Best potties (we tested 7)

You committed to potty training. You went down the rabbit hole. There are 200 potties on the market. They light up. They sing. They look like thrones. You buy one. Your toddler sits on it for 4 seconds and asks for a diaper.

Here is what actually matters in a potty, plus 7 we tested in real bathrooms over real training weekends.

The 2-potty setup most families need

The reality of potty training: you need a potty wherever the toddler might suddenly need one. For most homes that means 2 setups:

1. A standalone floor potty. Goes in the main living area for the first 1 to 2 weeks of training. Easy access, low to the floor, no stairs to climb during a 30-second window.
2. A toilet seat insert with a step stool. Goes in the main bathroom. The longer-term setup for when training transitions to using actual toilets.

Some families only need one or the other. If your bathroom is on the main floor and easy to access, you might be able to skip the floor potty. If your toddler is intimidated by the regular toilet, you might rely on the floor potty for longer. Both is common and useful.

What matters in a standalone potty

• Stable. A toddler should not be able to tip it.
• Easy to clean. Removable bowl, no crevices that trap urine.
• Comfortable. Smooth, no pinch points, generous opening.
• Quiet. No songs, no celebrations, no triggers when toddler walks past.
• Compact. The smaller the footprint, the better. You will live with it in your living room for weeks.
• Affordable. Used for 1 to 2 years max.

What matters in a toilet seat insert

• Sized for a toddler. Smaller opening, weight-supportive.
• Easy to install/remove. Adults will still use the toilet.
• Pairs with a step stool. Toddler needs feet supported for healthy pooping mechanics.
• Stable. Does not slip when sat on.
• Travel option a bonus. Folding inserts work in public restrooms too.

The 7 we tested

Standalone potties

1. BabyBjorn Smart Potty (~$30) - winner. Compact, ergonomic, splash guard for boys, removable bowl with handle that does not splash when carried. The cleanest design and the easiest to actually wipe down. Single piece of molded plastic. Worth the price.
2. Munchkin Arm & Hammer Multi-Stage 3-in-1 Potty (~$20). Converts to a step stool and a toilet trainer. Decent. The bowl is slightly harder to clean than the BabyBjorn. Good if budget is tight.
3. OXO Tot 2-in-1 Go Potty (~$25). Folds flat for travel. Less stable than a fixed potty but the travel function is genuinely useful. Use it as your secondary or your car potty.

Toilet seat inserts

4. BabyBjorn Toilet Trainer (~$30). The matching insert to the smart potty. Stable, removable, easy to wipe, fits most US toilets. Permanent in our reviewer's bathroom.
5. Jool Baby Potty Training Seat (~$15). Cheaper option. Includes a built-in splash guard and a handle. Works fine. The BabyBjorn is slightly better but this is half the price.
6. Mommy's Helper Cushie Tushie (~$15). Padded seat insert. Some toddlers prefer the soft surface. Hard to clean once it gets pee on it (and it will). Trade-off.

Step stool (essential)

7. BabyBjorn Step Stool (~$20). Heavy enough to stay put, non-slip base, tall enough to give toddler feet support on the toilet. Generic step stools work too, but the BabyBjorn is well-sized for toddlers.

What to skip

• Musical/singing potties. The Fisher-Price one sings when the toddler pees. Sounds great in theory, terrible in practice. Toddlers play with the music feature instead of focusing. The sound also triggers anxiety for some kids when it goes off unexpectedly.
• Throne-style potties. Big plastic chair-shaped potties with arms and backs. Bulky, hard to clean, and many toddlers find them too imposing.
• "Convertible" potties that try to do everything. The ones that promise to be a potty, a step stool, a toilet seat, and a chair. They do everything poorly.
• Bedazzled or character potties. Distracting and impossible to clean around the decorations.
• Anything you have to put batteries in. Batteries will leak when pee gets where it should not.

The step stool isn't optional

Toddlers need their feet supported when using the toilet. Without support, the pelvic floor cannot relax fully and pooping is harder. The step stool also gives them autonomy to get on and off the toilet themselves, which speeds up training.

This is a key reason most families do better with both a standalone potty and a toilet insert + stool combo. The standalone potty has feet on the floor naturally. The toilet insert needs the stool.

The travel question

Once you have trained, you will be out in public when your toddler needs to go. Two options:

• Foldable potty seat for your bag. The OXO Tot 2-in-1 folds. Or there are disposable paper seat covers.
• Portable urinal/potty for the car. The PottyOnTheGo or the OXO travel potty. For when you are 20 minutes from the nearest restroom and your toddler announces an emergency.

One of these in your diaper bag and car saves you from gas station meltdowns.

Cleaning realities

Potties get gross. Plan for it:

• Rinse the bowl after every use. Spray with disinfectant once a day.
• Skip flushing the bowl contents in the same toilet your toddler uses if it triggers anxiety. Pour into a different one or directly down a slop sink if you have one.
• Keep wipes nearby for accidents.
• Have a backup potty if you can. The day yours is in the dishwasher will be the day you need it.

What matters more than the potty

Worth saying: potty training success has very little to do with which potty you bought. Readiness, consistency, low stress, and parental patience matter much more. The right potty just makes the process slightly less miserable. Do not spend hours agonizing over the choice. Pick the BabyBjorn or the Munchkin, move on, focus on the training itself.