I’m almost finished reviewing my stash of cloth training pants. I have a few more in the mail, but then it’s all been covered. There’s one I’ve been dragging my heels on writing, and its because I’m just not impressed. The Smart Bottoms Lil’ Trainers are adorable, and in my hands I loved them, but in real life, I could do without them. I really can’t believe I wrote that.
Disclosure: This post isn’t sponsored, but it does have affiliate links. Purchases from affiliate links provides an income back to this blogger, and that’s awesome because I work hard to convince you to buy things.
Our potty training adventure continues to be a slow learning process. I have come to peace with this journey, and that’s okay. We are working on learning to use underwear when home. When we leave home, I rely on diapers or more absorbent diaper-like training pants.
Smart Bottoms Lil’ Trainers
Smart Bottoms Lil’ Trainers come in three sizes. They feature an underwear-like style training pant in an array of Smart Bottoms prints. These waterproof training pants feature a single layer of PUL to catch small accidents, and a total of 6 layers of absorbency (2 in the shell of the pant, and a four-layer insert).
Sizing of the Smart Bottoms Lil’ Trainer is limited to only three sizes available (2T, 3T, 4-5T). The diaper features a turned elastic leg casing, and sit low on the waist like a low rise underwear. Thick waist elastic offers a comfortable, easy pull-up experience.
Important Notes: Lil Trainer features Smart Bottoms organic cotton which requires prepping. Much like the 3.1, Born Smart, and Smart-Fold, these diapers will need to be prepped at least 6-8 times to reach full absorbency. Unlike another cotton on the market, these diapers are unbleached. Just toss in a hot wash and start washing. Hot water and mainstream detergents will lift the oils, and you won’t have any problems. Additionally, these diapers will shrink, and this mama advice is reconsidering the size when purchasing.
Find it at these affiliate retailers
LagoonBaby (Canada)
The Baby Foot Print (Canada)
Kelly’s Closet (USA)
How I love my Smart Bottoms Lil’ Trainer
While I don’t use my Lil Trainer in my everyday rotation, it does have some merits. I did use it for a couple of weeks before deciding to retire it to the bin.
- Underwear-like style: I applaud Smart Bottoms for these comfy cosy style underwear trainers. I think that’s important in helping kids transition out of diapers and into underwear.
- Organic Cotton Absorbency: As a fan of all things natural fibre, I quickly added these to my cart because of the natural fibre component. They do absorb well and quickly but often not enough to keep pants dry.
- Stylish Prints: Guys, I own the doughnut print and it is so much fun. And if you have a toddler with strong opinions about what he wears on his bum this might be important to you. If cute prints get your kid out of his diapers and into his underwear, then check this box for a requirement.
Find it at these affiliate retailers
LagoonBaby (Canada)
The Baby Foot Print (Canada)
Kelly’s Closet (USA)
Why I don’t use my Lil’ Trainer
I’ll be completely honest with you; this trainer sits in the drawer because…
- Sizing: It fits small. I purchased a size up (3T), and I feel it still doesn’t fit well. This is before I understood that I like a generous sizing with my trainers to allow for an easier pull-up experience. It fit small 6 months ago when I bought it and still fits small now that my toddler is solidly in a 3/4T clothing in the bottoms.
- Turned Elastics: These are just finicky. Nobody has time to fuss with turned elastics, and this often leads to damp, wet legs and wicking where I think there shouldn’t be wicking.
\ - Snap-In Insert: To me this is a bust because one of my stumbles is the pooping in the potty. I don’t like cleaning poop off the tongue like inserts. I also don’t like that feature when using my Flip Trainer.
My Recommendation
Do you need a Smart Bottoms Lil’ Trainer? Only if you need one of their prints and have a tiny child for training pants do you need these training pants. Because they shrink up a full size or more, If you’re looking for tiny training pants these would be worth considering. Made in the USA with organic cotton, they are a quality product but hey just didn’t work for my kid.
Find it at these affiliate retailers
LagoonBaby (Canada)
The Baby Foot Print (Canada)
[interact id=”61e5c5376e1bce0018694412″ type=”quiz” mobile=”false”]
[…] really need to find what’s best for you and your budget. The Super Undies, Smart Bottoms and the Nicki’s Diapers trainers didn’t work well for my first born, but I’ve had […]