The Statista Research Department recently reported on the most common features of high-tech toilets found in renovated master bathrooms in the US in 2023. By far the most common feature was a seat with a bidet feature (27% of respondents updated their toilets with one).

Other popular high-tech features included self-cleaning capabilities (18%), heated seats (16%), built-in night-lights (14%), motion-activated seats (8%), and self-deodorizers and overflow protection (both 8%).

Meanwhile, according to Statista, a survey of 300 architecture firms showed the most popular bathroom features in Q4 of 2023 to be larger walk-in showers (50%), doorless showers (49%), and stall showers without tubs (also 49%).

Furthermore, adaptability and universal designs were noted as a very popular feature (40%), while spa-like designs were slightly lower in demand (31%). Natural lighting was also not a very popular feature (24%), alongside heated floors (27%), private toilet compartments (26%), and linen closets (17%).

Contrasting experiences can teach you a lot about the world and what you value. You never really think about how great it is to have access to a proper bathroom until you come across a bad one.

If the restroom is dirty, uncomfortable, or lacks the necessary hygiene supplies, you’re going to have an awful time. On the flip side, clean, cozy, well-stocked bathrooms are a godsend. And we say this without any irony—it’s important to be able to relax when nature calls.

Another major concern is privacy, or rather, the lack of it. Views on this can vary historically and culturally (public toilets with communal sponges-on-sticks in history/how-the-ancient-romans-went-to-the-bathroom-180979056/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ancient Rome, anyone?), of course. But in this day and age, most people are used to doing their business in restrooms in complete isolation.

To put it bluntly, although there’s nothing ‘shameful’ about what you’re doing, you still don’t want anyone (accidentally) seeing or hearing you. Rather, it’s the opposite: you probably want to be alone with your thoughts.

With all of that in mind, it makes sense to design bathrooms and public restrooms with privacy in mind. It might sound like common sense, but you’d be surprised how uncommon it is.

Designers, architects, and engineers should consider which materials they use and how to incorporate them into the entire space.

For example, you wouldn’t want your public toilets to have massive gaps beneath the door. Nor should you use transparent materials for the stall doors or walls. And you wouldn’t add curtainless windows in bathrooms without making sure that nobody can look through them from the outside. Again, these are basic considerations.

When designers, architects, and engineers are focused solely on their work, they can miss details and mistakes that may seem obvious to bystanders. That’s why it’s so important to run your ideas and blueprints by other folks, whether they're coworkers, focus groups, friends, or strangers on the street.

You can avoid a lot of headaches by setting your ego aside for a moment and asking for some honest feedback.

However, in some cases, it’s not due to a lack of foresight that bad designs pop up. Sometimes, it all comes down to finances. No matter what you’re designing, you’re probably going to have a limited budget. You need to work with the resources available to you.

Unfortunately, in some cases that means cutting corners. The result? A suboptimal restroom that might partly serve its main purpose, but leaves people yearning for something better.

Which of the photos featured in this list made you cringe the most, dear readers? Which of these toilets would you hate to use more, even if you really had to go? What is the very worst bathroom you’ve ever used?

On the other hand, what’s the very best restroom experience you’ve had, whether in public spaces or in private homes? Drop a comment below. And remember—good design is about more than just aesthetics.