A good puppy pad is the difference between a manageable toilet-training phase and a fortnight of scrubbing the kitchen floor. The best pads pull liquid away from the surface so paws stay dry, lock in odour so your home doesn’t smell, and — just as importantly — stay put when an excited puppy tries to shred them. Get the pad right and house-training becomes far less stressful for both of you.
The best puppy training pads in the UK are the Amazon Basics 5-Layer Training Pads — leakproof, quick-drying and backed by an astonishing 223,000+ reviews at a bargain price. For serious odour control there’s a carbon option, and if you’d rather cut the waste there’s an excellent washable pad too.
Below are five pads covering every need: the best-value all-rounder, a heavy-duty odour-locking pad, a premium eco brand, a reusable washable option and a budget bulk pack. Underneath you’ll find how to choose the right size and type, plus how to actually use pads as part of toilet training.
Key Takeaways
- Best overall: the Amazon Basics 5-Layer Training Pads — leakproof, quick-dry and the most-reviewed pad on Amazon UK.
- Best odour control: the Gardner Pet Carbon Puppy Pads — activated carbon locks in smell, in a large 70x85cm size.
- Best premium: the Earth Rated Training Pads — max-absorbency 5-layer pads from a trusted eco brand.
- Best washable: the Reusable Washable Training Pads — machine-washable pads that cut waste and cost over time.
- Best budget: the World of Pets 20-Pack — cheap, cheerful and super-absorbent for high-use days.
- Buy a size bigger than you think — puppies rarely aim for the middle.
- Pads are a stepping stone to outdoor toileting, not a permanent solution — move them towards the door and then outside as training progresses.
The 5 Best Puppy Training Pads UK
1. Amazon Basics 5-Layer Training Pads
When a product has over 223,000 reviews and still holds 4.5 stars, it has earned its place at the top — and for most puppies these are all the pad you’ll ever need. The five-layer design does the important jobs well: a quick-dry top sheet keeps paws from tracking mess, absorbent core layers soak up a surprising amount, and a leakproof plastic backing protects your floor.
They come with adhesive tabs on the corners, which is a small feature that solves a big problem — a pad that stays stuck down is a pad a puppy can’t flip, bunch up or drag around the room. There’s a built-in attractant scent too, which gently encourages puppies to use the pad rather than the rug beside it.
The clincher is the price: they’re among the cheapest per pad in this guide, which matters a lot when you’re getting through several a day during the early weeks. Reliable, cheap and proven at massive scale — the obvious default choice.
- Over 223,000 reviews — unmatched track record
- Leakproof 5-layer design with quick-dry surface
- Adhesive corner tabs keep the pad in place
- Built-in attractant and a bargain price per pad
- Standard disposable pads mean ongoing waste
2. Gardner Pet Carbon Puppy Pads
If the thing you dread most about pads is the smell, this is the upgrade. Gardner’s pads use an activated carbon layer — the same technology that deodorises fridges and fish tanks — to trap odour rather than just perfuming over it. In a small flat or an open-plan home, that difference is the one you’ll actually notice.
They’re also generously sized at 70x85cm, which is bigger than the standard pad and much better for larger-breed puppies or dogs that circle before they go. The extra surface area means fewer misses over the edge, and the absorbency and leakproof backing are up with the best here. At 4.5 stars they’ve clearly won over the owners who bought them for the odour control.
They cost more per pad than the basics, so they suit households where smell is the priority rather than those chasing the lowest price. But for keeping a home fresh through the messy weeks, they’re worth it.
- Activated carbon genuinely traps odour
- Large 70x85cm size suits bigger puppies
- Strong absorbency and leakproof backing
- 4.5 stars from owners who wanted odour control
- More expensive per pad than basic options
3. Earth Rated Training Pads
Earth Rated is the brand many owners already know from poo bags, and the same thoughtful design shows up in its training pads. These are max-absorbency five-layer pads that the brand says wick liquid away roughly twice as fast as standard pads — which in practice means less chance of a puppy stepping in a wet patch and tracking it across the room.
They’re leakproof, hold a lot for their size, and have the reliable build quality you’d expect from an established name; 4.4 stars across more than 900 reviews reflects that. Owners who’ve been let down by flimsy own-brand pads that tear or leak tend to trade up to something like this and stay.
They sit in the middle on price — dearer than the basics, cheaper than nothing when you factor in a ruined floor. A dependable premium pick for owners who want a bit more reassurance without going all-in on cost.
- Max-absorbency 5-layer pads that dry fast
- Leakproof and sturdy — resists tearing
- Trusted established brand
- 4.4 stars from 900+ reviews
- Mid-range price, still a disposable product
4. Reusable Washable Training Pads
Disposable pads add up — in cost and in bin bags — and for a lot of owners a washable pad is the smarter long-term answer. This two-pack of machine-washable pads is super-absorbent and waterproof-backed, and once you’ve bought them you simply wash and reuse rather than restocking every week. Over a full house-training period the saving is real.
