Best Toilet Training Seats UK 2026: The £36 BabyBjörn Grips Best, but Only the Foldable One Goes in Your Bag

COMPARISON · BATH & CHANGING

Somewhere between the second and third birthday, most toddlers decide the potty is for babies and the big toilet is where the grown-ups are. That is the moment a toilet training seat earns its place: a smaller ring that sits on your existing toilet so your child can't slip through, feels secure, and learns the routine they will use for life.

On a shop shelf the seats look much the same. They aren't. The five we compare here are five quite different designs: a fixed seat that locks to your toilet with a dial, a one-piece rubber seat with a high back and handles, a step-up frame with its own ladder, a soft foam seat, and a flat reducer that folds into four for your changing bag. Prices run from £12.50 to £35.90, and the most expensive seat is not the one that solves the most problems.

The biggest surprise? The seat that stays put best has no handles at all, and the cheapest seat with handles costs about a third as much. Which one is right depends less on your budget and more on your toddler: how confident they are, whether they want to climb up on their own, and how often you are out of the house.

We compared the brands' published specs, live UK prices and stock, and the feedback parents share with us and across the wider parenting community. The scores are ours and nobody paid to be included.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: BabyBjörn Toilet Training Seat · 8.5/10 - a dial underneath locks it to your toilet, so it doesn't shift when they wriggle
• Best Value: Ok Baby Sofa Toilet Training Seat · 8.0/10 - high back, wide handles and a seamless one-piece rubber body for £12.50
• Best for Independent Climbers: Dreambaby Step-Up Toilet Trainer · 7.5/10 - a built-in two-height step means no separate step stool
• Best for Nervous Sitters: Bumbo Toilet Trainer · 7.5/10 - soft, warm foam instead of cold hard plastic
• Best for Travel: Badabulle Foldable Toilet Reducer · 7.0/10 - folds into four and lives in its own carry bag

Quick comparison

Seat	Price	Design	Handles	Splash guard	Folds	Our score
BabyBjörn Toilet Training Seat	£35.90	Dial-fit seat	No	Yes	No
Ok Baby Sofa Toilet Training Seat	£12.50	One-piece rubber seat with back	Yes, wide and raised	Yes	No
Dreambaby Step-Up Toilet Trainer	£17.99	Step-up frame with ladder	Yes	Yes	Yes, for storage
Bumbo Toilet Trainer	£24.49	Soft foam seat	No	Raised front	No
Badabulle Foldable Toilet Reducer	£12.99	Flat folding reducer	No	No	Yes, into four

Prices are the lowest in-stock UK price we found at the time of writing and can change.

How we picked the 5

We started with every toilet training seat in our catalogue that is in stock in the UK through our retail partners, then removed unbranded multi-packs and listings without clear specs. From what was left, we wanted one strong example of each design parents actually choose between, from five different brands, rather than five versions of the same plastic ring.

Each seat was scored on how securely it sits on a typical UK toilet, how easy it is for a toddler to use, how easy it is to clean, how practical it is to store or carry, and value for money. We also weighed what parents tell us after weeks of daily use, which is where small things like a loosening grip or a seat that can't be rinsed show up.

What to look for in a toilet training seat

Fit and grip. UK toilet seats vary in shape and opening size. Seats either lock into the opening (with a dial or clips), grip with rubber edging, or simply sit on top. A seat that shuffles sideways is the fastest way to put a toddler off the big toilet, so fit matters more than any extra feature.

Handles and a back. Handles give a toddler something to hold while climbing on and something to grip while sitting. A high back helps the ones who perch nervously on the edge. Confident children often don't need either.

Getting up there. A seat-only trainer needs a sturdy step stool, ideally one with a non-slip base. Step-up frames build the step in, at the cost of floor space. Our toddler step stools buyer's guide compares step heights if you go seat-only.

Splash guard. A raised front lip helps keep wee in the bowl, particularly for boys. Check its height if that matters to you.

Cleaning. You will wipe this seat several times a day. One-piece mouldings with no seams are easiest. Foam seats can only be wiped, not rinsed or submerged.

Storage and travel. Adults still need the toilet, so think about where the seat goes in between: a hook, standing on its own, folded behind the pan, or in a bag for days out.

