Enter the portable bidet – also known as bidet bottle or travel bidet.
If you’re not convinced how wonderful these devices can be, try one. Low cost, and even more usable than your home model because they’re lightweight and require no water supply or electricity. You’ll quickly be persuaded. You might even want to upgrade to a full-sized model after a short trial period, like I did (now using the excellent Bio Bidet BB-2000 bidet seat). Or, you’ll want to have both, using your portable for when you’re on the go.
What is a Portable Bidet?
A bidet is not a toilet. The two appliances are often combined in modern bathrooms, but historically and functionally they’re completely different devices. A toilet is used to capture waste; a bidet is used to help remove it from you. The bidet – whether full-sized model or portable – sprays water on the anus or genitals to remove unwanted material and wash you.
Some bidets, the full-sized models mostly, can warm your body, dry you afterward, or perform other functions. But all of them feature that same basic ability: removing feces remaining after elimination or in aiding feminine hygiene.
A portable bidet simply does that in a slightly different way than a full-sized home or hotel model. Rather than being built-in to a toilet or toilet seat (there are relatively few entirely separate bidet appliances in the U.S. today), the portable style is just what the name suggests.
It’s typically a bottle containing a small portion of water.
How do Portable Bidets Work?
Most portable bidets operate via mechanical action (you squeeze that bottle).
Details aside, you fill the bidet bottle with cool or warm water, hold the bidet in one hand, turn the bottle upside down, place a finger over the built-in “air lock” (most of the time located in the bottom to prevent unwanted leakage and turn over), aim the nozzle where you wish, remove the finger from the “air lock” and squeeze the bottle to start cleaning.
There are battery-powered travel bidets as well. They’re just as portable as the squeeze-bottle hand bidets, but perfect for those who might have trouble exerting the needed hand pressure. Instead of squeezing the bottle a simple click on a button will start the spray.
Do Portable Bidets Really Work?
The answer is a moderately qualified “yes”. Like any product, some work better than others. Some are easier to manipulate, higher quality, or offer special features. Others, less so. We’ll see that obvious truth in the 8 portable bidets I tested.
True, any portable bidet requires a little practice to find the best angle for your usage. A certain level of skill is a must, and some people may justifiably find it isn’t worth the effort. Also, these bottles don’t hold a huge amount of water. For some it will be enough, while others will find it not fully adequate.
Last, some people use these at home, but they’re intended to be operated on the go – around town, on vacation. For home use, there are bidet attachments – some of which are as low as $25 (about the price of two portable bottles) – intended to attach directly under a toilet seat. Or the more advanced fully fledged bidet seats.
So, if a portable turns out not to be a good solution for your bidet needs, don’t despair and don’t give up. Look around and you’re sure to find a model that works for you and your family.
Which Portable Bidets Do You Recommend?
One thing portable bidets all have in common, besides the basic operating method, is low cost. They’re typically a few dollars (hand-squeezable models) to a few dozen dollars (battery-operated models). Yet, for that low cost, they very often do an admirable job.
So, without further ado, let’s dig into some specific models I tested – 4 hand-squeezable models and 4 battery-operated models – to check out their pros and cons. In a hurry and no time to read the reviews? Take the shortcut below…
4 Hand-Squeezable Portable Bidets Tested
See how the Brondell GoSpa GS-70, the Bio Bidet TP-70, the SmarterFresh SF-P30 and the Blue Bidet BB-20 travel bidets compare against each other.
4 Battery-Powered Portable Bidets Tested
See how the TOTO HW300, the Bio Bidet TP 200, the Panasonic DL-P300 and the Blue Bidet BB-30 travel bidets compare against each other.
Hand-Squeezable Portable Bidet Winner: Bio Bidet TP-70
The 4 hand-squeezable travel bidets I tested were the Brondell GoSpa GS-70, the Bio Bidet TP-70, the SmarterFresh SF-P30 and the Blue Bidet BB-20. All 4 models are all very usable and will all get the job done but the Bio Bidet TP-70 was my clear favorite.
To summarize, the main criteria that made me choose this product over the 3 other portables were a “Goldilocks” medium capacity at 450 ml (~16 oz), no leaking (not a single drop!), an easy to compress bottle, a high-pressure and accurate spray. Read more about this model (and the other 3 bidets I tested) here.
Battery-Powered Portable Bidet Winner: Blue Bidet BB-30
The Blue Bidet BB-30 is no longer available! The manufacturer has decided to discontinue this model. Blue Bidet told me they will make a new design available in 2020.
The 4 battery-powered travel bidets I tested were the TOTO HW300, the Bio Bidet TP 200, the Panasonic DL-P300 and the Blue Bidet BB-30. Any of the bidets reviewed here are doing a good job but this time the Blue Bidet BB-30 was my clear favorite.
To summarize, the main criteria that made me choose this product over the 3 other portables were an easy to fill bottle, no leaking when turned over, a strong (but not too strong) ample water flow in either of the 2 settings, a spray lasting a good long time (about 30 secs). Read more about this model (and the other 3 bidets I tested) here.
More Portable Bidet Models
If you want to check out more available portable bidets – both battery and hand squeezable models – click on any of the filters below to narrow down your search.
Dear Gerald, I am searching for an Aspen Travel Bidet. I have found the Europe website but I can’t contact anybody, I can only assume they have gone out of business. I am wondering if this travel bidet or something similar is available in the States? I have tried the Go Spa one but this is just not the same and not as effective. I do hope you can help. Kind Regards, Isabel Heller.
Hi Isabel,
Looks like the company “ASPEN BIDETS EUROPE LIMITED” is no longer in business. The company has been dissolved as you can see here. I’m afraid you have to look for an alternative.
Thank you very much for the review and information. It’s always good to be spreading the word about bidets and their superiority over common toilet paper.
We’re always adding new models and improving our lines to remain the very best.
Hit up our site or contact us on social media, we’ll be glad to help and answer questions!
Hello. This is very interesting, and I must say I’m pleased to see so many options these days, but I’d like to mention a DIY alternative that I’ve been using for at least 30 years.
It’s simply a shampoo bottle with a cap that opens when you press one side so the contents come out at an angle. Easy to carry. I always have one with me when I travel.
I have found that round bottles don’t last long, because they tend to develop a crease in the middle from constant squeezing, and eventually break at the crease.
The best ones are slightly oval, or flatter. The ones I’m using now have lasted at least 15 years. However, newer types of plastic or rubber might last longer.
Thanks for the opportunity to share.
Thanks for the article. The other challenge for people who travel with only carry-on luggage is that space in the luggage is a premium. I just bought Tone Life travel bidet. It has a soft pliable plastic bottle but it is relatively large, the bottle it self is 7″ tall with the nozzle cap removed, 2.5″ diam (17cm X 7 cm diam). That’s alot of space in a carry-on bag. The bottle doesn’t flatten down very well. With effort i might be able to stuff one or two socks in it to use the space but the bottle and other similar consume a lot of space. So the other challenge is a 450 ml capacity bottle that travels in as small a packed volume as possible.