American Standard Cadet 3 2022 Review – Pros & Cons

American Standard is a world-renowned manufacturer of toilets and other plumbing equipment. Chances are you would have encountered this brand hundreds of times before as it is an extremely popular choice all over the world.

Established over 140 years ago, American Standard is famed for its high-quality and innovative product catalogue.

One of the most popular toilets American Standard offer is the Cadet. Today we’ll be looking at the 3rd iteration, the “Cadet 3”, putting it through its paces in the only review you will ever need to read!

Read on to find out whether we think this is a must-buy!

PRODUCT DETAILS

American Standard Cadet 3

An excellent choice at an astounding price point

• Incredibly easy to clean
• Beautiful design
• Soft-Close seat comes as standard
• WaterSense Certified
• FloWise technology for added water conservation

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American Standard Cadet 3 – Best Low Maintenance, Low Fuss Toilet

Design

What’s clear when looking at the Cadet 3 is that this system is impeccably designed.

The ultra-stylish and slimline silhouette makes it the perfect choice for any bathroom. The Cadet 3 features a “Right Height” bowl which focuses on user comfort, as it is at the perfect height for easy use.

The toilet is ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliant which is a fantastic feature, especially if anyone in your home suffers from mobility issues.

Now, this toilet has a smooth, rounded bowl design which allows it to fit into smaller spaces. For this reason, it’s a great choice for secondary bathrooms where space may be limited.

The Cadet 3 is a ‘one-piece’ design, with concealed trapways. Trapways are the inner workings of the toilet system that disperses water into the bowl.

Technical Details

Materials

The Cadet 3, as with most toilets, is made from vitreous china, a high-quality glaze applied to the ceramic of the bowl and tank which helps protect and strengthen the underlying material.

The flushing handle on the cadet 3 is a stylish chrome, delivering a sleek finish to your new toilet.

Aesthetics

The concealed trapways and the slimline design of the Cadet 3 really make for a stylish toilet design.

Toilets can often be overlooked when fitting in a new bathroom, but having an aesthetically pleasing toilet is highly recommended in your home.

Colours

One potential downside of the Cadet 3 is it only comes in a single colour – white.

Now many other toilets we have reviewed come in a wide array of colours allowing you to completely customise your new fixture to your existing bathroom – but are they necessary?

For us, the white bathroom is a timeless classic that simply will not go out of fashion. We should also mention that white fixtures in your bathroom exude a feeling of cleanliness and hygiene that you don’t get with other colours.

If you are considering selling your home in the future, a white bathroom is a huge selling point.

Flush

The Cadet 3 has an incredibly impressive flush.

The Cadet 3 also features PowerWash rim technology, which cleans the rim of the bowl as you flush, reducing the amount of cleaning you need to do.

Although powerful, the flush is surprisingly quiet. If you’re looking for a new toilet for your ensuite bathroom or if you have a bedroom in close vicinity to your toilet, the Cadet 3 is a fantastic choice.

Maintenance and Cleaning

The Cadet 3 is known as a two-piece system. This means, as the name suggests, that the bowl and tank are separate, and need to be installed individually.

There are pros and cons to a two-piece system.

Firstly, the positives. Two-piece systems, are much easier to manoeuvre and install, given they are in separate, manageable pieces. This is especially useful if you are attempting to fit the system yourself.

Two-piece systems are often a little cheaper than a one-piece option, so if you’re looking to save a few dollars, a two-piece toilet is still a great choice.

The downsides are that they do require a little more attention when it comes to cleaning. Because of the small gap created by the join between the bowl and tank, dust, first and grime can build up easily.

This can be avoided, however with a regular cleaning routine.

The EverClean coating has benefits when it comes to cleaning, as it reduces the build-up dirt and grime. When coupled with the PowerWash rim technology, the amount of time you have to spend on cleaning is really reduced. Many customers praise this feature as one of the main reasons behind their choice to purchase this particular model.

Given the popularity of the American Standard brand, should anything go wrong, you will have no trouble finding replacement parts, or a competent plumber to fix it for you.

Another massive benefit is the absolutely huge warranty provided with the system (more on this below).

Water Efficiency

The Cadet 3 WaterSense certified, using just 1.28 gallons per flush. The WaterSense certification is given to toilets which use 20% less water than similar performing models.

This model comes complete with Flowise technology, which is American Standard’s unique combination of tackling water consumption while retaining the highest performance.

Ease of Installation

Customers report that the Cadet 3 is a little tricky to install for the average DIY expert. However, we think that provided you have a bit of help, you should be able to manage it with little issues.

The two-piece design makes installation and lifting a lot easier compared to one-piece models, just make sure you take your time to prevent any damage to the toilet. We suggest asking for help when lifting heavy objects.

If you’re not confident of your abilities, we would always advise seeking professional assistance from a qualified plumber, as leaks or water damage can be particularly costly.

Durability

American Standard is a household name around the world with a great reputation. Rest assured that when buying an American Standard system, you are buying something of quality.

With 140 years of experience in the industry, you are buying something that has been refined over many years which you can have full confidence in.

Provided you maintain a simple maintenance routine, you’ll be able to achieve many years of use out of any American Standard system.

As with any bathroom fixture with a protective coating, ensure you use the manufacturer recommended cleaning products to prevent damage and to lengthen the lifespan of your system.

Warranty

The warranty on American Standard products is outstanding. On all their plumbing fixtures, American Standard offers a lifetime warranty on chinaware, 5-year warranty on all mechanical parts and 1 year on the seat.

This warranty is one of the longest warranties in the industry. This show how much American Standard values their customers and how much faith they have in their products.

Price

In terms of price, the Cadet 3 sits more or less in the middle of similar models. Yes, it’s true that you can purchase something cheaper, but the biggest reason we would encourage you to think seriously about this model is because of the warranty.

While you should absolutely not expect anything to go wrong with your toilet, having that peace of mind is incredibly comforting.

The other features, including the powerful flushing system, easy clean surface and sleek design make the Cadet 3 a really solid choice for your new bathroom.

If you’re not quite decided yet, why not read a few of our other reviews to determine the best fit for you? We’ve reviewed all of the best models on the market, so you’re bound to find something you like.

Summary

We love all American Standard toilets, but we think the Cadet 3 offers something particularly special.

Firstly, this toilet almost cleans itself. The EverClean glazing and PowerWash technology, each flush will eradicate the toughest of deposits from the bowl, meaning you have to pay less attention (and time!) cleaning.

We also have to give it credit for its very low water consumption, and it manages to do this while not sacrificing any of the power.