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For babies and toddlers, there are a few different stages you go through with their eating and drinking habits. They start off with bottles only, making things as easy as possible for new parents who are just getting the hang of things.
Then, they transition to eating solids along with their bottles and eventually come sippy cups. But because the straw cups end up being the best way to get older toddler used to drinking like the rest of us, finding the best straw cup for your toddler is pretty important.
While it’s entirely up to you to decide whether to use a sippy cup, straw cup, or actual open cup for your toddler, starting with a straw cup may, in fact, be better for them than a sippy cup that has a spout.
Using a sippy cup can have adverse effects on your baby’s teeth and their overall bite as well, and while straws don’t need to be used forever, they do provide a different way to drink that isn’t sucking on hard plastic. Like baby bottles and yes, like sippy cups, there are dozens of acceptable straw cups out there, but these are easily nine of the best straw cups for toddlers that you should consider for your own little one.
Choosing to use them for water or juice as opposed to at meal times as well is totally your call, but overall, straw cups are the perfect stepping stone to real cups for most toddlers.
Jump to a specific section
- 1. Simple Goods Stainless Steel Sippy Cup Tumbler
- 2. The First Years Take & Toss Straw Cup
- 3. nuSpin Kids Sip & Spin Fun Straw Cup
- 4. Silikids Siliskin Straw Top
- 5. Philips Avent My Twist N Sip Straw Cup
- 6. Oxo Tot Transitions Straw Cup With Handles
- 7. Born Free Grow With Me Cup
- 8. Thinkbaby Thinkster Straw Bottle
- 9. Chicco Natural Fit Insulated Flip Top Straw Cup
- Final Thoughts
1. Simple Goods Stainless Steel Sippy Cup Tumbler
Toddlers will, without a doubt, come to covet all of your most prized gadgets. That includes your own flashy tumblers that you use for water daily.
With the Simple Goods Stainless Steel Sippy Cup Tumbler, they can have something that might be similar to what you have and, in turn, help to take some of that interest from your own cup. They keep your little one’s drink hot or cold for hours and thanks to the stainless steel design you won’t have to worry about the cups breaking or cracking if they fall to the ground.
Although it’s recommended to wash the lid and straw by hand to ensure optimum sanitation, you can put the actual tumbler in the dishwasher to clean it. The tumblers come in either an eight or 12-ounce size to grow with your growing toddler and with a lifetime guarantee, you really can’t look past the longevity these tumblers offer.
- Child Age Range: You can use these tumblers from the age of two and up.
- Where To Buy: Right now, the Simply Goods Stainless Steel Sippy Cup Tumbler is available on Amazon.
- The Best Part: The lid closes tightly, and there’s even a straw stopper to keep your toddler from pulling the straw out of the cup.
- The Not So Great: If tipped over, there will be spills since the straw means that the lid is not completely closed.
2. The First Years Take & Toss Straw Cup
The Take & Toss sub-brand of The First Years is known for selling those handy snack cups, plates, and dinnerware that all have the capability of providing sturdy and lasting use to your baby. Additionally, they can also be disposed of, since they’re so affordable.
The same can be said for The First Years Take & Toss Straw Cup, unsurprisingly. The straw cup has a snap-on lid that will give you peace of mind and can be interchangeable with any other lids and straws with cups of different colors.
The valve-free straws are made of hard BPA-free plastic that helps to keep liquids from your toddler’s front teeth and provide a material that’s strong enough to withstand your little one’s little bites here and there. While you are open for spills if the cup tips over, the lids provide enough safety that you won’t see any leakage on the sides as long as it’s in an upright position.
- Child Age Range: The cup can be used for children ages 18 months and up.
- Where To Buy: You can find the Take & Toss Straw Cups on the manufacturer’s website and Amazon or in-store at Walmart.
- The Best Part: Since they’re so affordable, you can throw away the cups guilt-free if you’re away from home and can’t carry them home with you, but they’re also durable enough to use as your toddler’s first straw cup.
