The Best Potty Training Underwear (From a Real Potty Training Expert)

What Are Potty Training Pants? How They Work + The Best Ones to Use

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We all do it — whether it’s scrolling parent forums, checking Instagram favorites, texting our mom group, or crowd-searching “best toddler underwear” at 10pm. When it comes to kid stuff, we don’t want endless options… we want the right ones.

Which balm cures a constant battle with eczema? Which jarred tomato sauce does the food blogger recommend (when there’s zero time for anything from scratch?)

And — very important in the toddler era — which training underwear actually help kids learn to use the potty?

I get asked this one constantly. As a certified Oh Crap Potty Training consultant who has worked with thousands of families, I’ve seen what works in real life (and what just looks cute on Instagram). So here are the training underwear I recommend — and why they support successful potty training...instead of confusing things like pull-ups can.

What Are Potty Training Pants (and How Are They Different From Regular Toddler Underwear)?

Let’s start with the lingo: potty training pants

Have you heard terms like potty training pants, training underwear, or cloth training pants and wondered if they’re the same thing?

They’re not — and when you’re just starting potty training, the difference matters.

Not all toddler underwear is created equal when you have a newly potty-trained toddler learning body awareness and control.

In Oh Crap Potty Training, we start bare-bummed in the early learning phase. Then we move to going commando with pants. Underwear comes last— once your toddler has built potty awareness and control.

That’s when training underwear (also called cloth training pants or potty training pants) come in. They’re designed to help toddlers feel pee, notice accidents faster, and work well in the transition to no sleep diapers.

Let’s talk toddler underwear lingo — because not all tiny undies are created equal, and some are basically mini diapers in disguise.

Connected: Want to see all the potty training Blocks explained simply? Join my mailing list, and I’ll send you my printable Blocks of Potty Training + my Potty Training Cheatsheets.

When to Introduce Potty Training Underwear

Wait, when do you add in the training underwear?

You want your child to be really solid with using the potty before underwear enters the picture.

As a general rule, you shouldn't be seeing more than two accidents in a week. Your child should be going to the potty when prompted and starting to go on their own.

And here’s why the training underwear is worth the wait.

Toddlers have muscle memory from living in diapers for years. That snug hug around their bum? Underwear can feel just like that diaper — which means if you introduce undies too early, you can see backsliding or more accidents.

That's why, in Oh Crap Potty Training, we typically wait a few weeks before introducing underwear. By then, your child has built enough body awareness and practice using the potty that the switch to underwear doesn’t throw things off.

Waiting helps your toddler stay confident, keep momentum, and avoid those uh-oh pee accidents that happen when underwear feels just like a diaper.

The Best Potty Training Underwear (Consultant-Recommended Picks)

Next comes the fun — choosing potty training pants!

Organic cotton training pants by Earth Baby Clothing

To be clear, you absolutely don’t need to spend $18 on a pair of toddler underwear. Training underwear does not magically potty train your child — and it won’t replace the learning process.

If some of the options you see here are above your budget, don’t stress. I’ve included affordable training underwear picks, too.

Here’s why I’m such a fan of cloth training pants, overall:

1. Cloth training pants are easier for younger toddlers to push down.

The cinched elastic waistbands on typical toddler underwear can be tough for little hands — young toddlers often struggle to hook their thumbs, pull, and push down independently.

Cloth training pants don't have that tight elastic pinch, which makes it much easier for toddlers to get them down on their own (especially in those urgent “gotta go!” moments).

And when it’s easier for your toddler to do something WITHOUT YOUR HELP, that’s when we tend to see fewer accidents and less toddler resistance. The greater toddler independence you see in doing all of the things...the better the potty training process goes.

2. Cloth training pants help with dribblers.

Sometimes after potty training, a little pee dribbles into the underwear but doesn’t soak the pants. This is super common — especially for boys — and often happens as toddlers are still learning timing and testing how long they can hold their pee.

