I can NOT be the only mom struggling to find a cup that checks off all the boxes. I sent out an SOS on Instagram stories and you mommas are already coming to the rescue. I’m placing another order to try out some of your recommendations, but here are all the bottles, straw cups and sippy cups that I have tried and why I do/don’t like them. Still searching for one that checks off all of these boxes so if you have a recommendation, I (and so many other mamas) greatly thank you!
-LEAK PROOF
-SPILL PROOF
BPA FREE
DISHWASHER SAFE
-CAN’T PULL STRAW OUT
-EASY TO CLEAN (WON’T MOLD/SMELL)
-ASTHETICALLY PLEASING
Luke just turned 14 months old for reference….
DR. BROWN’S BOTTLES
SO MANY KITS/SETS HERE (WE STARTED WITH THIS ONE)
These are great if you have problems with colic or frequent spit up as the venting system helps keep air out. Can’t complain about the clean-up process because my husband was in charge of all that while I kept the milk factory going haha but finding out they were dishwasher safe was a game changer because you can just run the brushes through them really quick and put them straight in the dishwasher. We starting using them after the first week for night feeds to make sure he got a good full feed before sleep, then found they were convenient for when I was busy/not home. It slowly turned into an exclusively pumping situation because he developed major nipple confusion. I definitely blame these for him refusing breast feeding. We adapted, but I do wish it didn’t happen as soon as it did.
He didn’t really have a spit-up problem so I wonder if dealing with all the parts really even benefited him or that was a sign they worked so well at preventing him from swallowing air. The larger bottles have larger openings for faster flow, but found they leaked a ton.
COMOTOMO
$21.07 RIGHT NOW FOR TWO 5OZ BOTTLES AND $21.99 FOR TWO 80Z BOTTLES ON AMAZON. (ALSO HERE AT TARGET)
In order to hopefully reverse the nipple confusion, I decided to try these out and wish we tried these to begin with. They advertise their design as one to prevent nipple confusion as well as prevent colic. They have a 5 oz and 8 oz bottle as well as different flow nipples (slow, medium or fast) which is great if you’re still breast feeding and want to keep a slow flow to avoid any confusion. It didn’t reverse any problems but my husband sure appreciated the less parts to wash. Only annoying part was that it was exactly 8 oz, so when we switched to formula it made it hard to mix or when we used this formula mixer, we spilled some almost every time we took it off the stand.
HONEY BEAR CUP
$18.99 FOR THREE ON AMAZON
These were a game changer in teaching him to drink from a straw. They actually use them in physical therapy so I decided to give them a try and he got the hang of it by day three of trying it around mealtime. You gently squeeze the bottle to push fluid out helping them get the hang of sucking on it themselves which he eventually did. We still use these for smoothies or milk because he can drink out of them so easily and they’re easy for him to hold. They also don’t leak and the only time it makes a mess is if he pulls the straw out or squeezes the cup but he hasn’t learned to do that. I’ve bought these on repeat.
NUK SIPPY CUP
$7.99 AT TARGET || AMAZON (STARTS FROM $6.49)
Five stars from me if you’re trying to wean from bottle to sippy cup. We tried a few sippy cups to transition him off of bottles after he turned one and he took to these the best. I think the silicone mouthpiece was familiar to him because the previous ones were hard mouth and he gave up real quick. The handles are removable, it’s 100% leak proof and super easy to clean. This is the winner for me as far as sippy cups go at this stage. The only downside is that I wish they were prettier lol. There’s only one in particular I like. I prefer plain colors without a ton of pictures/characters/designs. Personal preference, but these are the only ones I order. These are the only sippy cups I’ve continue to repurchase.
MUNCHKIN WEIGHTED STRAW
$5.64 ON AMAZON (MORE COLORS) || $5.89 AT TARGET
I love these for water and that’s about it. The weighted straw makes it drinkable from every angle making it a great transition cup from bottle because he tends to tilt straw cups back like he does with his bottles/sippy cups. The handles make it easy to hold and love that you can cap the straw. It’s also leak proof! He did manage to bite a hole in the straw after a few months as his top teeth were coming out so we had to order another- kind of a choking hazard if you think but I’d say you really have to work at it to completely bite it off. They’re less than $10 so that’s a plus but the weighted straw and valve make it impossible to clean well for anything other than water. Even so though, I do like it for water because it’s indestructible and doesn’t leak, but I’m not sure I’d buy it again.
