It’s no secret that I’ll be using cloth trainers! I’ve already shared my thoughts on the bumbledoo training pant (snap-on), and the Super Undies training pant (pull-on). I have a few more I’ll be trying, such as FuzziBunz Trickle Free, and GroVia. Of course, since I’m a fan of the Flip diaper system, I’d also love to try those out!
My reasons for using cloth trainers are pretty much exactly the same as why I use cloth diapers:
- Less money
- Less Waste
- Less Time (no running to store – yes, I know I have to wash them but… that does not take as long as running to the store!).
- MORE Cuteness!!
But as I’m new to the whole potty training scene AND the cloth trainer scene, I have a lot of questions – I’d like to ask my readers to help me out!
I wonder: are cloth trainers less convenient for potty training than disposable training pants? Pull-Ups seem to just slip up and down so easily on toddlers. Perhaps some readers can weigh in? I have found snap on trainers are hard to put back ON after my son uses the potty. I have never mastered the art of diapering a child while they are standing, so I HAVE to lay him down. Maybe I’ll just end up preferring the pull-on cloth trainer?
Also, I am uncertain how many trainers I’ll need – it seems like at first I’ll need almost the same as diapers because there’s bound to be a lot of accidents? But then as we progress, I imagine I’ll need fewer. So how do you cloth diaper/trainer mamas handle that?
And do any of you simply use cloth diapers or swim diapers as a “training pant” while you work on getting your kids to use the potty? Is there anyone that feels it’s not even necessary to switch over to a trainer? I can see how an AIO could easily become a trainer.
Please help this mama get started right in the cloth trainer transition! I’m sure eventually, like cloth diapering, I’ll have the experience to answer these questions, but for now, I’m counting on you!
Share what you know!
We have found the most success with just using the gerber training pants around the house. They will hold a little bit, but not a full accident. My daughter quickly figured out that Pull-ups hold everything, but her little training pants didn’t. 🙂 At night, we have had the best success with nighttime Super Undies. Those things rock! I just wish we had invested in them earlier. My husband was convinced that nighttime training would be quick and painless, therefore there was no reason to spend money on nighttime trainers. That was 1.5 years ago already….. Needless to say, we’ve totally gotten our money’s worth out of them! Good luck with potty training!
We have some Antsy Pants which worked great with our son. They look and work just like pull-ups but are cloth. They are a bit pricy and somewhat tough to stuff but worth a try. They maybe even have you review them for free. When we did just potty training I found some training pants that held the moisture against the skin but retained in the pants worked great. He felt the moisture but I did not have pee on the floor. I find, however, most cloth trainers are tough to pull up and down for the kids.
My daughter, that’s a tough one because we did EC and when she stopped wetting diapers we just switched over to underwear. Actually she wearing training underwear because otherwise her clothes don’t stay on – they just don’t make underwear that small and toddler clothes is made for diapers, too.
I don’t have any experience potty training a toddler {yet}, but I’m looking forward to reading your recommendations, especially since my daughter is 19 months old.
I am a week in to potty training with my son. He is two and my daughter is four. I have used cloth with him since he was 3 months old and I am finding that he is doing great all the way around. If we are at home I just let him run around pant less. When we are out, I am actually using Gerber training pants on him, just so they look like underwear. He has had tiny tickles here and there, but no flood gates. If I know we are going somewhere for an extended time, I have bummis small trainer. I am not a fan of the hugeness of this trainer, but it is cute print and waterproof for the unexpected. I used it on my daughter also and she loved the frogs. I also have a little beetle trainer size small. I hardly ever use this trainer. The material is thicker (and soft) but my skinny kiddos it just falls off. At night I am just using his cloth diapers bc the flood gates may open up. Although, he woke up dry this morning.
I didn’t cloth diaper my daughter until the month she was potty training. I was using pull ups at night time with her and they were too much like a regular diaper. My husband was doing her bedtime routine during that time and he was intimidated by the cloth (we had just switched.) Three months of buying expensive pull-ups for night time use, I had had enough with wasting money and her waking up really wet. I would put her in the cloth diapers at night and within two weeks she was dry in the mornings.
I don’t necessarily think you have to buy a ton of cloth trainers for potty training. I have found with my kiddos that they go quick with cloth. I definitely recommend cloth over the disposables though. Pull ups are even more expensive than disposable diapers and they don’t seem to ever go on sale.
Although I have potty trained a handful of kids, I am not overly experienced with cloth trainers. I am using the new Flip trainer for an overnight ‘just in case’ back up on my 4 y.o. (He rarely wets and if he does it’s not a flood, so for the most part the Flip works for him. It would not work for a child just learning to read his/her body’s signals at night.) The Flip has side snaps and pulls up and down easily. I have used the snap version of FuzziBunz perfect size diapers for a night time trainer. My 3 y.o. was able to go potty by himself and pull that up and down with no major issues.