1. BabyBjörn Toilet Training Seat / 10 · Best Overall

BabyBjörn's seat is often the one parents buy after a cheaper seat has slid sideways. The difference is underneath: a dial you turn once to set the width, so the seat locks into the opening of your toilet seat, plus rubber edging that grips the rim. Once set, it doesn't shuffle when a toddler twists round to reach the loo roll.

It measures 29 x 36 x 9cm and weighs 400g, made from BPA-free polypropylene and thermoplastic elastomer, with a splash guard at the front and a carry handle that lets it hang on a hook beside the toilet. The brand suggests it from around 2 years. At £35.90 it is the priciest seat here, nearly three times the Ok Baby.

What parents love

• Dial fit. Set it once and it stays put. One parent told us: “It adjusts to fit your toilet and feels secure as it grips the seat.”
• Simple to clean. A smooth, seam-light shape with no foam or fabric, so a damp cloth or a rinse under the tap does it.
• Hangs on a hook. The handle doubles as a hanger, so the seat is off the floor and out of the way for adults.
• Starts early. We hear from parents whose toddlers used it happily before the 2-year guide; one said their only regret was not starting sooner.

What to know before you buy

• Price. £35.90 buys fit and finish, not extra features. There are no grab handles and no step.
• Re-check the dial. A few parents find the grip loosens over time, especially if the seat moves between toilets, so give it a quick twist now and then.
• Modest splash guard. Fine for most toddlers, but some parents of boys find it on the low side.

Best for

• Families with one main toilet who want a seat that never moves
• Physically confident toddlers who still want to feel secure
• Small bathrooms where the seat needs to hang tidily out of the way
• Parents happy to pair it with a separate step stool

2. Ok Baby Sofa Toilet Training Seat / 10 · Best Value

Ok Baby's Sofa is the closest thing here to a toddler armchair for the toilet. It has a high backrest, two wide raised handles and a seat angled to reduce splashing, all moulded in one piece from soft anti-slip rubber and plastic. That double-injection process leaves no gaps between materials for grime to collect in, which matters more than it sounds when you are wiping it three times a day.

It measures 42 x 35 x 9cm, weighs under 400g and stands up on its own when you lift it off, so it doesn't need a hook. At £12.50 it is the cheapest seat in this comparison with proper handles, though it is also the largest of the fixed seats and won't fold into a bag.

What parents love

• Handles to hold. Toddlers who grip something feel steadier and get on and off with less help. One parent put it best: “It's softer and easier for her to climb onto than the one we had before.”
• High back. The backrest gives an anxious toddler something to lean into instead of perching on the edge.
• Hygienic clean. One-piece moulding with no seams to trap dirt, and the soft rubber wipes down quickly.
• Price. Handles, a back and a splash guard for £12.50.

What to know before you buy

• Doesn't fold. It is a home seat. For days out you will need something else.
• Sits on, doesn't lock. The soft rubber grips well on most seats, but there is no dial, so it can shift on unusually shaped or very glossy seats.
• Bulky. At 42cm long it needs somewhere to stand when not in use.

Best for

• Families watching the budget
• Toddlers who like something to hold
• Smaller toddlers who need a back to lean on
• A second seat for grandparents or a second bathroom

3. Dreambaby Step-Up Toilet Trainer / 10 · Best for Climbers

The Dreambaby isn't just a seat, it's a seat with its own ladder. The frame stands on the floor in front of the toilet with a built-in step that adjusts to two heights, so your child climbs up, turns round and sits down on the reduced seat without a separate step stool. Shaped handles on each side give them something to hold all the way up.

It stands around 53cm tall and 49cm wide, has a splash guard, and is suggested from 18 months, with listings of the same frame giving a maximum user weight of 20kg. At £17.99 it costs half the BabyBjörn and replaces two products, but it takes up floor space in a way a seat alone doesn't.

What parents love

• No step stool needed. The two-height step is part of the frame, so there is one thing to buy and one thing to move.
• Independence. Toddlers can get themselves up and down, which for some is the whole appeal of leaving the potty behind.
• Handles all the way up. Shaped grips on both sides help with the turn-and-sit moment that worries parents most.
• Folds away. It folds flat for storage when the grown-ups need the toilet back.

