A round-front toilet bowl measures roughly 16.5 inches from the back bolt holes to the front of the bowl — about 2 inches shorter than an elongated bowl. In a powder room squeezed under a staircase or a half-bath off a tight hallway, those 2 inches can be the difference between a workable layout and a knee-against-the-wall install.

When round-front is the right call

Total bathroom depth under 30 inches from rear wall (where the toilet bolts go) to opposite-wall finished surface. With an elongated bowl, you'd have <24" of forward clearance from the bowl edge — uncomfortable. Round gives you ~26".
Powder room next to a closet or wall-end where the door swing or vanity face limits the floor plan.
Half-baths under staircases — almost universally need round-front because ceiling slope cuts headroom in front of the toilet.
RV and tiny-house installations where every inch of layout is engineered.
Households with small children — smaller, less intimidating bowl for potty training. (Though comfort-elongated bowls — 17.5" — split the difference here.)

What you give up

Sitting comfort. Most adults find an elongated bowl noticeably more comfortable for sittings longer than 30 seconds. Round is fine for quick use; less ideal for the morning paper.
ADA compliance. Federal accessibility requirements specify elongated for public restrooms. A residential round-front works for residential use but won't satisfy ADA in a commercial spec.
Bidet seat fit. Bidet attachments and washlet seats come in both elongated and round versions, but the round versions are slightly more limited in features and brands — TOTO Washlet C5 and S550e are both available in round, but the absolute premium models (S7A, NX2) are elongated-only.

The "compact elongated" middle ground

Worth knowing about: TOTO, Kohler, and American Standard all offer compact elongated bowls at 17.5 inches — splitting the difference between a 16.5" round and an 18.5" full elongated. TOTO Aquia IV, Kohler Persuade, and American Standard Edgemere all come in compact elongated. For powder rooms where 18.5" won't fit but you want more comfort than 16.5", this is the answer. See our elongated bowl facet for the full breakdown.

Round-front picks at each tier

TOTO Drake (round) (~$380) — same Tornado flush as the elongated Drake, in a round-bowl format. Performance reference for round.
Kohler Cimarron Round (~$240) — comfort height + round bowl. Volume residential model.
American Standard Cadet 3 Round (~$210) — 1.28 GPF, EverClean glaze, the entry-tier choice.
Glacier Bay Round All-in-One (~$110) — Home Depot value pick. Quality varies but acceptable for low-use guest bath / rental property.
Mansfield Alto Round (~$170) — US-cast plumber-channel option for landlord rebuilds.

Measuring tip

If you're not sure whether you need round vs elongated, measure: distance from the wall behind the toilet (or where the toilet will be) to either (a) the opposite wall, or (b) the closest obstacle in front (vanity face, door swing, baseboard heater). Subtract 12" for the rough-in. If the remaining number is under 24", you need round. Between 24" and 26", consider compact-elongated (17.5"). Over 26", elongated (18.5") is comfortable.