What Mayo Clinic’s Potty Training Guide Doesn’t Tell You

Mayo Clinic Gets the Basics Right. But There Are Gaps.

If you have been researching potty training, you have almost certainly come across the Mayo Clinic’s potty training guide. It is one of the most widely read pieces of potty training advice on the internet, and for good reason. It is accurate, evidence-based, and written by medical professionals. The core advice — follow your child’s readiness, stay calm during accidents, do not rush — is sound.

But after 15 years of writing about potty training and hearing from thousands of real parents, I have noticed something consistently: parents read the Mayo Clinic guide, feel reassured, start training — and then encounter situations it simply does not prepare them for.

This post covers everything the medical guide leaves out. Not because it is wrong — but because there is a significant gap between clinical advice and the reality of a Tuesday morning with a resistant toddler and a wet carpet.

parent and toddler in everyday home moment during potty training

What medical guides cover well — and what you only learn from real parenting experience.

What Mayo Clinic Covers Well

To be fair, let us start with what the guide gets right:

  • Follow readiness, not age. Mayo Clinic notes that potty training success hinges on milestones rather than age — absolutely correct and worth emphasising.
  • Your readiness matters too. The guide notes you should plan training for when you can devote consistent time and energy — something many parents overlook entirely.
  • Punishment has no place. The guide is clear that accidents are inevitable and punishment has no role — one of the most important things any parent can internalise.
  • Loose clothing matters. Keeping your child in easy-to-remove clothing is practical advice that makes a real difference in the early weeks.

Good foundation. But here is where it ends and where real life begins.

What Mayo Clinic Does Not Tell You

1. "Follow Your Child’s Readiness" Is Harder Than It Sounds

The guide tells you to look for readiness signs. What it does not tell you is that these signs often appear inconsistently, in different combinations, and that assessing them requires judgment rather than a checklist.

Many parents I hear from have a child who shows six out of eight readiness signs but refuses to sit on the potty. Or a child who is perfectly dry all day but has three accidents in a row on day two of training. The guide implies readiness is binary. In practice it is a spectrum, and navigating that spectrum requires specific strategies the guide does not provide.

→ What helps: our detailed readiness checklist with guidance on what to do when signs are mixed.

2. The Emotional Weight on Parents Is Real and Largely Ignored

The guide acknowledges that patience is required. What it does not acknowledge is how genuinely difficult potty training is emotionally for many parents — the anxiety when your child seems to be the last in their nursery group to train, the guilt when you lose patience, the exhaustion of cleaning up accidents for the fourth time before 10am.

I will say plainly what the medical guide cannot: it is normal to find this hard. It does not mean you are failing, and it does not mean your child is difficult. It means you are doing one of the genuinely challenging things in early parenting.

3. The Specific Problem of Poos in the Potty

Mayo Clinic mentions bowel movements in passing but does not address what is one of the most common specific challenges: children who will happily wee in the potty but categorically refuse to poo in it.

This happens in a significant proportion of children and has specific causes — the sensation of letting go feels unfamiliar or frightening, constipation has made it painful in the past, or the child prefers the privacy of a nappy for this particular function. Each cause has a different solution. The guide offers none of this.

→ What helps: our guide to the nappy poo problem and exactly how to resolve it step by step.

toddler pausing showing the hesitation that medical guides do not address

Real potty training involves specific challenges that general medical guides are not designed to address.

4. Night Training Is Physiological, Not Trainable

The Mayo Clinic guide says: wait until your child wakes up dry, then try without a nappy. This is technically correct but misses the most important thing parents need to understand about night dryness.

Night dryness is not a learned behaviour — it is physiological. It depends on the production of ADH (antidiuretic hormone) which reduces urine production during sleep. Children produce this hormone at different ages — some at 2, some at 5, some later. There is no training technique that can accelerate this hormonal development. Parents who do not understand this spend months trying to "train" night dryness in a child who is simply not yet ready — creating frustration on both sides for no benefit.

→ What helps: our complete guide to night training and when your child is physiologically ready.

5. Regression Is Far More Common Than the Guide Implies

Mayo Clinic mentions regression can happen when a new sibling arrives. What it does not convey is how common, how demoralising, and how specifically manageable regression actually is.

