Drinking from a cup allows your baby to exercise and practice muscles on their face, soft palate, and also their tongue. This practice will help them later on in their speech development and also their feeding. That is why a sippy cup for toddlers is a necessary transition to wean them off reliance on milk bottles.
However, a challenge that stresses most parents out is the transition not only involves resistance from the little ones, but there is simply too large a variety of cups to choose from.
Not to worry because we are here to help you decide on the best option for you and your tot.
How to choose the best sippy cup for toddlers based on material
There are many different materials of sippy cups in the market, each with different and unique selling points, which can be confusing for a first-time parent.
Below is a list of three different materials commonly used to make sippy cups, as well as their pros and cons.
Plastic
Pros: Plastic cups are lightweight, making it easy for toddlers to handle, while being inexpensive and easily available in stores.
Cons: Some plastics may not be BPA-free, which means it can potentially leak harmful chemicals into the drink. It also may not be as durable as a glass cup.
Stainless Steel
Pros: Stainless steel is eco-friendly, easy to clean, provides insulation, and is durable.
Cons: Compared to plastic cups, it may be heavy for the toddler to handle, and is costlier than a plastic sippy cup.
Glass
Pros: Glass is a recyclable material, hence making it an eco-friendly choice. It is also easy to clean while being durable.
Cons: Can shatter easily if dropped, heavier and harder to handle by toddlers due to weight, higher price tag and hard to find in Singapore.
Sippy cup handles
All sippy cups vary in terms of the parts, such as whether or not there is a handle for grip. This can also be a factor in choosing the right sippy cup for your little one.
Pros: Provide extra grip for the toddler to hold onto, easier to handle on their own.
Cons: Extra space required, might not be able to fit into cup-holders, handles may break off which can be dangerous.
Best sippy cup for toddlers
With the mentioned criteria in mind, we have the list for the best sippy cups in the market for you to choose from.
| Material |
Best Category
|
Brand
|
|
Plastic
|
Most Lightweight Sippy Cup
|
B.Box Sippy Cup Classic
|
|
Plastic
|
Most Handy Sippy Cup
|
Mothercare Non-Spill Trainer Cup
|
|
Stainless Steel
|
Most Durable Sippy Cup
|
Viida Souffle Series Anti-bacterial Stainless Steel Cup with Silicone Lid
|
|
Stainless
Steel
|
Best Insulated Sippy Cup |
Nuby No-Spill Clik-It Stainless Steel Insulated Soft Sipper 220ml - 2 Designs
|
|
Glass
|
Most Easy to Clean Sippy Cup
|
Everyday Baby Milkhero Glass Sippy Cup
|
|
Glass
|
Most Budget-Friendly Sippy Cup
|
Ji Kang Children Glass Sippy Cup
|
|
Glass
|
Best for Its Wide-Breast Shape Nipple Spout
|
Avent Natural Glass Bottle
|
|
Glass
|
Most Ergonomic Sippy Cup
|
NUK Premium Choice Glass Bottle with Silicone Teat 0-6m 120ml & 240ml
|
[product-comparison-table title="8 Best Sippy Cups for Toddlers"]
Most Lightweight Sippy Cup
The B.Box Sippy Cup is made with a mixture of PP and silicone, making it extremely lightweight and inexpensive.
It is the perfect cup for on-the-go travels! It includes easy-grip handles and a simple flip-top lid.
The sippy cup’s angle can even be adjusted, thanks to its creative and adjustable weighted straw, so it is ideal to use when transitioning babies to drink milk from a sippy cup.
What We Love:
- Material: PP and Silicone.
- Dishwasher safe.
- Weighted straw moves with the liquid at whatever angle the cup is held at.
- Easy-grip handles.
- Dimensions: 15 x 12 x 7.5cm.
- Capacity: 240ml.
- BPA, Phthalates, and PVC-free.
Most Handy Sippy Cup
The Mothercare Non-Spill Trainer Cup is made for little ones transitioning to drinking from cups, which can be tricky, but this colourful cup is bound to give them some extra confidence!
It includes a non-spill spout to reduce the mess in learning how to drink from it.
The spout is super soft which is perfect for teething tots, while being easy to clean! Its easy-grip handles are removable if that’s what your tot prefers.
The cup even comes with a handy travel cover for on-the-go travels, making it a worthwhile purchase!
What We Love:
- Material: Silicone.
- Suitable from 6 months.
- Non-spill spout.
- Super soft silicone spout which are easy on the gums.
- Easy-to-clean all-in-one spout and valve.
- Removable grip handles and indented cup base.
- Travel cover.
- Dishwasher and microwave-safe.
- Capacity: 260ml.
Most Durable Sippy Cup
This Souffle Cup won the 2018 Red Dot Design Award for its colourful, ergonomic, baby, and toddler-friendly drinking cup, a show of how amazing of a product this is.
