The TOTO Carlyle II is the toilet you choose when you want serious flush engineering hidden inside a clean, modern body. It is a one-piece, fully skirted toilet that runs TOTO's Tornado Flush, a 360-degree dual-nozzle rinse, on an efficient, WaterSense-certified 1.28 gallons. It sits at universal comfort height, comes coated in TOTO's CeFiONtect glaze for easy cleaning, and is designed to pair with a TOTO Washlet bidet seat if you ever want one. This review compares the Carlyle II's published specifications, its independent MaP flush-test rating, its water use and the recurring themes across thousands of aggregated owner reviews, so you can decide whether it belongs in your bathroom.
Research updated June 2026.
The TOTO Carlyle II is our top pick for buyers who want a sleek, skirted one-piece toilet that still flushes hard. Its Tornado Flush dual nozzles and glazed trapway clear waste reliably on an efficient, WaterSense-certified 1.28 gallons, while the seamless skirted body and CeFiONtect glaze make it one of the easiest toilets in its class to keep clean.
TOTO built its reputation on toilets that simply do not clog, and for years the trade-off was that the strongest performers, the Drake and Drake II, looked utilitarian. The Carlyle II is TOTO's answer for buyers who refuse to choose between flush power and a bathroom that looks finished. It is a one-piece toilet with a fully skirted side, meaning the exterior is smooth all the way down with no exposed trapway bulge, and it runs the Tornado Flush, the same 360-degree dual-nozzle system found on TOTO's higher-end models. The result is a toilet that disappears into a modern bathroom visually while flushing as confidently as the brand's plainer workhorses.
This review looks past the styling and at the engineering and data that actually predict performance. We compare the Carlyle II's published specifications (flush system, trapway design, bowl height, rough-in), its independent MaP (Maximum Performance) flush-test rating against rivals graded by the identical protocol, its WaterSense certification and gallons-per-flush figure, and the consistent patterns across thousands of aggregated owner reviews on clogging, cleaning, noise and long-term reliability. Where the Carlyle II has real weaknesses, we name them. To see how it stacks up against the wider field first, our pillar roundup of the best flushing toilets places the Carlyle II alongside its toughest competition.
We do not install the Carlyle II in a lab and flush it ourselves, and we will not pretend we do. Instead we read TOTO's published specifications, compare the Carlyle II's independent MaP flush-test rating against rival toilets graded by the same identical protocol, factor in WaterSense certification and gallons per flush to reward power that stays efficient, and study the recurring themes across thousands of aggregated owner reviews. No payment buys a favorable verdict on this page.
The key published specs and the independent flush rating that matter most when judging this toilet.
| Toilet | Best For | MaP | GPF | Rating | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTO Carlyle II | Skirted one-piece styling | 800 g | 1.28 | 4.7 | Check price |
| TOTO UltraMax II | One-piece value | 800 g | 1.28 | 4.7 | Check price |
| TOTO Vespin II | Skirted two-piece | 800 to 1000 g | 1.28 | 4.6 | Check price |
| Kohler Santa Rosa | Compact one-piece | Up to 1000 g | 1.28 | 4.5 | Check price |
| Woodbridge T-0001 | Budget skirted look | Not MaP listed | 1.28 | 4.4 | Check price |
A note on model codes. The Carlyle II is most commonly sold under the catalog number MS614124CEFG, with the G suffix indicating the CeFiONtect glaze, and the plain CEF version without it. It is an elongated, 1.28-gallon, one-piece toilet sold complete with a SoftClose seat in most listings, which is a meaningful difference from the Drake family, where the seat is often sold separately. There is also a Washlet-ready variant designed to integrate a TOTO bidet seat with concealed connections. Spec figures and the exact MaP rating can vary slightly by SKU, so always confirm the rough-in, glaze option and whether a seat is included on the listing before you order.
Flush power is the reason people seek out a TOTO, and the Carlyle II uses one of the brand's better systems to deliver it. Instead of the conventional ring of small rim holes found on budget toilets, or even the two angled nozzles of the Double Cyclone system, the Carlyle II uses Tornado Flush. Two powerful nozzles positioned high on the bowl fire water in a centrifugal, 360-degree swirling pattern that wraps around the entire inner surface. This does two jobs at once: it scrubs the full bowl as it goes, and it builds a fast, organized siphon that pulls waste down and out rather than relying on sheer volume to push it.
