Are potty training pants necessary?
Lots of parents don’t bother with training underwear and move straight from nappies to big kid pants.
But if you’re concerned about days out while potty training, first days at nursery or long car journeys, they’re a great stepping stone, and many parents use them throughout potty training to make clean-ups easier.
How many potty training pants do I need?
It depends on how you’re going to use them. If your child is wearing them every day, you’ll want at least five pairs of reusable potty training pants to start with.
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When should a child start wearing training pants?
Training pants are part of potty training so there’s no point thinking about them until your toddler is ready for the potty. This is generally between 18 months and three-and-a-half years.
It might also be that you crack potty training first and just use training pants on the occasions when your child needs a bit of extra reassurance.
When should a child stop wearing training pants?
As soon as they’re confident, really. Many children take a little longer to be dry at night and use some form of pull-ups or training pants well into primary school, particularly when they're away from home.
Many brands of training pants are now so subtle they easily pass for normal pants like the JoJo Maman Bébé Girls’ Training Knickers, which might help children feel less self-conscious.
But they are expensive, so moving on to proper pants as soon as you can means your bank balance will thank you later.
How to introduce training pants
When it comes to introducing your child to potty training pants, it's important to make it a positive experience.
Encourage your child to pick out their own potty training pants, or choose a design or colour that they will like (you can also pick up styles with popular characters on them too), as this can help them feel more excited about wearing them and encourage them to keep the pants clean.
Make sure to praise your child for any successes they have, but also be patient and understanding if accidents happen.
Remember, every child is different and will learn at their own pace. Some children take longer to get the hang of using the potty, while others may pick it up quickly. The key is to be consistent, patient, and supportive throughout the process.
Do training pants slow down potty training?
Some parents think it’s best to go ‘cold turkey’ and move straight to ordinary pants. While disposable pull-ups won't help your child know when they're wet, which could be a hindrance, most cloth training pants enable them to feel the wetness, which ultimately aids potty training.
What to look for in potty training pants
The main thing to consider is whether your child is happy in their new pants - and appealing patterns and recognisable characters will help them make friends with their new undies.
From a practical perspective, look for training pants that are machine washable and easily dried as you'll likely get through a handful in the first few days. Most of the training pants on our list are machine washable and easy to dry.
Good absorbency in the right areas is a must and leg holes that are close-fitting but not too tight will help keep leaks contained in the event of an accident. Also try to choose pants that your toddler will be able to pull up and down themselves. Some have thick waistbands.