American Standard Boulevard Review: Sleek Two-Piece

What is the American Standard Boulevard Toilet?

In a market crowded with minimalist toilets, the Boulevard attempts something specific: the visual appeal of a concealed trapway without the installation complexity of a true one-piece. American Standard positions it squarely in the mid-tier segment, competing directly with models like the Kohler Cimarron and the American Standard Cadet 3, while offering a more design-forward footprint than either.

The skirted body is the defining feature. Rather than the exposed, curved trapway that characterizes most two-piece toilets, the Boulevard wraps the lower half of the bowl in a smooth vertical skirt that runs flush with the back of the unit. From a cleaning standpoint, this eliminates the rough, crevice-riddled surface behind standard bowls. From an installation standpoint, it requires a bit more care to align the skirt bracket correctly, though American Standard includes a skirting kit with most configurations.

For anyone building out a contemporary or transitional bathroom, the Boulevard is one of the more credible two-piece options on the market. But credibility in styling does not automatically translate to performance, so it is worth examining what the flush data actually shows.

How does the American Standard Boulevard flush, and what is its MaP score?

MaP testing, conducted by an independent third-party laboratory and published at map-testing.com, measures how many grams of solid waste a toilet can remove in a single flush. A score of 500 grams is generally considered the minimum acceptable for reliable performance. Most quality residential toilets land between 600 and 1,000 grams. A score at or above 1,000 grams indicates elite-tier performance comparable to TOTO's Drake or Drake II.

The Boulevard's Aquaguard system relies on a large flush valve and a wide water surface in the bowl to generate consistent siphonic action. American Standard uses a 3-inch flush valve in most Boulevard configurations, which is larger than the industry-standard 2-inch valve common in budget toilets. The larger valve allows more water to enter the bowl faster, which strengthens the siphon pull and improves waste evacuation.

Aggregated owner reviews across major retail platforms consistently praise the Boulevard's flush reliability. Common observations include strong bowl clearing, effective paper removal, and low incidence of repeat flushes. The fully glazed trapway matters here: glaze on the interior passage reduces friction, which means waste moves through with less resistance and fewer partial flushes are needed. By comparison, some budget two-piece toilets use unglazed trapways that accumulate waste over time and gradually degrade performance.

For context, the TOTO Drake II achieves a certified MaP score of 1,000 grams at 1.28 GPF, while the Kohler Cimarron commonly tests at 800 to 1,000 grams depending on configuration. The Boulevard performs in that same tier, which is appropriate given its market position.

Is the American Standard Boulevard WaterSense certified, and how much water does it save?

EPA WaterSense is not a self-reported label. Products must pass independent third-party testing to confirm they flush effectively at 1.28 GPF or less and still remove waste completely. The program is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and WaterSense-labeled toilets must meet both efficiency and performance criteria simultaneously. This is important because some low-cost toilets claim water savings but fail to consistently clear waste in a single flush, effectively negating the efficiency gain through double-flushing.

The Boulevard is listed as a WaterSense-labeled product. At 1.28 GPF, it uses 20 percent less water than a 1.6 GPF toilet and roughly 55 percent less than a pre-1994 toilet running at 3.5 GPF. For households in water-restricted regions or those pursuing LEED credits in home construction, this certification is a practical checkbox rather than a luxury.

Some homeowners considering the Boulevard also look at dual-flush alternatives. The American Standard H2Option offers 0.92/1.28 dual-flush capabilities in a similar design language. If water savings is the primary driver, the H2Option edges out the Boulevard on efficiency, though the Boulevard's single-flush simplicity reduces mechanical complexity and the long-term risk of dual-flush valve failures.

What is the EverClean surface on the American Standard Boulevard, and does it work?

The EverClean surface has been part of American Standard's lineup for over two decades, making it one of the more established antimicrobial toilet bowl technologies in the residential market. Unlike TOTO's CeFiONtect glaze, which uses an ion-barrier approach to prevent waste adhesion, EverClean uses an embedded silver-ion formula that actively inhibits microbial growth at the surface level.

What does this mean in practice? Aggregated owner reviews of Boulevard models consistently note that the bowl stays cleaner between scrubbings than older toilets they replaced. The smooth glaze also reduces the micro-scratches that accumulate with abrasive cleaners over time, scratches that tend to harbor bacteria and cause staining on non-treated porcelain. Independent testing of antimicrobial porcelain coatings has demonstrated 99-percent-plus reduction in surface bacteria under controlled laboratory conditions, though real-world results depend on cleaning habits and water chemistry.

The skirted exterior design compounds the cleaning benefit. Because the lower body is enclosed, there is no exposed trapway crevice to accumulate dust, hair, and waste particulate. Cleaning the Boulevard requires wiping a smooth vertical surface rather than navigating the contoured back of a standard two-piece bowl. For households where bathroom cleaning is a regular consideration, this is a measurable quality-of-life improvement.