In independent MaP testing, which measures how many grams of solid waste a toilet clears in a single flush under an identical protocol across every brand, the Carlyle II grades around 800 grams. Many competent toilets land in the 600 to 800-gram band, so the Carlyle II sits comfortably in the strong tier, clearing a heavy test load in a single flush. It does not reach the flat 1000-gram ceiling that the original Drake and American Standard Champion 4 hit, but those models trade styling and, in the Champion's case, water efficiency to get there. For a skirted one-piece running 1.28 gallons, an 800-gram rating is genuinely strong, and in aggregated owner reviews the practical result is consistent: reports of clogs and double flushing are uncommon.
The other half of the clog-resistance story is the trapway. The Carlyle II uses a fully glazed trapway, meaning the internal waste passage is coated with the same smooth ceramic glaze as the bowl. A glazed trapway gives waste a slick, low-friction path out, which resists the streaking and snagging that cause partial clogs in cheaper toilets with bare, rough trapways. Because the Carlyle II is a one-piece with a concealed, skirted exterior, that trapway is also hidden from view, so you get the performance benefit of a glazed passage without the bulge of an exposed trapway on the side of the bowl. Together, the Tornado Flush and the glazed trapway are why the Carlyle II so rarely needs a second flush.
If your hesitation about TOTO has always been that the strongest models look plain, the Carlyle II is the one we point people to first. The Tornado Flush gives up a little of the raw 1000-gram brute force you get from a Drake, but in a normal household the difference in clog resistance is negligible, and in exchange you get a seamless, skirted body that looks like a designer toilet costing far more. For most modern bathrooms this is the smarter trade.
The Carlyle II uses 1.28 gallons per flush and carries WaterSense certification, which means it meets the EPA program's standard for using at least 20 percent less water than the federal 1.6-gallon maximum while still passing flush-performance criteria. The notable part is that the Carlyle II earns its strong 800-gram MaP rating on that reduced volume. Historically, toilets that moved solids this aggressively did so by using more water. A 1.28-gallon toilet that still grades around 800 grams is doing genuinely efficient engineering, and the Tornado Flush nozzle design is a big reason why, because directing the water in a tight swirl extracts more cleaning work from each gallon than scattering it through rim holes.
Over a year of normal household use, that lower volume adds up to a meaningful water saving, and in regions that offer toilet rebates a WaterSense model can qualify. The Carlyle II is one of the toilets we point to in our roundup of the best EPA WaterSense toilets, where its blend of efficiency and real flush power is exactly the balance the certification is meant to reward. Unlike some older high-efficiency toilets that earned poor flush ratings by cutting water without rethinking the bowl, the Carlyle II was designed around the 1.28-gallon flush from the start, which is why it keeps both its water efficiency and its flush strength.
Among one-piece and skirted toilets, very few models match the Carlyle II's combination of an 800-gram MaP rating, a 1.28-gallon flush and a fully concealed body. The TOTO Vespin II, its skirted two-piece cousin, can edge it on raw rating in some configurations, and the original Drake uses the louder G-Max system to reach a flat 1000 grams in a plainer body. The American Standard Champion 4 competes with an enormous 4-inch flush valve that also grades 1000 grams but often on 1.6 gallons. If you want force beyond what any gravity toilet provides, a pressure-assisted unit using a Flushmate tank or a Gerber pressure system moves water faster and far louder, which we cover in our guide to the best pressure-assisted toilets. For most homes, the Carlyle II delivers all the power that is actually needed in a body that looks finished.
Clog resistance comes from two things working together: how effectively water is delivered to the bowl, and how smoothly that water and waste can escape. The Carlyle II does both well. The Tornado Flush nozzles handle the first half by creating a fast, swirling rinse that uses each gallon efficiently, and the fully glazed trapway handles the second half by resisting the streaking and snagging that cause partial clogs. Buyers dealing with a chronically problematic bathroom should also read our guide to the toilets that never clog, where TOTO models like the Carlyle II are recurring recommendations. If clog resistance is your single top priority over styling, the original TOTO Drake and its higher 1000-gram rating may suit you better.
