--- title: "Potty training UK: when to buy | BabyNido" description: "Potties and travel potties in the UK: when to buy one, NHS timing, My Carry Potty-style listings to compare, and why this is not a newborn gift." url: "https://babynido.co.uk/guides/potty-training-uk" --- - [Home](/) - / [Guides](/guides) - / [Care](/care) - / Potty training UK: when to buy care # Potty training UK: when to buy Potties and travel potties in the UK: when to buy one, NHS timing, My Carry Potty-style listings to compare, and why this is not a newborn gift. - UK care - Unscented first - Not a clinic By [Hannah Cole](/author/hannah-cole) · Published 13 August 2026 · Last updated 13 August 2026 Also browse [Care](/care)[Toddler](/toddler)[Skip-list](/skip)[All guides](/guides) Desk-researched 2026-08-13. Links marked with * are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Verdicts stay independent: we name the free or official option when it wins. We have not lab-tested products. Verdict Buy a potty when they show they are ready — often around 18–24 months or later — not for a newborn registry. A simple bowl plus a travel potty if you are out a lot is enough. Skip this if they are a baby. Night dryness can lag. We are not a toileting clinic. Not for: Skip this if you need continence support or a developmental assessment. We compare potties as kit. On this page - 1. [When should you buy a potty in the UK?](#when-should-you-buy-a-potty-in-the-uk) - 2. [Floor potty or travel potty — which first?](#floor-potty-or-travel-potty-which-first) - 3. [Which potties are worth comparing in the UK?](#which-potties-are-worth-comparing-in-the-uk) - 4. [Do swim nappies count as potty training?](#do-swim-nappies-count-as-potty-training) - 5. [Is a potty a good newborn gift?](#is-a-potty-a-good-newborn-gift) - 6. [What if potty training is not working?](#what-if-potty-training-is-not-working) - 7. [Frequently asked questions](#faq) ## When should you buy a potty in the UK? When they can sit, walk, and you are in the 18–30 month window NHS-linked continence advice now talks about — not for a newborn registry. A newborn does not need a travel potty. My Carry Potty ranks on Amazon because toddlers exist, not because it belongs on a hospital list. Source: [ NHS Healthier Together — Toilet training ](https://www.healthiertogether.nhs.uk/child-under-5-years/toilet-training-2) (checked 13 Aug 2026). ## Floor potty or travel potty — which first? A stable floor potty first, in the room you will actually use. A travel potty when you are mid-training and leaving the house. Skip a musical potty. Skip pull-ups as a substitute for sitting on the potty if you have already started — they can blur the lesson, though they remain useful for outings. Kit Choose if Skip if Simple potty They are ready to sit at home They are a baby Travel potty with lid You are training and take buses or cars It is a newborn gift Toilet seat insert + step They prefer the big toilet They cannot climb a step safely yet Training watch / app Almost never as a first buy You hoped a gadget would toilet-train them ## Which potties are worth comparing in the UK? Compare a simple floor potty and a Carry Potty-style travel seat — not a ranked best-of. We have not toilet-trained on them. Skip this until they are in the toddler window. Awin hops can sit beside Amazon when those URLs are live. [ Compare potties at John Lewis* ](/go/johnlewis?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnlewis.com%2Fsearch%3FsearchTerm%3Dpotty%2Btoddler&p=inline) Desk-researched 13 Aug 2026. Example UK listings to compare, not a ranked best-of. We have not lab-tested them. Prices move. Affiliate links (*). Awin tracking URLs can replace a hop when you send them. - Potties · Amazon UK ### Simple floor potty The first potty is a bowl they will sit on when they are ready — often around 18–24 months, not a newborn. Compare stability and a wipe-clean bowl. Skip if: They are a baby. Potty training is not a first-year essential. [ Compare baby potties on Amazon UK* ](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=baby+potty+toddler&tag=clevermum0c-21) [Read the