Best Sippy Cups for Babies and Toddlers, According to Parents Who've Used Them

Dr. Kelman says she generally prefers that parents transition from a bottle directly to an open cup, but if you do go the sippy cup route, she suggests a spoutless model. “Although there have been some concerns regarding positioning of the tongue with [spoutless] cups, they aren’t as damaging to the teeth as traditional sippy cups,” she explains.

One of the most popular sippy cups in the What to Expect community, the Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup is spoutless and frequently recommended by parents looking to help their babies make the transition from bottle to cup. It boasts a flat, 360-degree lid that makes the transition easier because little ones can drink from any angle. The “spout” on the rim seals automatically after your child is done drinking to prevent spills.

"The Munchkin 360 is great because it's a spill-free way to teach drinking out of an open cup," says Shelley Gingrich, Director of Brand Solutions, mom of a 4-year-old and 1-year-old. "Also, not too many parts and they can all be easily cleaned in the dishwasher."

Made of supersoft BPA-free plastic, this sippy cup is comfortable for little hands to grip. It holds 7 ounces and is aimed at children 6 months and older.

While it takes some babies a little time to get the hang of it, most pick it up fairly quickly, parents say, especially after you demonstrate how it should be used. I’ve offered this cup to both of my sons when they were around 6 months, and they were able to figure out how to drink from it without too much trouble. I loved the soft, easy-to-grip exterior and how easy it was to clean, too, since there aren’t any straws.

It's self-sealing and virtually spill-proof, but keep in mind you do need to make sure the top is secure. 

Many babies initially struggle to learn how to use a straw, especially if they’re exclusively breastfed and haven’t yet been introduced to bottles or cups of any kind. If that’s the case with your little one, you might consider offering her the TalkTools Honey Bear Drinking Cup, often simply called “the honey bear cup” by devoted customers. 

Developed as a feeding therapy tool for occupational therapists, this cup disperses liquid very easily — the BPA-free plastic is thin and lightweight, and liquid squeezes up at the slightest bit of pressure. That, combined with the thinness of the straw and soft texture, seems to make the cup very manageable for babies to hold and use. There are countless stories within the What to Expect community from parents whose little ones finally learned how to drink from a straw after using this cup.

Heavily influenced by the many What to Expect parents who recommended it in my Birth Month Group, I purchased this cup for my youngest son when he was around 8 months. It had taken my older son a long time to figure out how to use a straw, and I was determined to help my younger son get the hang of it sooner this time around. To my surprise, he understood almost immediately how to drink from this cup. And while he’s now capable of using “regular”-sized straws, we still have the Honey Bear around for water use.

Just note that this is not the best sippy cup for milk. While it’s dishwasher-safe, the straw is incredibly thin, which makes it difficult to clean. For this reason, many parents prefer to use the Honey Bear cup solely as a tool to introduce straws and as a water cup thereafter.

Transitioning to a sippy cup can be difficult for children who’ve grown attached to their bottle as a comfort object. The no-spill Philips Avent My Natural Trainer Cup comes complete with both a nipple and a spout, making it one of the best sippy cups for reluctant little ones. You can offer the cup with the nipple top initially, then gradually switch to the silicone spout.

Because the nipple is identical to the one that fits on most Philips Avent bottles, this sippy cup will be especially comforting for babies who are already drinking from those bottles. But many parents whose little ones had been using other bottle brands say that the familiarity of the nipple also helped transition their babies over to a cup.

This cup is on the smaller side (it holds 5 ounces of liquid), so potentially easier for 6-month-olds to handle. (The company says it can be used for babies as young as 4 months, but that may vary depending on readiness.) Parents say these cups are easy for little hands to hold, and that they’re sturdy and hold up well over time. A removable cover helps keep the spout clean between drinks. 

This cup comes with a stage five Philips Avent nipple, which might be too fast of a flow for some 6-month-olds. If you have Philips Avent bottles at home, you may be able to swap in a lower stage nipple.

Most babies with colic have improved by the 3-month-mark, but if your little one continues to struggle with gas as she enters the sippy cup stage, Nuk Simply Natural Learner Cup is a good option to start with. 

This (small!) 5-ounce sippy cup has big, wide removable handles, making it easy for a young baby to hold. And it also has an “anti-colic” vent, which is supposed to reduce the likelihood that your little one swallows air when sipping, and thus, help minimize gas. Plus, the spout is notably wide, which is designed to have a more natural feel and encourage sipping as little ones transition from the breast or bottle. 