Styling is where the Carlyle II earns its place. It is a one-piece toilet, so there is no tank-to-bowl seam, and it is fully skirted, meaning the sides sweep down in a smooth, unbroken surface with no exposed trapway bulge. The silhouette is low, modern and unmistakably high-end, the kind of profile usually reserved for far more expensive designer toilets. For buyers remodeling a bathroom who want strong flushing without a utilitarian look, the Carlyle II hits a sweet spot that the plainer Drake family cannot.
That skirted, seamless design is not just cosmetic, it is a real cleaning advantage. A conventional two-piece toilet collects dust and grime in the gap between tank and bowl and in the contours of an exposed trapway. The Carlyle II eliminates both. There is no seam to trap residue and no trapway crevice to wipe around, so the exterior wipes down in a single pass. This is why the Carlyle II appears in our roundup of the best flushing skirted toilets, where the easy-clean exterior is the central appeal.
On the inside, the Carlyle II adds CeFiONtect, TOTO's ultra-smooth ceramic glaze (also marketed as SanaGloss), on its G-suffix SKUs. CeFiONtect fills in the microscopic pits in the ceramic surface so waste, mold and bacteria have far less to cling to, keeping the bowl cleaner with less scrubbing. Owners with hard water especially appreciate this, since it slows the buildup of mineral rings. Combined with the Tornado Flush, which scrubs the full bowl surface every flush rather than just rinsing from the top, the Carlyle II is one of the lowest-maintenance toilets in its class.
The Carlyle II is a Universal Height (often called comfort height) toilet, sitting at roughly 17-1/4 inches to the rim, which meets ADA height guidance for accessible seating. That extra inch or so over a standard-height bowl makes a real difference for taller users, seniors and anyone with knee or back issues, who consistently single it out as a benefit in owner reviews. If accessible height is a priority, the Carlyle II also appears in our roundup of the best comfort height toilets, where this seating height is the central selling point.
One feature that separates the Carlyle II from most one-piece toilets is that it is designed to accept a TOTO Washlet bidet seat. The bowl shape and mounting are engineered so a Washlet sits cleanly, and the Washlet-ready variant routes the water and power connections discreetly for a tidy installation. If you have ever considered adding a bidet seat with warm water, a heated seat and a dryer, buying the Carlyle II now means the upgrade later is straightforward. Our TOTO Washlet review covers how those seats perform and which models fit.
The Carlyle II fits the standard 12-inch rough-in (the distance from the finished wall to the center of the floor drain) that covers most homes. As a one-piece, it arrives as a single ceramic unit, which means there is no tank-to-bowl assembly to do, but it is also heavier and more awkward to carry into a tight bathroom than a two-piece like the Drake II. Plan for a second pair of hands on installation day. Because the skirted design conceals the floor bolts, the Carlyle II uses a mounting system where the bolts attach to a base plate first, so it is worth reading TOTO's instructions before you start rather than assuming it installs like a conventional toilet.
Parts support is a genuine strength of any TOTO. The Carlyle II uses TOTO's own flush valve and fill valve designs, and because TOTO sells in volume, replacement seals, fill valves and flush valves are widely available and inexpensive. The flush valve seal is the component owners occasionally mention needing to replace after years of service if the toilet starts to run, and it is a quick, low-cost fix. When you weigh that serviceability into the long-run cost of ownership, the Carlyle II's value holds up well against pricier designer one-pieces that use proprietary parts. Check the current price on Amazon to see where it lands today.
The Carlyle II sits in a smart spot on price-to-performance. It costs more than the workhorse Drake family and the non-skirted UltraMax II, but it delivers a seamless, skirted body, an easy-clean glaze and a Washlet-ready design that together justify the step up for buyers who care about looks. It also typically costs less than many true designer one-pieces while clearing waste better than a lot of them and using cheaper, easier-to-find parts. For buyers who want a toilet that looks high-end, flushes strongly and stays cheap to maintain for a decade, the value case is real, which is why the Carlyle II keeps appearing alongside the field in our roundup of the best flushing one-piece toilets.