You asked if Pull-Ups were more convenient. Honestly, they are when traveling or if your little one is prone to poopy accidents. Just tear away the sides and the clean up is oh so easy. That said, they are VERY expensive and if you can avoid using them for your first attempts, I would suggest doing so.
Tip: What worked well for many of my kiddos was to put them in long t-shirts and no diaper or underpants when hanging around the house. If it’s cold, add on some type of Baby Legs. It was much easier to get a kid to the potty on time and there were no issues with the child not being able to pull the trainer back up using the ‘nakey’ method. However, there is the risk of an accident on your floor. We found nakey time worked well for many of our kids because we realized if they had anything covering their privates, they thought it was alright to pee or poop.
My son knows a pull up is just another type of diaper. He does great without any diaper/pull up/underwear. But put something like that on him and he doesn’t even try to use the potty. Don’t get too many just in case your son is the same way!
We have found the most success with just using the gerber training pants around the house. They will hold a little bit, but not a full accident. My daughter quickly figured out that Pull-ups hold everything, but her little training pants didn’t. 🙂 At night, we have had the best success with nighttime Super Undies. Those things rock! I just wish we had invested in them earlier. My husband was convinced that nighttime training would be quick and painless, therefore there was no reason to spend money on nighttime trainers. That was 1.5 years ago already….. Needless to say, we’ve totally gotten our money’s worth out of them! Good luck with potty training!
We have some Antsy Pants which worked great with our son. They look and work just like pull-ups but are cloth. They are a bit pricy and somewhat tough to stuff but worth a try. They maybe even have you review them for free. When we did just potty training I found some training pants that held the moisture against the skin but retained in the pants worked great. He felt the moisture but I did not have pee on the floor. I find, however, most cloth trainers are tough to pull up and down for the kids.
My daughter, that’s a tough one because we did EC and when she stopped wetting diapers we just switched over to underwear. Actually she wearing training underwear because otherwise her clothes don’t stay on – they just don’t make underwear that small and toddler clothes is made for diapers, too.
I don’t have any experience potty training a toddler {yet}, but I’m looking forward to reading your recommendations, especially since my daughter is 19 months old.
I am a week in to potty training with my son. He is two and my daughter is four. I have used cloth with him since he was 3 months old and I am finding that he is doing great all the way around. If we are at home I just let him run around pant less. When we are out, I am actually using Gerber training pants on him, just so they look like underwear. He has had tiny tickles here and there, but no flood gates. If I know we are going somewhere for an extended time, I have bummis small trainer. I am not a fan of the hugeness of this trainer, but it is cute print and waterproof for the unexpected. I used it on my daughter also and she loved the frogs. I also have a little beetle trainer size small. I hardly ever use this trainer. The material is thicker (and soft) but my skinny kiddos it just falls off. At night I am just using his cloth diapers bc the flood gates may open up. Although, he woke up dry this morning.
I didn’t cloth diaper my daughter until the month she was potty training. I was using pull ups at night time with her and they were too much like a regular diaper. My husband was doing her bedtime routine during that time and he was intimidated by the cloth (we had just switched.) Three months of buying expensive pull-ups for night time use, I had had enough with wasting money and her waking up really wet. I would put her in the cloth diapers at night and within two weeks she was dry in the mornings.
I don’t necessarily think you have to buy a ton of cloth trainers for potty training. I have found with my kiddos that they go quick with cloth. I definitely recommend cloth over the disposables though. Pull ups are even more expensive than disposable diapers and they don’t seem to ever go on sale.
Although I have potty trained a handful of kids, I am not overly experienced with cloth trainers. I am using the new Flip trainer for an overnight ‘just in case’ back up on my 4 y.o. (He rarely wets and if he does it’s not a flood, so for the most part the Flip works for him. It would not work for a child just learning to read his/her body’s signals at night.) The Flip has side snaps and pulls up and down easily. I have used the snap version of FuzziBunz perfect size diapers for a night time trainer. My 3 y.o. was able to go potty by himself and pull that up and down with no major issues.
You asked if Pull-Ups were more convenient. Honestly, they are when traveling or if your little one is prone to poopy accidents. Just tear away the sides and the clean up is oh so easy. That said, they are VERY expensive and if you can avoid using them for your first attempts, I would suggest doing so.
Tip: What worked well for many of my kiddos was to put them in long t-shirts and no diaper or underpants when hanging around the house. If it’s cold, add on some type of Baby Legs. It was much easier to get a kid to the potty on time and there were no issues with the child not being able to pull the trainer back up using the ‘nakey’ method. However, there is the risk of an accident on your floor. We found nakey time worked well for many of our kids because we realized if they had anything covering their privates, they thought it was alright to pee or poop.
My son knows a pull up is just another type of diaper. He does great without any diaper/pull up/underwear. But put something like that on him and he doesn’t even try to use the potty. Don’t get too many just in case your son is the same way!