What are travel potties for?
An important part of your toddlers’ toilet training journey, a travel potty is a compact, portable and sometimes foldable potty that can easily be used outside of the home - whether that's as a stand-alone potty or a seat reducer for use on a traditional public toilet.
For toddlers who are early into their toilet training journey and may get caught short, travel potties provide a comfortable and familiar experience when using the toilet outside, on holiday or during travel.
What types of travel potty are available?
There are a variety of travel potty options and which is right for you will depend upon your child's age, size and stage of potty training
Disposable travel potties - These are best suited for occasional/emergency use, such as a long car journey with a recently potty-trained toddler who hasn’t yet been tested over longer periods. Whilst relatively affordable, they obviously work out more expensive if used over the long term and aren’t the most sustainable choice.
Foldable/collapsable travel potties - With some big plus points for portability, these travel potties collapse down flat or have legs that fold in to make them more compact and easy to carry when not in use.
Stand-alone travel potty - Whilst these don’t tend to fold down flat, these more robust travel potties are often more comfortable for toddlers, with large seats that are more similar in nature to a traditional toilet. Some require emptying immediately after use, while others have a seal to prevent leakage until you reach home or a convenient place to empty and clean.
Seat reducer/portable travel seat - Ideal for children who are confident using a potty but may feel less comfortable on a full-sized public toilet, these fold-out seats can be placed on top of the traditional toilet seat to reduce the size. These can help children feel more independent when using public toilets, without the need to be held by a parent.
Multipurpose 2-in-1/ 3-in-1 seats - The most versatile choice, these designs can adapt to your child’s needs as they grow, switching between a potty and toilet training seat as required for use both inside and outside the home.
Things to consider when choosing a travel potty
How old is your child? - What stage is your child at in their toilet training journey? If you’re planning to use a travel potty with an older child, you’ll need to check the weight or size limits to ensure they offer a safe and comfortable fit.
How portable is it? - How easy is the travel potty to carry? Does it fold down flat or include a carry bag? Can it fit into your bag or basket of your pushchair for convenience? Consider how you want to transport it and look for more compact designs if you’re limited on space or prefer a more discrete potty.
How easy is it to clean/empty? - How easy is the travel potty to clean? Does it need to be emptied immediately or can it contain the contents and odours until you return home?
Does it require liners? - Does it require the use of disposable liners and if so, are any included with the purchase? It’s worth considering how much the liners cost to replace and factor this into the overall cost. Other designs such as the My Carry Potty can be used without liners, but tend to be a little more bulky as a result.
How easy is it to use? - For designs that fold out or convert, how easy are they to use? Can they be set up quickly in the event of a toilet emergency? How robust are they and do they have non-slip feet that can hold it securely in place during use?
How comfortable is it for your child? - Does it provide a comfortable and familiar base for your child to sit on during use? Is the seat spacious enough and how similar does it feel to an adult toilet?
Does it adapt to your child’s needs as they grow? - Can the potty convert to a toilet training seat/seat reducer as your child grows in confidence?
How much does it cost? - How much are you willing to spend? Some parents prefer to opt for a budget-friendly choice for occasional or emergency use only, whereas you may be willing to spend a little more if you spend a lot of time outside the home with your toddler.
Tips for getting out and about while potty training
Spending time outside the home whilst potty training can be challenging, but here are some of Mumsnet users’ best tips to make the experience run smoothly.
1. Take your child to the toilet at regular intervals
Toddlers can’t necessarily go for a ‘just in case’ wee like adults do, however offering the toilet regularly or simply reminding your toddler that a toilet is close by can help reduce the risk of accidents.
“I would just take him to the toilet really regularly. There are toilets on most trains, in some stations, and all museums.” (Tip from Mumsnet user Hopeislost)
2. Bring the travel potty
Taking a travel potty with you, even if you don’t end up using it can provide additional reassurance and peace of mind.
“Just bring a potty with you and keep asking them if they need to use it. The less fuss you make and the more you keep up with your usual routine the quicker they'll learn. People make the mistake of staying in with trousers off all week, but then forget they still need to learn to stay dry when out the house.” (Suggestion from Mumsnet user strongcupofTea)
3. Don’t be afraid to take pull-ups
If you’re likely to spend a significant amount of time travelling where toilet stops can be unpredictable, don’t be afraid to use a pull-up, even if over their normal pants. This can provide a backup in the event of an accident.
“We had some long journeys and in those situations, we used pull-ups over normal pants and called them 'travel pants'. We didn't let on that they were absorbent / like nappies but they were useful for reassurance (ours, not the children’s) in case we couldn't make the loo in time. Wearing them over pants means they don't feel like nappies and avoid confusion.” (Advice from Mumsnet user Elevenplusdilemma)
4. Take spare pants and nappy sacks
Accept that sometimes potty training takes practice. With all the will in the world, your child may get distracted and forget they need the toilet before it's too late. Take spare clothes and knickers with you on your travel, along with somewhere to stash soiled clothing in the event of an accident.
“Along with spare underwear and pants, take a bunch of nappy sacks. You don't want wet wee-stinking clothes loose in your bag!” (Tip from Mumsnet user MooseBreath)
What is the best travel potty to buy?
Our top pick for a travel potty is the Potette Plus thanks to its stable yet compact and portable design that adapts to your child’s needs as they grow.
How we chose our recommendations
Recommendations from real Mumsnet users
Mumsnet forums are full of hints and tips from parents about their child’s potty training experience, with many users sharing the methods and tools that have supported their child to become dry during the day and night
First, we sought out the trusted opinions of Mumsnet users, to get their feedback on the travel potties that they rate, recommend and have used with their own children.
We also looked out for any negative reviews, where Mumsetters highlighted products that they felt were poor quality, difficult to clean or bulky to use outside of the home.
Expert opinions
Next up, we considered reviews and feedback from trusted industry experts. We want to be confident that the products we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning products or those that were well regarded in the marketplace.
Authentic consumer reviews
Finally, to bring you our definitive list of the best travel potties on the market, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, Argos and John Lewis to get wider consumer experiences regarding the potties on our shortlist.
About the author
Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.
With two girls of her own, Lucy knows only too well the fear that can arise when your newly potty-trained child needs a wee (usually at the furthest point away from a toilet). She’s tested a variety of toilet training tools in her time, including some of the brands featured in this piece.
Originally from a HR background with a degree in Business Studies, Lucy developed a real passion for blogging and writing when her children were young, going on to write for several online publications including US parenting site Pregistry and the Evening Standard. When she’s not manically tapping the keys of her laptop, Lucy loves nothing more than to cosy up with her Kindle and enjoy the latest thriller, or compete in Nintendo Switch rallies with her daughters aged six and 10.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.
Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family.