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When it’s time to start potty training, choosing the right potty seat or potty chair can make all the difference. The best potty training tools are designed to help little ones feel comfortable, secure, and confident as they learn an important new skill.
With that being said, every toddler is different! What worked for your first child without a hitch might not be best for your second. It’s good to know your options and the pros and cons of potty seats and potty chairs.
Potty Seat vs. Potty Chair
The terms potty seat and potty chair are not interchangeable, they’re actually two different tools used for potty training! Here’s what you should know.
Potty Seat
A potty seat is a smaller, removable seat that fits directly on the toilet. It reduces the size of the toilet opening so toddlers can’t fall into the bowl! Potty seats are typically more compact and lightweight, making them easy to travel with.
One of the biggest benefits of using a potty seat is your child goes right into the toilet bowl, there’s no cleaning up for you!
Potty Chair
A potty chair is a child-sized potty that sits directly on the floor. It usually has a removable bowl for dumping and cleaning.
Potty chairs work great for many little ones as they increase independence and toddlers’ feet can firmly plant on the floor. However, caregivers need to clean the bowl after each use. And toddlers still need to make an additional transition after the potty chair, moving to the toilet seat.
This is the best toilet seat for potty training because it’s sleek, low-profile, and works for the whole family. We have this in our bathroom, and it’s worked really well for our kids while learning to potty train.
I love that you don’t even notice it’s on the toilet! When you want to use the smaller child seat, just pull up slightly and let it fall on top of the big potty seat. When your little one is done using the bathroom, put it back in the upright position. Say goodbye to potty training clutter with this built-in potty training seat.
Why we love it:
Soft-close lid
No potty training clutter!
Oval or round options fit standard toilets
Seamless adjustment from potty seat to regular toilet seat
Works for the whole family
Easy to clean
Considerations:
More expensive than a traditional potty seat
Make sure to buy the correct model for your toilet as it comes in oval and round shapes
Lalo recently came out with their 3-in-1 potty chair and it’s a potty that does it all! It’s a potty chair, or a potty seat with a step stool as well. You can see it in action here! Use it however works best for your little one!
I love the thoughtful design with a side opening for easy access to wipes. It’s convenient for parents, and can help toddlers be more independent. The sage green color makes it aesthetically-pleasing even sitting out in your home! It also comes in white.
Why we love it:
Versatile – a potty seat or potty chair
Built-in splash guard
Soft-open lid
Non-slip base
Considerations:
When cleaning, there are more nooks and crannies for water to sit. Make sure to leave pieces separated to dry!
There’s a reason this is one of the best-rated potty seats on the market. It checks a lot of boxes, with a no-slip grip, handles to help toddlers feel secure, and a splash guard.
I love that Jool added a built-in hook to make it easy to store when not in use. That helps reduce bathroom clutter and keeps it accessible for little ones when they need it!
Why we love it:
Non-slip grip
Handles for toddlers to keep themselves steady
Built-in splash guard for less mess
Hook included for easy storage
Considerations:
Mixed reviews on a snug fit with elongated vs. round toilets
The Baby Bjorn Potty was our favorite potty chair when potty training our son. It’s easy to clean and has a high back for comfort.
The high splashguard helps prevent messes, even with little boys. It’s sturdy and well made.
Why we love it:
High back provides more support and comfort
Higher splash guard
Sturdy and comfortable
Easy to clean
Considerations:
Bulkier in size and may not fit in a small half bath depending on dimensions
Need something smaller?
Baby Bjorn also makes the Smart Potty (pictured below) that we own and love. It’s more compact so it’s easy to travel with. Just throw it in the trunk and go!
This potty seat with step stool ladder is more of a transitional tool for potty training. It allows the independence of a potty chair with the steps. However, it functions more like a potty seat in terms of your child going to the bathroom directly into the toilet.
While these are used successfully by many toddlers, they do take up more room!
Why we love it:
Allows for toddlers to be more independent and climb up onto the potty
Handles help little ones feel more secure
Built-in splash guard and high back
Folds for storing
Considerations:
Bulky, takes up more room in the bathroom
Best to leave it up on the toilet as putting it on and taking it off can be clunky
This is one of the best potty training purchases I made when Paul was learning. I quickly realized you can’t just have a potty chair, you need something for on-the-go, too.
We take it on vacations as well instead of packing a potty chair. It’s our tried and true travel potty seat!
Why we love it:
Affordable
Suctions to most toilets for a sturdy seat
Foldable and compact, take it anywhere
Hygienic travel bag included
Considerations:
No splash guard
Suction cup suction is very strong, so sometimes it’s hard to pull off!
We all know, sometimes little ones just have to go! If you forget your travel potty seat, or have a newly potty trained child, these disposable toilet seat covers are great.
They come in packs of 10, so you can easily stash them in your diaper bag or purse. This way, you always know your child has a clean place to sit on the toilet seat. They’re flushable and great for travel.
This is some of the best potty training underwear because it’s made of mostly cotton and has a comfortable, pull-up style fit. The 6-layer middle section is absorbent and helps catch accidents as toddlers learn to get to the potty!
Our Favorite Toddler Underwear
When looking for toddler underwear, I always prefer a 100% cotton option. If it’s organic cotton, even better!
We love Burt’s Bees Baby toddler underwear because it’s made from 100% organic cotton and washes well. It’s soft and comfortable for both my little ones. And their prints are so cute!
When potty training a toddler, one of my best tips is to prepare ahead of time and stay consistent. We always read potty training books when leading up to potty training. We also read those potty training books while sitting on the potty to increase little ones’ comfort on the seat.
Reading potty training books has so many benefits:
Helps little ones build familiarity with the process
Encourages communication
Learn vocabulary for body parts and bodily functions
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Most parenting resources come from a single expert's perspective, but development doesn't really work that way.
You can't fully understand feeding without input from both a dietitian and a feeding specialist. You can't properly address milestones without OT, PT, and SLP perspectives working together. That's why every Eat Play Say resource is created collaboratively by our entire team — giving you the most comprehensive guidance possible, all in one place.
MS, SLP
Founder of Eat Play Say, Speech-Language Pathologist, Feeding Specialist, Play Expert, Mom of 2
Jordyn Koveleski Gorman
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and toddler speech-language, play, and feeding development, and curating a team that provides expert help that feels like a reassuring text from that one mom friend
EDUCATION: Jordyn received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Bloomsburg University and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “The first true smile, it’s the sweetest!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, oral motor dysfunction, starting solids, infant and toddler speech, treating oral motor disorders
EDUCATION: Jessica received her BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Pennsylvania State University in 2015 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University in 2017
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “Baby’s first wave! What a fun first communication gesture!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, starting solids, infant and toddler speech development
EDUCATION: She received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2014 and a MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “My favorite baby’s first is their first true smile that just warms your soul knowing they are smiling at you. My other favorite is their first word. I love watching their language explode!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Bilingual development (Spanish-English), supporting multilingual families, infant and toddler speech
EDUCATION: She received her BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders and in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology with an English-Spanish Specialization from Marquette University in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “It’s the first slobbery kisses for me!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and pediatric nutrition including breastfeeding, formula feeding, and starting solids. She also specializes in prenatal and postpartum nutrition.
EDUCATION: She received her BSc in Biology in 2014 from Life University, and her BSc in Dietetics from Life University in 2019.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: ”The first time they say ‘mama!’”
This checklist was created with input from a Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist and has been downloaded over 20,000 times by parents worldwide. Learn the important milestones to pay attention to, and keep it in your digital back pocket during the baby + toddler years!
Comprehensive Milestone Checklist for gross motor, fine motor, and speech-language milestones for 0-36 months,