A toilet is like a multi-tool. Sure, it can be used for both jobs. But a specialized tool is better for the job that it was designed for.

A DSL camera is better at taking pictures than your smart phone. In most cases, a smartphone is good enough and it's what you are going to use. But don't try to convince a professional photographer that they should just use the latest iPhone.

Well, I now feel like a total fail as a mother. I have two boys. I’m not sure if I ever mentioned to DH that he should teach them how to use the urinal in a public bathroom. When the oldest was about 6 I let him go in by himself, I sure hope it wasn’t the first time he’d ever seen a urinal.

I took some neighbor boys who had grown up in a very rural area to a sports game in the Kingdome in Seattle years ago. One of them came back to our seats (he was around 12, I think) and reported that he'd been using the common or "group" urinal, when a man came in and stepped on the bar that encircled the base of the unit. Water came squirting out of the upper part of the unit in several streams around the circular device and the man proceeded to wash his hands. So my little friend had been peeing in the multi-user wash basin!

How do you know the man wasn't washing his hands in the urinal?

I love the idea of the black toilet and black urinal. "If you can't see the dirt, it ain't dirty!"

This thread is hilarious!

Some other thoughts...

The benefits of using a urinal are lost on (most) women, just as the benefits of having a large window in the laundry room is lost on me.

People who are against urinals are assuming it would be placed in the home's guest bathroom?!

"Boys sit down to pee..." What?! Are we in Europe?!

A $300 plumbing fixture is going to reduce the sale price of a $_____ well designed and built custom home?!

A bidet splashing water on a used under-carriage is somehow less "gross" than a urinal?!

"The benefits of using a urinal are lost on (most) women, just as the benefits of having a large window in the laundry room is lost on me."

Now there's an idea: skip the urinal and use the window!

Imagine being able to write your name in the snow with your urine stream. That's what I'm talking' about.

I have three brothers, so I'm familiar with yellow snow, but I don't understand why you could "write your name" in a urinal but not a toilet.

With a urinal, his "equipment" is right up against, and almost in
the urinal. So, the risk of an errant "slash" is greatly reduced. Just
one example of an ablution solution.

Okay, I can see that.

For me, the ease of not having to lift the toilet lid is a big
plus, it just makes life easier. Cleaning it would be easier since the
splashes won't be all over like behind the toilet seat.

Again, I can see that no lid to live = speed.

But I reject "easier cleaning" because -- as mentioned by numerous people -- cleaning a toilet PLUS a urinal is not faster than JUST cleaning a toilet.

Its not nearly as offensive as some
of the posts on this thread would have.

"Offensive" is too strong a word. I'd go with unnecessary, repetitive, inefficient.

(2) Fewer things to touch (no lid or rim) for the guys to do their business-while-standing.

(3) No lid/rim also means a quieter bathroom experience ...

(4) More easily train young boys to use one at home, before using
public restrooms ...

(5) Cleaner toilet seat for my daughter and me.

Okay, I can see these as rational reasons, albeit not strong reasons; that is, not strong reasons compared to the additional cost and cleaning. On the other hand, a husband who really wants one is a strong reason; it's his house too, and he deserves to have his wants.

It's a physics problem. More
distance that the liquid drops means more distance that the splash
travels.

Not something I would've guessed.

"A bidet splashing water on a used under-carriage ..."

Nominated for ARG's annual list...

"... a bidet and toilet are for different functions ..."

Ah, but a shower ultimately performs the same function as a bidet (cleaning the "used under-carriage"), so according to the line of reasoning that many have used herein, no bathroom should have a bidet. Folks can simply take a quick shower after using the toilet.

Sure, I could sit down (and sometimes I do), but as mentioned above then you have to make sure that things don't hang down and brush the bowl. Again, it depends on the bowl design and the current ... ahem ... status of your apparatus.

Some men have problems/difficulties urinating while sitting down, like when they aren't flaccid, or the fact they have dangling bits that can get splashup if things aren't aimed correctly down into the bowl.

Since we're going "there", it might be interesting to know if the presence of a "masculine toilet" vs. a standard toilet in a master bath would be a selling point or potential detractor when selling a house. Yes it's true that the "masculine toilet" will likely remain concept only and never make it to market, but still I wonder...

[...] I'd like to add that as a tall man, if I pee in a toilet and let the stream directly hit the water, there can be a lot of splash up over the rim of the toilet. [...] It's a physics problem.

This makes *a lot* of sense.

Thank you for mentioning this... I am not going to curse under my breath anymore, as I clean potties.

Lol. This is great!!!

I think men have better aim than most women think. Splashing is the biggest issue for sure. This isn’t to discount the occasional man on cell phone peeing and not paying attention! Lol

I really don’t get the bidet though. I see the sense of it, but only if you have hot water available instantly... I can’t imagine it’s pleasant to sit for an undercarriage cleansing only to have 50 degree tap water assault ones sensitive bits. Brrrrrrr. And we men don’t need any more reason for shrinkage!

