Most of us take great care in choosing certain things. Our clothes, for instance? We’re careful not to mix plaids with stripes or wear something with a giant spaghetti stain (at least, usually). But we don’t, however, carefully select our child’s potty chair. Considering what it’s used for, this isn’t surprising: they’re all going to crap, regardless of the brand.
Even so, selecting the right potty chair for your training endeavors can make or break the process. Not all toilets are created equal, especially in the eyes of the toddler just learning to go.
Fortunately for you, and your throw rug too, there are several potties on the market that make training fun.
Why Buy a Potty Chair?
Potty chairs are well worth the purchase. Why? The biggest reason is they’re portable, something your regular toilet is not (turns out those pipes go way into the ground!). Your child can move them to any room in the house, allowing them to poop wherever they want (like the kitchen, regrettably). But, more aptly, you can take these toilets on trips – to the market or across the country. This reduces the odds of accidents, even when you’re in the middle of nowhere.
Potty training chairs also allow your child’s feet to touch the floor. This fosters a more natural position and encouraging going. It makes the toilet less scary and gives your child the feeling of independence: they won’t have to rely on you every time nature calls.
So, what are some of the best potty chairs worthy of your money?
They include:
Best Potty Chairs 2021:
Summer Infant My Size Potty
This potty chair looks and feels like a typical toilet, which will help with your child’s transition down the line. It comes with many realistic features, including a handle and flushing noises.
One of the biggest pros lies in the aforementioned realism – it helps your child understand the purpose of the potty. It comes with a storage area too, somewhere to hide the (absolutely necessary) wipes or, if potty training is going particularly bad, the other stuff: use it to store your flask.
The biggest con lies in the splashguard – it falls off, rendering it useless. This increases the odds that the pee won’t so much land in the potty as it will all over your new Nikes. While splashguards are more important to boys, some moms and dads find that they are beneficial to the bathroom floors regardless of your child’s gender.
BABYBJORN Potty Chair
This potty chair is sleek and simple. It’s a good option for parents who want something that gets the job done with just the basics.
On the plus side, it’s sturdy and elegant (yes, toilets can be stunning!). It won’t collapse under your child’s weight or be an eyesore inside your home. It’s also the perfect size for toddlers training around the typical age (two-ish) and comfortable – something you certainly want your child’s toilet to be. It’s easy to clean too!
The drawback is this toilet isn’t easy to grab. If you want to pick it up quickly and move it around with one hand, this can be an inconvenience.
BABYBJORN Smart Potty
This toilet has a special ergonomic design that makes it perfect for the toilet training process: it tells your child to get comfortable and let ‘em rip! It’s also smaller than most potties, which makes it a smart choice for parents who don’t want a bulky toilet blocking their bathroom.
Some of the pros include: highly portable, versatile design, BPA-free, and multiple color options. It is also simple to clean.
The cons include no back support and the size. The former can decrease the level of comfort your child feels when staying on the toilet for an extended period. As for size, this toilet is not ideal for kids who are tall.
OXO Tot Potty Chair
This toilet is known for its simple design, something that makes it easy to clean. In fact, this is one of the biggest selling points for this product: most people don’t want to spend lots of time cleaning up their own urine, let alone someone else’s.
Another perk is the portability: it comes with a handle! The high backrest is a nice touch as well: it encourages proper potty posture. This potty chair has a nonslip base which is a pro for many parents, though some have complained of its efficiency.
In the cons column? The splashguard rears its head! It’s too small to be effective for some kids, requiring parents to modify the toilet in order to get the pee where it belongs. Another con lies in the size: if you’re training your child late (or they’re big for their age), this toilet may be too small for them.
Summer Infant Lil’ Loo Potty
Stylish and comfortable, this potty is great for toddlers just learning to tinkle. Its simple appearance assures that it will blend in with your bathroom decor.
This potty is so comfortable that you may want to use it yourself (but don’t – the weight limit is only fifty pounds). The back is high, so children can lean back as they use it.
The cons include feet that don’t grip as well as they should and a toilet that has no lid. The latter allows kids to put whatever they want in the toilet: toys, shoes, pet hamsters.
Primo 4-in-1 Soft Seat Toilet Trainer and Step Stool
This is a toilet designed to stay with your child through each leg of the toilet trek. It starts as a stand-alone chair, becomes a seat for the adult toilet, morphs into a step stool, and also evolves into an easy to carry contraption.
The advantages are, of course, the versatility – this toilet can last until your child is taught, trained, and ready to take on the world with nary a diaper in sight. The soft seat is also a nice touch…literally; your children will appreciate the comfort. The seat is extra large for added stability and comes with handles too.
The cons include weight limit – it tops out at forty-five pounds which may be an issue if you have a child training late or one who is big for their age. The toilet also has several grooves that are hard to reach and clean. And, the pee guard has garnered a few bad reviews with some parents stating that it is too small for many boys.
Summer Infant Step by Step Potty
This toilet offers trainees the chance to adapt and grow. It starts off as a stand-alone potty chair and transforms into a potty seat and a step stool.
The pros include comfort – the seat is comfortable enough that children won’t be deterred, not even if they tend to take a while finishing things up. The splash guard also works well. This potty looks like a “mommy and daddy” potty with a lid and toilet paper dispenser. It has a flushable wipes holder too, all things that may encourage children to go. Kids want to be like their parents, after all.
On the bad side, some pee may get stuck at the bottom of the toilet, requiring frequent cleaning. And, though it has a potty seat designed to fit on an actual toilet, it may not fit correctly if the toilet seat is elongated.
Joovy Loo Potty Chair
This potty chair is contemporarily designed with a comfortable and aesthetically-pleasing style. It’s also BPA, PVC, and Phthalate-free, something kids don’t care about but parents do!
Among the pros is the size capacity – it accommodates both children small and big for their age (the toilet can hold more than sixty pounds – teach your Rottweiler how to use it!). It also has a sealed inner bowl which keeps spills from getting into the toilet’s hard to reach (i.e., hard to clean) places.
Its simplicity is a negative for some – it does not have a lid or any frills. It doesn’t morph into a stool either. And the toilet doesn’t resemble a toy, which some moms and dads find beneficial (as it’s not distracting). However, some kids may find this toilet boring and grow bored with the idea of using it. Peeing in your pants? So much more exciting.
Choosing a potty training chair is an important task. Sure, it might not be as vital as choosing a car or choosing a career, but the right toilet can help your child train faster and make the overall process more enjoyable.
These products aren’t perfect (like everything else in life), but they’re solid, sufficient selections, making them ideal for the tinkle and beautiful for the bowels.
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Best Potty Training Seats – Pros & Cons Review
Best Toddler Step Stools – Pros & Cons Review
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