Product Reviews: Potty Training Supplies

The Nugget's been in the potty learning process for a couple of months now. To me, it feels like the details are pretty mundane, messy, and private, so I won't bother sharing them on the blog (much to the teenage Nugget's relief, I'm sure). Despite most of my friends who talk about it like it's the Holy Grail, I'm trying not to stress out about it too much. I know it's going to happen when he's ready, and it's really his job to figure it out. I'm just here to show him how it's done, and to provide support and supplies. And on that note, I would like to share some unpaid product reviews for the supplies we've tried so far. (The Nugget collects a whole bladder full before he lets loose; if you have a kid who goes a little at a time, your results will vary. That's all I'm going to say about your potty habits, teen Nugget, I promise!)

Our at-home training pants are by Imse Vimse. They are very thick, soft, and comfy. When given a choice, the Nugget always chooses the Imse Vimses. They are basically underpants with extra padding. Though they claim to have a waterproof layer, they do not hold a bladder-full, which is actually what we wanted. That wet feeling is key during potty learning. But they sop up enough that you're left with a small puddle on the floor instead of a lake. These take awhile to dry (I turn all our cloth trainers inside out to help with that), so often I finish drying them on the clothesline now that it's warm outside. We have 5 pairs.

Our on-the-go trainers are by Bummis. These are thinner and have a waterproof outer, much like the Bummis' diaper wraps. They have kind of a puffy look to them and are a little harder for him to pull on and off, but they smooth down just find under clothing. With a bladder-full, you will get a leak usually down one leg, but they contain it fairly well. The Nugget definitely feels the wetness in them as well. However, these are my second-favorites, because when you take them off, that pee that was contained really sloshes out all over the place! But if you are terrified of puddles in the middle of the grocery store, these are a pretty great cloth option. We have 3 pairs.

Next up, regular underpants with a little extra crotch-padding. Hanna Andersson makes a very soft and comfy, snug-fitting version. They are for the kids who can stop themselves at the first dribble, then run themselves to the potty. We have 2 pairs right now, and I plan to buy more.

Our naptime/vacation trainers are Seventh Generation disposables. They are basically just a slightly more eco-friendly pullup because they're chlorine-free. We were continuing to use regular diapers for naps, but the Nugget is notoriously hard to diaper these days, so we caved and bought these for naptime. When he is ready to naptime-potty-learn, we'll probably switch him to the Imse Vimses for nap. I buy these in bulk from diapers.com to save money. He has no clue that he's gone in these, which aside from cost is a major reason why we don't use these often, but right now I really don't care if he wets while he's sleeping. My goal is to keep him asleep :) We continue to use the Huggies Overnights for bedtime, and good golly, it's a wrestling match to get them on! Is this really the same boy who used to lie quietly on his back on that tiny changing table?!

Because the Nugget is a tall boy, we chose a toilet ring adapter instead of a free-standing pot. (Plus emptying and washing the pot = worse than a diaper.) I was looking for something soft and comfortable, no stiff plastic splash guard that could injure tender little boy parts, without licensed characters (because we don't know if Lil Sib would like the same characters that Nugget likes and I am not buying more potty seats!), heavy-duty, and under $20. We got one for each bathroom.

On the tip of my friend L, we purchased a travel potty as well. The Nugget uses every fiber in his body to flee public restrooms (The strangers! The hand dryers! The auto flush! The tiny coffin-like stalls!), but this can be set up in the back of my car or behind a tree. Am also using it in the backyard until he learns how to hold it for longer periods of time. The waste is contained in a regular gallon-size Ziploc bag until you can find a toilet. No smell, no worry about it sloshing everywhere. There are long stretches between rest stops on the way to Grammy and Grandpa's, and there are several parks we frequent with no public bathrooms, so I have a feeling that this will come in handy post-potty learning as well. It even has compartments for extra bags and board books.