Here’s where cloth training pants save the day for dribblers.

Inside training underwear there's an extra front panel to absorb pee. Cloth training pants by Earth Baby Clothing.

That extra absorbent layer in the front catches those tiny dribbles so they don’t leak through to pants (or sheets). No puddles. No outfit change.

That's a win-win.

• For you: less laundry and fewer midday outfit swaps

• For your toddler: Less feeling like they've had another miss, so confidence stays high

Dribbles typically go away in a matter of weeks. Until they do, training underwear helps protect confidence and keeps the day moving smoothly.

3. Cloth training pants are a must-have for potty training at night.

When you’re starting overnight potty training or taking away pull-ups at night, cloth training pants are a HUGE help. They give your toddler a little absorbency buffer when the diapers are off.

And — personal take here — the better-quality training underwear are just more comfortable.

Across brands, I’ve found cloth training pants tend to feel softer and feel more forgiving around the waist compared to basic toddler underwear.

Okay, so now that you understand why I’m such a megafan of cloth training pants...which ones do I actually recommend?

I combed through cloth training pants online to find the best picks for potty training toddlers.

⭐️ Absorbent cotton training pants — MooMooBaby

Soft, absorbent layers designed to catch dribbles without feeling like a diaper. A great everyday pick, especially for toddlers who are still getting the timing down.

＄Basic White Cotton Training Pants — budget-friendly basics

Simple, affordable, and they get the job done. Perfect if you want a few backup pairs

or don’t want to invest in multiple pricey sets.

👶 For Potty Training Younger Toddlers — Hemp/Cotton Training Pants

Potty training a younger toddler? This shop carries hemp cotton training pants in sizes

as small as 1 year —  a lifesaver when standard 2T/3T undies swallow your little bean.

🌱Organic + Cute Prints — Earth Baby Clothing

Organic cotton and adorable designs. If you want soft, durable training underwear

that make you smile when you grab them from the drawer — this is your splurge pick.

What did I use as a mama?

When I was shopping for toddler underwear as a mama (long before I became a potty training consultant), I stumbled on hemp cloth training pants.

First came cloth diapers. Then came cloth training pants.

Back when we lived in Brooklyn, I used to peek into a local baby shop (now called The Wild). I bought my daughter’s cloth diapers there, so it felt natural to scout out potty training underwear at the same trusted spot.

And just like squeezing peaches at the grocery store — it was the feel of the training pants that sold me. Soft, substantial, stretchy, and easy for my 22-month-old to push down. Earthy green and eggplant purple little undies in a basket? Yes please.

They were winners.

They washed well, stayed soft, handled dribbles, and looked adorable. And at $12 a pair, they were worth it.

Why they were worth it:

1. They last — and you can use them for a second child.

I cloth diapered my kids and loved having a stash of diapers ready to go when I had my second. Those handmade cloth training pants handled wash after wash, and we had a dozen pairs for the transition to potty training.

Then those tiny undies got used to dress stuffed animals (Giraffie and Unicorn approved).

2. Fabric matters.

Ever bought those adorable toddler socks from H&M or the Target dollar aisle… and then two weeks later they’re dingy, pilled, and stretched out?

Same thing can happen with cheap toddler underwear. Synthetic fabrics stain more easily, lose shape fast, and just don’t hold up.

Does your child ever get track marks? Synthetic undies show stains more and elastic wears out quickly.

Nothing wrong with budget picks — sometimes affordability wins. But if you want the potty training underwear that lasts, cloth training pants are worth it. Look for cotton, hemp, or bamboo — natural materials.

Related: Remember to pick up a wet/dry pouch to store your extra potty training undies (and pants) when you're out of the houses.

👉 Get my complete list of 12 Potty Training Essentials here.

And because someone will ask (and you know I love a good recommendation)…

my favorite jarred tomato sauce is Rao's Marinara. Always.

Illustration: Citrus and Mint Designs.

#pottytrainingpants #clothtrainingpants