Regression happens to the majority of children at some point during or after training. It is triggered not just by new siblings but by any significant change: a house move, starting nursery, illness, a developmental leap. For parents who have not been prepared for this, regression can feel like the whole process has collapsed. Many make it significantly worse by reacting with frustration or reintroducing nappies full-time — both of which extend the regression considerably.

→ What helps: our regression guide including the five specific steps that resolve most regressions within two weeks.

6. The Guide Does Not Help You Handle Public Accidents

What do you actually do when your child has an accident in the supermarket? On the bus? The Mayo Clinic guide says to keep a change of clothing handy and stay calm. This is true but entirely insufficient for the actual experience of managing a public accident with a toddler who is upset, in a location where your cleaning options are limited, while other people are watching.

Real-world potty training requires a specific travel kit, a portable potty or folding toilet seat, a pre-trip potty protocol, and a mental framework for handling public accidents without communicating panic or shame to your child.

→ What helps: our complete guide to potty training while travelling and handling outings confidently.

7. What to Do When Nothing Is Working

The Mayo Clinic guide ends by pointing to your child’s healthcare professional. Appropriate medical advice — but there is a significant gap between "everything is fine" and "seek medical help" that the guide does not address: what do you do when training is not going catastrophically wrong, but is just not working after weeks of consistent effort?

Sometimes the right answer is a two-week break and a fresh start. Sometimes it is identifying a specific barrier — sensory sensitivity, anxiety about the flush, constipation — and addressing that directly. Sometimes it is switching method entirely. These practical troubleshooting paths are nowhere in the clinical guide.

→ What helps: our 15 most common potty training problems and their specific solutions.

The Fundamental Difference Between Medical and Parenting Advice

The Mayo Clinic guide is excellent at what it is designed to do: provide accurate, evidence-based general guidance. It tells you what to look for, what to avoid, and when to see a doctor. That is genuinely valuable.

What it cannot do — and was never intended to do — is sit with you at 7pm on a Thursday when your child has had five accidents and you are out of clean trousers, and tell you specifically what to try next. That is what 15 years of real parenting experience adds.

confident calm toddler and parent who have navigated potty training successfully

The best resource combines clinical accuracy with the practical detail that only real experience provides.

Quick Summary: What to Read Beyond Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic guide is where many parents start. This blog is where they come when they need the next level of detail.

Have a question that neither the medical guides nor this blog has answered yet? Leave it in the comments below.

Written by Baby Potty Training Mommy — real potty training advice since 2010. Read more about me here.

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Potty Training Twins: Together or Separately — What Works Best

The Question Every Twin Parent Asks

When you have twins and potty training time arrives, the obvious question is whether to train both children at the same time or to train them one at a time. It sounds like it should have a simple answer. It does not — because twins, even identical ones, are two separate people who often reach developmental milestones at different times and respond to training in entirely different ways.

Here is the honest, practical answer based on what actually works for most twin families.

two young children playing together showing twin dynamic

Twins often reach developmental milestones at different times — follow each child's readiness rather than the calendar.

The Short Answer

Train them at the same time if both are ready. Train them separately if one is clearly ready and the other is not. Follow readiness, not timetables.

This sounds straightforward, but twin parents know the reality is messier. Twins are often compared — by parents, by family, by nursery staff — and the pressure to have both children reach milestones together is real. Resist it. Starting a twin who is not ready will extend your training timeline significantly and create unnecessary frustration for that child.

If Both Twins Are Ready at the Same Time

Training twins simultaneously is absolutely manageable — and has some genuine advantages.

The advantages

  • Social reinforcement — twins often motivate each other in ways that external rewards cannot. Seeing their twin succeed on the potty is a powerful motivator.
  • Consistent routine — one set of toilet times, one reward system, one approach. Simpler to manage than two separate training processes running at different stages.
  • It is over at the same time — once both children are trained, you are done. No returning to active training weeks or months later for the second child.

The challenges

  • Twice the accidents in the first week — the intensive launch phase is significantly more demanding with two children simultaneously. Have your cleaning supplies ready.
  • Competition can become counterproductive — some twins become distressed when their twin succeeds and they do not. Watch for this and address it immediately.
  • You need two potties — non-negotiable. Having both children need the potty at the same time is not a theoretical possibility; it will happen constantly in the early days.

