portable potties - great idea or waste of money?

[alicet]

What is the consensus?

Saw one today and it looks like a good idea (esp the fact that they go into a bag which you can then just bung) but are they really any better than carrying a normal potty about?

My concern is that if ds wants to go when we're in the middle of the park for example that it wouldn't be very nice to have to take a shitty potty home in a bag! But loathed to spend the money if they're a waste of time...

Twinklemegan - anything that doesn't fit in my bag doesn't come with us!

I only carry a lightweight change of clothes, the portable potty and wipes, a couple of snacks and my phone/purse/keys when I go out. I have a compact waist bag and ds goes in the back carrier when he's tired, so a normal potty is bulky and a pain to carry around (I will concede that it's not heavy however). I need both hands free to hang on when the bus drivers lurch around the corners and do emergency stops at the bus stops!!

We have a small age gap between our two children and use a side-by-side double pushchair. When the elder potty trained I found there were no public toilets we could get the double pram into, and obviously I wasn't going to leave the baby outside whilst we dashed in. So we bought the potette and it has been fantastic.

Loved this product!! It saved my dd a few times

I have run out of liners and dd wanted a wee today, but wouldn't squat or be lifted to do it. So I got the empty frame, put it on the soil, and hey presto, result. Cost per pee - erm nothing .

I HATE public loos & find this a brilliant product.