Potty training is, without a doubt, both a blessing and a curse. It’s awesome that diapers are a thing of the past, but keeping your little one on a bathroom schedule is time-consuming and stressful.
This is especially true when you need to travel with your newly toilet trained tot. That is why you want to make sure you have the best travel potty possible to make it a bit easier on you.
However, it can be a bit tricky to figure out exactly what makes one travel potty ok and another one great. Luckily for you, I’ve done all the hard work for you and found the best of the best on the market today.
In this article, I’ll guide you through what to look for and give you an in-depth analysis of the top 5 travel potty options out there. Let’s get to it!
The Best Travel Potties (Updated)
Travel Potty |
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Summer Infant Lil' Loo Potty, Teal and White *Best Choice* |
(*) Below, you'll find my detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see prices and read customer's reviews on Amazon.
Buyer's Guide
Types of Travel Potties
One of the most important decisions you can make when you are looking for the best travel potty is which type you will utilize, as the two types have different advantages and disadvantages.
1. Stand Alone
A stand-alone travel potty is exactly what it sounds like, a potty that stands alone. This type of travel potty is great for long car trips, as it allows your little one to go to the bathroom wherever, whether it be in a secluded wooded area or even in the back of the car.
They come with either an easily cleaned removable container or a place for a bag for your little one to go in.
While the cleanup might not be all that much fun, this type of travel potty is really convenient.
2. Seat Only
Again, as the name implies, these travel potties are meant to fit over a regular toilet to allow your little one to sit on it without falling in!
These seats are not quite as convenient since they need to be used with a toilet, but they usually fold up, which makes them a cinch to pack.
What To Keep In Mind When Buying A Travel Potty
Whenever you are buying any new type of baby gear, there are lots of things that you need to keep in mind. This is especially true when you are looking for the best travel potty.
1. Size
Some of the potty chairs that are marketed for use during travel are HUUUGE! Which, kinda makes them a bit tricky to fit into a packed car. Make sure that you find a chair or seat that is the appropriate size for your little one.
2. Foldable
This is for the seat only option. To help reduce the amount of space taken up in either the back of your vehicle or your suitcase, it might not be a bad idea to find a travel potty seat that can be folded up. This will make it that much easier to fit wherever you have an extra little bit of room.
3. Easy To Clean
A word to the wise, make sure you have a little bit of water handy if your kid says they have to poop. It will make a world of difference when you are cleaning out their travel potty!
You also want to be sure that the toilet you select is easy to wipe out and clean, or you’ll spend way too much time doing something gross instead of enjoying your vacation.
4. Storage Space
Some of the stand-alone potties come with storage space on the sides, which can be used for wipes, toilet paper, bags, or tissues.
This can be a real life saver when you find out you packed all of that stuff at the bottom of your suitcase, which is at the bottom of the pile and your kid has to go NOW!
5. Child’s Preference
Depending on the age of your child, you might need to go with a certain kind of seat. Younger kids usually like the stand-alone type of seat a bit more than the seat only variety.
This is for some reasons, but, personally speaking, my oldest was terrified of automatic flushing toilets, they wouldn’t get near them, much less sit on them!
In that circumstance, a seat only travel potty would simply not work. Make sure you take your child’s opinion into account before you purchase or they probably won’t want to use the thing at all.
6. Secure
If you choose to get a seat only travel potty, be sure to steer clear of any that don’t fit tightly over the top of the regular toilet seat. If it doesn’t fit securely, there is a good chance that the seat will slip and slide and dump your little on off.
Needless to say, this could be extremely dangerous and could have a potentially detrimental effect on your little one’s potty training experience.
Top Five Travel Potties (Updated)
Now that we have a definitive idea of what we need to be looking for let’s dive in and check out some of the best travel potties that are available for purchase.
1. Summer Infant Lil' Loo Potty, Teal and White
The Good: This just might be the best travel potty out there today! It has a really high back and wide base, which makes it completely stable and unlikely to wibble and wobble while your little one is on it. The seat is also really easy to clean since the entire bowl is removable and stain resistant.
