KOHLER Valiant Vs. Cimarron Toilet: A Battle of Bathroom Titans

If you’re comparing the KOHLER Valiant and Cimarron, these toilets are much more similar than many older comparisons suggest.

Current versions can both give you 1.28 gallons per flush, Comfort Height seating, an elongated bowl, AquaPiston canister technology, and Kohler’s Revolution 360 swirling flush.

The biggest differences are elsewhere.

The Kohler Valiant K-45927 has a smooth skirted trapway, ReadyLock installation system, and Complete Solution package with the seat and installation hardware included.

The Kohler Cimarron is a much broader toilet collection. Depending on the model, you can get elongated or round bowls, exposed or skirted trapways, one-piece or two-piece construction, and 1.28 or 1.6 GPF configurations.

So if you’re choosing between these two, I would focus less on flushing power and more on design, ease of cleaning, installation, model selection, included accessories, bathroom space, and price.

A Brief Comparison Table

The KOHLER Valiant: The Valiant Warrior of Comfort

The Valiant is known for its bold yet sleek design, adding a modern touch to any bathroom. However, the Valiant isn’t all about looks. Here are its key features and the respective pros and cons:

Key Features of the KOHLER Valiant

1. Comfort Height Design: The Valiant offers the comfort height design, a feature that makes it as tall as a standard chair for ease of use, especially for adults.
2. Single-Flush Gravity: This feature uses the force of gravity to create a strong siphon for one-flush cleanliness.
3. Class Five Flushing Technology: KOHLER’s proprietary flushing system ensures efficient and effective waste removal.

Pros of the KOHLER Valiant

The Comfort Height Design is a game-changer, especially for tall folks and the elderly, providing easy use and reducing strain on the knees and back.

KOHLER’s Single-Flush Gravity and Class Five Flushing Technology combine to ensure a powerful, clog-free flush every time. Say goodbye to the plunger!

Cons of the KOHLER Valiant

Despite its impressive features, the Valiant falls short in water conservation. It uses 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf), which is slightly higher than some eco-friendly options on the market.

The KOHLER Cimarron: A Blend of Efficiency and Elegance

The Cimarron model offers a blend of efficiency and elegance, which appeals to homeowners looking for functionality without sacrificing style. Here are its key features and pros and cons:

Key Features of the KOHLER Cimarron

1. Aquapiston Technology: This innovative technology delivers a fast, powerful, and plug-free flush.
2. DryLock System: KOHLER’s unique system saves installation time and prevents potential leak points.
3. WaterSense Certified: The Cimarron uses only 1.28 gpf, qualifying it as a WaterSense-certified toilet.

Pros of the KOHLER Cimarron

Aquapiston Technology provides a powerful flush, reducing the chances of clogs and the need for double flushing.

Plus, the DryLock system makes installation a breeze, saving time and potential future headaches from leaks.

The Cimarron’s WaterSense certification gives it an edge in terms of water conservation, contributing to both environmental sustainability and lower water bills.

Cons of the KOHLER Cimarron

Despite its great features, the Cimarron has been reported by some users to have a relatively noisy flush.

While this may not be a major issue for everyone, it could be a bit of a deal-breaker for those who value peace and quiet.

Key Differences Between KOHLER Valiant and Cimarron

While both the KOHLER Valiant and Cimarron toilets offer excellent functionality and design, there are key differences between the two that can help you decide which is best suited to your needs. Let’s dive in.

• Flushing Performance

Both toilets are designed around a 1.28 GPF high-efficiency flush.

That’s 4.8 liters per flush.

Both also use a 2-1/8-inch trapway, which is a common size for current Kohler gravity toilets.

The combination of AquaPiston and Revolution 360 gives both models good bowl-rinsing coverage while keeping water consumption at 1.28 GPF.

One important thing to understand is that more water doesn’t automatically mean a stronger flush.

Kohler currently sells some Cimarron configurations in 1.6 GPF as well, but Kohler customer support has stated that the additional water doesn’t necessarily mean a stronger flush than the comparable 1.28 GPF version.

For most buyers comparing these two 1.28 GPF models, flushing technology is essentially a tie.

• Installation: ReadyLock Vs. Cimarron

Skirted toilets can sometimes be more frustrating to install because access to the mounting bolts is restricted.

Kohler addresses that issue on the Valiant with its ReadyLock installation system.

