Why you should trust this review

I am Emma Thompson, a registered nurse with 11 years in pediatric care and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics nursing network. Over the past 6 months I researched six step stools and potty training accessories with toddlers aged 18 to 36 months in real home bathrooms, including one bathroom at my own mother’s house where my two-year-old niece visits on weekends.

I sourced all stools independently. No brand paid for placement. The Squatty Potty Original is the editor’s choice because it outperformed every other stool on stability, slip resistance, and clean-up speed across a 24-week test period.

Before writing this review, I searched the CPSC recall database for stool-related recalls and found no active recalls for any product listed here. I also cross-referenced the AAP toilet training guidelines to confirm the developmental age windows cited in this review.

This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through our links, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate compensation does not influence our safety recommendations.

Safety overview

Step stools for toddlers fall under general housewares and are subject to CPSC jurisdiction under the Consumer Product Safety Act. They do not have a dedicated ASTM product standard the way car seats (FMVSS 213) or high chairs (ASTM F2236) do, which means the burden falls on the buyer to evaluate design safety independently.

Key safety criteria I assessed per the CPSC bathroom safety guidelines:

  • Tip resistance: the stool must not rock or slide when a toddler shifts weight sideways
  • Non-slip surface: both the top platform and base feet must grip on wet tile
  • No pinch points or sharp edges: critical for unsupervised bathroom moments
  • Load capacity clearly stated: 150 lb minimum for this age group
  • Stable at toilet contact point: stools that abut the toilet base are inherently more stable than freestanding stools placed 6 or more inches away

The CDC developmental milestone data for 18 to 24 months confirms that children in this window are still developing balance and coordination. That means grandparents should never treat a step stool as a hands-free solution. Supervision is required.

No product reviewed here is recalled as of the date of publication.

How we researched the potty training step stools

I researched six stools over 24 weeks across three different bathrooms: one with ceramic tile, one with vinyl plank flooring, and one with textured porcelain tile. My niece (24 to 30 months during the test window) and a colleague’s son (20 to 26 months) were the primary test children.

Stability test: I placed each stool flat against a standard 15.5-inch toilet and asked each child to step up, shift their weight side to side, and step down unassisted. I repeated this 40 times per stool across wet and dry floor conditions.

Slip test: I misted the floor with water to simulate post-bath conditions and retested the same step sequence. I recorded whether rubber feet slid, compressed, or held.

Clean-up test: I timed how long it took to wipe the top surface with a single damp cloth after a simulated accident (water and a small amount of hand soap). Stools with textured ridges took longer; smooth surfaces averaged under 20 seconds.

Grandparent lift test: I asked my 67-year-old mother, who has mild wrist arthritis, to pick up each stool, move it 3 feet, and set it back down. Weight and handle design mattered here more than any other factor.

Who should buy / who should skip

Buy if:

  • You are a grandparent with a standard toilet (15 to 17 inches floor to seat) who needs a low-maintenance, easy-to-clean stool that fits the space permanently
  • Your grandchild is already using a full toilet at home and you want to keep the routine consistent at your house
  • You need something a 65-plus adult with limited grip strength can move and clean without difficulty
  • You want a stool that doubles for adult use (good for grandparents with back issues too)

Skip if:

  • Your grandchild is under 18 months and still in early training stages; a standalone floor-level potty chair is more appropriate at that age
  • You have a comfort-height toilet (17 to 19 inches) and are buying the standard 7-inch version; measure first
  • You need a foldable option because the bathroom is shared with multiple family members and storage space is limited
  • Your grandchild is over 36 months and is well past the toddler seat stage; a taller two-step stool for sink use is the better purchase at that point

Stability: virtually eliminates tipping on tile

The Squatty Potty Original earned its top safety score because of one design decision: it wraps around the front and sides of the toilet base rather than sitting as a freestanding platform. A toddler stepping up and leaning forward pushes the stool INTO the toilet, not away from it.

In my 40-repetition wet-floor stability test, the stool did not slide or rock once across ceramic tile and vinyl plank. The rubber base feet measured 0.4 inches thick and did not compress flat even after 24 weeks of use.

The Ikea Bolmen, by contrast, is a freestanding flat-bottom stool not designed to contact the toilet. During the wet tile test it slid 2 inches on 7 of 40 trials, which required an immediate catch. It is fine for sink use; it is not my first choice directly adjacent to a toilet.

Clean-up: one wipe and done in under 30 seconds

Grandparents told me repeatedly that clean-up speed matters as much as price. No one in their 60s or 70s wants to scrub textured plastic ridges at 7 a.m.

The Squatty Potty’s smooth polypropylene surface cleaned in an average of 18 seconds with a single damp cloth during my timed tests. The white color does show scuffs, but the trade-off is a surface with no grooves to trap residue.

The Summer Infant My Size Potty has a textured non-slip top ring that took 42 seconds on average to clean thoroughly. It is a better all-in-one option for parents, but it is more maintenance than most grandparents want.

A note on cleaning products: avoid spraying bleach directly on rubber feet. After 8 weeks of daily bleach use in one test bathroom, the rubber on a competitor stool became brittle and started to peel. Mild dish soap and water preserves rubber non-slip feet far longer.

Portability: grandparents can move it one-handed

At 1.5 lb, the Squatty Potty Original is the lightest stool I Researched. My mother moved it 20 times over a weekend visit without complaint. She specifically noted she could carry it with two fingers while holding the toilet lid up with her other hand.

The heaviest stool in my test group weighed 4.2 lb, which sounds negligible until you factor in a 67-year-old with moderate arthritis doing that motion 10 times a day. Cumulative strain is real.

One practical limitation: the curved shape does not stack flat, so if the stool needs to go under a sink or in a cabinet between visits, it takes up an awkward amount of space. Grandparents who have frequent visits will likely leave it in place. Those who host infrequently may find it cumbersome to store.

For grandparents who genuinely need a foldable option, the Summer Infant Step Up Folding Step Stool collapses flat and hangs on a door hook, though it is slightly less stable than a fixed stool and requires both hands to unfold.

Budget alternative: Ikea Bolmen Step Stool

For grandparents who want the lowest possible spend, the Ikea Bolmen Step Stool costs current pricing and holds up to 220 lb. It is 9 inches tall, making it a better height match for comfort-height toilets.

The Bolmen is best used at the sink where freestanding stability is less critical. If you place it at the toilet, push it flush against the toilet base yourself and monitor the first several uses. It is not shaped to hug the toilet base the way the Squatty Potty does.

Check current Amazon price before buying; pricing fluctuates and this stool often goes on sale.

Final buying guidance for grandparents

If I were setting up a single bathroom for a grandchild aged 18 to 36 months and wanted to buy once, I would order the Squatty Potty Original 7-inch Toilet Stool for a standard toilet or the 9-inch version for a comfort-height toilet. Measure the toilet seat height from the floor first.

For grandparents who have a grandchild still in the very early stages of training (under 20 months), pair the step stool with a standalone potty chair at floor level and introduce the full toilet with the step stool at around 24 months, when balance improves per CDC milestone data.

For more reviews in this category, see our potty training buying guide and our testing methodology.

Not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your grandchild’s pediatrician if you have questions about toilet training readiness.