Another nice feature (if you have boys) is an elevated splash guard that will help to make sure that they don’t pee all over the place. Since you’ll probably be using this in the back of your car, the last thing you need is a pee everywhere, and this seat will help your kids keep it in check!
The Bad: My only real problem with this otherwise great seat is that the removable bowl is sometimes a bit tricky to get back into place after you have cleaned it out. If you don’t make sure it’s in just the right place, you’ll end up with a big mess on the floor.
The Long and Short of It: This excellent potty is easy to clean and plenty stable. Just make sure that you put it back together correctly after each use, or you’ll be cleaning your floor more often than you’d like!
2. Travel Potty by Cool Gear
The Good: This travel potty is an amazing feat of engineering and design. It can be folded up to the size of a briefcase and has two large storage compartments on the side for all your potty training needs.
Cleanup couldn’t be any easier either since all you have to do is attach a gallon bag (or grocery bag) to the bottom of the potty and let your kid go to town! When they are done, simply remove the bag and voila, the seat is completely clean without getting your hands dirty.
The Bad: While the cleanup is a breeze, it can also be a bit of a hazard as well. If you don’t attach the bag correctly, or your child accidentally knocks it loose, you’ll have a huge mess to clean up, which is simply not any fun at all.
The Long and Short of It: This stand-alone potty is great for travel since it folds up to a small size and is simple to clean. Just make sure you attach the bag correctly, or you are going to have a messy problem on your hands.
3. Jerrybox Foldable Travel Potty Seat for Babies, Toddlers Potty Seat, Toilet Training with Carrying Bag
The Good: This travel seat is so easy to fold up and store, you won’t need to keep it in your suitcase. Instead, you could probably get by with it in your purse or diaper bag. It folds up that small! For more information on the sizing, you can check it out here.
Once it has been folded out and set up, the seat has your child’s safety in mind. The underside has soft, non-slip rubber grips to help keep the seat right where it needs to be to keep your kid safe and secure while they use the restroom.
The Bad: When the seat is deployed, you really need to be sure that all of its hinges have locked into place. Otherwise, your child might get pinched or fall into the potty. The hinges should also be checked periodically to make sure that they don’t have any yucky stuff of them.
The Long and Short of It: This seat folds up to very small proportions and is comfortable and secure when in use, as long as you unfold it carefully and check for cleanliness.
4. Gimars Portable Folding Reusable Travel Toilet Potty
The Good: This is another quality folding seat only option for a travel potty that you can easily store and go in something as small as a diaper bag or a purse. The sizing, which you can review here, is very similar to the previous seat. The surface of the seat is easy to clean as well.
All you’ll need to make sure it’s spick and span after each use is a wet paper towel and maybe some soap. A quick wipe and you are good to go!
The Bad: The grips on this seat are not quite as secure as other models I reviewed. While they will probably not let your child slide off of the potty if they are sitting still, you would definitely not want to leave them unattended while they are using it.
The Long and Short of It: This seat is easy to fold up and store in small spaces. It is also easy to clean. The only drawback is that it might slide around when in use if your child moves around too much.
5. Primo 4-In-1 Soft Seat Toilet Trainer and Step Stool White with Pastel Blue Seat
The Good: This travel potty is the complete package. It has a removable seat that can be used on the base, or on a regular toilet! You are basically getting both types of travel seats for the price of one.
The removable seat is extremely soft and squishy and will keep your kid nice and comfy while they are taking care of business.
The Bad: The removable seat has no security features to keep it from slipping and sliding on a regular toilet, which could be a big problem. It should only be used with an older child who understands to sit still and not wiggle around too much.
The Long and Short of It: This seat is a good value since you get both kinds of travel potties in one nice package. However, the seat only option has no gripping features and might be unsafe for younger children on a regular toilet.
And The Winner Is...
After much deliberation, I have chosen the Summer Infant Lil' Loo Potty, Teal and White as my pick for the best travel potty available today!
It’s easy to clean and use design make it a great choice for your little one when you are out and about, and I highly recommend you check it out!
Now Hit The Road!
I hope that this article has helped you find the perfect travel potty for you and your little one. If you have any questions, comments, or recommendations, please let me know about it in the comments section below. Have a great day!