OXO TOP TRANSITION CUP
$9.99 ON AMAZON AND TARGET (LARGER VERSION HERE)
These are similar to the above in that they have the silicone straw, handles, and cap that covers the straw. They do not have the weighted straw option so if he tilts the cup up, he can’t always get liquid if it’s almost empty. It’s a little curved and has a valve so it’s a little tricky to clean than the typical straight straw, but way easier to clean than the one above. Also, you have to kind of bite the straw to get the valve to open in order to drink so it took him a little bit to figure that out. If there’s any liquid above the valve, that will leak if he swings the cup around, otherwise it’s leak proof. I tried making the hole a little bigger thinking it would make drinking from it easier and now it drips, so I wouldn’t recommend that. For the price, it’s worth a try and love that it has handles, it’s spill proof, and has the cover for the straw. It’s honestly growing on me, so if he can figure out how to drink it without difficulty, I can handle the cons of this one and may buy it again.
REPLAY SIPPY CUPS
$9.99 FOR TWO ON AMAZON. TONS OF COLORS HERE.
I ordered these based off of reviews and how cute they were, but they were so hard to suck out of until I twisted the valve inside. I may have put it the wrong way after I washed them. They’re not 100% leak proof but only sprinkles if you really shake it. Without the valve, they leak everywhere so don’t lose that piece! He’s still not a huge fan, but found he’s not a fan of any hard sippy cup. I probably won’t purchase again since I prefer another sip cup I shared and he’s closer to needing to wean off of them vs getting used to them. They’re easy to wash, come in such cute colors and a lot of you all recommended these too.
CUPKIN STRAW CUP
$25 FOR TWO ON AMAZON (TONS OF COLORS)
These are the cutest little cups I’ve ever seen. I ordered black and white but they have SO many cute color options and come in 8.5oz and 12oz sizes. You can drink out of them through the wide straw or take the straw out, cap the hole and flip the lid to drink out of the sipping hole. You can also take the lid off to drink from them like a cup. They’re stainless steel, easy to clean and hold temperatures longer so they’re great for smoothies. In fact, I only prefer them for smoothies. I found that it leaks a ton when he’s drinking water or milk so I have to hold it, but the thicker consistency of a smoothie doesn’t leak as much. It is enough for me not to let him walk around with it alone unless we’re outside. The leaks come from around the straw opening and also from the mouthpiece since the lid doesn’t seem to be super tight. Another major downside is that he can take the straw out, but one of you gave me the best tip ever and that was to wrap a rubber band around the straw so he can’t pull the straw out. It’s genius and really works! I’ll also look into getting straws that have a built in stopper since it seems like the straw pulling is a recurring problem for most cups. As cute as they are, I’m not sure I would buy them again anytime soon. Maybe when he’s older.
MUNCHKIN 360 CUPS
$12.99 FOR TWO ON AMAZON (MORE COLORS AVAILABLE AND LARGER SIZE WITHOUT HANDLES HERE)
We’re still getting the hang of these but I can see us using these for years before I trust him walking around with an open cup. These are great to teach them to drink from a. cup without making a huge mess everywhere. The top colored part is removable for easy cleaning and underneath are a ton of tiny holes so when they put their lips anywhere around the edges they can drink the liquid and then when they take their mouth off it automatically seals. It’s hard to explain, but take my word for it- these are incredible. They’re dishwasher safe, great for dental health and 100% mess free! I would buy these again.
GROSMIMI
$20.79 FOR 6OZ CUP ON AMAZON (10OZ VERSION HERE FOR $22.80)
I thought I was going to really need to give these a good long run before I can recommend a $20 plastic straw cup, however, I love them! I wasn’t a fan of the handles because they spin around, but otherwise they are spill proof, easy to hold, easy to clean, can’t pull out the straw and can be used with the straw or without to be able to drink from it like a bottle. I’d say it’s 99% leak proof. Once you start drinking, a little bit of fluid gets caught in the top portion of the straw so that can sprinkle around if they bend the straw or shake it forcefully. Nothing I would call a deal breaker though. I will say, it is very durable at least from the cup standpoint-we’ll see how the straw hold ups with chewing. It’s dishwasher safe and even safe to boil for 30 seconds to disinfect. I’d call this a win and would buy more.