buying guide](/guides/potty-training-uk) - Potties · Amazon UK ### My Carry Potty / travel potty A high-ranking Amazon UK travel potty. Useful once they are actually training and you leave the house. Skip as a newborn gift. Skip if: They cannot sit independently yet, or you have no plan to train this year. [ Compare travel potties on Amazon UK* ](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=My+Carry+Potty&tag=clevermum0c-21) [Read the buying guide](/guides/potty-training-uk) ## Do swim nappies count as potty training? No. Swim nappies hold solids in a pool. They are not day training and they are not everyday absorbency. Everyday nappies stay on until you actually switch. Keep the two jobs separate so a pool rule does not empty the nappy drawer. Retailer awards cover potty and bathtime. We will not copy a winner table. We will copy NHS timing. ## Is a potty a good newborn gift? No. It will sit in a loft for a year. If you want to give later-stage kit, wait until they are walking and the parents ask. A voucher dated for the second birthday is less wasteful than a musical throne they did not request. Newborn spend order is still [essentials](/guides/newborn-essentials-uk). ## What if potty training is not working? Pause. NHS-linked advice is to wait and try later rather than fight for weeks. This is not a harder potty. If you have concerns about constipation or development, that is a health visitor or GP, not a new marketplace listing. We will not sell a “three-day method” course. Kit is a bowl. Timing is the child. ## Frequently asked questions What age should I start potty training in the UK? When they show they are ready, often around 18–24 months or later. NHS has the signs. A potty for a newborn is storage. Do I need a travel potty? Only once they are training and you go out. A Carry Potty-style seat is a common listing, not a day-one essential. Should I use pull-up nappies to train? Some families use them for outings. They are still nappies. The training product is the potty and the routine, not a branded pant. ## Read next - [ planning Nappies and wipes UK: first packs Newborn nappies and wipes in the UK: first pack sizes, disposable vs cloth, fragrance-free wipes, and listings to compare — not a jumbo mixed gift box. ](/guides/nappies-and-wipes-uk) - [ care Swim nappies UK: pool not day Swim nappies in the UK: disposable Little Swimmers vs reusable Happy Nappy, what pools require, and listings to compare — not a substitute for everyday nappies. ](/guides/swim-nappies-uk) - [ care Sippy cups UK: free flow first Sippy cups and trainer beakers in the UK: NHS free-flow advice, when to start, Amazon listings to compare, and why non-spill valves can be the wrong win. ](/guides/sippy-cups-uk) - [ care Weaning kit UK: bibs and spoons Weaning bibs, spoons and bowls in the UK: when to buy, what to skip, and listings to compare — wait until sitting and solids, not the baby shower. ](/guides/weaning-kit-uk) - [ gear Baby proofing UK: gates and locks Stair gates and cupboard locks in the UK: when to buy them, pressure vs screw-fit, Amazon bestsellers to compare, and why this is not a newborn essential. ](/guides/baby-proofing-uk) - [ care Baby wipes UK: which pack first Baby wipes in the UK: WaterWipes vs own-brand, fragrance-free packs, cotton wool, and Amazon listings to compare — skip scented and alcohol wipes. ](/guides/baby-wipes-uk) - [ care Nappy cream UK: barrier not cure Nappy rash cream in the UK: Bepanthen vs Metanium, what the NHS wants first, and listings to compare — skip talc, and see a pharmacist if it is not improving. ](/guides/nappy-rash-cream-uk) - [ care Baby skincare UK: wash and skip Baby wash, lotion, cotton wool and sun cream in the UK: what Amazon sells hardest, what the NHS skips, and listings to compare — not a dermatology plan. ](/guides/baby-skincare-uk) - [ care Dummies UK: if you use one Baby dummies and soothers in the UK: when to introduce one, Lullaby Trust notes, MAM listings to compare, and when to skip — never dip in something sweet. ](/guides/dummy-soother-uk) [ See compare listings Then hop to the retailer ](#compare-listings)