The MaP (Maximum Performance) test measures how many grams of soybean-paste test media a toilet removes in a single flush under a standardized protocol, giving a brand-neutral way to compare flush strength. Many older low-flow toilets graded poorly, sometimes under 350 grams, which is where the reputation for weak flushing began. Modern high-efficiency toilets routinely exceed 600 grams, and the best, including the Carlyle II at roughly 800 grams, reach the strong tier. When you shop, treat a MaP rating under 500 grams as a warning sign and a rating of 800 or more as a confident pick.
The Carlyle II is the toilet to buy when you want TOTO flush engineering inside a seamless, skirted one-piece body that looks like a designer fixture.
The Tornado Flush uses two high-mounted nozzles to create a 360-degree swirling rinse that scrubs the full bowl while building a fast siphon, which clears waste thoroughly and runs quietly. Paired with the fully glazed trapway and the skirted one-piece body, it earns roughly an 800-gram MaP rating, which is why owner reviews so rarely mention clogs or double flushing.
Aggregated owner reviews are consistently positive, with repeated praise for the clean modern look, the easy-to-wipe skirted exterior and the included SoftClose seat. The most common criticisms are the higher price than the Drake family, the heavier one-piece install that benefits from a second person, and the bolt-mounting system that takes a little extra care, all minor against the performance and looks.
This is the TOTO we recommend to buyers remodeling a bathroom who want it to look as good as it performs. Unless you are counting every dollar or you specifically need a 1000-gram rating, the Carlyle II's skirted one-piece body, Tornado Flush and CeFiONtect glaze make it the most livable, best-looking choice in TOTO's strong-flushing lineup.
The UltraMax II offers nearly identical flush performance to the Carlyle II in a one-piece body, usually for less, the choice for buyers who do not need the fully skirted styling.
The UltraMax II uses the Double Cyclone flush, two angled nozzles rather than the Tornado's full 360-degree swirl, and grades the same 800 grams on MaP. The one-piece body removes the tank-to-bowl seam like the Carlyle II, but it keeps an exposed trapway rather than a skirted side.
Owner reviews highlight the clean look and strong flush at a friendlier price than the Carlyle II, with the visible trapway being the main styling compromise. If you want the Carlyle II's performance but not its skirt or its price, the UltraMax II is the natural alternative, and our TOTO UltraMax II review covers it in full.
Choose the UltraMax II when you want TOTO one-piece performance and are happy to skip the fully skirted look to save money. For most buyers the flush is indistinguishable from the Carlyle II in daily use.
The Vespin II delivers the same skirted, modern look as the Carlyle II but as a two-piece, which is lighter to carry and install one component at a time.
The Vespin II is essentially the Carlyle II's two-piece sibling, sharing the skirted side design and TOTO flush engineering while arriving as a separate tank and bowl. That makes each piece lighter to carry into a tight space, and depending on configuration the Vespin II can grade as high as 1000 grams on MaP.
Owner reviews praise the modern skirted look paired with the easier two-piece handling, with the only real downside being the tank-to-bowl seam that a true one-piece like the Carlyle II avoids. Our TOTO Vespin II review breaks down exactly how it compares.
Choose the Vespin II if you love the Carlyle II's skirted styling but want a lighter, easier installation, or you want the option of a higher MaP rating. It is the practical skirted choice for tight spaces.
The Carlyle II is the right call for homeowners who want a toilet that flushes strongly, resists clogs, saves water and looks high-end, all while staying cheap to maintain. It suits standard 12-inch rough-in bathrooms, rewards buyers who care about styling as much as performance, and offers genuine peace of mind through TOTO's proven track record and easy parts support. The universal comfort-height body makes it a smart pick for seniors, taller users and anyone with knee or back concerns, the CeFiONtect glaze is a real benefit in hard-water homes, and the Washlet-ready design future-proofs the toilet for a bidet seat upgrade.
You should look elsewhere if budget is your single top priority, in which case the UltraMax II or the original Drake offers similar flush power for less, or if you need the absolute strongest 1000-gram flush, in which case the original Drake or American Standard Champion 4 edges it out. If carrying a heavy one-piece into a tight bathroom is a concern, the skirted two-piece Vespin II gives you nearly the same look with an easier install.