- The Not So Great: Since it’s a little difficult to push the straw into the cup, you run the risk of the liquid inside squirting up the straw once you get it in.
3. nuSpin Kids Sip & Spin Fun Straw Cup
It’s not as though toddlers need any more reason to drink from a straw cup other than feeling like more of a big kid than baby, but the nuSpin Kids Sip & Spin Fun Straw Cup makes it fun for your little one.
When they sip from the bendable rubber straw, your child can see the design spin in the top of the lid. While it certainly makes drinking from a straw more fun for toddlers, it will also help them to get used to the change if this is their first toddler straw cup.
The FDA food-grade silicone straw is better for your toddler’s teeth than a hard plastic one and the cup is also dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning it easier. Plus, the straw is valve-free, which promotes drinking and swallowing in a healthy mature manner.
- Child Age Range: The cup is recommended for toddlers ages 12 months old and up.
- Where To Buy: You can find the cup on the manufacturer’s website and Amazon or in-store at Walmart.
- The Best Part: The fun spinning top of the cup promotes drinking from a straw and more water and milk drinking for your toddler.
- The Not So Great: Although you can put the cup, cap, and straw in the top rack of a dishwasher, it can be difficult to clean all parts of the cup by hand.
4. Silikids Siliskin Straw Top
The Silikids Siliskin Straw Top isn’t exactly a toddler straw cup, but it does allow you to transform most cups in your home or in restaurants into straw cups for your child.
The tops stretch to fit over almost any sized cup, and the silicone straw can be put right into any one of them for your child to use. Although, as one might expect, you will run into spills if the cup falls over, while upright, the top fits snugly over your child’s cup to prevent any leaks, as air suction works to keep it in place.
To clean the lid and straw, you can put them in the top rack of a dishwasher, and they’re made of BPA-free silicone, which is entirely safe and even preferred for your little one. Plus, the silicone straw makes the transition to straws even easier.
- Child Age Range: The lids and straws can be used for toddlers ages one and up.
- Where To Buy: You can find them on the manufacturer’s website and Amazon or in-store at Target.
- The Best Part: The top is stretchy enough to fit over different sized cups, to give you an option of which cup you want for your toddler at any given time.
- The Not So Great: If not used correctly, or handles too roughly, the Silikids top can rip when stretched over a cup.
5. Philips Avent My Twist N Sip Straw Cup
One of the most exceptional qualities about the Philips Avent My Twist N Sip Straw Cup is the fact that it is indeed a no-spill cup, which is of course very handy when you have a toddler running around with a straw cup.
The soft silicone straw is valve-free and only comes out of the top in a small portion to keep your toddler from being able to pull it out. The cup is totally BPA-free and dishwasher safe, making it easier to clean in a way since it can sometimes be difficult to get into the silicone straw of such cups.
It also has an easy twist open cap, and it’s even compatible with other Philips Avent cups and bottles. For small hands, gripping the cup should come easily, and when they inevitably drop it during the day, you can stay worry-free about any spills.
- Child Age Range: The cup is recommended for toddlers ages 18 months and up.
- Where To Buy: You can purchase the cup on Amazon or in-store at Buy Buy Baby or Walmart.
- The Best Part: Since the cup is spillproof, you won’t have to worry about your toddler being more independent with it throughout the day.
- The Not So Great: The lid twists to cover the straw when not in use, but to twist that part open can be difficult without also twisting open the cap itself.
6. Oxo Tot Transitions Straw Cup With Handles
Handles on a sippy cup might be more preferred for younger toddlers, but they assist with kids all the same, especially for those who have a hard time gripping the cup itself.
Once your child is a little more confident, you can even remove the handles, so the Oxo Tot Transitions Straw Cup With Handles does grow with your toddler. With a hinged lid that small hands can also close, the cup is essentially leaf-proof since the lid closes down on the straw. The straw itself offers an easy transition from a toddler accustomed to breast or bottle feeding, and when it comes time to clean the cup, you can do so easily by removing the lid and straw.
