Today’s article is a full review of the Alpha iX Hybrid bidet toilet seat. We’ll be looking at how the bidet performs in each category and how it compares to other bidets in the same price range. While not perfect, the iX is as good as you will do for the money. Feature-wise, it’s a premium (mid-tier) bidet at an entry-level price. It scores an 8.3/10 overall which is highly uncommon for a bidet in this price range. For example, the hybrid heater never runs cold (even after 10min) and it cleans as effectively as the TOTO S550e, the most expensive bidet on the market. If you like what you see, I recommend purchasing through Bidet King, since they own and operate Alpha Bidet and will give you the best warranty and support–which you will likely need eventually. You can check out their current prices here. And for an exceptionally low price, check out the open box special. These bidets were opened but not used for toileting purposes. The open box price is often less than $299. You can check current prices here. If you prefer Amazon or want to compare prices, you can check out the Alpha iX here (Amazon link).
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Compared to other bidets on the market (by different brands), the Alpha iX is right up there with the best, performance-wise. And that’s when comparing the iX to bidets that are 2-4x the price. For example, it performed as well as the TOTO S550e, the most expensive luxury bidet on the market. I think the efficacy of the bidet could probably be explained by the higher water pressure and angle of spray. Pressure-wise, the iX has a lower flow rate compared to the GX (about 0.7L per min vs 1L/min), but the iX felt stronger and cleansed more effectively. I’m thinking this observation has to do with the nozzle position and angler, in that it’s closer to your bum when cleansing. For more on pressure, see the section further down.
The short version is, the iX water heater performs nearly as well as the JX heater, and infinitely better than the GX/GXR. I say infinitely, because it literally never runs out of warm water, while the GX/GXR runs cool fairly quickly. The Alpha iX bidet gets a high score of 9/10 for a few reasons. The water remained in the low to mid 90’s Fahrenheit, never running cold for a single second. And the test went on for 10 minutes. It never reached the max temp as listed in the manual, but it stayed plenty warm the entire time. So you know, 10 min is 5-10x times the average cleansing session. For comparison, the luxury JX scored a perfect 10/10. It was only slightly better in that the water was closer to 100° F, never dropping below the mid to high 90’s. The entry-level GX and GXR only provide about 45 seconds of warm water at which point they start to run cool. Both the iX and JX provide endless warm water, but the iX pulls it off using a hybrid heater, a type of heater that uses a combination of low-tech (tank-type) and high-tech (instantaneous-type) water heating technology. Whereas, the JX has an instantaneous heater, the best kind on the market. I’ve tested a lot of bidets at this point and I can say that, when it comes to warm water flow, the Alpha iX outperforms all other bidets in the same price range.
Entry-level bidets, like the TOTO C2, Alpha GX, and Bio Bidet Slim ONE come only with a side panel that can’t be detached from the bidet. Premium and luxury bidets tend to come with wireless remote controls. The Alpha iX has a nice, sleek, aesthetic remote in addition to a minimal non-bulky control panel. The remote also comes with a wall mount. The control panel is small and offers only three buttons: front, rear, and off. Hence, it’s non-bulky and won’t cause installation issues. The remote is really nice. It doesn’t have an LCD screen and isn’t double-sided, so it falls short of a perfect score. But it has large, intuitive, easy-to-read buttons that make operating the bidet easier for first-time users, guests, kids, and older adults. The labeled buttons only account for some of the functions. For example, holding the “+” button for 3 seconds activates the LED nightlight, and holding the Pulse button for 3 seconds activates and deactivates the safety seat sensor.
The Alpha iX does come with energy-saving modes, but they’re fairly basic. For example, there’s no smart energy saver function that memorizes when you’re least likely to use the bidet–bidets that have this feature keep the seat and/or water temp low during periods of infrequent use. The iX has two energy-saving modes: Automatic and Powerful. The Automatic Energy Saver mode keeps the seat and water temp at 89.6 ° F (32°C) until someone sits down, at which point the user settings will be restored. The settings will then revert back to 89.6 ° F when the user leaves the toilet. The Powerful Energy Saver mode works much the same but keeps the seat and water temp off when the bidet is unoccupied.
