Sippy Cups, Molly's Take

Oh the confusing world of sippy cups. Well, at least, I found it confusing. And I'm pretty sure, based on the number of calls we get on the subject, that there are plenty of others in the same position. Who knew there were so many variables to consider?  Leakproof, insulated, straw attachment, dishwasher safe, weight, materials, durability, etc, etc, etc.

If you have an idea in mind of what you’re looking for, here are some links that start narrowing your choices in able to get you started:

While I recognize that every child and family is different, I thought it might be helpful to share my family's experiences with some of the sippy cups sold right here at MightyNest. My 18 month old product tester has had the opportunity to test four of them so far…she seems to really enjoy her role in the company:)

1. From the start, we've had the best luck with the Foogo Sippy by Thermos. It has handles (making it easy to hold), a soft silicone spout which is perfect for teething mouths (vigorous chewers like my daughter won’t be able to scratch it up or dent it un-like ones with hard plastic spouts). Its lightweight compared to other stainless steel sippy cups, but slightly heavier than plastic ones.  I also like that it has a removable valve – we started off without the valve which meant lots of spilling but it was easier for my daughter to learn to use a sippy that way. This cup is insulated so it will keep its contents cold for awhile.  This model is mostly leakproof (Thermos had an older version that was not leakproof). I say mostly because a small amount of liquid will get trapped in the silicone spout and could leak out, but the liquid won't pour out like non-leakproof sippys, and it really is a very small amount.  This was a perfect "trainer" sippy cup and my daughter still loves it...for ice water (read below for more on that).

2. At about 10 months we gave the Safe Sippy 2 a try. At the time, it almost seemed too long/tall for my daughter to maneuver, but a friend with 16 month old twins said her boys love it. I like that it can be both a straw cup and a sippy cup so you can use it for a long time. It also has a removable valve and the safety of being insulated. While its not leakproof on its own, it has a travel plug that you can insert before tossing in the diaper bag which does make it completely leakproof.  

3. We used the Lifefactory baby bottles so we tried their sippy adapter, as well. It’s a great choice if you already have the baby bottles, however it wasn't my favorite for a transition cup (which is why we invested in some other options). It was a little hard for her to hold without any handles - she could grip the silicone, but it was a little clumsy and she inevitably dropped it with a bang.  The bottles are insanely durable though and haven't broken, which is awesome. And, they've actually made their way into the sippy rotation just in the last two weeks and I'm loving that Molly can now drink from glass.

4. Our newest and therefore, favorite sippy cup (even 18 month olds like getting new things!) is the Eco Vessel Insulated Sippy, 10oz sippy.  This is my daughter’s preferred cup for milk… and watch out if you try to give her milk in some other cup!  What I love about this one is that it's leakproof, insulated and heavy duty….it has survived many a drop on our wood floors.  This sippy is pretty heavy as its double-walled stainless steel so she likely would have had a hard time using it if she were much younger than 18 months but its perfect for the stage she's in now and will last a long time.

I’d love to hear your thoughts/feedback on the sippy cups we haven’t tested yet, because how many cups does one little girl really need?

These sippy bottles haven't haven't gone through Molly's test yet: 

PuraEarthlustInnobaby, Klean Kanteen and EIO (although Kristen wrote a blog post about this cup).