The basic bathroom has come a long way.

Shopping for bathroom plumbing fixtures is not as simple as it used to be. The wealth of choices available in terms of cost, quality, design attributes and function can make the process of selection a daunting task.

Prices can range from the low end of about $100 to $200 for a no-frills toilet, up to $300 for a dual-flush system, and all the way up to a high-efficiency designer unit with add-ons that can cost upwards of $4,000. A toilet on that end of the spectrum might feature any of an array of specialty options, plus add-ons like a bidet with a seat warmer, heated wash function, and a drier. It is highly recommended that consumers begin with a budget—before they hit the showrooms—and that they make every effort to keep their spending limits in line with the needs and desires of their family.

With fixtures, you get what you pay for, explains Angela Johnson, of Eddy Elegant Bathware. Johnson says price is an indicator of quality, and that many of the mid- to high-end companies invest heavily in the research and development of their products in order to ensure that they can keep up with consumer function and design demands.

“People don’t realize that the difference between $100 and $300 toilets is all about the quality of the flushing mechanism,” Johnson says.

Environmental concerns and the rising costs of energy and water have also shaped the bathroom fixtures market, and most toilets and faucets draw considerably less water now than ever before. Homeowners may be willing to pay extra for high-efficiency fixtures if they are confident that this could save them money in future, especially if they plan to stay in their home long enough to recoup their costs—and if the product is durable, and has a lifetime warranty.

Reputable companies are often so confident about the quality of their carefully designed, handcrafted products that they will offer a limited lifetime warranty, she explains. Companies that make less expensive assembly-line products often can’t offer the same promise of longevity. These less expensive products might not even offer replacement parts, says another Halifax dealer, who calls this kind of fixture “disposable.”

Adding to consumer confusion are look-alike products, which might resemble the upscale product designs, but aren’t manufactured with parts of the same quality. Johnson explains that consumers could be buying plastic parts that have been chromed over and that use lighter metals than the solid brass construction of a product of a higher quality. “A lot of people don’t realize that some of the finishes on faucets are done by hand at some high-end companies,” Johnson says.

One of the primary reasons for the broad price range, however, is that the market has expanded from offering basic product functions with a small variety of design selections, to spa or therapeutic selections that include options like air baths, whirlpools or body sprays. Those technologies are constantly being tweaked or upgraded in response to consumer demand. Some air bath products, for example, now offer a self-purging system to address the problem of built-up bacteria and mildew in the air chambers, Johnson says. These machines will purge any remaining water 15 minutes after use, in order to clear and dry out the air chambers.

BainUltra, the first company to manufacture therapeutic air baths, have invested heavily in therapeutic research and development, and now offer what they call an “Insperience” bathroom with sophisticated therapeutic care units. Those features may include: Hydro-Thermo massage ®; Thermotherapy®; Chromatherapy (colour therapy); Light Therapy®; Sound Therapy®; and Aromatherapy. Their website says Insperience is “about helping you create your private sanctuary in your home—a space devoted to your overall wellness.”

This type of personal oasis, which is designed to cater to physical, mental, emotional, and overall health needs, in addition to simply washing up, doesn’t come cheap. Three of Eddy Elegant Bathware’s showrooms—those in Halifax, Fredericton and Saint John, NB—actually feature operational suites with some of these therapies, and interested consumers can try out the product in advance, before making a decision about whether to invest in such a system, says Johnson.

Given the amount of choice out there, it’s worth doing a bit of homework.