Eco modes are nice, but the water heater is the main feature when it comes to how energy-efficient a bidet is. We’ve touched on heater types. Tank-type heaters like those in the TOTO C2 and BB-1000 use the most energy since they draw power around the clock to keep the water reservoir warm. Instantaneous heaters like those of the Alpha JX and TOTO S550e are the most energy-efficient since they only use power when the bidet is in use. The Alpha iX has a hybrid heater. Since hybrid heaters incorporate a heated reservoir, they’re somewhere in the middle in terms of energy efficiency.
All Alpha bidets provide aerated cleansing. Aerated water streams are always more efficient than non-aerated streams since air helps displace some of the water. On an unrelated note, aerated water is thought to be more effective at cleansing since it makes for firmer yet more comfortable jet stream.
The iX gets an okay score in the category of convenience features. It has a nice child-friendly mode but lacks both one-push easy operation modes and user presets. User presets allow users to save their preferred settings for water temperature, pressure, nozzle position, etc. Now, it does save the most recently used settings. So, if you will be the only person using the bidet, or you and your housemate happen to share the same preferences, this isn’t an issue. One-push easy operation modes are nice because they let the user hit a single button to get a generic wash or wash + dry cycle. In any case, the iX lacks both of these features. The child mode is nice andwill come in hand if any little oneswill be using the bidet. Basically, kids need not know which settings to select, since they can simply hit the child icon and get all the appropriate settings:
The idea is that in-bowl nightlights let you safely navigate the bathroom in the dark so that you can avoid having to blast your eyeballs with bright bathroom lights.
The iX has a bright blue light while the other Alpha bidets have white LED lights, the JX being brighter than GX/GXR light.
I wouldn’t say the light illuminates the bathroom, but it helps you make your way to the toilet in the dark.
Some folks, especially biohackers, prefer to avoid blue light in the evening. If that’s you, you may want to check out the JX which has an equally bright white LED light.
The iX bidet gets a nice score in this area since the nozzle is made of durable stainless steel, unlike the plastic nozzles of TOTO bidets.
It’s a 2-in-1 nozzle, meaning that it’s a single cleaning wand with two holes, instead of dual nozzles as is common with other brands like Brondell. So, the iX can cleanse the entire front and rear areas with a single nozzle.
The iX nozzle has an automatic and on-demand self-cleaning function.
So, it automatically self-cleanses before and after each use, so you don’t have to remember to use the function.
The on-demand self-cleaning function is nice to have just in case you notice the nozzle is soiled or if you feel it needs cleaning for some reason (guests, etc.).
The seat surface has four settings: “off” and three that range from 89° F (31.6° C) to 102° F (38.8° C).
This feature isn’t unique, since every electric bidet I’ve come across offers it. But it is amazing. Not only does it feel great, but a lot of folks find that it helps with bowel movements by helping relax the muscles of the rear (glutes and internal/external sphincters).
In general, slimmer/non-bulky bidets are more desirable, all else equal.
The Alpha iX is quite slim compared to other bidets on the market, with a rear height of only 5.8″. It’s kind of hard to tell from the image since the rear of the seat starts to taper off at almost 6″ to a slightly taller peak.
The iX is not as slim as the GX/GXR, perhaps because more room is needed at the back of the seat to house the advanced technology.
Anyway, 5.8″ is about average for modern bidets offered by other brands like TOTO and Brondell.
One feature in this category that is missing with the Alpha iX is the sittable lid. Now, sittable lids are pretty rare overall, so this bidet isn’t uniquely lacking in this area compared to most bidets on the market.
But other Alpha bidets have sittable lids, so the iX is an exception when it comes to bidets in the Alpha lineup.
Sittable lids are nice to have but not essential. Some folks like to use the toilet for sitting when clipping their toenails, resting, etc.
There you have it.
Fifteen tests later, the Alpha iX bidet toilet seat scores an 8.3 overall, outperforming bidets several times the price. If money isn’t an issue, I’d go ahead and get the JX, since it’s more efficient, provides slightly warmer water, and has the antimicrobial wand.
But if you want to keep it under $300, I can’t recommend the iX enough.
I really can’t get over how much this bidet offers for the price. Plenty of inferior bidets are being sold right now for 2x the cost that don’t even offer a mid-tier water heater. The iX has an advanced hybrid water heater that never runs cold. It also performed as well as the TOTO S550e, the most expensive bidet on the market
For a full breakdown of how the iX compares to other Alpha bidets, check out this article.
And for a full review of the luxury option, check out the Alpha JX review.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
