When it comes to potty training, sometimes it is a lot better to start small with a potty training helper. The best baby potty out there is probably the Summer Infant Lil’ Loo Potty, which is small enough to help them feel comfortable but it still looks enough like a potty so that your toddler can get used to it fairly quickly. The overall design is just one of the good parts of the potty. In this Summer Infant Lil Loo Potty review, we’ll explore what makes the Summer Infant Lil’ Loo Potty the best baby potty on the market right now – and what you need to think about before you buy it.
Description
With a high back and a splash guard, the Summer Infant Lil’ Loo looks just like a traditional toilet without taking up too much room in your bathroom. It comes in five different colors so that you can even match it to your bathroom.
Note that the maximum weight capacity for the Lil’ Loo is 35 pounds but it is still quite close to the floor, so children much lighter will feel comfortable.
Potty Pros
If it is the best baby potty on the market, it has to live up to some pretty high standards. Here’s a Summer Infant Lil Loo Potty review of some of the best features of the potty:
Stability
Many smaller potties for children, especially at this price point, don’t have the stability that the Lil’ Loo does. The base is wide enough and the plastic is sturdy enough so that your little one can easily sit for as long as he or she likes. Since toddlers sometimes have to spend a lot of time sitting until they get used to going to the bathroom, you have to find a safe one. Unlike other potties, this one does not buckle or bend. You don’t have to worry about the heat of the shower or your heating system as you would with other plastic models.
Backrest
Another great safety and comfort feature (that also adds to the stability of the seat) is the backrest. This might just look purely ornamental, but it allows your child to lean back so they are in ultimate comfort while using the bathroom. It also serves as a back splash guard so that your walls don’t get all splashed up. It doesn’t really serve a functional purpose, but it still helps with the “feel” of the potty.
Easy to Empty
One of the biggest problems with other potties is that you have to line them with some sort of bag so that you can clean them. The Lil’ Loo is slightly different in that you can easily detach the actual chamber from the rest of the bathroom and put everything into your own toilet. For people who are worried about the environment, it easily eliminates that extra waste from the bags and liners. As long as you wipe it out after each use, the chamber doesn’t get dirty.
Compactness
The Lil’ Loo is also one of the most compact potties that still looks like a normal potty. It isn’t difficult to see that it will easily slip behind your own bathroom, it will go under the sink or even into the shower if you want it to. If you have more than one child, the Lil’ Loo will stack as well. If you plan on having more than one child in the future, it is easy to store as well.
Non-slip
The Lil’ Loo comes standard with rubber footing so that the plastic bottom doesn’t slip on the bathroom floor, even if it is wet or your child misses a bit. You can easily get new rubber footing if you do use the potty again and they are easy to install and clean.
Easy to Clean
Due to the hard nature of the plastic and the colorfastness of the plastic, the Lil’ Loo is easy to clean. You can use a Magic Eraser, some sanitizer wipes, and even bleach without having to worry about the potty discoloring using most cleaning agents. Even better, the bowl is resistant to staining and scratches, which you will need once your child starts using the potty without your help.
To get a thorough deep cleaning, the potty comes apart and goes back together easily. Note that the seams are tight so you shouldn’t have to worry about things getting too funky in the middle.
Splash Guard
Along with the high back that prevents splashing on the wall, the splashguard in the front prevents any liquid from getting out in the front. While this is particularly helpful with little boys who are learning how to use the toilet standing up, it is also extremely helpful for the seated portion as well – it helps to position your child back far enough so that everything gets in the chamber.
BPA Free
Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is an endocrine disruptor – a substance which interferes with the production, secretion, transport, action, function and elimination of natural hormones. Babies, in particular, are extremely susceptible to the coating that sometimes goes on plastic. Considering this will touch some of the most sensitive parts of your child, you should not even consider a potty that uses it.
Potty Cons
Of course, even the best potties will have some downsides for some people and some children. For a proper Summer Infant Lil Loo Potty review, you have to consider all of the good with a few bad things.
Discoloration
If you are the type of parent who wants an extremely thorough cleaning, the Lil’ Loo is a bit prone to discoloring if you use bleach. While the white version isn’t as likely to discolor, the brighter versions will start to wear after some use. Some parents also reported that if they left the potty in the sunlight, it discolored after some time. However, usually the length of time it takes to potty train your child isn’t enough for this to happen. Just be careful with your cleaning products and if you have a question, you can spot check like you would with laundry.
Depth
One thing you do want to check on is the depth of this toilet. For the first week or so of usage (or after eating a particularly filling meal), you will want to ensure that the toilet is deep enough. At about 3.5”, the chamber is a bit short. If your child uses the bathroom and it is too large, it will make a mess.
In order to prevent this, you may want to purchase a potty that goes deeper until your child can control it, but those potties usually aren’t easy to clean and store.
Liners
No Summer Infant Lil Loo Potty review would be complete without mentioning what is probably the biggest problem, a lack of liners. Currently, no liners available on the market will fit this potty perfectly. This will create problems if you don’t want to deal with the mess of cleaning up after your child uses the potty. However, some of the liners will just about fit it, so you can improvise if you have prior warning. In this case, it would be best to keep the potty lined at all times and just put a new one on immediately after taking the older, used one off.
Conclusion
Overall, the Summer Infant Lil’ Loo is the best baby potty on the market today for parents who want a great combination of affordability, ease of use, and cleanliness. You get all of the amenities without the hefty price tag.
