Uh oh. I’m guessing that you found this article because someone is potty training! I feel (smell?) your pain, truly! I’ve potty trained two very different children, a boy and a girl, and I’m here with all of the best gear for potty training. Learn about our experiences, what worked (and what didn’t), and how to keep everyone sane throughout. So grab some hand sanitizer and let’s get started!

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Our Background

Just so you know about our family before we dive in to the best gear for potty training: I have two kids. My oldest is a boy who is extremely intelligent and likes to analyze. He also loves routine. My youngest is a feisty independent little girl who loves encouragement.

If you’d like to read about my experience potty training my son, you can read that here.

And if you want to see how potty training went with my little girl, check that out here.

Basically I’ve tried it all. We did the apps, the song and dance routine, bribing up the- well, you know, games and treats and sticker charts and Elmo singing because you pooped on him, everything. This is the stuff that actually worked for my kids – and some of it we still use today!

The Best Gear for Potty Training: Toilets and Toilet Seats

I’ll be honest: my kids first tried various training potties, and were either terrified of them or just wanted to play with them all the time. We had the Elmo potty as well as the potty which yells “Yay!” with the sensor in the bowl. (This one was also faulty and even with it switched “Off”, we’d hear it yelling “Yay!” And singing in our bathroom… in the middle of the night. The puppy potty version is the newer one but the same concept.)

Due to the fact that my kids weren’t super successful with their little potties, and plus all of the extra cleaning they required (though if you have to clean out a little potty, a diaper sprayer/bidet is the way to go), we just got one of these potty seats that fits over your toilet. They’re cheap and lightweight, and your kid gets a kick out of pooping or peeing into the water of the actual toilet bowl. The only drawback is that if you have a taller toilet, you may need to get a stool, or just be sure that you always put your kid up on the seat. We have one in the kids’ bathroom at home, and there’s one at Grandma’s house, too!

And I got one of these foldable potty seats for when we’re out and about. It’s easy to wipe down and comes with its own carrying bag. The little flaps on the bottom fold out to keep the seat in place. This has saved our lives many times, my kid doesn’t have to touch a disgusting public toilet seat to hold themselves on, and with my daughter being so tiny I’ll probably be using this until she’s in kindergarten! (She also loves that it’s pink, though it comes in different styles.)

I have heard that some parents put their kids sideways on a full-sized toilet, but mine were always too terrified and off-balance for that to work for us.

Finally, I recommend a motion-censored bowl light. This thing is really handy in the middle of the night, and is just a cool little “extra” so I had to add it to my list of the best gear for potty training. My kids think it’s hilarious! It does charge via USB but I use a disinfecting wipe to wrap it up and then put it back in the bathroom. It’s worth it to me if my kids can use the bathroom at night without needing me (or turning on a bright light that’ll mess with their sleep.)

The Best Gear for Potty Training: Underwear, Diapers, Pantyliners

Full disclosure here: I don’t like pull-ups. To me they’re just expensive diapers, and since they “feel” on the inside like a diaper, I think it’s really confusing for you to tell your child that they can’t pee or poop in something that feels just like a diaper. You’re welcome to use them if you want, but I think they’re a waste of money.

On that note, let your child pick out some cool underwear that make them feel special. You want your child to be motivated to keep these clean and nice. (I have a good friend who would cut off soiled underwear and throw them away to help inspire their kid to not have an accident – it was definitely tough love but it might work for you!) I got ours at Walmart but it is a challenge to find really tiny pairs, so just look for wherever you buy your kid’s clothes or find some on Amazon.

Like I said, I don’t think that pull-ups are really worth it unless it’s just the “convenience for the parent” factor, which is ok. Your child can potentially pull down the pull-ups to go to the bathroom on their own, but remember that to a kid the inside of the pull-up feels just like a diaper – it’ll hold in pee or poop and has that same papery feel. (Another option is wool diapers but I never got that brave. If you tried something else, let me know!)

Finally, I was given a sample of Dry Like Me pantiliners to try a few years ago (way before my youngest was ready to try potty training) but I think they’re a great idea. To me they’re a lot less wasteful, and a lot more useful, when transitioning a child from diapers to underwear. The unique shape means that you can put more coverage in the back or in the front (front for boys’ pee, back for girls’ pee and for anyone’s poop) or you can do two back to back. The adhesive really does stay in place and the absorption really is great. They hold a lot! I totally recommend them if you’re looking for this kind of option.

The Best Gear for Potty Training: Everything Else

I can give you lots of quick simple ideas when it comes to the best gear for potty training, so this is the “everything else” section! Pick and choose what works for you, and don’t forget to add more in the comments so that we can mercifully help other parents!

Daniel Tiger, god bless you. There’s a Daniel Tiger app all about going potty, and an episode (with catchy theme song!) about stopping to go potty when you get the urge, and not waiting until you have an accident. 

If you think your kid would be motivated to get to sit on the potty and play special games, this app list is great. Basically the motivation is that if you go sit on the toilet, you get to play this… and hopefully you’ll pee or poop while you’re sitting there too. 

Honestly I think the timer and reminder apps are the best because they help keep everyone accountable, including the adult. I would just find one that can be adjusted so you can customize the setting. 

And if your child is afraid to use the potty, there are books for that too!

My kids are super motivated by stickers and treats, so they got a poster with 25 or so spots to earn a sticker. We liked to give a small prize (the sticker) for trying to go to the potty without putting up a fight, and a small treat – usually one gummy bear or one M&M – if they actually used the potty. So basically, a small prize for an attempt, and a bigger prize for an attempt and a success!

A few final tips: I would personally wait to potty train until your kid seems like they’re interested and motivated. A battle every 20 minutes to go use the bathroom, accidents on the floor, having to quarantine yourself for a week… To me it’s not worth it. I’d rather just change diapers for a few more months and then try again. You do what works for your family (also considering that some daycares require a child to be potty trained, and other life situations that may require you to potty train your child at a specific time) but keep that in mind: A motivated kid who is mentally ready to potty train, will do it much faster and much more easily.

Finally, don’t ever shame your kid, embarrass them, or compare them to someone else. Some kids are super motivated, some kids need the right inspiration, but I don’t know anyone who had to have Mama wipe their butt in college. So don’t add stress to an already messy situation – give your kid (and yourself!) some grace, find what works for you both, and celebrate all the little wins!

Ok, I think we made it! Now you know all of my recommendations for the best gear for potty training! Good luck to you, and please know that I’m always here to help if you need anything!

What would you add to the list?