The Best Training Pants for Your Potty-Training Child

In a nutshell:
Based on feedback from our independent product tester, we chose Millie Moon Training Pants as the overall best training pants, due to their stretchy, comfortable fit and convenient disposal features.

After two-plus years of changing dirty nappies, you’re likely really (really!) ready to say so long to diapers. No matter what potty training method you choose—and there are many!—you’ll definitely need something to cover your kid’s bum during this transition (at least when he’s out and about). So what are your options?

Training pants give you some wetness coverage, as well as a quick and easy way for your child to get their underwear down and themselves on the potty when nature calls. Overall, though, “the point of training underwear is to help with the mess,” explains Michelle D. Swaney, CEO of The Potty School in Costa Mesa, California, and author of The Complete Guide to Potty Training.

What you choose will depend largely on what’s working for your child, what stage you’re at in potty training and what you’re up to that day. We sorted through all the crap (so to speak) to get you the lowdown on the best training pants and potty training underwear, plus how to make the right decision for your family.

How We Chose the Best Training Pants

Training pants are an important tool in the potty training experience. To help you find the best training pants on the market today:

• We asked an independent product tester to use multiple brands of training pants in their own home, and evaluate them based on ease of use, effectiveness, materials and ingredients, comfort and value for money.
• Since The Bump writer and editors are parents ourselves, we relied on first-hand experience with some of these products.
• Because no two potty training experiences are alike, we read user reviews to find out how these training pants perform for a broad range of families, and didn’t consider anything with less than an average four-star rating.

Editorial integrity is at the heart of everything we publish. Read about how The Bump develops and reviews all articles, including product reviews.

Best Training Pants

What Kind of Training Pants Should You Choose?

Training pants are meant to help with that all-important transition from diapers to underwear. There are a few different types you can choose from, and the best training pants for your little one will depend on their needs and how they respond to the training process.

• Toddler underwear. Many experts actually encourage parents to forgo the transition options and use these right away. “Kids who use underwear are most likely to be aware they had an accident, therefore making training much more speedy,” says Adriana Vermillion, a Charlotte, North Carolina-based potty training expert known as “The Potty Whisperer.” Make things easy on yourself and choose something your kid is going to be psyched to wear!
• Cloth training pants. These are basically regular underwear that feature extra layers of absorbent and/or water-resistant fabric to provide some accident protection. They can be really helpful if your kid doesn’t make it to the toilet exactly on time. “Training underwear simply absorbs more of an accident so less gets on the ground,” Swaney says.
• Plastic underwear covers. These go over your toddler’s regular or training underwear. This method may seem a bit outdated, but waterproof training pants definitely have their place, especially when you’re on the go. “The instances that I would recommend a plastic outer diaper would be for travel, for the first few days of transitioning back to preschool after potty training, or for nap/overnight training,” Swaney says.
• Disposable training pants. “It’s important to know that a pull-up is not much different than a diaper,” Vermillion says, “so training with them may be slower and less effective.” Kids won’t learn from their accidents, since there won’t be any. Plus, they won’t get a “wet” feeling if they dribble a little and therefore may miss their cue to head to the loo. But they’re obviously popular for a reason—they’re mess-free! This means they’re a good pick when you’re traveling or out somewhere without easy bathroom access, or at night (which really is a whole different potty-training ball game).

About the writer:

Christin Perry is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in pregnancy, parenting and health and wellness topics. As a mother of four (ages 5, 10, 12 and 14), she’s gone through the paces and has used what seems like every product under the sun—and she’s used that experience to write dozens of product roundups for The Bump. Christin considers herself lucky to have worked for a long list of other large clients, including Forbes Advisor, VeryWell Family, Parents, Parade, The Knot, Apartment Therapy and Dwell, to name a few.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Plus, more from The Bump:

Potty Training: How to Get Started—and Making It Work

Best Potty Training Seats, Tested by Parents With Potty-Training Tots

12 Best Potty Training Books for Toddlers and Parents