Best Potty Training Seats and Toilets (2026)

Potty training gear comes in three shapes: floor potties, seat reducers for the adult toilet, and travel potties. Which one you need depends on where your child is in training, not on the age printed on the box.

How we chose: features come from the listings, and we have not tested these products. Readiness and age guidance is quoted from the American Academy of Pediatrics' guide to the right age to potty train on HealthyChildren.org.

Ten potties and seats compared

Each claim in the "What the listing says" column is the listing's, not ours.

Prices are Amazon's, as of the time shown, and subject to change. Details

When a child is ready

The AAP gives a range, not a date: "In general, children show signs of bladder and bowel control between 18 and 24 months of age." It adds that "the average age toilet training begins in the United States is between 2 and 3 years of age," and that "most children in the United States are bowel and bladder trained by 4 years of age."

It lists these signs that a child "may be developmentally ready to begin the toilet training process":

• "Is dry at least 2 hours at a time during the day or is dry after naps"
• "Shows signs they are about to pee or poop, like grunting, freezing, or squatting"
• "Can follow simple instructions"
• "Can walk to and from the bathroom and help undress themselves"
• "Does not like to be in wet diapers and wants to be changed"
• "Asks to use the toilet or potty-chair"
• "Asks to wear 'big-kid' underwear"

The AAP also says "it is a good idea to delay toilet training" when a family has just moved or will move soon, is expecting or has recently had a baby, or is facing a major illness, a recent death or another crisis.

Key point: the "18 months and up" on a potty listing describes the product's size, not when to start. The AAP says "children control when and where they pee and poop," so go by the signs above and ask your child's doctor.

Floor potties

The AAP's tips begin with the equipment: "Pick a potty-chair." It describes one as "a child-sized seat with an opening in the seat and a removable container underneath to collect pee and poop," and adds that "children's feet should be able to reach the floor." With feet on the floor, a child can sit, get up and walk away without help.

The AAP also suggests a routine: "Make a habit of seating your children onto the potty-chair first thing in the morning."

• The simplest: the BabyBjörn Potty Chair, with a backrest, armrests, a high splash guard and a removable inner potty. Nothing to break or charge.
• One that looks like a toilet: the Ingenuity My Size Potty Pro, with a flush-sound handle and storage in the tank. Its seat ring lifts off to sit on the adult toilet later. The My Size potty we found on Amazon is sold under the Ingenuity name.
• Every stage in one: the Munchkin Multi-Stage 3-in-1, a floor potty whose top seat moves to the adult toilet and whose base becomes a step stool.
• A simple second potty: the Ingenuity Ready Set Go, a basic floor potty with a removable bowl, for a second bathroom or floor.

Wherever it goes, keep it there. The AAP's potty training plan guidance advises a consistent routine, "with their potty in the same place every day."

Seat reducers and ladders for the big toilet

A seat reducer makes the toilet opening smaller so a child doesn't slip in. The AAP says: "Most of the time, your children will let you know when they are ready to move from the potty-chair to the 'big toilet.' Provide a stool to brace their feet."

So a reducer needs something under the feet too. Two ways to do it:

• A seat with a built-in ladder. The Jool Baby Potty Training Seat with 2 Step Ladder and the Ingenuity Foldaway Ladder Potty combine a seat, steps and handles, and both fold for storage. The Ingenuity lists D-shape toilets as well as round and elongated ones.
• A separate seat and stool. The Munchkin Sturdy Potty Training Seat stands on its own feet for storage, and the BabyBjörn Toilet Trainer adjusts once to fit your toilet. Pair either with a step stool, which also gets a child to the sink for hand washing. A railed learning tower is a different product for the kitchen counter, and many were recalled in 2026; see our learning tower guide.

Pro tip: check your toilet's shape first. Round and elongated bowls take different seats, and "fits most toilets" on a listing is not a promise about yours.

Travel potties

• Potty or seat. The OXO Tot 2-in-1 Go Potty stands on locking legs with disposable bags for a roadside stop; with the legs folded, it sits on a public toilet as a seat. It comes with a travel bag and three disposable bags, and refills are sold separately.
• Seat only. The Frida Baby Fold-and-Go folds into its bag small enough for a diaper bag and has silicone handles. It needs a toilet, so it suits trips where one is always nearby.

What the AAP says about rewards and pressure

• Keep the words positive. "Avoid words that are negative, like dirty, naughty, or stinky."
• Hand over control. "When you start the process, try to turn as much of the care of toileting as possible over to your child."
• Skip treats and punishments. The AAP says "treats and punishments distract rather than encourage," and suggests being specific about why you are proud instead.
• Stay calm. "Power struggles, begging, pleading, rewarding, and punishing keep children from managing their own toileting."
• Teach wiping and washing. Girls should wipe "thoroughly from front to back," and the AAP says to "make sure both boys and girls learn to wash their hands well after using the toilet."
• Move to underwear. The AAP notes that "diapers and disposable training pants send a message to children that they are not taking over."

If any concern comes up before, during or after training, the AAP says to talk with your child's doctor.

Products we left out

The Frida Baby 3-in-1 Grow-with-Me Potty was not sold by Amazon.com or Frida's own store when we checked. Many ladder seats on Amazon come from sellers we could not confirm as the brand, and we listed only products sold by Amazon.com or the brand's own store.

Check our baby and toddler product recalls page before buying anything secondhand.

Related: toddler beds and crib conversion and gifts for 2-year-olds.

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age should I start potty training?

When your child shows the readiness signs. The AAP says signs of bladder and bowel control appear between 18 and 24 months, training in the US begins on average between 2 and 3 years, and it "can begin as soon as parents and children want to start."

Should boys sit or stand to pee when potty training?

Sit first. The AAP's guide to the right age to potty train says "boys can urinate by sitting down first and can stand up to urinate when better at it," which is why a high splash guard matters on a floor potty.

When should I wait to start potty training?

During major changes, the AAP says: a recent or upcoming move, a new baby, or a major illness, a death or another family crisis.