Toilet Seat Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By type (Smart toilet seat, Ordinary toilet seat), By application (Households/Residentials, Commercials), By Distribution Channel (Offline retail, Online retail) And Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

A toilet seat is an essential sanitization requirement and a vital component for bathrooms, providing a comfortable experience for the users. The toilet seat market is expected to witness robust growth due to ever-increasing housing demand. The industry focus is shifting to electronic toilet seats from non-electronic toilets seats over the past period. Japan is one of the leading manufacturers of high-tech smart toilet seats globally, which experience strong demand from other countries such as China and the U.S.  There are several built-in features in modern smart toilet seats, including the automatic dryer and the heated seat, which capture greater consumer traction across smart homes. Furthermore, there is considerable growth in the overall awareness of sanitation and hygiene globally.

The growing population and rising middle-class income raise a considerable demand for home renovation and modernization, positively impacting the global toilet seat market. There is an increasing demand for customized toilet seats that are germ-resistant, especially from high-net-worth individuals. According to Home Improvement Industry Statistics, home improvement and renovations in the U.S. comprised over USD 350 billion. Also, around 13 million projects were initiated in the year 2018 in the U.S. The large-scale growth of housings and projects has uplifted the development of toilet infrastructure in the segment. Several companies, including Kohler and TOTO, Jaguar, and Parryware, have introduced innovative toilet systems that include antimicrobial agents to kill the spread of bacteria and germs. For instance, Kohler launched Numi 2.0 in 2019, and it costs around $7000.The smart toilet comes with a built-in Amazon Alexa speaker providing a heated seat, warm water cleansing, and automatic lid opening.  Toilet seat manufacturers are developing solutions that can be integrated with smart technologies, which are expected to influence market growth positively.

The smart toilet seats are feature-loaded and require a significant amount of installation and repair costs.  In any defect or damage in their operation, the repair services are expensive and become challenging for the users to afford. This leads to lowering demand in the consumption of smart toilet seats, which can likely restrain the growth in the market.

Key players covered:

Kohler Co; Roca Sanitario, S.A.; Panasonic Corporation; Huida Sanitary Ware Co., Ltd.; Lotus Hygiene Systems Inc.; Bio Bidet; Duravit AG; TOTO LTD, Parryware; Jaquar.; are prominent players operating in the market.

The global toilet seat market is segmented on type, application, distribution channel, and geography.

By type, the market is segmented into the smart toilet seat and ordinary toilet seat. The smart toilet seat segment is expected to grow considerably in the upcoming years. Smart toilet seats are designed with a self-lift mechanism that raises the seat before use and automatically lowers it down after use with the help of the hydraulic lift mechanism incorporated into the unit's base. The latest designs and features in the high-tech toilet seat market are driven by Japanese technology spread across several countries. Japanese toilet seats are known as bidet toilet seats. They are easy to install and are often equipped with cutting-edge features like hot and cold water settings, night lights, and various user settings, depending upon the user and their needs. 

By application, the market is segmented into residential and commercial. The residential segment is expected to witness exponential growth in the global market. The adoption of these bathroom seats will probably extend considerably in developed economies and developing economies throughout the forecast period. There is a rising importance of the smart home and buildings globally due to shifting demographic preferences and a greater concern for energy preservation across households, which is expected to impact toilet industry growth positively. These smart homes are equipped with in-built smart infrastructure patterns, including smart toilets. Also, the residential users prefer innovation in technologies and services, which is expected to uplift the segmental growth positively.

Based on distribution channels, the market is segmented offline and online. The offline channel is projected to foresee significant growth in the forthcoming period. Most consumers prefer buying home décor and sanitaryware products from physical stores such as specialty stores and supermarts since consumers can instantly purchase as and when needed. Also, numerous varieties, discount offers, and in-store demonstrations on products by salespersons boost customers' engagement for purchase. The offline retail shops also provide free installation & repair services at consumer locations, resulting in high demand for offline retail.

Regional Analysis:

The global toilet seat market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa by geography.

The North American region is estimated to witness substantial growth during the forecast period 2021-2028. The growing trend of automation and modernization of housing has captured a significant consumer base, uplifting sanitaryware's regional expansion. Also, a high-income population has triggered the market demand for innovative home accessories across the region. The modernized toilet seat products offer convenience and comfort to the users by providing several features such as automatic flushing, deodorizers for maintaining a perfumed atmosphere around, and hot-air drying options. The improvements in living standards have uplifted the overall demand in the past years by transitioning from conventional toilets to smart toilets. Toilet seat manufacturers are consistently working to develop functional features and services to satisfy users' convenience. Manufacturers like Kohler Co., TOTO, and Geberit create innovation in bathware and kitchenware, propelling household demand across the region. The manufacturer's design products focus on enhancing style and comfort to the users and thereby elevating growth opportunities in the region.

The European region is also projected to gain considerable growth in the upcoming years due to the growing awareness regarding health, hygiene, and well-being. The modern trend of smart homes and the increasing number of luxury hotel chains are also anticipated to boost the market growth in the near future.  According to the Office of National Statistics data, the hospitality sector in the U.K region has increased from USD 110.37 billion in 2015 to USD 125.78 billion in 2017. The digitization and the evolution of IoT platforms have also paved noticeable growth opportunities in the market. Several electronic sensors are installed on bathrooms and toilets to detect water leakage, flushing sequence, and water consumption, such as leak detection sensor, water flow sensor, etc. Furthermore, consumers opt for comfort and sophistication, due to which the demand for such products is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Manufacturers are building craftsmanship in numerous accessories and devices catering to a broader consumer base across the region.

Moreover, tradeshows and exhibitions have created enormous opportunities for growth in the market by attracting customers through their design aesthetics and craftsmanship. Hamberger sanitary in Europe covers an extensive portfolio of sanitaryware across fifty countries globally. Around 300 different seat models are developed in-house, with various sanitarywares displayed within the trade fairs conducted by Hamberg in Europe.

Segmentation

Key Industry Developments:

• In January 2019, Kohler Co. has launched a smart toilet with features including ambient lighting, built-in speakers, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support.


• In November 2018, Xiaomi Corporation has launched a smart toilet seat under its smart home brand. This product comes with Xiaomi’s XiaoAI voice assistance and artificial intelligence features.