What to know before you buy

• Footprint. It stands in front of the toilet, so in a narrow cloakroom it gets in the way.
• Moving it every time. Unlike a seat-only trainer, you lift a whole frame out of the way whenever an adult needs the loo.
• Measure first. It is designed to fit most standard toilets, but UK pan heights and depths vary, so check before you buy.

Best for

• Toddlers who insist on doing it themselves
• Family bathrooms with floor space in front of the toilet
• Parents who want seat and step in one
• Younger siblings who have watched an older child use the big toilet

4. Bumbo Toilet Trainer / 10 · Best for Nervous Sitters

Bumbo made its name with soft moulded foam seats, and its toilet trainer uses the same idea. Instead of cold hard plastic, your child sits on a warm, slightly squishy foam ring shaped to cradle them. For a toddler who is wary of the big toilet, that softness can make the difference between sitting down and refusing.

It is compact at around 30 x 23cm, suggested from 18 months to 3 years, and costs £24.49. The trade-off is cleaning: the brand says to wipe it with a damp cloth and mild detergent, and never to immerse it in water.

What parents love

• Soft and warm. Parents tell us the foam feels more secure and less intimidating than plastic, especially on a cold winter morning.
• Shaped to hold. The contour cradles the bottom and hips, so smaller toddlers feel they won't slip through.
• Compact. One of the smaller seats here and easy to tuck away.
• Familiar feel. If your child loved their Bumbo floor seat, the texture is instantly recognisable.

What to know before you buy

• Can't be submerged. Foam only gets a wipe-down, which some parents find harder to keep fresh than a seat they can rinse.
• No handles, no lock. It relies on its shape and grip to stay in place.
• Shorter lifespan. It is suggested up to about 3 years, so it may be outgrown before the plastic seats.

Best for

• Cautious toddlers who are scared of the big toilet
• Children who loved their Bumbo seat
• Cold bathrooms in winter
• Earlier starters from around 18 months

5. Badabulle Foldable Toilet Reducer / 10 · Best for Travel

Badabulle's reducer isn't trying to be your main seat. It is the one that lives in the changing bag. It folds into four, slides into its own carry bag and packs down to roughly 24.5 x 14 x 5.5cm, small enough for a handbag or backpack, so you are not balancing a toddler on a café toilet and hoping for the best.

Two grooves and four non-slip rubber zones locate it on the toilet bowl, and it washes with soap and water. At £12.99 it is one of the cheapest seats here, and many families end up with one alongside a home seat rather than instead of it.

What parents love

• Genuinely portable. Folds into four with its own bag, so it is always there when you need it.
• Grips unfamiliar toilets. Grooves and rubber zones help it sit securely on toilets you have never seen before.
• Easy to clean. Soap and water is all it needs.
• Cheap enough for a spare. Keep one in the car, the nursery bag or at the grandparents'.

What to know before you buy

• No handles, back or splash guard. It is a reducer, not a full trainer, so it suits toddlers who are already confident.
• Hinges to wipe. Folding joints mean more edges to clean and keep an eye on.
• Not a daily seat. Brilliant for outings, but most parents prefer something more substantial at home.

Best for

• Days out, holidays and long car journeys
• A spare for grandparents' house
• Toddlers already confident on the toilet at home
• Parents who pack light

What about a 3-in-1 potty instead?

If your toddler hasn't left the potty yet, a convertible potty that becomes a toilet seat and a step later on may suit you better than buying both separately. We compare those in our potties guide. If you choose a seat-only trainer like the BabyBjörn, Ok Baby or Bumbo, budget for a sturdy non-slip step stool too.

How to choose

Choose the BabyBjörn if you want one seat that locks in and doesn't move, and you already have, or will buy, a good step stool.

Choose the Ok Baby Sofa if you want handles and a back for the least money, and the seat will stay at home.

Choose the Dreambaby Step-Up if your toddler wants to do everything themselves and your bathroom has the floor space for a frame.

Choose the Bumbo if your child is nervous of the big toilet and a soft, warm seat might win them over.

Choose the Badabulle as a travel seat alongside any of the above, or as your only seat if your toddler is already confident.

Add it to your Nest

Toilet training seats are a brilliant thing to add to a wish list for a second birthday. Save your favourite to your free BubsNest registry so family and friends can see exactly which one you want, and compare prices across retailers in one place.