Potty Training? Your Toddler Needs One of These Potty Seats

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So, you’ve noticed some signs that your baby is ready to potty train? If your little one is hiding to go to the bathroom, taking off their diapers, and are generally just curious about potties, then it’s time for you to buy a potty chair. Giving kids a potty chair is a gentle nudge in the way of a gift that gets them excited about going to the potty. It's a bit of independence. It's great for parents, aunts, uncles, and grands to gift their favorite toddler.

But with so many options on the market, how do you know which one is best for your little one? And why should you use a potty chair as opposed to just an insert on the adult toilet? Don’t worry — we’re here to help with that.

The Best Potty Chairs

• Best Travel Potty: Portable Potty

• Best Budget: Summer Learn-to-Go Potty

• For Car Lovers: First Years Racing Potty

• Parent Recommended: Playtex Potty Genie

• Nothing Sticks to It: OXO Tot Potty Chair

• For Elmo Fans: Elmo Potty Chair

• For Fans of CoComelon: CoComelon Potty Chair

What to Consider

Children need to feel in control, and choosing a potty chair that's designed just for them can make the whole thing easier, more engaging, and more comfortable. I spoke with child psychologist and former director of an Early Childhood Education program for 2-year-olds, Nancy Zweibach, for some potty training tips and for some shopping pointers. Zwiebach tells Best Products that a potty chair is a much better first potty choice than the regular toilet because “Putting a young child on a regular toilet can feel frightening since there’s no security from any dimension.”

Think about it: A toilet tank is too far away to support your little one's back, it has no sides, and there's no floor support — which makes the experience pretty threatening. But how do you choose? Well, that's up to you. There are fancy potties that some kids adore with bells and whistles such as sounds and lights like the Skip Hop. There are also super basic plastic potties that are the easiest to clean like Fisher-Price and really convenient travel potties such as the folding potty on our list.

There are a few things you need to think about before your purchase. First, how easy it is to remove the waste receptacle to clean — because, trust me, you'll be doing that multiple times per day. Second, if you're having a boy, we suggest getting a potty that can be wiped down easily because they will try to stand to pee, and it will go everywhere — and I mean everywhere.

We found a range of potties for parents to lure their children away from diapers and messy changes. From silly characters to super basic potty chairs, we have you covered.

Training Wheels Racer Potty System

Nothing says "Ditch your diaper!" like a super cool racecar. This cute potty chair has four rubber wheels and an amazing car seat back.

Plus, the basin of this chair is easy to remove, as is the seat for cleaning. The whole thing can be wiped clean or hosed off in a splashing event.

More: The Very Best Baby Wipes

Potty Genie 3-in-1 Potty Trainer

I was not anticipating this being such a popular potty. However, more than a dozen parents raved about the convenience of this model. It's basically a Diaper Genie for your kid's toddler years. The waste goes right into a bag, ready to be tossed. The bags are stored below, and pull out of an opening similar to a puppy bag dispenser.

This potty goes from a potty, to a potty seat, to a step stool as well, so there's a lot of use here.

Tot Potty Chair - Gray

OXO makes amazing products for just about everything, it seems. Including this potty chair which parents rave about. Our tester said that "it's like nothing can stick to it." As this is a potty chair, I think we can all agree that's a wonderful thing. It has a high front, high back, and it sits at a comfortable height for your child. The removable basin slides out easily as well.

Elmo Hooray! 3-in-1 Potty Chair

Elmo has long been a fixture on the potty training scene. He has books, toys, and even Elmo training underpants. Needless to say, the Elmo potty is about as popular as they come. The 3-in-1 training potty to seat to step stool plays Elmo phrases and real flushing sounds. It's a bit trickier to clean than others on the list, but parents swear by the potty because their kids love it so much.

Musical Transition Potty Trainer

Can you hear the song in your head already? Probably. The CoCoMelon potty chair sings the famous "Potty Training Song" from the show to encourage your little to use it. It also has a tracking chart and bonus storage. You could store stickers and rewards inside of it, or you could store Lysol wipes. The choice is yours.

