Potty Training Made Simpler with the Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304
Written: Oct 27 '03 (Updated Oct 27 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: easy to clean, leave on the potty convenience
Cons: cannot use on soft seat, hits adults in the back when raised up
The Bottom Line: An inexpensive, convenient and useful potty training seat.
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| marytara's Full Review: Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 |
Ah.. potty training. Does it ever end? We are currently in the "almost there" stage of potty training with our almost three-year-old son. Recently he has decided he is just not interested in his Baby Bjorn Little Potty and has exhibited interest in the big potty, which flushes. Of course, a few problems with the big potty in that 1) its too high up and 2) the hole is too large making it really uncomfortable to sit without falling in.
So, armed with a Toys 'R Us gift card we made a trip to Babies 'R Us (they take the same cards) and headed to the potty department. Our mission, some sort of potty seat or ring that would make the size appropriate and a step stool. I didn't think there would be too many choices but surprisingly there was. Essentially there were 4 different options to pick from including - a plastic fold up ring, a padded ring, a pricy plastic sculpted seat (Baby Bjorn), and this flip up seat from Safety 1st. I was actually very pleased when my son selected the Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 because it was one of more affordable choices ($6), and also appeared to be the most practical.
How it works
The Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 is simply a plastic ring that installs on your toilet between the seat and the lid. The trainer seat reduces the size of the toilet so that kids can sit comfortably and won't be afraid of falling in, nor will they fall in, or have to precariously balance on top of the potty. The trainer seat also has a rubber deflector shield on the front for little boys.
The Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 is mounted on a hinge so that it can remain attached to your toilet all the time. This way - when its needed, kids can quickly flip it down and the toilet is ready. But when its not needed, it can be kept flipped up, and adults and older children can use the toilet.
Installation
The Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 is made to fit on a standard round toilet seat (not the elongated style). In order to mount it on your toilet seat there is some plastic hardware and you need to loosen up your toilet seat and slide the hardware for this seat under it, then tighten it back up. Since the Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 cannot be used with a padded toilet seat, I actually had to go and pick up a new hard toilet seat (for under $10). So I just installed this plastic seat and the new seat at the same time. The total elapsed time from start to finish was probably less than 15 minutes with the help of a screwdriver.
Our Experience
Since purchasing the Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 and a step stool, my son is more interested in using the adult toilet, or at least sitting on it (which is progress). I am sure this is because its simply more comfortable with this seat in place and he isn't falling in (been there and done that). My son enjoys flipping the trainer seat up and down before and after he uses it - he certainly know that this is his seat. With the seat down and in place the toilet is just the perfect size for his 2 year old hiney to set upon. At the same time, he feels like he's a big boy and using the grown-up potty.
I do question the designer of the rubber deflector shield, its rather low. Thankfully because its rubber it doesn't damage any goods, but it also seems to be a bit useless. Unfortunately, its not removable.
As one of the adults in the household, I find the Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 easy to use. I appreciate that its all plastic and very easy to clean - antibacterial wipes do a quick and thorough job. Also, when compared to one of those portable padded ring adapter seats, its also really nice that this seat permanently mounts and requires no additional storage or lots of unecessary handling.
One oddity of the Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304 has to be that when its in the flipped up position, at least on our toilet, it has the tendency to want to flip back at you and hit you in the back. The way around this is to make sure when you have it in the upright position that its pushed down on the hinge and in an exact 90 degree position with your toilet seat. If its put up correctly it won't flip back, but it was a bit of a trick to learn just exactly how to do this. If you have guests using your bathroom you'll want to show them this trick or put the seat up for them.
Overall
So far, so good. For under $7, my complaints are minimal about the Safety 1st One Step Trainer Seat 11304. If you have a potty trainer in your home, I recommend that you consider this inexpensive and convenient trainer seat. I'm hoping that this is our ticket to a diaper-free home.
Happy Flushing!
Recommended:
Yes
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marytara
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