buying guides
How to buy the best potty for your toddler
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When the time comes to begin toilet training, most parents start the process by getting their child used to using a potty before teaching them to use the loo.
A potty is (unsurprisingly!) one of the most useful potty-training products you can buy: it’s just the right size for your toddler to use comfortably, is easy to clean, and can be moved from room to room depending on where your child is.
What to spend
Potties are, in general, inexpensive – you can pick up a basic model in the supermarket for only a few pounds, and sometimes you’ll even find them in pound shops.
If you spend between £5 and £10, you’ll get a few additional features, such as a toddler-friendly character design.
In the middle price range are potty chairs, which are bigger and more substantial than standard potties.
And if you extend your budget to between £20 and £30, you’ll be in the market for multi-tasking potties that have features such as removable toilet seats that can be used on the loo, or for musical potties that are designed to be more fun for your toddler to use.
This clever 3-in-1 potty by Munchkin has a snap-in deodorising disc powered by baking soda to keep the potty fresh and can be used as a standalone potty chair or as a training seat on top of the normal toilet.
You can buy it here at Amazon for around £25.
Munchkin Odour Eliminating 3-in-1 Multi Stage Potty
Key features
When you’re choosing a potty, the main things to consider are whether it’s the right size for your toddler, and whether it’s easy to clean – anything above and beyond this is a bonus.
Standard potties generally have a small back rest to support your child, and a raised front that acts as a splashguard to stop your toddler weeing over the edge: particularly important if you have a boy.
Make sure the seating area of the potty has wide, rounded edges, so it’s comfy for your child to sit on.
Other useful features include a non-slip base, which will help to prevent the potty from being kicked or knocked over on hard flooring, and a cut-away handle – usually at the back – so it’s easy to carry it to the loo when it’s full.
Some potties have a lift-out pan, so you don’t have to take the whole potty to the bathroom to empty it.
We like the ingenious Pourty - it looks like an everyday potty, but has a clever pouring duct at the back so it's easier to dispose of the contents (no more drips on the floor, ugh). You can buy it here at Amazon for £9.99.
Pourty Easy-to-Pour Potty
Potties come in a variety of different colours and designs, so you can choose one that will appeal to your toddler.
They’re also relatively compact to store, and easy enough to move around the house, or even to put under the buggy if you’re going out.
Potty chairs are similar to potties, but because they’re larger, they may be better for bigger or older toddlers as they can sit in a more natural position, rather than squatting.
These usually have a removable pan to make them easier to empty.
Potty chairs feel a little closer to the normal toilet, so the transition may be easier for your toddler, but their size makes them bulky to store and less portable than a normal potty.
They can be just as affordable, however, this one with a chic grey star design is available at Amazon for just £11.99.
Strata Deluxe Silver Lining Potty Chair
At the upper end of the scale are potty chairs that convert to other toilet-training products.
These typically start life as a potty chair, often with extra accessories such as a padded seat, toilet roll holder and lid.
Then, once you’re ready to move your child to the toilet, they convert into a toddler toilet seat and step.
These are good if you want to buy all your potty-training gear in one go, but again, they’re harder to store and transport.
Some potties have musical features, which play when your child ‘performs’.
These offer a great incentive for your child to use the potty, but sometimes can make children see the potty as a toy rather than a practical product.
You can also buy travel potties. These fold flat into their own storage pouch, and a disposable bag with an absorbent pad inside attaches to the potty when your child needs to go.
They’re more portable than standard potties, but you’ll have to budget for refills of bags and pads.
Need to know
Although most families start toilet training using a potty, there’s no rule that says you have to do this.
Some children are happy to use the toilet (with a toddler seat) right from the beginning, which means you get to bypass the unpleasant potty-cleaning stage.
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Checklist
- Potties are designed to be the right size and shape for toddlers to sit on comfortably, and are easy to clean and move around.
- Potty chairs, which are bigger and taller, can be more comfortable for older or larger toddlers.
- Some potties have features such as seats that can detach and be used on the normal toilet.
Read on:
- The best buys for easier potty training
- The best baby changing mats
- The best potty training buys for trips out