HOUSAVVY STAINLESS STEEL INSULATED TUMBLER
$18.99 ON AMAZON AND COMES IN MORE COLORS
This is comparable to the Cupkin Straw Cup, but 11oz instead of 8.5 oz and a straight cylinder whereas the Cupkin cup is slightly larger at the top than the bottom so may be easier for little hands to hold. The straw does fit a little bit more snug in this one, but it can still be pulled out. Also, the slider that closes the mouth hole seems difficult to clean if smoothie or milk gets trapped under. Definitely not leak proof unless I would think with smoothies like the Cupkin one, but it does leak a little less than the Cupkin one since the straw is more snug. It only leaks from the straw itself or there’s a little hole under the slider that also leaks liquid. Advantages on this one vs the Cupkin one is that it’s slightly bigger and no leaks around the straw or mouth hole. They’re both so similar, but the Cupkin takes the lead for me on this one since we really only use it for smoothies and prefer the flip vs slide sipping hole. Again, feel like this is more young child appropriate vs for a 14 month old because if you drop it or shake it even with smoothies you’ll make a mess. I would most likely buy these again when he’s older.
2-in-1 SNACK HOLDER & SPILL-PROOF STRAW CUP
$13.95 FOR TWO AT TARGET
Ok! What is this magic cup and how have I only now heard about these?! This was my latest cup purchase and feel like I hit the jackpot! It’s a snack holder and straw cup in one. It all comes apart easily making it easy to clean, so it’s great for drinks other than just just water. It’s advertised as spill-proof and although I agree, I wouldn’t say it’s leak-proof. We just had a smoothie in it and had to change his shirt right after. The smoothie is thicker so it stays in the straw. Any drop or shake and you have smoothie sprinkled everywhere from the straw itself. We used it for water and milk and it definitely leaked much, much less, however feel like you’ll occasionally get a drop here and there. I also really like the snack portion because he can just grab a few vs a fist full like other snack cups we have and since the cup is much larger/heavier he can’t shake it vigorously where snacks go flying everywhere. I did notice the cap gets a little sticky and crumbs tend to stick to it which is annoying but also not that big of a deal because I guess if crumbs stick to the cap, they’re not on the ground. I also read reviews that it attracts pet hair so something to think about. Don’t let that be a dealbreaker though. You can’t beat this for the price and functionality and if anything it’s great for car rides or vacations. I’m 100% buying more!
COMOTOMO STRAW ATTACHMENT
$11.83 COMOTOMO STRAW SIPPY CUP TRANSITION KIT ON AMAZON
I loved the idea behind this since we had plenty of Comotomo bottles, but oh dear heavens, this was worse to clean and put together than the Munchkin one. The only reason I spent a whole 5 minutes trying to put it together was to write this review and here to say I’m not a fan… at all. I’m honestly surprised the reviews are raving, so maybe I’m missing something, but you basically attach a plastic piece to the inside of the mouthpiece, that attaches to a supper skinny straw and then to a weight. They’re so hard to put together in my opinion and feel like if you lose one piece, it’s useless. Too many pieces, too hard to put together, difficult to clean… hard pass from me.
RE-PLAY BENDABLE STRAW CUPS
$19.99 FOR SET OF FOUR ON AMAZON
These are practically indestructible and seem like such a great option as he gets a little bit older when he’s more comfortable drinking from such a wide straw and really needs this much liquid at once. The lid screws on and lacks all the fancy parts so it’s easy to clean. It won’t leak if it falls to the side, but will if you flip it upside down. I haven’t tried for smoothies yet, though. They straws are kind of a letdown though. They are bendable and has a stopper so they can’t be pulled out, however, it has so many ridges I feel like it would be difficult to get a good clean especially if it’s milk or smoothie sitting for a while. They also seem a little cheap and reviews talk about replacing them because they don’t last as well as the cups do. Overall, love that they’re cute happy colors (more color options available) and come in so many colors. They come in a pack of 4, so I probably won’t buy more anytime soon.
YOUR LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS
I have yet to try these, but here are some of the top ones you all recommended that I didn’t already share:
NUBY 3 PIECE NO SPILL CUP
SIMPLE MODERN STRAW CUPS
HYDRO FLASK (KID SIZE)
POTATO BRAND
ZOLI SIPPY CUP WITH STRAW
CONTIGO SPILL-PROOF TUMBLER WITH STRAW
I hope this post helped some of you mamas on the same boat and so appreciate your recommendations. As you can tell, I haven’t found THE perfect straw cup, but I do like so many of them for different reasons so hopefully it helped you narrow down your choices. Let me know if you have any questions or other suggestions. I’d love to hear!
