Work out the number from your own days: changes per day, multiplied by the days you need to cover between washes, plus a few spares. Count real changes for two or three days before you buy, because the number shifts through the weeks of training. Begin with a small set and add more once you know how your child and your laundry routine behave.
The simple sum: changes per day times days between washes
The formula is: pairs needed = changes per day times days to cover, plus spares. Days to cover means the days between washes plus any time a load needs to dry, rounded up to whole days. Pairs sitting damp on a rack cannot be worn.
For a few days, jot down every time your child changes pants, including leaks that wet a pair part-way. That tally is your changes per day. The table uses 4 changes a day only to show the arithmetic, so swap in your own tally.
| Your wash routine | Days to cover | Pairs at 4 changes a day |
|---|---|---|
| Wash daily, dry the same day | 1 | 4, plus spares |
| Wash daily, a day to air-dry | 2 | 8, plus spares |
| Wash every second day, a day to air-dry | 3 | 12, plus spares |
Early weeks vs later weeks
Many children have more leaks and more changes in the early weeks, so you may go through pairs faster than you expect. As your child gets better at reaching the toilet, the daily number can fall, and the extra pairs you needed earlier become spares.
That is a reason not to overbuy. Re-do your tally every couple of weeks and run the sum again. Remember too that a child can move up a size partway through training, which leaves a big stash in the old size sitting unused. Check the size on each product page before adding more.
Spares for daycare and the diaper bag
For daycare days, count the changes your child will have there and add one spare. Staff may send damp pairs home in a bag, so those need washing that evening. If you wash every night and the set is dry by morning, one set can cover both daycare and home. If it is not, you need a second set.
For the diaper bag, plan on one or two pairs plus a waterproof bag to carry used ones home. One option is Voccos Waterproof Wet Dry Bags, Black and Grey, 2 Pack, which lets one bag stay in the daycare cubby while the other rides in the car. The cloth diaper accessories collection lists more wet bags and laundry items.
Nights are their own line in the sum. Check whether the maker describes the pair as suitable for sleep, and count each night you plan to use cloth separately from your daytime changes.
Drying time and why it changes your count
Thick absorbent layers take time to dry, so drying often sets your count more than washing does. A pair on the rack is a pair you cannot use, which is why the sum uses days to cover and not just days between washes.
- Dryer allowed and available: a load washed after bedtime may be wearable by morning, so your days to cover can stay at one.
- Rack only: time one load from wet to fully dry before you settle on a number. If it is not ready until the next evening, add a day to the sum.
- Winter or a damp basement: indoor drying can run slower, so recount when the season changes.
- Shared machines: if you can only wash on set days, days to cover is the longest gap between those days plus the drying time.
Starting small and adding more
A sensible first set covers one day of changes plus a spare or two, with a few disposables as back-up. Buy one or two of a style first to check fit and absorbency before you buy a full set. Then add pairs when you run out before wash day or when you find a style that works.
If you use underwear with waterproof covers, count them separately. The maker's instructions say whether a cover can be worn again before washing. A pack such as Joyo Roy Waterproof Covers for Potty Training Underwear, Boys, 3T, 4 Pack gives you four covers, and you can see the current price on the product page. The cloth and reusable diapers collection has more reusable options.
Mixing cloth trainers with disposables
Some families keep cloth for home and use disposables when they are out, at daycare or for sleep. That cuts your number, because the sum only has to cover the changes that happen in cloth. On a daycare day that might be a morning pair and one or two after pickup, a much smaller figure than a full day at home.
Run the sum on your heaviest cloth day, often a full day at home, and let the lighter days build up your spares. Keep a small pack from the training pants collection in the cupboard for days when laundry gets away from you.
Shop this guide
- Zoocchini Toddler Potty Training Pants, 3 Pack, Organic Cotton, Sea Crew, 3T-4T (ships via Amazon)
- Charlie Banana Reusable Potty Training Pants, Snaps, Size XL, 28-41 lbs (ships via Amazon)
- Zoocchini Toddler Potty Training Pants, 3 Pack, Organic Cotton, Sea Crew, 2T-3T (ships via Amazon)
- Upairy Reusable Cotton Potty Training Underwear, Large, 8 Pieces (ships via Amazon)
- See all: Reusable Training Pants
Prices are on each product page. Free shipping on orders of $100 or more within Canada.
Common questions
Should every pair be the same style?
Not at first. Trying one or two pairs of different styles shows you which fits and which dries fastest. Once you know, keeping to one or two styles makes drying time, and so your count, easier to predict.
What if I run out mid-week?
Keep a small back-up pack of disposables, or run a short extra load. It is easier than owning enough cloth for the worst day.
Do I need a second set for daycare?
Only if your first set will not be washed and dry before the next day. Run the sum with your real wash schedule.
Should I buy the next size now?
No. Buy for the size your child wears now, and check the weight range on the product page. Sizes can change quickly in toddlerhood.
If you would like help working out a set for your routine, send us a message through the contact page and we will reply within one business day.