How Much Weight Can A Toilet Hold?

If someone asked you to name the most common items in a household, you’d certainly say the toilet among the top answers, and this makes perfect sense! Lets talk about how much weight can a toilet hold?

We take using the bathroom as a second nature aspect of our lives. It’s something that we just do and don’t really consider if they could be destroyed or crumble under the pressure of a heavy person or an obese person.

It is not common for someone to walk into a store that sells toilets and ask for their maximum weight limit – but is it something we should start to think about?

In this guide, we try to answer how much weight a toilet can really take.

It’s worth noting that this guide will examine the weight that the most commonly found toilets can take. There are many variables to the maximum weight they can take – and there are options for those of a heavier weight.

The Basics

There are a few different types of toilets in the market these days. One piece toilets, two piece toilets, wall-hung toilets and floor standing toilets.

Such variety exists because certain designs are suited for certain people. It’s no good to just randomly pick out a John from the standard toilets – you need to be looking at something that will suit you and be comfortable for you, including the weight limit.

There is actually a limited weight capacity on most toilets, so it’s worth checking before purchase – particularly if you’re a very heavy person.

Understanding The Weight Of The Toilet

The primary way to recognize how much weight a toilet can take is through its own weight and density.

It might sound obvious, but if the toilet is built of strong stuff such as vitreous china (porcelain) – it will likely be more difficult to crumble under the weight of heavier people or a heavy object.

Of course though, if the opposite is the case and the toilet is made of less than tough materials such as plastic, you can expect it to fail with the weight of something heavy.

Toilet weights in the market differ, on average they’re around 50 to 150 pounds and this can be increased or decreased depending on its materials.

Normally, toilets are porcelain or marble – but it’s not unheard of for people to have gold toilets, which could seriously increase the weight of a toilet.

There is also faience, stainless steel and plastic. A porcelain toilet is more common though.

Marble is a tough material and weighs quite heavily at around 150-200 pounds of weight whereas the very lightest of toilets is plastic.

You might have seen plastic toilets in things like RVs or other portable areas. Just using what we mentioned earlier – for a toilet weight limit, you should think about the materials.

So, in this instance, marble would be better for the heavier person.

What Is The Standard Weight Limit

Even though there are so many types of toilet to choose from, more Americans are opting for compact style toilets – but this compact design will also reduce a toilet’s weight capacity.

Quality toilet manufacturers will produce some of the best toilets with a weight limit of around a thousand pounds in usual situations, which will allow most people to use a toilet without worrying about it collapsing.

A wall mounted toilet though as opposed to floor mounted toilets has a much lower weight capacity, in fact it’s around half of it.

Having said that though, these types of toilets are not designed to be sat on – so their function capacity matters little in the grand scheme of things.

Strangely though, a toilet in an RV can’t take any more stress than a wall mounted toilet would – and they are designed for defecation.

They can take about 500 pounds of weight, but they shouldn’t really take more than about 300-350 pounds to be safe.

Are There Toilets Designed For Heavier People?

There are. Brands like American Standard offer heavier people the chance to have a comfortable toilet.

Everybody deserves to be comfortable when they’re using the bathroom, and it should not matter how much you weigh.

These toilets are designed to take as much weight as they possibly can, and they’re normally sold with stronger toilet seats in general.

They use stronger materials and can withstand more than your average toilet will. At the same time though, you might expect them to be a little more costly than normal, but it is a case of getting what you pay for.

Are There Government Guidelines For Weight Restrictions?

Currently in the United States, there are no recommended or restrictions for the weight a toilet can take.

However, if you’re in the market for a brand new toilet and you’re a particularly heavy person, it’s worth checking with the store or manufacturer if they have a recommended weight restriction.

Will The Toilet Seat Choice Make A Difference?

No, a toilet seat will not be able to support extra weight, regardless of what material of toilet seat you choose.

In reality, the choice of a toilet seat is more about comfort and practicality rather than supporting extra weight.

It is wise though, for the bigger and heavier people to choose a toilet seat better placed for them and opt for a larger size.

Summing It Up

Your average toilet does indeed have a weight limit. Generally, you will need to know your own personal weight and the restrictions from the manufacturer to know if a toilet is right for you or not.

A standard porcelain toilet typically can only withstand about 1000lbs of weight for example – and this is the most common material used for toilets.

However, help is at hand in the market with toilets designed for heavier people. If this applies to you, be sure to shop around for toilets that are more suited to your needs.