What should a toddler wear for potty training?

When it usually starts

There is no right age for potty training. Some children are ready before two, and many are ready later. It tends to go best when your child shows signs of readiness, like knowing when they are weeing or pooing, telling you about it, or staying dry for longer stretches.

Clothes won’t make a child ready, but the wrong clothes can turn a near-miss into an accident. When a toddler has only a few seconds’ warning, every button, strap and snap matters. Planning the wardrobe before you start saves a lot of frustration in the first weeks.

What to wear

Test each pair before you rely on it: can your toddler get the waistband past their bottom in one pull while standing? If not, it belongs in the drawer for later.

• Elasticated waists that pull down in one quick movement. Joggers like those in the Sky Blue Dinosaur Sweatshirt & Grey Jogger Set or the Navy Moon & Stars Henley & Jogger Set are easy for small hands.
• Tops that stop at the hip, not long tunics that need holding up.
• Loose-fitting trousers rather than tight leggings, which are hard to pull down and up over damp skin.
• Short dresses or frocks over pants for girls in hot weather.
• Pull-on shalwars and pajamas with elastic, never a nara.

What to avoid for now

• Dungarees, rompers and bodysuits with snaps underneath: too many steps.
• Belts, buttons and zips at the waist.
• Stiff jeans or heavy twill trousers.
• Long frocks and ghararas that trail into the potty.
• Tights, which are hard to get down in a hurry.
• Several layers tucked into each other, which have to come apart before anything else can happen.

Pants, pull-ups or nappies?

Many families use ordinary pants or training pants at home in the day, so their child feels when they are wet, and nappies or pull-ups for sleep and long outings. Pull-ups are easy to pull up and down, but they feel more like a nappy, which some children find confusing.

There’s no single right way, and many parents follow their child’s lead. Whatever you choose, make sure it is easy for your toddler to manage on their own, because doing it themselves is a big part of the learning.

Letting them do it themselves

Potty training is as much about dressing as it is about the potty. A toddler who can pull their own trousers down and up again feels more in control, and is less likely to wait too long because they need a grown-up. Practise at calm moments, not just in a rush: sitting on the floor, pulling the waistband down past the knees and up again over the bottom at the back, which is the tricky part.

Our post on dressing your baby stage by stage explains how these skills usually develop.

How many spares

Expect accidents, often several a day at first. Have plenty of pants, and enough trousers or joggers in rotation that you aren’t washing every evening, plus a spare set in the bag whenever you go out. Two-piece outfits mean only the bottom half needs changing.

Our baby sets come in sizes up to 18–24 months, and our size guide also has older sizes for custom orders. Slightly roomy trousers are easier to pull down fast than a snug fit.

Outings, weather and night-time

In summer, short, loose outfits help, with fewer layers to get off in a hurry. In winter, keep the warm layer on top, like a sweatshirt or cardigan, so only the trousers come down. For outings, pack two spare sets of bottoms and a bag for wet clothes.

Night-time dryness usually comes later than daytime, so a sleepsuit or pyjamas over a nappy is fine for now.

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