — especially for wellness-oriented buyers who want UV sterilization and auto-open convenience baked in.
Check its current price on Amazon
2. TOTO WASHLET S5 Electronic Bidet Toilet Seat
The TOTO WASHLET S5 is the successor to the beloved C5, and it represents everything TOTO has learned from producing more bidet seats than any other manufacturer on the planet.
It’s Wirecutter’s top pick for 2025, and it earns that recognition through a combination of engineering depth, proven reliability, and a thoughtful feature set that genuinely improves hygiene rather than just adding gadgetry.
If you’ve browsed our bidet toilet seat comparison chart and noticed TOTO consistently near the top, the S5 is the clearest reason why.
Features
- Instantaneous tankless water heating for continuous warm water — no running out
- PREMIST: wets the bowl before use to prevent waste from adhering
- EWATER+: electrolyzed water automatically cleans the wand before and after every use
- Front and rear cleanse with oscillating and pulsating spray modes
- Heated SoftClose seat with 5 temperature settings
- Warm air dryer with adjustable temperature settings
- Built-in air deodorizer
- Illuminated night light
- 4 user memory presets (one per household member)
- Wireless remote control with wall cradle
- CLEAN RESIN coating on seat and wand to repel dirt and bacteria
- 19% slimmer profile than the C5; available in elongated (SW3446) and round (SW3445)
- 1-year limited warranty
Pros
- PREMIST is genuinely useful — it meaningfully reduces bowl cleaning frequency
- EWATER+ keeps the wand chemically clean between uses without sprays or chemicals
- 4 user presets make it ideal for families or households with multiple users
- Available in both elongated and round, so it fits virtually any standard toilet
- TOTO’s engineering heritage and build quality are unmatched in the category
Cons
- No auto open/close lid — you manually lift and lower the seat
- No UV sterilization on the nozzle (uses EWATER+ electrolyzed water instead)
- Remote cradle lacks a magnet, so it can feel less secure than higher-end TOTO models
- 1-year warranty is shorter than some competitors at this price tier
The S5 is the pick if you want the most proven, feature-rich, and hygienically engineered bidet seat on the market — from a brand with six decades of washlet development behind it.
It’s also a strong choice if you want to learn more about bidets with warm water and a dryer — the S5 delivers both exceptionally well.
Check its current price on Amazon
Hands-Free Convenience: TUSHY Aura Wins
The single biggest experiential difference between these two seats is what happens when you walk into the bathroom.
The TUSHY Aura’s proximity sensors detect your presence and automatically open the lid before you even arrive.
When you’re done, the lid gently closes itself.
The TOTO S5 has no auto-lid function — you lift it manually, just like any other toilet seat.
For buyers who prioritize a truly hands-free, touch-free experience, the Aura wins this category decisively.
If auto-open isn’t a priority for you, the S5 doesn’t suffer for its absence — it simply skips the feature rather than doing it poorly.
Winner: TUSHY Aura
Hygiene Technology: TOTO S5 Wins
Both seats keep the nozzle clean, but they take very different approaches.
The TUSHY Aura uses UV light sterilization on the wand and nozzles, killing bacteria between uses.
The TOTO S5 uses EWATER+ — electrolyzed water that transforms ordinary tap water into a mild sterilizing compound, cleaning the inside and outside of the wand automatically before and after every single use.
Beyond the wand, TOTO adds PREMIST: the bowl gets a fine mist of water before you sit, creating a slippery surface that prevents waste from sticking.
That means a cleaner bowl with less scrubbing — a feature the Aura simply doesn’t have.
Combined with CLEAN RESIN coating on the seat and wand that actively repels grime and bacteria, the TOTO S5 has more layers of passive hygiene built in.
If clean hygiene technology is your primary concern, the S5 takes this one.
You can learn more about this in our roundup of the best self-cleaning bidets.
Winner: TOTO WASHLET S5
Multi-User Households: TOTO S5 Wins
If more than one person in your household uses the toilet — which is most people — the TOTO S5’s 4 individual user memory presets are a significant practical advantage.
Each person can save their preferred water temperature, spray position, spray mode, seat temperature, and dryer settings.
With one button press, the seat reloads exactly how you like it.
The TUSHY Aura does not specify a multi-user preset system, meaning everyone adjusts the seat fresh each time.
For a single-user household or a couple who share preferences, this matters less.
But for families, the S5’s preset system is a real quality-of-life advantage.
Winner: TOTO WASHLET S5
Design and Aesthetics: TUSHY Aura Wins
The TUSHY Aura is built for buyers who care how their bathroom looks.
Its 20% slimmer profile sits lower and cleaner on the bowl than most electric seats, and the auto-open lid with soft-close mechanism adds a sense of sophistication that’s hard to put a price on.
The wireless remote comes with a wall-mount cradle, and the overall aesthetic — matte, minimalist, modern — fits well in renovation-focused bathrooms.