A shower can perform the same function as both a urinal and bidet. Why not just skip the urinal and the bidet and just use the shower? Make sure you have a handheld to rinse it down when you are done. I think I just gagged a little.

You've just described the Asian shower. It serves as toilet, urinal, bidet, and shower.

Four functions in one--very space saving if you can squat for extended periods.

Ever seen an Austrian toilet?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Folks can simply take a quick shower after using the toilet.

Eh, yeah, but a shower requires that you disrobe and towel off afterward. A bidet is a much more "focused" rinse-off.

Mmm-mmm, just watched a short video on the washlet. Multi-purpose but no urinal attached.

Anne Duke yes I have resembles what people in the USA have in their homes but the inner workings (drain hole per say is a shelf of sorts)

Vancouver Heritage Hall. Just look. I’m not posting the picture here.

That makes a lot sense, less strain on the neck when carrying on a conversation with the person next to you.

Would have come in handy when I had a brief conversation with the head of General Motors during a break in the board meeting. You know where that conversation took place.

"Would have come in handy when I had a brief conversation with the head of General Motors..."

Must have been a while ago; Barra doesn't use a urinal. But I understand many people who bought an Aveo mistook a Chevrolet dealer for a Toto dealer.

Eh, yeah, but a shower requires that you disrobe and towel off afterward. A bidet is a much more "focused" rinse-off.

So what you're saying is that a bidet is much more convenient and easier than a shower? Isn't that what all of the men have been saying about urinals? :)

If you want to get into some detail, pick up a copy of this book:

Mark, if one is merely auditing this discussion thread and not taking for course credit, do we still need to get a copy of the Kira book?

I believe only students at Brown can get course credit for participation in this discussion.

Students at Brown get credit for participating in any discussion, I believe.

If you go with urinal, ensure it gets flushed after each use else uratic salts will build up and plug off drain pipe. I think urinals make it more tempting to forego the flush.

Also, a poorly located urinal mixed with high velocity stream can leave remnants on shoes and pants due to an unexpected return to sender splash back. Avoid urinal cakes if you can, if you hit one of those, it's game over.

This thread is amazing in how passionate people are about urinals. My BFF's ex-husband put a urinal in the water closet in the their master bath when he was building their house. He's now an ex and her partners after him have LOVED the urinal. When she finished off the bathroom in their lower level for her daycare, she included a small sized urinal in the bathroom. So evidently, they're not a huge issue to clean, because she's a cleaning fanatic.

"My BFF's ex-husband put a urinal in the water closet in the their master bath when he was building their house. He's now an ex..."

Proof that in-house urinals do NOT save marriages.

"Students at Brown get credit for participating in any discussion, I believe."

With a tuition rate of $57,112/year you'd think they'd be more discerning considering that everyone else can participate in this forum for free!

This thread officially ranks with the “how to keep your husband happy during a remodel”, “towel pig”, and “the nessential broom”.

But does it rank with "What's the biggest bathroom annoyance between you and your partner?"

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5124525/what-s-the-biggest-bathroom-annoyance-between-you-and-your-partner

Is this the broom thread? https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2680019/really-fantastic-broom-i-know-it-exists Because that's a rabbit hole I could definitely go down. Might even fulfill a prereq.

How to keep your husband happy during a remodel:

Promise him a urinal.

What’s the biggest bathroom annoyance between you and your partner?

He has a urinal.

Thanks a lot; now I’m deep down into the search for the German double peeler mentioned in the broom thread.

Give him a urinal in a separate area with a door.

I’m tellin’ yas, his-and-hers bathrooms. It‘s the way to go. so to speak.

It doesn’t rank nearly as high as the Dogs in the Elk from 1999. That’s unfortunately in the ether. By there’s a copy!

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2731759/dogs-in-elk

I can’t believe I forgot about that one! I just revisited it a few months ago and had tears rolling down my face!

There’s also The Cat Threw Up in the Washing Machine. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2359444/cat-threw-up-in-washing-machine?

"Give him a urinal in a separate area with a door."

To the back yard.

Let's just move *all* icky bathroom functions out back. Oh, wait.

Who knows how to use this...?

Asians and Indians.

MEEE! I know how to use a squatty potty after spending 16 days in China in 2017 on an adoption trip....lol!!! It's definitely good for the thigh muscles :)

"MEEE! I know how to use a squatty potty after spending 16 days in China in 2017"

Definitely something for one's LinkedIn profile!

^^^ I just snorted out loud. Seriously, it takes some talent to balance oneself. I do feel like it's a bit like a circus trick - one that I hope I never have to perform again, I might add :)

I am not a fan of urinals in houses, but as for reasons...

The guys will understand.

I can use a squat toilet fairly comfortably although I don't really like them. However, the one you posted is fairly posh, seen a few of these...

It is an odd experience when you are positioned between two buddies who are trying to pass stuff back and forth. Once had someone offer me a snack... I declined.

"Once had someone offer me a snack... I declined."

Shouldn't have. It was roughage. There was a line at the door and someone was trying to speed things up.