- Child Age Range: The cup is suitable for children ages 12 months and up.
- Where To Buy: You can purchase the cup on the manufacturer’s website and Amazon or in-store at Toys ‘R Us.
- The Best Part: With removable handles, your toddler can start using the cup even before they’re ready to grip the cup itself properly.
- The Not So Great: Since you have to bit down on the straw to get anything out, t may be difficult for some kids to understand or get the hang of.
7. Born Free Grow With Me Cup
For some toddler straw cups, getting them clean is one thing, but keeping them sanitary can be a whole other issue. With the Born Free Grow With Me Cup, you get a lid that closes to keep the soft straw properly covered.
When not in use and in doing so, the feature makes the cup spill-proof. When your toddler wants to open it back up to drink, they can easily navigate the flip cap themselves. The lid is also interchangeable with other toddler cups in the Born Free Grow With Me line of products, which is convenient if you want to try out another smaller cup. When you need to store the cup and lid, you can do so easily, as the cups are lids are stackable. Plus, top-rack dishwasher safe.
- Child Age Range: The cup is appropriate for toddlers ages 12 months and up.
- Where To Buy: You can find the cup on the manufacturer’s site and Amazon or in-store at Walmart.
- The Best Part: With the flip top lid, the cup is as spillproof as possible.
- The Not So Great: If your toddler doesn’t push down the lid enough to close it all the way, then you can be subject to spills or leakage.
8. Thinkbaby Thinkster Straw Bottle
The Thinkbaby Thinkster Straw Bottle may have handles on either side, but the handles have indents for little fingers to help teach your toddler how to properly grip before they move on to holding the cup itself.
The medical-grade silicone straw is easy for most toddlers to use, especially if this is your little one’s first transitioning sippy cup after a bottle. The hinged lid closes easily over the soft straw to keep the cup spillproof and help prevent messes, even if the lid can’t guarantee a lack of leaks.
Even so, the straw itself is leakproof even with the lid flipped open, and as it can be sometimes difficult to clean the cup by hand, the entire thing is top-rack dishwasher safe.
- Child Age Range: The cup is for toddlers from 16-48 months old.
- Where To Buy: You can purchase the cup on the manufacturer’s website and Amazon or in-store at Target.
- The Best Part: Since the straw is leak-proof, the cup may be as leak-proof overall as you’ll find in a toddler straw cup.
- The Not So Great: All of the parts that need to be cleaned by hand can be tedious.
9. Chicco Natural Fit Insulated Flip Top Straw Cup
The Chicco Natural Fit Insulated Flip Top Straw Cup is another toddler straw cup that has an easy flip top to hide the straw when it’s not in use.
What may set it apart from some of the others, however, is the fact that it’s double insulated to help keep the contents cold and fresh for longer. But as far as the flip-top cap goes, it’s more of an easy-to-slide opening that even toddlers can move.
The cup and straw are all BPA, PVC, and latex-free for your toddler’s safety. And thanks to the ergonomic shape of the cup, it’s relatively easy for most small hands to grip it.
- Child Age Range: The cup is suitable for toddlers from ages 12 months and up.
- Where To Buy: You can buy the cup on the manufacturer’s website and Amazon or in-store at Target.
- The Best Part: The shape of the cup makes it easy for small hands to grip it, even with just one hand alone.
- The Not So Great: Once you take it apart, the straw parts may be difficult to put back together at first.
Final Thoughts
There are several top choices for the best straw cups for toddlers, so you have a variety of hem to choose from.
At the end of the day, once you determine the qualities you’re looking for in yours specifically, and whether or not it will be best for your toddler, it’s going to be up to you to decide which of these nine would truly be the best purchase. What you can be sure of, though, is that buying and using a straw cup for your toddler is the perfect way to bring them to the next stage as they grow a little older.
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