When buyers describe a remodeled bathroom they want to look as good as it performs, the Carlyle II is the most well-rounded single recommendation in TOTO's lineup. Match the rough-in to your space, opt for the CeFiONtect glaze if you have hard water, choose the Washlet-ready variant if a bidet seat is in your future, and plan for a second person on install day because of the one-piece weight. The Tornado Flush, glazed trapway and skirted body then do the rest, quietly, for a decade.
Kohler's compact one-piece with the Class Five canister flush, reaching up to 1000 grams on MaP in its best configurations. A strong cross-shop if you prefer Kohler styling and need a shorter footprint than the Carlyle II.
Check price on Amazon
A giant 4-inch flush valve and wide trapway that grades up to 1000 grams on MaP. A strong gravity rival with even larger passages than the Carlyle II, though it runs on 1.6 gallons in many versions and lacks the skirted look.
Check price on Amazon
A skirted one-piece with a dual-nozzle siphon flush at a much lower price than the Carlyle II. A good budget option if you want the modern skirted look, though it is not MaP listed and lacks TOTO's parts network and glaze.
Check price on AmazonIf you are weighing the Carlyle II against its closest rivals, our TOTO Drake review covers the louder, cheaper, higher-rated original, our Kohler Cimarron review looks at the quiet Class Five canister, our American Standard Champion 4 review details that toilet's giant 4-inch valve, and our TOTO Aquia IV review breaks down its dual-flush Tornado system for buyers who want even lower water use. The Carlyle II also appears throughout our pillar guide to the best flushing toilets.
Yes. The Carlyle II is one of the most well-rounded one-piece toilets TOTO makes. Its Tornado Flush grades around 800 grams on the MaP test on an efficient 1.28 gallons, it carries WaterSense certification, and aggregated owner reviews repeatedly praise its clean skirted look, easy cleaning and strong, quiet flush. The higher price than the Drake family is the main trade-off.
The Carlyle II uses TOTO's Tornado Flush, which fires water from two high-mounted nozzles in a 360-degree swirling pattern. This scrubs the full bowl surface and builds a fast, organized siphon, using each gallon more efficiently than the conventional rim holes found on budget toilets. It is one of TOTO's stronger flush systems.
The Carlyle II grades around 800 grams in independent MaP (Maximum Performance) testing. That places it firmly in the strong tier among gravity toilets. A rating in that band means the toilet clears a heavy test load in a single flush under the standardized protocol, which is why clogs are uncommon in owner reviews.
The Carlyle II is a one-piece toilet, meaning the tank and bowl are a single ceramic unit with no seam between them. Its closest two-piece sibling with the same skirted styling is the TOTO Vespin II, which is lighter to carry and install but has a tank-to-bowl seam.
No, clogging is uncommon. The Tornado Flush builds a strong 360-degree swirling siphon, and the fully glazed trapway gives waste a slick, low-friction path out. Aggregated owner reviews report very few clogs and rare double flushing, putting the Carlyle II among the more clog-resistant one-piece toilets you can buy.
The Carlyle II uses 1.28 gallons per flush and is WaterSense certified, meaning it uses at least 20 percent less water than the federal 1.6-gallon maximum. It earns its strong 800-gram MaP rating on that reduced volume, because the Tornado Flush nozzles extract more cleaning work from each gallon than conventional rim holes.
Yes, the 1.28-gallon Carlyle II is WaterSense certified. The EPA WaterSense program certifies toilets that use at least 20 percent less water than the federal maximum while still passing flush-performance criteria. The Carlyle II meets both, which is notable given how strongly it flushes for a skirted one-piece.
CeFiONtect, also marketed as SanaGloss, is TOTO's ultra-smooth ceramic glaze offered on the G-suffix Carlyle II SKUs. It fills the microscopic pits in the ceramic so waste, mold and mineral scale have far less to cling to, keeping the bowl cleaner with less scrubbing. It is especially helpful in hard-water homes. Look for the G suffix in the model code.
Yes, the Carlyle II is fully skirted, meaning the sides sweep down in a smooth, unbroken surface with no exposed trapway bulge. Combined with the seamless one-piece body, this gives it a clean, modern profile and makes the exterior much easier to wipe down than a conventional two-piece toilet.
