One of the first challenges new parents face as they start their child’s transition to solids is finding the best suited sippy cup. One search on the internet and you are bombarded with so many styles and options that the process of selecting a sippy cup becomes overwhelming. This is where I thought our experience could help. In this post, I am sharing with you a handy list of the best sippy cups for babies and toddlers.
In our home we have always nurtured our child’s independence and baby led weaning suited this need of ours in allowing our son to be in control of how much he ate and how he ate his food.
From the beginning he was exposed to different types of foods and textures and figured out naturally how to self-feed.
Offering water though was a challenge, as younger babies cannot yet properly suck through straws or navigate an open cup with their hands to their mouths without spills. They need help with it and in time with the right tools and guidance they can figure out how to drink water from a sippy cup and later on an open cup.
HOW MUCH WATER DO BABIES NEED?
The AAP recommends that 6 month old babies need about 4-8 ounces of water/day while the rest of the baby’s liquids should come from breastmilk or formula. (Source)
For toddlers age 1-3 the recommendations suggest about 4 cups of beverages, including both water and milk.
HOW TO INTRODUCE WATER TO BABIES
This is how we did it, at 6 months of age we first offered water through a spoon. After every meal, we would offer a few sips through a spoon. This was just so the baby understands how to drink liquid and clean his palette from any left over food. We even had a small steel cup for practice using an open cup.
But, I get the convenience of using a sealed cup, baby led weaning mom here, I know how messy baby led weaning can get.
Though open cups were always offered as an option in our home, we used a lot of sippy cups then straw cups before completely transitioning to open cups.
Always remember until age 1, breastmilk/formula is a major source of nutrients and we must not rush to offer more water as it can fill the baby up and replace other nutrient rich foods/liquids.
THE BEST SIPPY CUPS FOR BABIES AND TODDLERS
I am categorizing this list by age so that its easier for you to select the right sippy cup for your child.
The transition from breast/bottle to cups comes with its own set of learnings and I always advice parents to consider their child’s developmental needs and home lifestyle when making the choice for the right cup.
Finding the right sippy cup takes a lot of trial and error and for your convenience I will share the pros and cons of each type to help you make the best decision.
At 6 months we first started with spoon and open cup and after a few weeks of offering water with spoon we started with sippy cups.
Listed below are all the best sippy cups available in India.
BEST SIPPY CUPS FOR BABIES 6 MONTHS+
Philips Avent Classic Soft Spout Cup
This was the first sippy cup we used. It has a practical design with handles for the baby to hold and a soft spout that makes it easy to drink from. The bottle is easy to assemble and clean and the soft spout makes this a good choice as the first sippy cup.
This sippy cup is also budget friendly making it one of the most easy to use cups among the lot.
You can buy a set of 2 and use in a daily rotation. The spout can be replaced when it wears out and the bottle itself is sturdy enough to handle falls and rough use by little children.
The only con I would say with this product is that as the child gets older, he/she figures out how to twist open the top using the handles and water spills out. This sippy cup is therefore more suited in my opinion for 6-9 month olds.
The Chicco transition cup is another great beginners sippy cup. It has a soft spout, handles and interchangeable lids and bases. It’s ideal for 6 months plus age group.
I absolutely love this training cup. Easy to use and clean. The child can easily drink from spout. The spout has small opening that helps to regulate the flow of liquid.
Its value for money, practical design, but, not meant for diaper bags, more for at-home use.
BEST SIPPY CUPS 9 MONTHS+
The Munchkin miracle training cup comes with handles for ease of use. The unique design is such that the cup automatically seals the flow of water when the child stops drinking. This design makes the Munchkin 360 spill proof.
It is easy to clean and use and a good option for older infants and toddlers.
Here is a stainless steep sippy cup of the same brand.
Once the infant learns how to drink with a straw I would recommend transitioning to the Philips Avent Straw Cup. We used this cup the most through the years.
It has a handle for the child to hold, the straw inside the bottle is bent so as to get water even when it is nearly empty.
Besides that it is recommended to move onto open cups and straw bottles as early as possible for better oral development. You can introduce this sippy cup from 9 months of age.
This is another great option in transition sippy cups for children 9 months and above. It has an almond-shaped, spill-proof straw that conforms to the child’s mouth and minimizes mess.
I like that it comes with measurement markings so that you can measure out liquids like milk when serving.
The straw is soft and comfortable for infants to drink from. Also a convenient option for the diaper bag.
Little Rawr Weighted Sippy Cup
This cup comes with a specially designed straw that has a unique 2-way valve and that ensures no-leaks.
The weighted straw makes it easy for the child to drink to the very last drop, making it the best toddler cup for bedtime milk.
This sippy cup also contains a weighted straw for better emptying of liquids and a push button flip top.
It has 2 types of handles, one an ergonomic handle and another a strap option. You can choose what handle you want depending on use.
Pura Kiki Sipper Stainless Steel
The Pura Kiki Bottle is a stainless steel bottle that grows with your child. It can be converted into a sippy, straw, or small water bottle by swapping with another Pura Silicon lids.
Klean Kid Kanteen Stainless Steel Sippy
We have been using the Klean Kanteen stainless steel sippy cup for years now. Its durable and made with food grade quality stainless steel and easy for the child to drink from.
I do find cleaning the bottle spout a little challenging though.
You need to have a thin cleaning brush that can get into the edges of the silicone sipper. The top sipper can be changed to an age appropriate sipper as the child grows.
The cons though are the price, not only is the bottle more expensive compared to other bottles in the market, but, if you try to buy the separate parts to replace old worn out pieces each component is also expensive. This adds to overall cost in the long term with regards to maintaining these steel bottles.
HOW TO CLEAN BABY BOTTLES AFTER EACH USE
- First dismantle all the pieces of the bottle. Throw out any leftover liquids.
- Rinse under running tap water.
- Soak in baby utensil wash and wash individual parts using appropriate bottle brushes.
- Dry the bottle and lid separately on a drying rack.
For details on how to wash and sterilize infant bottles do read this resource.
DO SIPPY CUPS CAUSE TOOTH DECAY?
I know there is a concern among parents about sippy cups leading to tooth decay. I asked Dr. Akshatha Nayak about dental decay and sippy cup use, here is what she said,
“Sippy cups aren’t bad, only thing is it should be age appropriate.
For example- start with a soft spout, then hard spout and then straw bottle.
What is offered in sippy cups matters more than usage of sippy cups itself.
For example, I gave only water in sippy cups, it’s as good as bottle feeding because of seal it forms.
Change and discontinue sippy cups regularly and focus on graduating to straw bottles as early as possible. The key here is to use it for water only – hygienically also it’s better.
Most importantly, nothing is better than open steel glass, the faster the baby master’s it’s better.
Definitely there will be spills – but use smaller size cup so that baby can hold properly.”
Dr. Akshatha Nayak recommends routine dental checks for children and where needed fluoride treatment. Always consult your local dentist to detect any early cavities.
I hope this post has been useful to you in understanding how to select the right Sippy cup for your baby.
If you have any questions about the products I mentioned I am happy to answer them for you. Leave me a comment below.
For more baby product reviews head to the Reviews tab on the top. Until next time!