Practical tips for simultaneous training

  • Buy two identical potties — or let each twin choose their own. Either way, each child has their own.
  • Keep reward systems separate. Each twin earns their own stickers for their own chart. Do not compare progress.
  • Celebrate each child's successes individually, not comparatively. "You did a wee in the potty!" not "Look, your sister did it too!"
  • Expect different timelines even when training simultaneously. One twin may crack it in a week; the other may take three. This is normal.
young child being independent and learning new skills

Even when training at the same time, treat each twin as an individual with their own pace and motivation.

If One Twin Is Ready and the Other Is Not

This is the more common situation. Twins often show readiness signs weeks or even months apart, especially boy/girl twins where the developmental gap tends to be wider.

Train the ready twin first

Start training the twin who is showing clear readiness signs. Do not wait for the other to catch up — you may be waiting weeks or months, and holding back a ready child creates frustration without benefit.

The unready twin will observe everything. In many cases, watching their sibling train successfully accelerates their own readiness — they see what is expected, they see the rewards, and they start showing their own interest earlier than they might have otherwise.

Managing the unready twin during this period

  • Do not make the unready twin feel left behind. "Your turn will come when you're ready — everyone gets there in their own time."
  • Let the unready twin sit on their potty (with no expectation of producing anything) if they ask to. This normalises it and builds familiarity.
  • Do not give the unready twin rewards for sitting, or the reward system for the training twin loses its meaning.

Managing Competition Between Twins

Some twins are intensely competitive — and this can work for you or against you in potty training, depending on how you handle it.

When competition helps: Both children are motivated to use the potty because they see their twin being praised. Lean into this by making praise enthusiastic and visible, but always directed at the child who succeeded rather than framed as a race.

When competition hurts: One child becomes distressed or discouraged when their twin succeeds and they have not. If this happens, separate the reward system completely — sticker charts in different locations, praise given privately rather than in front of the sibling, and deliberate extra attention for the child who is struggling.

Never use one twin's success to pressure the other: "Your brother can do it — why can't you?" This creates shame and digs resistance in deeper. Each child's progress is their own.

Night Training Twins

Night dryness is physiological and cannot be trained — it depends on the production of the ADH hormone which develops at different rates in different children. It is extremely common for twins to achieve night dryness months apart, even when their daytime training progressed at similar rates. Continue with night nappies for each child until they are regularly waking dry — do not remove both night nappies at the same time just because one twin is ready.

Quick Summary

  • Train both if both are ready — it is more work upfront but gets it done together
  • Train the ready twin first if readiness is uneven — do not wait
  • Two potties are non-negotiable — buy them before you start
  • Separate reward systems — never compare progress between twins
  • Expect different timelines even when training simultaneously
  • Night training separately — based on each child's individual readiness

More posts that might help:

Written by Baby Potty Training Mommy — real potty training advice since 2010. Read more about me here.

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Want the Complete Potty Training Guide?

Everything in this blog — organised into one clear, step-by-step PDF guide.
The 4-week plan, boys & girls guides, regression help, 15 problems solved & printable charts.

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Potty Training a Child with Autism: What Actually Works

Why Standard Potty Training Advice Often Does Not Work for Autistic Children

If you have a child on the autism spectrum and have tried the standard potty training approaches without success, you are not failing and neither is your child. Most mainstream potty training advice is written for neurotypical children and simply does not account for the sensory, communication, and routine differences that are central to the autistic experience.

Potty training autistic children is absolutely achievable — but it typically takes longer, requires a more structured approach, and needs to address the specific challenges your child faces rather than following a one-size-fits-all method.

patient parent working with child using visual supports

Visual supports, structured routines and patience are the foundations of successful autism potty training.

Before You Start: Key Considerations

Readiness looks different

The standard readiness signs — staying dry for 1.5 hours, showing awareness of being wet, interest in the toilet — still apply, but may present differently in autistic children. Some autistic children show zero interest in the toilet but have excellent physical readiness. Others may be intensely interested in the toilet as an object (fascinated by flushing, water, pipes) without yet having the physiological control needed for training.

Focus primarily on the physical readiness signs — dry periods and predictable bowel movements — rather than the social and communicative signs, which may develop on a different timeline.

