What is it about sippy cups that makes them so totally imperfect? It’s as if a whole category of baby product makers said, “hey – let’s fu** with parents and make this product super ineffective, hard to clean, inherently non-working as soon as you lose one itty bitty part, and super spillable to create puddles of liquid on furniture, clothing and most especially handbags.”
Well MISSION ACCOMPLISHED you sippy cup satans, they are (almost) all horrible. Since I’ve spent so much $ on this ridiculous challenge, I thought I’d at least share with you all the FEW that are acceptable as well as the few that are, in the words of my 20-something sister, “Miz”.
These Tommy Tippy’s may be my favorites. Yes they DO have an insert – annoying, but it’s white instead of clear (shows up in dishwasher) and it’s not teeny (harder to lose). They have good flow, and a cute little cover (ATTACHED) to flip over when on the go.
Old Faithful – the Playtex First Sipster. Yes, there is an annoying insert, but we have so many of them because they are inexpensive, we can always find one. Something about that double-hole flow seems to work for kids at every age. And the handles are a great bonus. Definitely NOT the best for on the go, but for my money, these are the at-home best.
This NUK is a great option for early sippers – no insert YAY, but a bit of a slower flow so probably doesn’t work past age 3 or so. No cover, but it doesn’t seem to be too spilly.
This Baby Cie is actually a water bottle, but my 18 months old already loves it. It’s a WINNER for on the go and stays cold!! As long as it’s twisted shut (warning), it won’t spill. Great to have one, but definitely too expensive for your go-to-need-10-versions at home sippy cup. Best part, it’s metal so it’s eco-friendly and BPA free!
I hesitate to recommend this cup because it’s RIDICULOUSLY expensive and has a straw (those never work and always get lost), but The Kid Basix sippy is pretty indestructible. You can throw it, drop it, bang it, chew it, whatever and it stands up to the abuse. It has a plug for no-spills and keeps water cold.
If your kids don’t like handles, this Munchkin is a nice inexpensive option. Again, no insert which is good for home – not great on the road. Slow flow though.
And the not so good….
On the other side of Munchkin, you have the Might Grip Straw cup. I Highly dissuade anyone from buying a lot of straw cups, as our straws ALWAYS get lost, damaged, or somehow I just can’t figure out how to plug them back in. Additionally, that long narrow spout is a great breeder for bacteria, dirty dish water, errant food, whatever (in my non-medical opinion).
The First Years Take and Toss. Don’t be tempted by the price/no inserts, you’ll toss more than you take. They are SOOO spilly and the plastic is really cheap (my kids chew the tops). If you want to buy in bulk, go for the Munchkin Twist Tight. Still not perfect (don’t bring them in your bag), but they spill less, which means less of those, “my top popped off and there is now water all over the laundry you just dried” incidents that happen with the Take and Toss.
Oh CamelBak – I used to love you and hate writing this, but your kids bottle SUCKS. Again…the straw. So many parts to it, everytime I put it back in, it still leaks. I’ve bought three of these (don’t ask), hoping they would work because the size is so perfect but they ALWAYS spill and the again, our straws always get lost or damaged. So sad.
I’ve become a big fan of OXO, but this cup may be the exception. It claims to do a million and one things which is always a red flag for me (just do one thing perfectly, please). If you drop it (or your kids do), the pieces inevitably fall off. The valves are complicated and I have trouble putting them in.