They’re also a favourite for fixed spots — a crate, a playpen corner, a car boot, or under a water bowl — where you want reliable protection without a rolling supply of disposables. At 4.5 stars from nearly 1,000 reviews, owners rate both the absorbency and the durability through repeated washes.
The honest trade-off is the handling: you do have to pick up, shake off and launder a soiled pad, which not everyone wants to do, especially in the very messy early days. Many owners use disposables at the start and switch to washables once the puppy is more reliable — a combination that gets the best of both.
- Machine-washable — cuts waste and long-term cost
- Super-absorbent with a waterproof backing
- Great for crates, playpens and car boots
- 4.5 stars from nearly 1,000 reviews
- You have to launder soiled pads — less convenient early on
5. World of Pets 20-Pack
Sometimes you just want a stack of decent pads for as little as possible, and this 20-pack is the honest budget answer. They’re super-absorbent 60x45cm pads that do the core job — soak up, hold, and protect the floor — without any premium frills, and with more than 3,300 reviews at 4.3 stars they’ve kept a lot of owners happy.
They’re the pad to buy in the peak-mess phase, when a young puppy is going frequently and you’re changing pads constantly. Using a cheaper pad while accidents are at their height, then moving to a premium or washable option as things improve, is a sensible way to keep costs down.
They’re a touch smaller and thinner than the top picks, so for a big-breed puppy you may prefer to size up. But for value in volume, they’re hard to beat.
- Cheapest per-pad route for high-use days
- Super-absorbent with a leakproof backing
- 3,300+ reviews at 4.3 stars
- Handy 20-pack for the peak-mess phase
- Smaller and thinner — size up for big-breed puppies
How to Choose Puppy Training Pads
Absorbency and layers
The number of layers is shorthand for how well a pad performs. A good pad has a quick-dry top sheet, one or more absorbent core layers that turn liquid into gel so it can’t be squeezed back out, and a leakproof backing. Five-layer pads are the sweet spot for puppies. Thin, two-layer economy pads can leak or bunch, which is a false economy when it’s your floor underneath.
Size — buy bigger than you think
The single most common mistake is buying pads that are too small. Puppies don’t aim for the centre, they circle, and they grow fast. A pad that’s generous now saves you cleaning up overshoots and having to upgrade in a month. For medium and large breeds, look at the bigger 60x60cm or 70x85cm options rather than standard pads.
Disposable, washable or odour-control?
Disposable pads are the most convenient, especially in the messy early weeks. Washable pads cost more upfront but save money and waste over a full training period, and suit fixed spots like crates and playpens. Odour-control (carbon) pads are worth the premium in flats and open-plan homes where smell travels. Many owners mix types — cheap disposables at the peak, then washables or premium pads as the puppy improves.
Using pads as part of toilet training
Pads are a bridge to outdoor toileting, not a destination. Place one in a consistent spot away from food and bed, take your puppy to it after naps, meals and play, and praise calmly the moment they use it. As they get reliable, move the pad gradually towards the door and then just outside, so the habit shifts to going outdoors. Our puppy training guide walks through the whole routine, and accidents are completely normal along the way — don’t punish them, just clean up thoroughly so no scent remains to draw the puppy back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best puppy training pads in the UK?
For most owners it’s the Amazon Basics 5-Layer pads — leakproof, quick-drying, cheap and proven across hundreds of thousands of reviews. If odour is your priority choose a carbon pad like the Gardner Pet, and if you’d rather cut waste, a washable pad pays for itself over time.
How many puppy pads will I need a day?
In the early weeks a young puppy may need a fresh pad several times a day — often four to six — because they toilet frequently and a soiled pad discourages reuse. This drops quickly as toilet training progresses and the puppy learns to hold on longer, which is why buying value packs at the start makes sense.
Do puppy pads have an attractant?
Many do — a mild built-in scent that encourages puppies to toilet on the pad rather than beside it. The Amazon Basics pads are one example. If your pads don’t include one, you can buy a separate toilet-training attractant spray to help direct your puppy to the right spot.
Are washable puppy pads worth it?
Over a full house-training period, yes — they cost more upfront but you stop buying disposables and create far less waste. The trade-off is having to launder soiled pads, which is less appealing in the very messy early days. A common approach is disposables first, washables once the puppy is more reliable.
How do I stop my puppy chewing the pads?
Use pads with adhesive corner tabs, or a plastic pad-holder tray that clips the pad down so there’s no loose edge to grab. Supervise closely at first, and if your puppy is a determined shredder, a washable pad or a tray-held pad removes the temptation. Plenty of appropriate training and chew outlets help redirect the urge too.
Our Verdict
For nearly every puppy, the Amazon Basics 5-Layer pads are the best puppy training pads in the UK — leakproof, quick-drying, cheap and trusted by more owners than anything else on the market. If smell is your main worry, spend a little more on the carbon Gardner pads, and if you’d rather stop buying disposables, the washable pads are the sustainable long-term choice.
Whatever you choose, size up, keep the pad in a consistent spot, and treat it as a step towards outdoor toileting. For the wider picture, our puppy training ultimate guide and best puppy foods guide will help — and take heart, the pad phase passes fast, usually well before puppies calm down for good.