Consider communication carefully

Your child needs a way to communicate "I need the toilet" — but this does not have to be verbal. Picture exchange cards (PECS), a simple symbol they can point to, a sign language gesture, or even a physical action like walking to the bathroom door can all work. Establish this communication method before or alongside training, not after.

Identify sensory barriers

Many autistic children have sensory sensitivities that make the bathroom challenging. Common issues include:

  • Loud flush sounds — deeply distressing for many children with auditory sensitivities
  • Cold toilet seat — tactile sensitivity can make sitting on a cold hard surface very uncomfortable
  • Unfamiliar smells — cleaning products, air fresheners, the bathroom smell itself
  • Fluorescent lighting — can cause discomfort for children with visual sensitivities
  • The sensation of releasing — some children find the experience of letting go frightening or confusing

Identifying and addressing these barriers before training starts dramatically improves the chances of success.

The Structured Approach That Works

Step 1: Baseline observation

Before doing anything else, spend 3–5 days recording when your child wees and poos — what time, how much warning (if any), and what they were doing beforehand. This gives you a map of their natural pattern that you can use to schedule toilet sits at the times they are most likely to succeed.

Step 2: Introduce the bathroom gradually

Do not expect an autistic child to suddenly start spending time in a room that may have multiple sensory challenges without a gradual introduction. Visit the bathroom together with no training expectations. Let your child explore it. Address the sensory issues you identified — put a cushioned seat cover on the toilet, switch to softer lighting, remove strong-smelling products.

Step 3: Create a visual schedule

Autistic children typically respond much better to visual supports than verbal instructions. Create a simple visual schedule showing the toilet routine step by step: walk to bathroom → pull down pants → sit on toilet → wipe → flush → pull up pants → wash hands. Use photographs or simple clear symbols. Place the schedule on the bathroom wall at your child's eye level.

This visual schedule does two things: it reduces the cognitive load of remembering what comes next, and it provides predictability — which is deeply reassuring for most autistic children.

Step 4: Scheduled sits on a timer

Use a visual timer (like a Time Timer) rather than just telling your child it is time for the toilet. The visual representation of time passing is easier for many autistic children to understand and accept than a verbal announcement. Set the timer based on your baseline observations — if your child typically wees every 90 minutes, schedule sits every 75–80 minutes.

Keep sits short — 3 to 5 minutes. If nothing happens, say calmly "all done, let's try next time" and move on. Do not extend the sit hoping something will happen — this creates distress without benefit.

parent and child calm positive moment at home building trust

Calm, consistent routine builds the safety and predictability autistic children need to succeed.

Step 5: Use highly motivating rewards

Find out what your child is most motivated by — a specific toy, a song, a video, a sensory input they enjoy — and use that as the immediate reward for successful toilet use. The reward needs to be immediate (given within seconds of success) and highly desirable. Token systems can work well for children who understand them, where a certain number of tokens earns a larger preferred item.

Avoid food rewards where possible — not because they never work, but because they can create dependency and are harder to fade out.

Step 6: Address the flush separately

If your child is frightened of the flush sound, address this completely separately from toilet training. Let your child flush the toilet when there is nothing in it, from a distance, gradually getting closer. Some children benefit from noise-cancelling headphones or ear defenders during flushing. Only introduce flushing as part of the toilet routine once the sound itself is no longer distressing.

Handling Specific Challenges

Child refuses to sit on the toilet at all

Go even more gradually. Start by rewarding your child for walking into the bathroom. Then for standing next to the toilet. Then for touching the toilet seat. Then for sitting with clothes on. Then for sitting with clothes down. Each step is a separate achievement worth rewarding before moving to the next.

Child will wee in the potty but refuses to poo

This is very common in autistic children. The sensation of letting go of a bowel movement is experienced very differently by some children and can feel frightening or wrong. The nappy poo transition approach (described in our troubleshooting guide) often works well: poo in nappy while standing in the bathroom → sitting on potty in nappy → hole in nappy over potty → no nappy. Very gradual, no pressure at any stage.

Progress is inconsistent

Inconsistency is normal in autism potty training and does not mean the approach is failing. Autistic children are often significantly affected by changes in routine, sensory state, anxiety levels, and whether they are in a period of developmental change. A week of great progress followed by three days of regression is a pattern, not a failure. Keep records, stay consistent, and wait it out.

