Easy Home Squatting Stool (Welby Squatting Stool)

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You’ve probably seen the bizarrely entertaining commercials for the Squatty Potty, featuring a unicorn who poops rainbow ice cream. If you aren’t familiar with the Squatty Potty, it’s a stool that raises your feet while you sit on the toilet, putting you in a squatting position that straightens out the colon and reportedly promotes easier bowel movements with less straining, therefore alleviating problems such as constipation and hemorrhoids.

The name brand Squatty Potty can be purchased at a variety of retailers, including Target, Kroger, and ACE Hardware. The original Squatty Potty costs $24.99 on the Squatty Potty website. That’s been the price on their website since at least 2020 when we first wrote about this device. I also found the name brand stool selling for $24.99 in the summer of 2025 on Amazon and Target. You can also buy an off-brand version of the Squatty Potty for $25 at Walmart.

Or, at least once a year, Aldi sells its own off-brand version of the Squatty Potty, and for less than any of those other retailers.

The Easy Home Squatting Stool (it was called the Welby Squatting Stool when we purchased it in 2020) cost $9.99 at Aldi in July and December of 2025. That’s the same price we paid for it back in 2020. The price has fluctuated some over the years. It was $14.99 in the fall of 2021, then $16.99 in the summer of 2022, and then it was back down to $9.99 in July of 2024.

It’s an Aldi Find, which means it’s only in stores for a short time. Each store gets one shipment, and once that sells out, the stool is gone until whenever Aldi might decide to bring it back. You can’t order it online if it’s not currently in stock at your local store.

Aldi often sells this stool among a range of other limited-edition personal care products or bathroom accessories. In July of and December 2025, it was sold alongside various bath mats.

When we purchased the squatting stool in 2020, it measured 8 inches tall, 18.8 inches wide, and 12.3 inches deep. As of 2025, it measures 8 inches tall, 18.5 wide, and 13 inches deep.

When we purchased it, the stool label stated that it:

• accurately aligns the colon
• features ergonomic design for comfort and stability
• has non-skid feet to prevent sliding
• imitates a natural squatting posture
• stores neatly under most toilets

Our stool was made in China, and it can be cleaned by wiping with a damp cloth.

To use it, the label says to “sit, place feet on stool, lift knees and eliminate comfortably.”

It also advises: “This toilet stool is not to be used as a stepping stool. Use around and in unison with sitting or squatting on your toilet only.”

The stool also has a warning label that states: “CONSULT DOCTOR BEFORE USE. Use of this Product maybe cause leg and/or back strain in some users. Use of this Product means you acknowledge and assume these risks, and hold ALDI harmless for any injuries you may sustain from using this Product. In jurisdictions where damages waivers are recognized, you understand that ALDI shall not be liable for any loss or damage as a result of using this ALDI Product, whether direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential, regardless of the legal theory asserted, including but not limited to warranty, contract, negligence, or strict liability.”

With that said, with the young and young-ish healthy people in my household, I’m wasn’t too worried about anyone in my family using this stool or experiencing back strain.

The question, then, of course, is does a squatting stool like this actually work as advertised?

Time cites a study from Ohio State University indicating that the Squatty Potty does help with toilet-related issues. Also, the Mayo Clinic is conducting a broader, controlled study to determine whether a “squat assist device” really helps.

A writer for Women’s Health tried using a stool for a week and thinks it might help people with pre-existing problems with constipation or hemorrhoids, but others may not notice a big difference. NPR also spoke with a colorectal surgeon who says using a Squatty Potty may be beneficial for some people, but not necessarily for everyone.

The good news is that even if the health benefits are still uncertain, using a Squatty Potty is not likely to hurt you (unless you are prone to leg or back strain, as the Aldi warning label addresses). That makes the Aldi squatting stool a good bargain if you want to see what all the hype is about without spending a lot of money.

My Welby Squatting Stool fits well under the toilet without taking up too much extra floor space, which is a big deal to me because my bathroom is tiny.

As for what my family and I think of the stool, it’s all right, but not necessarily great in our opinion. Our main criticism is that the way the stool angles your legs makes sitting on the toilet seat uncomfortable. That’s because your thighs aren’t sitting level on the seat when you’re using the stool. Instead, all your weight is concentrated on a smaller part of of your backside, making the toilet seat feel especially hard. Your experience might be different depending on your toilet seat.

So, most of my family chose not to continue using the squatting stool after a few tries. We’ve been told by friends who own the name-brand Squatty Potty that it pays to buy name brand in terms of comfort, but we’ve not yet tried the name brand to confirm for ourselves.

That aside, though, it does look good in the bathroom, and it’s an interesting conversation starter if you have guests over.

The Verdict:

The Easy Home Squatting Stool — previously called the Welby Squatting Stool — is a cheaper version of the name brand Squatty Potty. It claims to straighten out the colon and promote easier bowel movements with less straining, reportedly resulting in less constipation and fewer hemorrhoids. The science about whether Squatty Potties actually work is uncertain, but squatting stools are fairly safe for most people to use, unless you have issues such as back or leg strain.

If you want to try a squatting stool, the Aldi version costs less than half of what the name brand costs. There might be some tradeoffs to buying an off brand, namely in terms of comfort. We didn’t find the Aldi squatting stool to be all that comfortable on our backsides. We haven’t yet tried the name brand Squatty Potty, but friends who own it say the name brand is more comfortable. Your mileage may vary.