The TOTO S5 is also slim (19% slimmer than the C5) and attractive, but it leans toward functional precision rather than visual boldness.
Neither looks bad — but if your bathroom is a style statement, the Aura is the more intentional design.
If you’re planning a bathroom upgrade and want to pair a bidet with a new toilet, check out our guide to the highest rated bidet toilets for inspiration.
Winner: TUSHY Aura
Toilet Compatibility: TOTO S5 Wins
The TUSHY Aura is designed exclusively for elongated toilets.
If your toilet bowl is round, the Aura simply won’t work for you — there’s no round variant.
The TOTO S5 is available in both elongated (SW3446) and round (SW3445), making it compatible with virtually any standard North American toilet.
This matters more than you might think — many older homes and smaller bathrooms have round bowls.
If you’re not sure what shape your toilet is, our guide to bidet toilets vs bidet seats covers measurement tips and compatibility basics.
Winner: TOTO WASHLET S5
Verdict — Which One Should You Buy?
Both the TUSHY Aura and the TOTO WASHLET S5 are outstanding luxury electric bidet seats, and you’ll be happy with either one.
But they serve different buyer profiles, and the right choice comes down to what you prioritize most.
Buy the TUSHY Aura if…
- You want a fully hands-free, touch-free bathroom experience
- UV sterilization is important to your hygiene routine
- You have an elongated toilet and want the most aesthetically refined seat on the market
- You’re building or renovating a spa-style bathroom and want a bidet that looks the part
- You’re a single-user or couple who doesn’t need multi-profile presets
Buy the TOTO WASHLET S5 if…
- You want the most trusted, battle-tested name in bidet engineering
- PREMIST and EWATER+ passive hygiene automation appeal to you
- You have a round toilet (or want future flexibility)
- You share a bathroom with two, three, or four people who each want their own saved settings
- You want Wirecutter’s top-rated bidet seat for 2025
If we had to pick just one for the widest range of buyers, the TOTO S5 earns the edge — its PREMIST bowl cleaning, EWATER+ wand hygiene, 4 user presets, and universal toilet compatibility make it the more versatile and hygienically thorough seat.
But for the buyer who wants a next-level luxury experience with hands-free automation and UV sterilization, the TUSHY Aura is genuinely exceptional.
Both are also worth comparing against the broader best bidets for existing toilets if you want to see how they stack up against the full competitive field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the TUSHY Aura work on a round toilet?
No — the TUSHY Aura is designed exclusively for elongated toilet bowls.
Your toilet bowl must measure at least 18.5 inches from the mounting holes to the front edge to be compatible.
If you have a round toilet, the TOTO WASHLET S5 (SW3445 model) is available in round and would be the better fit.
What is PREMIST, and does the TUSHY Aura have it?
PREMIST is TOTO’s patented bowl pre-spray technology — before every use, it lightly mists the inside of the toilet bowl with water, creating a slick surface that prevents waste from sticking.
This reduces cleaning frequency and keeps the bowl fresher for longer.
The TUSHY Aura does not have this feature.
It’s one of the areas where the TOTO S5’s hygiene engineering genuinely pulls ahead.
Is the TOTO S5 the same as the C5?
The TOTO C5 was discontinued in late 2025 and has been replaced by the S5.
The S5 is a meaningful upgrade — it adds instantaneous water heating (unlimited warm water, vs. the C5’s limited tank), a 19% slimmer profile, 4 user presets (vs. 2), an illuminated remote touchpad, and a built-in night light.
If you’ve been looking at the C5, the S5 is the right current replacement.
Which seat is easier to clean?
Both seats are designed for relatively easy maintenance.
The TOTO S5’s CLEAN RESIN coating actively repels grime and bacteria from the seat and wand surfaces, reducing how often you need to wipe it down.
The TUSHY Aura features a quick-release seat mechanism for easy removal and cleaning, plus UV sterilization that keeps the nozzle area sanitary without physical contact.
For day-to-day low-maintenance use, the TOTO S5’s passive CLEAN RESIN technology has a slight edge.
Conclusion
The TUSHY Aura vs TOTO S5 matchup is as close as it gets in premium electric bidet seats — these are two genuinely excellent products that will transform how you use your bathroom.
The TOTO WASHLET S5 earns its place as the most hygienically complete and versatile option, with PREMIST, EWATER+, 4 user presets, and both round and elongated compatibility.
The TUSHY Aura is the lifestyle pick — gorgeous, hands-free, UV-sterilized, and built for buyers who want their bathroom to feel like a spa retreat.
Whichever you choose, you’re leaving toilet paper dependency behind — and if you want to keep exploring your options, our guide to the best heated bidet toilet seats, our look at bidets with dryers, and our complete breakdown of the best bidet brands are all worth a read before you decide.