A Note on Timing

The average age for autistic children to achieve daytime continence is later than for neurotypical children — often 3.5 to 5 years, and sometimes later. This is not a reflection of the quality of your parenting or the effectiveness of your approach. It reflects the neurological differences that affect how quickly the relevant skills develop.

If your child is over 5 and still struggling with potty training, speak to your paediatrician or the professional team supporting your child's autism diagnosis. There are specialist approaches and additional supports available.

Quick Summary

  • Address sensory barriers first — flush sounds, cold seats, lighting, smells
  • Establish a communication method — verbal, PECS, sign, or symbol
  • Use a visual schedule — step-by-step pictures on the bathroom wall
  • Schedule sits using a visual timer — based on your baseline observations
  • Use highly motivating, immediate rewards
  • Go slowly and celebrate every small step
  • Expect a longer timeline — this is normal, not a failure

More posts that might help:

Written by Baby Potty Training Mommy — real potty training advice since 2010. Read more about me here.

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Want the Complete Potty Training Guide?

Everything in this blog — organised into one clear, step-by-step PDF guide.
The 4-week plan, boys & girls guides, regression help, 15 problems solved & printable charts.

Get the Guide — $9 →

Instant PDF download  •  30-day money-back guarantee

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Potty Training Before Age 2: What to Realistically Expect

Is Starting Early a Good Idea?

The question of whether to start potty training before age 2 comes up constantly. Some parents want to get started as early as possible. Others have been told that starting before 2 is pointless or even harmful. The truth, as with most parenting debates, is somewhere more nuanced than either extreme.

Here is what the research actually shows, what early training realistically looks like in practice, and how to approach it in a way that does not create more problems than it solves.

young toddler under 2 showing early development milestones

Early training is possible — but success depends heavily on developmental readiness, not the calendar.

What the Research Says

The research on early potty training is actually more supportive than many modern parenting guides suggest. Studies consistently show that children who begin training before 27 months do complete training — it simply takes longer, with an average completion age of around 36 months. Children who begin training after 27 months tend to complete training faster, with an average completion around 33–34 months.

What the research does not support is the idea that early training is harmful. There is no good evidence that starting before age 2 causes psychological damage, increases regression rates in the long term, or creates toilet anxiety. The main documented downside is simply that it takes longer.

The honest conclusion: Early training is not harmful, but it is not necessarily faster either. You will likely spend more total time training if you start at 15 months than if you wait until 26 months. Whether that trade-off is worth it depends entirely on your family's situation and your child's temperament.

What Early Training Actually Looks Like

Training a child under 2 looks very different from training a 2.5-year-old. The approaches and expectations need to match the developmental stage.

Under 18 Months: Elimination Communication

For very young children under 18 months, the approach used by parents who train this early is typically elimination communication (EC) — learning to read your baby's cues and offering the potty at the right moments, rather than waiting for the child to self-initiate. This is not potty training in the traditional sense. It is pattern recognition and responsiveness.

EC requires significant parental attention and flexibility. It works best for parents who are at home most of the time and can dedicate the focus it requires. The child does not learn to self-initiate at this stage — the parent does most of the work. True independence comes later.

18–24 Months: Early Readiness Training

Children in the 18–24 month window are the most likely to succeed with early training. This is because several key developmental milestones typically appear in this window:

  • Sufficient bladder capacity to stay dry for 1–1.5 hours
  • Beginning awareness of the sensation of needing to go
  • Ability to follow simple one or two-step instructions
  • Interest in imitating adult behaviour

At this stage, training is possible but requires a longer runway. Expect the process to take 3–6 months rather than the 2–4 weeks that is sometimes achievable with older children.

toddler under 2 beginning to learn independence in bathroom

Children aged 18–24 months can begin training — with adjusted expectations and a longer timeline.

Signs a Child Under 2 May Be Ready

  • Stays dry for 1+ hours at a stretch during the day
  • Shows clear awareness of having a wet or soiled nappy — looks uncomfortable, tries to remove it
  • Goes somewhere private to poo — hides behind the sofa, goes quiet
  • Shows interest in the toilet — follows you in, wants to watch, wants to flush
  • Can follow simple instructions like "bring me the nappy" or "put this in the bin"
  • Has predictable bowel movements — usually once or twice a day at similar times

The more of these signs are present, the more likely early training will go smoothly. If fewer than 3 or 4 are present, you are likely to find it a long and frustrating process regardless of how good your method is.

