When buying Toto toilets it can confuse you to see the same Toto toilet model being sold in one place with ‘SanaGloss’ glaze/finish and another place with ‘CeFiONtect’ glaze/finish. So, what’s the difference between SanaGloss Vs CeFiONtect on Toto Toilets?
The short answer is ‘CeFIONtecT’ and ‘Sanagloss’ are the same.
“Sanagloss” is the catchy marketing term for the CeFiONtect glaze. The term SanaGloss was used mainly by Toto USA for marketing their toilets in the US for over a decade. CeFiONtect is more a technical term. It was/is difficult to pronounce than SanaGloss. So calling the special Toto glaze as SanaGloss made it easy to pronounce, remember and market. (CeFiONtect stands for “Ceramic Fine Ion Technology”, with a leftover “T”)
But apparently around 2015, Toto dropped the term ‘Sanagloss’ and decided to use the term “CeFiONtect” for the glaze. The reason being everywhere else in the world they were calling it CeFiONtect.
However, you’ll see the term SanaGloss crop up regularly when talking with plumbers, plumbing suppliers, and Toto toilet owners. The term is still widely used in marketing, as seen in online stores like Amazon. It’s still confusing for new toilet buyers. I know it did for me when I first started looking into Toto toilets.
Should I Buy A TOTO With Or Without SanaGloss?
There are some Toto toilets for sale with and without SanaGloss (CeFiONtect). For example, if you take the budget Toto toilet segment, there is a Toto Drake with SanaGloss on Amazon and a Drake without SanaGloss. The one without SanaGloss is about $50 cheaper. This makes some customers buy the one without SanaGloss. But that’s not saving money. In the long run, you can save time, money and trouble with a toilet that has SanaGloss.
I highly recommend Toto toilets with SanaGloss because it stays clean longer, is easier to clean, last longer and very importantly I feel better having the better one.
(Note: If you are going to buy a Toto toilet you would have seen there are so many different models. I have written about the best Toto toilets here with reviews and comparison. It can help you in your search and save you time and money wading through countless models. You know how wide the Toto toilet range is. It took me a lot of time, checking out around 40-50 Toto Models and picking the best from every different toilet category, be it one-piece, two-piece, dual-flush, high-end Toto Washlets etc.)
Which TOTO Toilets Have Sanagloss?
All Toto toilet models are available with SanaGloss (CeFiONtect). It is only the cheaper Toto toilet models that come with and without SanaGloss finish for benefit of budget conscious consumers.
The Toto models that come with/without SanaGloss are only a few models like like the Toto Drake I Two-Piece toilet and the TOTO Aquia Wall-Hung Dual-Flush Toilet. Except for a few models like these, all Toto models generally comes with Sanagloss (CeFiONtect) glaze applied for a long-lasting finish that prevents the build-up of mold, limescale and waste matter.
Hope I answered your questions. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.
I’ve researched these TOTO toilets for about 100 hours taking so many notes, and I still need your advice. I want a high ADA seat, a good 1.6 flusher (I have read too many negative comments about the 1.28 GPF), and the SanaGloss finish. I narrowed it down to the one piece MS854114SL#01, but it doesn’t seem to include the good finish. I think I read somewhere that the SanaGloss finish is optional on this model. All of their other styles either have too low a seat or are 1.28 GPF. The online reviews are making me crazy, saying their soft close seat is cheap plastic and hollow on the underside. Are elongated seats by other brands interchangeable with the TOTO seats, and can they be screwed on the same way should the Toto seat not be comfortable enough? I also read to stay away from models sold in the big box stores we all go to, as the innards are cheap and don’t last…. I want to buy once, and buy right… and then forget about it. Thank you for your time and advise. I await your reply. Very Sincerely, Enid
Hey Enid I have similar questions. I have an American Standard where they cut corners and did not finish the entire inside of the bowl with a glossy finish. It is porous in some areas near and on the rim and I can’t clean it well. I see now that they sell a cheaper Drake 2 on Amazon but have no idea if the bowl is finished completely. Here it is: https://amzn.to/2TGxmW3
I see the CeFiONtect Glaze Finish Drake two is a whole lot more than 50.00 so the blogger here is not correct! It is also only offered with the 1.28 GPF.
I am wondering if the lower GPF means you really need the better gloss finish since it never rinses the bowl well. I also wonder if there is more hype to this CeFiONtect Glaze Finish and just having a good gloss finish with a 1.6 GPF that covers the entire inside of the bowl and lip is a better strategy?
Toto’s website is just awful to sort with too. They really are trying super hard to sell their super high priced washing models.
I hate the idea of having Home Depot ship it to the store since they have a horrible track record of shipping things that arrive in one piece or not all dented etc. Will Amazon be any better?
I would also like a soft close matching white lid which is a must have for us. Trying to vet these out can be as problematic and some can be rather expensive.
Some have reported in Toto reviews how the finish on the non CeFiONtect Glaze Finish are not as smooth and have bits in them too. So Toto want so market to many levels but the name Toto doesn’t guarantee you a better toilet. Too bad there isn’t one brand that provides a CeFiONtect Glaze Finish on all models if it is all that with different GPF amounts. They would dominate this market.
https://amzn.to/2YVxc2S
Too bad this blogger isn’t responding since I think what we are wanting in features and quality are very common concerns in buyers today.
“I want a … good 1.6 flusher (I have read too many negative comments about the 1.28 GPF)”
Be careful to read the DATES of the comments. In general, almost all 1.28 gpf toilets sold after roughly 2010 and later flush more efficiently than 1.6 gpf toilets sold in earlier decades. A modern Toto Drake II or Toto Vespin II or a Kohler Corbelle or Kohler Betello will give you a better and cleaner flush than a toilet model with a 1.6 gpf flush that dates from, say, 2005.
“Are elongated seats by other brands interchangeable with the TOTO seats”
Yes.
“I also read to stay away from models sold in the big box stores we all go to, as the innards are cheap and don’t last”
Not true: Toto toilets sold in the USA are made in the State of Georgia, and have internal parts made by the American company Korky. You can purchase parts identical to the Korky parts used in Toto toilets on-line at Amazon or off the shelf at Lowe’s or Home Depot. It would make no economic sense for Toto to sell two versions of the same model of toilet, because the cost differential between using Korky parts vs. any other brand of parts would be minuscule.
I have had two Toto Drake, (different houses, septic tanks) models with the sanagloss finish. They clean easily if you don’t get lazy and wait until there are stains. Never had a clog. I have a 100 bidet for the past 5 years. Again, don’t wait too long to clean. They are well finished and hold up well.
I use Barkeepers Friends for lime stains, I do not use a toilet brush, only a blue Scrubber, which was advised by the plumber, not the yellow. I do not bother to wear rubber gloves, it is only water and you wash your hand thoroughly afterwards. Toto is well worth the exra money.
Can’t find the Toto model I want WITH the Cefiontect glaze.
My question is will a Toto toilet without the glaze be just as good?
Does it make that much difference?