The seat does come off to be a potty seat for extended use.

3-in-1 Grow-with-Me Potty

You'll get your money's worth from this potty chair from beloved brand Frida Baby. It starts as a full potty chair with splash guard and handles. It then becomes a potty seat that fits onto a standard toilet. After that, it's a step stool for your little one. It's really a well-rounded potty.

Our tester said that it's really easy to clean, and feels sturdy. She did say that it could use a bit more room, but overall, a great product.

My Real Urinal Potty Training Toilet

Anyone who has ever potty trained a little boy (or any kid who has external genitalia) can tell you what kind of a special horror it brings to the walls, floor, ceiling, hand towels, sink, tub...the whole bathroom really. Including you if you get in the line of fire.

Toddler urinals are a godsend. They give them a place to aim, and they're designed so that they can almost straddle the urinal while they use the restroom. There's a paddle target at the bottom, and get this, when they hit the target it spins and plays music.

And I promise, our testers swear it's not a pain to clean, noting that it's far easier to rinse this than to get urine from the edges of everywhere.

Ladybug Potty

This affordable ladybug potty chair from Fisher-Price has a modern feel, yet the little tikes are totally drawn to it, too. The best feature? An anti-splash design that involves a special deflection shield, so your sweetie walks away with dry skin — and clothing.

And for parents? It couldn't be easier to clean. Just pull out the insert and rinse.

Arm & Hammer Multi-Stage 3-in-1 Potty Seat

This Munchkin Arm & Hammer 3-in-1 Potty has a built-in scented deodorizing disk to keep your bathroom smelling fresh and clean. Trust us — you'll need it.

Don't worry about it being difficult to clean, either. Munchkin has thought of everything, including easy-to-grip handles, a deep basin, and a wipe-off base.

Learn-to-Go Potty

Why move the potty from room to room? At this price, you can have one stashed in every corner of your home. The anti-slip material on the bottom works on any floor surface, from bathroom tile to hardwood floors and carpet. (But we suggest avoiding putting this on carpets if you can.)

Sea Me Flush Potty — Training Chair With Music and Lights

If your little one is scared of getting flushed down the toilet, try this potty chair out. When your tot pulls down the lever, twirling water effects mimic real flushing, accompanied by fun flashing lights and catchy tunes.

This is not your basic potty, and over 5,000 five-star reviews agree that it's actually simple to disinfect and definitely worth the silliness.

BabyBjörn Potty Chair

BabyBjörn, a trusted baby brand, is the brand behind this popular pick — which features an ergonomic design and a low backrest to make potty training more comfortable. This has been one of the most-popular potty chairs of the past 10 years — and with good reason!

The basic style, ease of cleaning, and durable materials make it a solid choice for any family. And in the past few years, they've upgraded it to sit a bit higher off the ground, making it a bit easier to sit upon.

Skip Hop Potty Training Toilet with Wipes Dispenser

Your lil’ copycat wants to do everything you do, so use that to your advantage with this potty that looks just like the real thing. A realistic flush rewards a job well done — and best of all, it has a built-in wipe dispenser.

This is a great model for kids who want to be “just like” someone in the house. And yes, it’s super easy to clean.

3-in-1 Train with Me Potty Seat Topper and Stepstool

Instead of buying both a potty chair and a step stool, this one does both. Flip the lid down, and it becomes a step to help kids reach the sink. Just don't let them move it all around when it's full. That could lead to some disastrous results that no one wants.

Step by Step Potty

We love a multistep child product. This one goes from potty chair to in-toilet seat. The features of this potty chair are pretty funny, and kids will love it. The cushioned seat and toilet paper holder will make your little one feel like a real big kid — and, as you might know, kids just love that.

The basin is deep so it won't splash out, and it's easy to separate from the chair.

Portable Potty for Toddler Travel

There will come a time when you're driving along, and your potty-training child will need to go right now. That’s where this foldable, portable potty with potty bags will come in super handy. It’s a potty chair that’s comfortable, easy to clean, and easier to store — what could be better?

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