How to Start Training Before Age 2

Step 1: Introduction without pressure

Introduce the potty as an interesting, exciting object. Let your child sit on it fully clothed. Read potty books together. Talk about it positively. This familiarity phase is especially important for young children who cannot yet process verbal explanations the way older toddlers can.

Step 2: Scheduled sits

Rather than waiting for your child to self-initiate (which most under-2s cannot reliably do), use scheduled sits. Place your child on the potty at predictable times: first thing in the morning, after meals, after naps, and before bath time. These are the times when success is most likely because the bowel and bladder are most likely to be ready.

Keep sits short — 2 to 3 minutes maximum. Do not force continued sitting if your child wants to get up.

Step 3: Celebrate any success, ignore all misses

With young children, the reward needs to be immediate and enthusiastic. Clap, cheer, make a big deal of every single success. Completely ignore accidents — no disappointment, no sighing, just a calm "let's get you clean." Young children are powerfully shaped by parental reaction. Positive reinforcement works; any negative reaction creates associations you do not want.

Step 4: Adjust expectations

Accept that self-initiation — where your child tells you they need to go and takes themselves to the potty — will come significantly later than the first successes. With early training, parents typically manage the process for many months before true independence arrives. That is the nature of starting early.

When Early Training Is Not the Right Call

Early training tends to be harder and take longer when:

  • Your child is in a strong "no" phase and refuses most things you suggest
  • Your child shows very few of the readiness signs listed above
  • A new sibling is arriving or has just arrived
  • Your family is going through significant change or disruption
  • You do not have the time and consistency the longer process requires

None of these mean you cannot start — they simply mean you should adjust your expectations accordingly and be ready for a longer journey.

Quick Summary

  • Is early training harmful? No — no good evidence supports this claim
  • Is it faster? Not usually — total training time is often the same or longer
  • When is it worth trying? When 4+ readiness signs are present and you have the time
  • What approach works? Scheduled sits, immediate positive reinforcement, zero pressure
  • What to expect: 3–6 months to reliable daytime dryness, self-initiation comes later

More posts that might help:

Written by Baby Potty Training Mommy — real potty training advice since 2010. Read more about me here.

👶

Want the Complete Potty Training Guide?

Everything in this blog — organised into one clear, step-by-step PDF guide.
The 4-week plan, boys & girls guides, regression help, 15 problems solved & printable charts.

Get the Guide — $9 →

Instant PDF download  •  30-day money-back guarantee

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Best Potty Training Seats for Toddlers: Honest Reviews for 2025

Choosing the Right Potty Seat Makes a Difference

Walk into any baby store and the range of potty training seats on offer is genuinely overwhelming. Standalone potties. Toilet seat inserts. 3-in-1 training systems. Musical versions. Character-branded versions. Travel versions. It is easy to spend a lot of money on the wrong thing.

I have used a lot of potty seats over the years — with my own children and through the experiences of the thousands of parents I have connected with through this blog. Here is my honest assessment of the best options in each category, and how to choose the right one for your child.

selection of potty training equipment for toddlers

The right potty seat depends on your child's age, temperament, and stage of training.

Category 1: Standalone Potty Chairs

A standalone potty chair is the most common starting point for children aged 18 months to 3 years. It sits on the floor, looks less intimidating than a full toilet, and gives small children a sense of ownership over their own dedicated seat.

BabyBjörn Smart Potty — Best Overall

The BabyBjörn Smart Potty remains our top pick for standalone potties. The seamless inner bowl is genuinely the easiest to clean of any potty we have tested — no corners, no crevices, just a smooth curve you can rinse in 30 seconds. The low, wide base is stable on all floor types and the high splash guard is effective for boys. Available in white, yellow, blue and red. Read our full BabyBjörn review.

