Product Review: Kalencom 2-In-1 Potette Plus

Now that we are a week and a half into full-on potty training with Miles, I thought it would be good to review a product that we have been using, the .  I had read great reviews of this product by friends and bloggers and since we do a good amount of traveling, I decided to purchase one using a $10 off code for the Baby Store at Amazon.com, making it a really inexpensive purchase. (See the end of the review for an update!)

Here’s the product description from Kalencom:

The Potette Plus brand portable potty is great for travel or to take anywhere that you may not have access to a sanitary bathroom. It? a clean potty for your child no matter where you go!  Disposable liner re-fills are sold separately.

• Contoured seat for your child’s comfort.
• Sturdy well-balanced base helps your child feel secure.
• Legs lock into place when opened.
• Folds flat so it can fit in a purse or diaper bag.
• A great potty to keep in your car, boat, camper, or RV.
• Uses self-absorbing, disposable liners that discard like a diaper.
• Disposable liners hold up to 5 ounces of liquid.
• Liners are lightly scented to absorb odors.
• Liner handles secure to the potty and tie closed for disposal.
• Drawstring carrying bag included.
• Comes with 3 super absorbent, leak-proof and easy-to-use disposable liners
• When used as a travel potty, suitable for ages 15 months and up to 50lbs.
• Easily converts to a folding trainer seat suitable for children 2 years and up to 50 lbs.

I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of size with this product.  Here’s my son holding it straight out of the box from Amazon.  It is smaller than I expected — a good thing, in my book! 

Since it’s a travel product, I want it to be small enough to fit into the diaper bag and carry into a store or friend’s house without it being cumbersome.

Here it is in our diaper bag, filled with supplies for a 1 year old and potty training 2.5 year old:

As stated in the product description, the Potette Plus comes with three absorbent and disposable liners.  As I read in reviews, you can also use a regular size plastic grocery bag (sorry, Earth!), but you’ll probably want to double up in case of leaks.  Some reviewers recommend folding a paper towel and placing it in the bottom of the bag to imitate the included liners.  Additional Potette Plus liners can be purchased separately (see product widget below).

Here are a few things I love about this product:

• I quickly found when we were taking Miles into public restrooms to potty in the first days (and unfortunately before the Potette Plus arrived!) that we were at a loss about where he should put his hands.  Putting his hands on a possibly dirty seat is not an option and lining the seat with a liner or toilet paper is hit or miss.  When you’re hurrying to get him on the potty before he lets it go, those things tend to get knocked around.  The Potette Plus solves this problem!  The little “legs” fold outward so that it can sit on top of normal toilet seats, like a potty ring.
• No one wants to hear these words when you’re driving (or stuck in the drive thru like I heard the other day):  “Mama…potty!!”  If you keep your Potette Plus either in the diaper bag or set up in the back of your car, you’re never without a place for your child to potty.  The back of your van or SUV can become a restroom in a pinch (providing privacy) or you can place the seat on the ground anywhere!  I can see this being very nice while camping or at the beach (in an emergency situation).
• I like the carrying bag for the Potette.  It is a plastic (vinyl?) bag which I guess should help with the hygeine factor.  I anticipated a cloth bag.  If you want to use something washable as opposed to just “wipeable”, a cloth diaper wet bag would work great for this purpose!  Inside our bag I have a set of small sticky notes because I found that the automatic flush sensors tend to freak out preschoolers!  Covering the sensor with a sticky note will keep it from going off prematurely!

Have you considered the Potette Plus?  Do you give it as much of a rave review as I do?