ReadyLock attaches at the floor flange and lets you install the skirted toilet without drilling additional holes into the floor for a standard installation.

That’s an important advantage because the Valiant gets the cleaner skirted appearance without some of the installation headaches associated with traditional skirted toilets.

Current Cimarron models use several installation arrangements depending on the exact SKU.

For example, Cimarron K-31658 uses an omnidirectional tank-leveling attachment system, designed to make connecting and leveling the tank easier.

Certain Cimarron K-31621 variants also use DryLock, which simplifies the tank-to-bowl connection and helps reduce potential leakage around that connection.

So don’t assume every Cimarron uses DryLock.

Check the exact model number.

• Water Efficiency and WaterSense

Another outdated claim is that Cimarron is WaterSense certified while Valiant isn’t.

Current Valiant K-45927 product information displays WaterSense certification along with its 1.28 GPF water-saving design.

Current 1.28 GPF Cimarron models are also WaterSense labeled.

Therefore, there’s no meaningful water-consumption difference when you’re comparing the 1.28 GPF versions.

Both use:

1.28 gallons per flush

That meets EPA WaterSense’s high-efficiency toilet threshold.

• Comfort Height

The old comparison also gave Valiant an advantage for Comfort Height while implying that Cimarron used a more standard seating height.

Current models don’t support that distinction.

Both the Valiant K-45927 and Cimarron K-31658/K-31621 have approximately 16-1/2-inch rim heights and are marketed with Kohler’s Comfort Height design.

Once you add the toilet seat, the sitting height is similar to a typical chair.

This can make sitting down and standing up easier for many adults.

Both also meet applicable ADA accessibility requirements when installed according to the required standards.

So comfort height is effectively another tie.

• Rough-In Options

Both are normally configured around a 12-inch rough-in.

The Valiant K-45927 also supports optional 10-inch and 14-inch rough-in kits, according to Kohler’s current product information.

The broader Cimarron lineup can also accommodate unusual rough-ins.

For example, the skirted Cimarron K-5310 supports 12 inches as standard with 10- and 14-inch rough-in kits available, while Kohler has also sold dedicated Cimarron configurations for 10-inch installations.

Don’t buy either toilet until you measure from the finished wall to the center of the closet bolts.

• Cleaning and Maintenance

For everyday exterior cleaning, I prefer the Valiant design.

The skirt covers the trapway, giving you smoother sides to wipe down.

With an exposed-trapway Cimarron, you’ll need to clean around the curves and recesses on each side of the bowl.

Inside the bowl, the comparison is much closer because current versions of both can use Revolution 360.

That system creates a swirling rinse intended to provide greater bowl coverage than a traditional flush.

If easy e1xterior cleaning is especially important, compare the Valiant with a skirted Cimarron, not the standard exposed-trapway version.

KOHLER Valiant Vs. Cimarron: Which Should You Buy?

I would choose the Kohler Valiant K-45927 if I specifically wanted a modern skirted toilet with an elongated bowl, ReadyLock installation, Comfort Height seating, and a complete package that includes the seat and installation hardware.

I would choose from the Kohler Cimarron collection if I wanted more flexibility.

Cimarron gives you more options for bowl shape, construction, trapway design, flush volume, rough-in configuration, and package contents.

For flushing performance, I wouldn’t expect a dramatic difference between comparable current 1.28 GPF Revolution 360 models.

The bigger decision is:

Valiant for a specific clean, skirted Complete Solution design.

Cimarron for a much wider selection of configurations.

The Verdict

The modern KOHLER Valiant and Cimarron comparison isn’t really a battle between two completely different flushing technologies.

Current models share many of their most important specifications.

Both can give you Revolution 360 flushing, AquaPiston technology, 1.28 GPF water use, WaterSense efficiency, an elongated bowl, Comfort Height seating, and a 2-1/8-inch trapway.

The Valiant K-45927 distinguishes itself mainly with its smooth skirted trapway, ReadyLock installation, and all-in-one Complete Solution package.

Cimarron distinguishes itself with choice. There are far more configurations, including round-front, elongated, one-piece, two-piece, skirted, exposed-trapway, and different flush-volume options.

If you like the Valiant’s appearance and want a straightforward complete package, it’s an appealing choice. If you want to select a toilet around very specific bathroom dimensions or features, the broader Cimarron family gives you more options.