In most listings, yes. The Carlyle II is typically sold complete with a TOTO SoftClose seat, which is a difference from the Drake family where the seat is often sold separately. Always confirm on the specific product page, along with the rough-in, glaze option and 1.28-gallon flush volume.
The Carlyle II is a Universal Height (comfort height) toilet, sitting at roughly 17-1/4 inches to the rim. That meets ADA height guidance and is easier on the knees and back than a standard low toilet. Taller users, seniors and anyone with mobility concerns frequently single out this height as a benefit.
Yes, the Universal Height Carlyle II meets ADA height guidance for accessible seating with its roughly 17-1/4 inch rim height. This makes it a common choice for accessible bathrooms, aging-in-place remodels and households with users who find a standard-height toilet too low.
Yes. The Carlyle II is designed to accept a TOTO Washlet bidet seat, with a bowl shape and mounting engineered for a clean fit. A Washlet-ready variant routes the water and power connections discreetly. If you may want warm-water washing, a heated seat and a dryer later, the Carlyle II makes that upgrade straightforward.
The Carlyle II fits a standard 12-inch rough-in, the distance from the finished wall to the center of the floor drain, which covers most homes. Measure your existing rough-in before ordering, since a 12-inch toilet will not sit correctly on a 10-inch or 14-inch drain location.
It is a heavier one-piece, so a second pair of hands helps on install day. Because the skirted design conceals the floor bolts, it uses a base-plate mounting system rather than conventional flange bolts, so it is worth reading TOTO's instructions first. Once mounted, the connections are standard and many DIYers complete it successfully.
Both grade about 800 grams on MaP and share TOTO reliability. Choose the Carlyle II for its fully skirted, seamless body and easier-to-clean exterior, and for Washlet readiness. Choose the UltraMax II to save money with the same flush performance in a one-piece that keeps an exposed trapway rather than a skirted side.
The Carlyle II is a one-piece and the Vespin II is its two-piece sibling, both with the same skirted styling. The Carlyle II has no tank-to-bowl seam for the cleanest look, while the Vespin II is lighter to carry, easier to install one piece at a time, and can reach a higher MaP rating in some configurations.
Yes, it is quiet for a strong-flushing toilet. The Tornado Flush moves water in an organized swirl rather than a loud rush, so it runs far quieter than any pressure-assisted toilet and is comparable to TOTO's other gravity models. Owner reviews rarely cite noise as a complaint.
With normal use the Carlyle II typically lasts many years, and the ceramic body itself can last for decades. The flush-valve seal is the part owners occasionally replace after long service if the toilet starts to run, and it is an inexpensive, widely available fix that keeps the toilet serviceable for the long term.
For buyers who want a designer-look one-piece that still flushes hard, yes. The Carlyle II costs more than the Drake family but adds a seamless skirted body, an included SoftClose seat, easy cleaning and Washlet readiness, and its cheap, widely available parts keep long-term ownership low. If you only care about raw flush power at the lowest price, the original Drake is the better value.
The TOTO Carlyle II is the toilet we recommend to buyers who want strong flushing without giving up a modern look. Its Tornado Flush and fully glazed trapway grade around 800 grams on the MaP test on an efficient, WaterSense-certified 1.28 gallons, and aggregated owner reviews back that up with rare reports of clogging or double flushing. The seamless, fully skirted one-piece body looks like a designer fixture and wipes clean in a single pass, the optional CeFiONtect glaze keeps the bowl cleaner in hard-water homes, and the Washlet-ready design future-proofs it for a bidet seat. It sits at an accessible universal height and usually ships with a SoftClose seat included. It costs more than the plainer Drake and UltraMax II, the one-piece body is heavier to install, and it does not reach the 1000-gram ceiling of the original Drake or Champion 4, but for a skirted toilet that flushes this well and stays this easy to maintain, it is one of the best all-around picks on the market. If budget is your only priority, the UltraMax II or original Drake saves money, and if you want an easier install in the same skirted style, the Vespin II is the two-piece answer. Check the current price on Amazon to see where it sits today.
How we rank & our data sources
We do not run physical lab tests. Rankings are built from published, verifiable data and real owner feedback, never paid placement.
Researched by Derek Whitman · Last updated June 30, 2026 · Our review method
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