Best for: Parents who prioritise ease of cleaning and simple, reliable design.
Price: $20–25

Summer Infant My Size Potty — Best for Motivation

The Summer Infant My Size Potty looks like a miniature real toilet complete with a flushing sound, lid, and toilet paper holder. For children who need extra motivation to use the potty, the familiar design and interactive features genuinely help. Slightly more to clean than the BabyBjörn but excellent for the right child. Read our full Summer Infant review.

Best for: Hesitant children who respond to novelty and familiar toilet design.
Price: $25–35

IKEA LOCKIG Potty — Best Budget

If budget is tight, the IKEA LOCKIG is the best value standalone potty available. Simple design, smooth inner bowl, stable base, available in soft colours. At under $10 it outperforms most mid-range potties. The one thing it lacks is a high splash guard — keep that in mind if you are training a boy.

Best for: Budget-conscious families who want a functional, no-frills option.
Price: Under $10

Category 2: Toilet Seat Inserts

A toilet seat insert reduces the opening of your adult toilet to a child-appropriate size. Most children transition to the toilet between ages 2 and 4, and a seat insert makes this transition much more comfortable and less frightening than simply removing the potty and hoping for the best.

toddler showing independence in bathroom potty training

A toilet seat insert gives children the confidence to use the full-size toilet safely.

BabyBjörn Toilet Training Seat — Best Overall Insert

The BabyBjörn Toilet Training Seat fits most standard toilet seats without installation hardware, has a handle for easy transport to public toilets, and is designed for children aged 2 to 6. The non-slip surface keeps it secure and the simple click-on design means your child can eventually manage it independently. Our top pick in this category.

Best for: The transition from potty to toilet, including public toilets.
Price: $25–30

Potette Plus 2-in-1 — Best for Travel

The Potette Plus works as both a standalone portable potty and a toilet seat insert, making it the most versatile option for families on the go. Fold it flat for the changing bag, open it as a potty in the car park, or clip it onto a public toilet seat. Disposable liners are available for clean hygiene on the road. A genuine travel essential.

Best for: Travel, outings, and families who need one product that does both jobs.
Price: $25–30

Category 3: 3-in-1 Training Seats

3-in-1 training seats combine a standalone potty, a toilet seat insert, and a step stool in a single product that adapts as your child grows. They are more expensive than standalone options but eliminate the need to buy separate products at each stage.

Summer Infant Step-by-Step Potty

A well-designed 3-in-1 that separates into a standalone potty, a toilet seat reducer, and a step stool. The step stool is a genuine differentiator here — having your child's feet supported on a step when sitting on the toilet makes it significantly easier for them to relax the muscles needed for a bowel movement. Good quality for the price.

Best for: Families who want a single product that covers all three training stages.
Price: $30–40

The Step Stool — The Most Overlooked Item

Whichever toilet seat insert you choose, pair it with a step stool. When a child's feet dangle in the air while sitting on the toilet, it is physically harder to relax the muscles needed for a bowel movement. A step stool with their feet flat and slightly elevated changes this immediately — and explains why children who have mastered wees in the potty sometimes still struggle with poos on the toilet.

Any stable step stool works. The IKEA BOLMEN step stool is under $10 and does the job perfectly.

Head-to-Head Comparison

ProductTypeBest AgePriceBest For
BabyBjörn Smart PottyStandalone18m–3yr$20–25Easy cleaning, reliability
Summer Infant My SizeStandalone18m–3yr$25–35Motivation, hesitant children
IKEA LOCKIGStandalone18m–3yrUnder $10Budget
BabyBjörn Toilet SeatInsert2–6yr$25–30Toilet transition
Potette Plus 2-in-1Insert + portable18m–4yr$25–30Travel & outings
Summer Infant Step-by-Step3-in-118m–5yr$30–40All-in-one system

Quick Summary: How to Choose

  • Starting training with an 18–24 month old: BabyBjörn Smart Potty or Summer Infant My Size
  • Budget is tight: IKEA LOCKIG standalone + any cheap toilet insert later
  • Child is ready for the toilet: BabyBjörn Toilet Training Seat + step stool
  • Travel a lot: Potette Plus 2-in-1
  • Want one product for all stages: Summer Infant Step-by-Step 3-in-1

Have a potty seat recommendation that is not on this list? Leave a comment below.

More posts that might help:

Written by Baby Potty Training Mommy — real potty training advice since 2010. Read more about me here.

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