It consists of high-grade stainless steel, a PP outer-sleeve, and silicone lid. It has detachable sleeves for easy washing, curved handles designed for maximum comfort, and cup sleeves to protect the little ones from heat.
The silicone lid is even leak-proof, helping prevent mess.
What We Love:
- Material: 304L Antibacterial Stainless Steel, PP outer-sleeve, Silicone lid.
- Detachable sleeves.
- Curvature of handles designed for maximum comfort.
- Cup sleeves to protect the little ones from heat.
- Leak-proof silicone lid.
- Thick, high-rim design helps the little one drink.
- Capacity: 330ml/11oz.
- Dimensions: 8.0cm x 10.5 cm x 8.5cm.
- Weight: 160g.
- Free of harmful substances such as BPA, DEHP, PVC, LEAD, and Melamine.
Best Insulated Sippy Cup
The new colourful two-in-one Nuby Soft sippy cup is part of Nuby’s new range of cups offering leak-proof technology, so you will not have to worry about spills and leaks.
It not only keeps liquid warm or cool due to its insulation, it also features a soft silicone spout which is good for teething tots. The spout is further covered with a flip-top cap, which protects the straw when not in use, keeping the silicone spout sanitary and clean.
What We Love:
- Material: 304 Stainless steel, silicone spout.
- Flip-top cap keeps spout sanitary and clean.
- Insulation keeps drinks warm or cold for up to 6 hours.
- Double Wall Insulation: 304 Stainless Steel.
- Kid-proof base minimises damage from drops.
- Capacity: 220ml.
Most Easy to Clean Sippy Cup
The Everyday Baby Milkhero Glass sippy cup is spill-free and shatter-protected.
It is enveloped in thin integrated silicone, reducing impact when dropped. It also has an ergonomic design that provides a good grip to help make feeding easier.
Moreover, it is made from premium quality borosilicate glass that is fully recyclable, so it’s environment-friendly.
Best of all, it is safe for the dishwasher, microwave, and even the steam steriliser!
What We Love:
- Fully recyclable material.
- Heat-resistant.
- Easy-to-clean.
- BPA, BPF, BPS and phthalates-free.
- Capacity: 150ml.
Most Budget-Friendly Sippy Cup
Its ergonomic design includes an extra-wide bottle neck making it easy to fill and clean, while its slightly contoured bottle shape helps with providing a better grip.
In addition, it also comes with a detachable cup-sleeve that provides extra grip and portability. This glass sippy cup has a flip top, to protect the straw and keep it clean when not in use.
What We Love:
- Material: Glass, soft silicone teat.
- Portable with a cup-sleeve that has grips.
- BPA-free.
- Capacity: 280ml.
Best for Its Wide-Breast Shape Nipple Spout
The Avent Natural Glass Bottle comes in two sizes — 120ml and 240ml. It includes a wide-breast shaped nipple spout that promotes a natural latch-on similar to the breast, making it easy for babies to combine breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.
What We Love:
- Material: Fully recyclable, premium quality borosilicate glass.
- Heat-resistant.
- BPA-free.
- Capacity: 120ml or 240ml.
Most Ergonomic Sippy Cup
NUK Premium Choice has been the first choice for bottle-feeding for many years, replicating a similar latch-on to the breast.
Its ergonomic design includes an extra-wide bottle neck making it easy to fill and clean, and its slightly contoured bottle shape helps with providing a better grip, while the wide base provides increased stability.
What We Love:
- Material: Glass, soft silicone teat.
- Clinically-tested: ideal for both bottle and breastfeeding.
- Helps prevent colic with an improved anti-colic air system.
- BPA-free.
- Capacity: 120ml or 240ml.
Price Comparison: Best Sippy Cup for Toddlers
Here’s a price comparison of the best sippy cups in the market for your quick reference:
Note: Each item and price is up to date as of publication, however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
Sippy cup for toddlers safety concerns
As with all of your little one's items such as toys, bottles, and clothes, there are a few safety issues you should take note of when it comes to sippy cups.
- Always check the sippy cup for bacteria or mold - most especially on the tiny crevices that your scrubbing brush can’t reach. If the sippy cup is worn, has scratches, or is damaged in any way, it’s possible for bacteria to grow or even leach chemicals into your child’s drink and cause sickness. If in doubt, just toss it out.
- It is best to fill the sippy cup with water to prevent tooth decay - Don’t be tempted to put juice or milk to sip on throughout the day, instead limit these to meal times only.
- Make sure to prevent accidents - As your child becomes more active once she starts with solids, make sure to prevent accidents by not letting her run around or play while drinking from her sippy cup. If a sippy cup spout is in your child's mouth when she falls, it can cause cuts and other injuries to her face, teeth, or gums.
Your toddler must be teething as well! Check these toys for them, read: 5 Best Baby Teething Toys to Soothe Your Baby’s Gums
