Commonly asked Questions

How do I know when to start toilet training?

Most people find there comes a stage when their child starts noticing when they wee, running off to a quiet corner to do #2's in their nappy, holding on to wee for longer or taking an interest when others go to the toilet. This usually happens somewhere between the ages of 15 months and 3.5 years. For some children this can be much later -  our incontinent pant range is fantastic for older children and we have specially designed pants for all situations.

 Is there a particular method of training that works best?

There are many methods of training, from ones that are implemented over 3 days to less intense, more child led ones. It is worth doing a bit of reading and choosing a method that is going to work for you and your child. The most important thing is to make training stress free and a normal part of growing up. After training my own 5 kids , using the same method with all of them and getting 5 different results ranging from training taking 2 weeks to training taking 2 years , I know that it's very dependent on their individual physical development and personality rather than a method. 

The best way to start is to reward the child when they notice they are wet and tell you. Then involve them in the cleanup and changing to dry undies. Make this a requirement - if they are wet, they need to stop and change. Talk about what will happen next  i.e 'soon you will be able to tell me before the wee comes and we can go to the potty/toilet'. Once they 'get' each step, start rewarding them for the next step. 

Keep the whole process stress free, encouraging and positive, even on the difficult days!

Why choose Big Kids Training Pants over other brands?

Our briefs and shorties are real undies, which feel like real undies rather than nappies. They have enough quality absorbency and waterproofing to significantly reduce cleanup , and the upper cotton pad layer feels wet when the child has an accident, helping them to make the necessary connections to learn bladder control. We use top quality fabrics in our pads.....non rustly, non tearable waterproofing and 100% cotton absorbency which holds fluid well ( many brands use synthetic sponge like absorbency which doesn't hold fluid for more than a few seconds). We also work hard with you on getting the best size for your child as this means the pants will be comfortable and work well.

 How many pants will I need?

This depends on what stage of training you are at , how often your child wets and how long it will take them to train, so is almost impossible to predict. Most people start with a set of 3-6 pants. Some come back for more!

Our set of ten training pants is the best value for money and many parents report that their child wears the pants for as long as they fit (past training stage) because they are comfortable and become favourites. We've now got a range of gender neutral designs so that its easy to pass them down to siblings.

How do I wash and dry Big Kids pants?

If your child soils the pants, simply scrape any solids into the toilet and wash the pants as you would any soiled garment. Thin disposable nappy liners can be placed into the pants as the child puts them on if you know poo accidents are likely.

They can be washed, (inside out is best) with your usual load, on warm or cold. The pants can be line dryed or tumble dryed on warm. Putting them in the airing cupboard or on a heated towel rail overnight (with transfer away from direct heat) will help to finish drying if needed.

As with any cotton garments, excessive soaking will reduce the life of the pants but they can be soaked briefly prior to washing. Rinsing urine out as soon as they have been worn, rather than leaving them soaked in urine overnight, will also extend the life of these fabrics. 

Use of a wash bag is a great idea to prolong the life of our pants, especially if washing with rough garments.

How do I know which size to buy?

Kids and pants vary so much in shape and size.  Getting the legs of the pants snug is important for them to work,  so we would advise measuring if at all possible. Sometimes we can advise based on age, weight and current trouser size. Our sizing page has more details. 

How absorbent are Big Kids Training Pants? 

A quick answer is 'a lot more than most comparably priced training pants in shops'. See the next question for empirical details! 

We have designed the day pant pad so that most people find it mops up a wee and prevents a puddle on the floor. Our goal was to reduce cleanup but still let the child know that they need to change.

Our Shorties have a larger pad so if you are looking for pants for car trips or days when a toilet is not close by these may be a good choice. Reviews say that most people find our night pants mop up 'a decent wee'. Our Pullups are just like a nappy in performance and hold a really big wee! 

How much fluid do our pants hold?

Tests have shown that our smallest size day pad holds around 100ml. Our Shorties pad holds around 150-200ml.  Our Pullups with 2 inserts hold as much as 600ml. This far outstrips some of the other training pants on the market.

Will the briefs style pants work for night or should I buy the Shorties or Pullups?

This depends on the child's needs. If the child wakes up as soon as they start to wet, the briefs may be good enough. The Shorties have a larger pad and more absorbency for children who are starting to wake when they wet or are not filling a pullup every night. Our Pullups are recommended for children who still regularly sleep through wetting as these are fully leakproof.

Do the pants come with any guarantee?

We would love to announce a guarantee that your child will train in a matter of 3 days when using our pants. Imagine that!  Since that is out of our control we will stand by our workmanship instead. Any fault due to the quality of our sewing will be put right. 

We can not guarantee transfer life unless they have an obvious defect such as the whole transfer peeling soon after purchase. Please follow our care instructions to get the most out of the prints. The pants will no doubt outlast the prints,  however we have tested them to be as good as any high quality t-shirt prints. 

 If I buy the wrong size can I exchange the pants?

It is a standard rule of undergarment purchase that they cannot be exchanged, for health and hygiene reasons. This is why we work hard to help you to choose the right size before we send the pants and we have a 99.9% success rate in this!  We can custom fit pants to any shape and size given accurate measurements. Please ask for our assistance to choose correctly and do get in touch if you have any issues post purchase as we may be able to help.

 What Payment Options do you accept?

For customers in NZ, we currently accept bank deposit, credit cards (not Amex), Paypal and also have a Laybuy option. Australian customers can choose to pay into our Australian Bank account , or by Paypal or Credit Card.  For customers from other countries we accept Paypal and Credit Card only but as shipping costs have skyrocketed lately we ask that you contact us for a shipping quote prior to ordering if you are not in NZ or Australia.