Potty seat thats gentle on the botty (Cushie Traveler Folding Padded Potty Seat)

Member Name: paulpry118

Product:	Cushie Traveler Folding Padded Potty Seat
Date:	05/09/08 (245 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Compact and soft

Disadvantages: Expensive

Last week, on one of these rare afternoons when the sun was shining, my husband rang and said don't do any tea, we'll go out for tea to the local pub that has a park and children's play area next to it. Great I thought it would be a test for how Holly goes on outside the home with the use of a toilet. After about 20 minutes she duly told us she wanted a wee wee, so into the toilet we went. This however was not a happy experience. She would not seat on the toilet with out a small seat on it, she went completely rigid and screamed the place down, we was in the Nappy changing and disabled toilet and Darren came running in thinking I was murdering her and we managed to calm hold her over the toilet to wee, however not much went down the loo. Whilst eating I told Darren I had seen a fold up toilet seat on the internet so I would order it.

I had seen a rigid plastic version on the Boots website but it was out of stock and knew that my local Boots didn't sell it so I checked out the Mothercare website and spotted a padded version. The padded version looks a lot more comfortable than the rigid plastic version, so I opted to go for the padded version. I knew I wanted a few things from Mothercare, so at the weekend suggested we drove to Derby so I could clear Mothercare and Toys R Us out of clothes and toys. Unfortunately, Mothercare shop was out of stock so I ended up ordering from the Mothercare website.

The Seat.

The toilet seat is designed and engineered in America by a company called Mommy's Helper who seem to make a lot of safety equipment for babies and young children. The toilet seat is completely white in colour and has a rigid plastic base with a padding on top covered with a soft plastic material. It has four segments which are hinged together to make the seat foldable. On the base there are 2 L shaped pieces of plastic to keep the seat in place. The seat when opened measures 31 cm x 31 cm and is approx. 2cm thick and sits nicely on a normal adult seat. There is a warning on the bottom of the seat saying if the seat is to be used on an elongated or a larger than standard seat, the Cushie traveller should be positioned at the back of the toilet seat to provide support to the Cushie Traveller and prevent it from folding under the child's weight. The seat is suitable for children over the age of 12 months.

When the seat is folded up, it measures 8.5 cm deep 19 cm x 16 cm and is supplied with a washable small linen type material bag for you to keep it in. The whole thing can then be kept in your handbag (mind you as most mothers know you need a handbag the size of a suitcase so you can carry everything including the kitchen sink!).

When your little off spring has used the seat it can be easily wiped down with a baby wipe to clean it.

Usage Test.

I tried it at home when it was delivered and it fitted nicely on our toilet seat and Holly seemed quite happy to use it, in fact she kept insisting that we go up stairs just so that she could sit on the toilet.

Once again it was a nice evening last night so we paid a visit to the pub and the local park. Holly told us she wanted a wee, so we set off to the toilet. The pub has an elongated seat, we just pushed the seat to the back of the fixed toilet seat, I lifted Holly on and she done her business, I lifted her off and all the wee had gone into the toilet, none had gone on her or the floor.

Price and availability.

I purchased mine from the Mothercare internet site (www.mothercare.co.uk) for £9.99 with standard postage of £4.50 or next day for £7.50. The only other place that I can find selling the padded version is on Ebay, for £4.75 with £7.66 postage from America. Boots do a version for £8.99 but this looks to be just plastic with no padding.

My Opinion

Holly is a very independent little girl and holding her over the toilet is not an option. She likes to be be able to do things herself, even when she uses a potty she likes to take it upstairs herself and empty it. So this seat gives her a little This seat will certainly be getting used a lot, maybe not in the home as I already have a small toilet seat but certainly when we are out either shopping or when I go to the gym and Holly goes to the creche. You can buy the small toilet seats from about £2.00 so this is rather expensive but you are paying for the convenience of folding it up and being able to carry it around with you when you go shopping.

For further reading www.mommyshelperinc.com.

Many thanks for reading. Anna

Summary: Handy for then you go out and your little one wants a wee.