TOTO's CeFiONtect is arguably the gold standard for surface technology in the residential toilet market, and TOTO's Drake II benefits from it. But EverClean is a serious antimicrobial solution from a brand with decades of data on its application, not a superficial marketing term.

How does the American Standard Boulevard compare to the TOTO Drake II and Kohler Cimarron?

These three toilets represent the core of the competitive two-piece elongated comfort-height market. Each earns strong recommendations in independent reviews and performs reliably over multi-year ownership periods. The differences are real but subtle enough that installation context and personal priorities often determine the winner.

The TOTO Drake II is consistently rated as the performance benchmark. Its Tornado Flush technology creates a cyclonic water pattern that coats the entire bowl surface, and CeFiONtect creates an exceptionally low-friction surface that requires less water to clear waste. The Drake II's MaP certification at 1,000 grams is well-documented. For pure flushing performance, the Drake II has a narrow edge. The tradeoff: it costs more and lacks the skirted design that makes the Boulevard so visually clean.

The Kohler Cimarron is the value leader of the three. Its AquaPiston flush technology provides consistent flushing power from multiple directions, and it earns MaP scores in the 800 to 1,000 gram range. The Cimarron is available in 10-inch, 12-inch, and 14-inch rough-in variants, giving it flexibility the Boulevard cannot match. However, it uses a traditional exposed trapway, which means more cleaning surface on the back of the bowl.

The American Standard Boulevard holds its own by being the only one of the three to offer a skirted two-piece format at this performance level. If the bathroom aesthetic matters and a one-piece toilet feels too heavy or expensive, the Boulevard is the logical pick. If maximum flushing performance is the priority, the TOTO Drake II is worth the premium. If rough-in flexibility is needed, the Kohler Cimarron wins.

For a deeper look at how American Standard models stack up across the brand's lineup, see the best American Standard toilets guide. For raw flushing power across all brands, the best flushing toilets pillar covers the full competitive landscape.

What are the installation requirements for the American Standard Boulevard?

Installation of the Boulevard follows the standard gravity-feed toilet procedure with one notable addition: the skirting bracket. Because the skirt conceals the base of the toilet and the mounting bolts, it must be secured to the floor separately before the bowl is lowered into place. American Standard includes this bracket and detailed instructions with the toilet. Plumbers familiar with skirted toilets complete this quickly, but first-time DIY installers should budget extra time and follow the instruction sequence precisely to ensure the skirt aligns correctly.

The Boulevard is available in a Right Height configuration, which places the rim at 16.5 inches from the floor. This qualifies as comfort height or ADA-compliant height, making it suitable for adults, seniors, and users with limited mobility. Standard height toilets sit at 15 inches, and the extra 1.5 inches makes a measurable difference in sit-to-stand ease for taller adults and anyone with knee or hip concerns. See the comfort height guide for a full breakdown of height specifications.

Water supply connections are standard: a 7/8-inch ballcock shank fits the supplied fill valve, and any braided stainless supply line with a 7/8-inch compression fitting will work. The tank-to-bowl connection uses standard closet bolts with rubber gaskets, and American Standard pre-assembles much of the tank hardware before shipping, which reduces setup time.

The toilet is available in White and Linen finishes. Seat compatibility is broad: the Boulevard's elongated bowl accepts standard elongated seats from multiple manufacturers. American Standard offers slow-close seats designed specifically for the Boulevard's mounting dimensions, and several third-party seats from brands like Mayfair and Bemis are compatible.

What do long-term owners say about the American Standard Boulevard?

Across major retail platforms with significant review volume, the Boulevard maintains ratings in the 4.2 to 4.5 out of 5 range, which is above average for two-piece toilets in this segment. The review pattern skews positively on visual design, cleaning ease, and flush reliability. Negative reviews cluster around two themes: installation alignment difficulty and occasional seat incompatibility for buyers who did not purchase the recommended seat separately.

On the positive side, owners with households that include children or heavy daily use note that the EverClean bowl requires less frequent scrubbing to stay visually clean. Several multi-year reviewers describe the flush as consistent over time without observable degradation in performance, which aligns with the durability expectations for a ceramic and porcelain unit with standard gravity flush internals.

One recurring long-term observation involves the fill valve. Some owners report that the stock fill valve supplied with the Boulevard becomes louder after several years, which is common across most residential toilet brands and is addressable with an inexpensive aftermarket fill valve replacement. This is not a Boulevard-specific weakness but rather a normal maintenance point for any gravity-fed two-piece toilet.

The American Standard limited warranty covers the toilet body for one year against manufacturing defects, which is standard for the brand at this tier. The warranty does not cover finish damage, seat wear, or supply line connections. For comparison, TOTO offers a one-year limited warranty on comparable Drake II models, and Kohler provides a one-year warranty on the Cimarron. None of these brands offer notably stronger warranties in the mid-tier segment.

• EPA WaterSense, epa.gov/watersense
• MaP flush testing, map-testing.com
• Manufacturer published specifications
• American Standard product documentation and EverClean surface data
• Aggregated owner reviews from major retail platforms

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