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Let me save you the rabbit hole.
Every few months a parent tells me they spent two hours on Amazon trying to figure out which potty seat to buy — only to find out the one they ordered doesn't fit their toilet. Or they bought a potty chair their child refused to sit on. Or they got the training pants that leak everywhere.
I've been doing this long enough to know which supplies actually help and which ones just clutter the bathroom. This list is updated regularly so that what you see is what's actually available — not a recommendation from 2019 that's been discontinued since.
Bookmark this. Come back to it. That's exactly what it's for.
Before we get to the links: you don't need much. A good potty seat or chair, a step stool if you're using the full toilet, and underwear. That's the short list.
Everything else — the sticker charts, the novelty sprinkle targets, the apps — is supplemental. Some kids respond to them. Most don't need them. Buy the basics first; add the extras only if you hit a specific wall.
All that to say: don't let the supply list become the reason you haven't started yet.
An always updated most popular Potty Training Supplies List! - The Potty School
The single most-asked supply question we get: potty chair or seat reducer?
Short answer: either works. What matters more is that it's stable, easy to clean, and that your child can get on and off independently. If they need a step stool to reach the toilet, get one — independence matters more than which seat you chose.
We particularly love the brand Baby Bjorn for its safety, durability, and minimalist vibe.
→ See the current best-selling potties & seats on Amazon
For the full-size toilet. Especially useful when you're out of the house and your child needs something familiar-feeling in an unfamiliar bathroom.
We recommend looking for seat covers and seat reducers with a flexible grip (rubber, instead of hard plastic0, and think about how portable you'd like it to be. Does it need to fit into a diaper bag? Just in the back seat for when you head to Grandma's house?
Also, make sure that your child is within the weight limit restrictions and that the round part for their bottom actually makes sense for your child's frame.
→ See the current best-selling seat covers on Amazon
Non-negotiable if you're going straight to the full toilet. A child who can't get on and off independently will wait for you — and that defeats the whole purpose.
A good step stool to us is defined by being durable, having a rubber (not hard plastic) grip to keep it in place, even if the floor gets wet, and also the correct height. Some step stools offer different heights, we prefer those with one or two steps that are steady, safe and are heavy enough or constructed in a way that it is very unlikely they will tip over. Again, we love Baby Bjorn brand for these as well.
→ See the current best-selling step stools on Amazon
This is where parents get into trouble. Training pants are not a middle ground between diapers and underwear — they're a tool for a specific phase, and if you use them too long or in the wrong context, they slow things down.
Don't throw your child into training pants and call that "potty training". That's like throwing an adult into running shoes and saying they're a runner. They need to train, they need to learn. The training pants are the tool, but they will not potty train your child for you.
→ See the current best-selling training pants on Amazon
If you leave the house at all during potty training, get one. The number of families who stall out because a trip to the grocery store derailed everything — a travel potty fixes that.
Think about what you actually want in a travel potty. Is this for road trips where it will be pulled out on the side of the road and you want big and sturdy? Does it need to fit into a beach bag? Do you need it to be able to fold? Are you good with dumping the contents in the nearest bathroom, or do you want disposable liners? If so, do you care about whether or not they are biodegradable?
→ See the current best-selling travel potties on Amazon
If you'd rather skip the research entirely, we put together The Potty Box — a curated set of 4–6 products hand-picked by The Potty School. Everything in it is something we'd actually recommend. It changes slightly based on availability, but the philosophy stays the same: only what's useful, nothing that's just cute.
Browse by Need
What potty training supplies do I actually need?
The basics: a potty chair or seat reducer, a step stool if using the full toilet, and real underwear. Ditch the pull-ups once you've committed to training — they feel too much like diapers and slow the process down for most children. Everything else is optional.
What's the best potty seat for toddlers?
The best one is the one your child will actually use. Stability matters most — it shouldn't wobble when they sit down. For most families, a simple seat reducer on the full toilet works well and skips the step of transitioning from a potty chair later. Though, when it comes to brand, we love Baby Bjorn.
Do potty training rewards actually work?
For some children, yes — particularly in the early stages when you're building the association between the potty and something positive. Small, immediate rewards (a sticker, a stamp on their hand) work better than big delayed ones. That said, most children don't need rewards indefinitely. Use them to get traction, then fade them out.
When should I buy potty training supplies?
Before you start — not the morning of. Having everything in place before day one removes a variable. You don't need to make a big deal of the supplies, but having the potty seat already in the bathroom for a week before you begin helps normalize it.
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Ready to start and not sure where to begin? Take our quiz → or book a consultation → and we'll tell you exactly where your family is and what to do next.
~ Michelle, of The Potty School