Many What to Expect parents whose babies struggled to transition to sippy cups say this Nuk cup was one of a few options their child would accept. One reason for this is likely the cup’s design, which is more bottle-like than many of the other sippy cups on this list. It’s dishwasher-safe and BPA-free, too. As your child grows, a 10-ounce version is also available.

If your baby or toddler tends to throw her cups, you’ll need a sippy that can withstand heavy use without spilling milk or water all over your home, stroller or car. True to its name, the Nuby 2-Handle Cup With No-Spill Super Spout is about as leak-proof as a sippy cup can get. The soft silicone spout is easy for little ones to drink from but won’t leak when shaken or thrown (a big bonus). 

The parts of this sippy cup, which holds 8 ounces, are interchangeable with most other Nuby cups and bottles, and tend to be sturdier than other products on the market. They're available in a number of different color options. These are sold two to a pack and are just $5 per cup, making them one of the most affordable sippy cups on this list, too.

It may not be the first material you think of when shopping for sippy cups, but stainless steel has some undeniable benefits. It’s sustainable, does not come with any of the concerns about chemicals that can be found in plastic and is highly durable. 

Pura’s stainless steel bottles, which have a hugely loyal following, are virtually indestructible, parents say. This brand specializes in stainless steel feeding products that will last for years. Each of their drinking vessels can be used from the newborn stage and beyond: First, as a bottle with a nipple top; as a sippy cup when you swap in the silicone sipper spout; as a straw cup with the straw top; and finally as a regular water bottle with the sport top. All of these tops are compatible with the same stainless steel base. In other words, while it’s undeniably an initial investment (the cups are $28 each), you won’t have to continuously replace them as your child gets older. 

Although this sippy cup will last years, the one downside is that it may not be the most comfortable for a younger baby who is learning how to use a sippy cup. With its bigger, clunkier size and heavier weight (while relatively lightweight, it’s still stainless steel and weighs more than a plastic cup), the Pura Kiki Stainless Steel Sippy Cup might be a little tricky for 6-month-olds to hold and manage themselves, in which case you might want to try introducing a sippy cup with one of the other models on this list first.

Re-Play No-Spill Sippy Cups are super green: The brand’s products are made from recycled milk jugs! BPA-, phthalate- and PVC-free, these sippy cups are also 100 percent recyclable when your little one has grown out of them. They come in a pack of three, and you can opt for either a hard spout sippy cup or a straw cup.

We have been using Re-Play cups for years. I first introduced my older son to them when he was about 1 year old. We started with the hard spout cup and eventually switched to the straws. Because he was already familiar with the look and feel of these cups, the transition to the straw top was a breeze.

I love how versatile and functional Re-Play cups are — the same base is compatible with both the sippy and straw tops, so you can easily mix and match, and you don’t have to replace your entire cup collection when you switch over to straws. (In fact, I’ve had many of the same base cups in our pantry for four years now—and they still look good as new.) The silicone valve on the sippy cup top is easy to clean, hard to leak through and the cups are super sturdy.

The only complaint I have about these cups is the straw, if you opt for that style. Although easier to clean than most, they have ridges and are bendy, so they do develop a bit of milk buildup over time. If your child tends to bite straws, as my sons do, know that they also get a little misshapen. 

Finally, the sippy cup top on Re-Play cups is a hard spout; though many kids like drinking from this type of cup, Dr. Kelman points out that soft spouts have a lower chance of injury to the gums or teeth in case of trauma.

Any of the soft spout sippy cups on this list would be a good choice for a 6-month-old, as would the Honey Bear or Munchkin 360 cups. But many parents in the What to Expect community say the Olababy Silicone Training Cup with Straw Lid as another solid option for babies first learning how to use a cup of any kind.

This straw lid sippy cup is made of grippy silicone that’s manageable for even the littlest hands to hold. The straw is silicone, too, and soft enough to prevent injury, while the wide base is slightly weighted to prevent spills. Another nice feature: There are transparent indicators on the cup, which many parents find helpful to quickly see how much liquid is inside. (This is especially useful during the 6- to 12-month stage, when you’re likely still closely tracking your baby’s milk intake.)

Even though the entire thing is soft, parents say it’s highly durable and holds up well over time, even if your baby tends to bite the straw. And in addition to being dishwasher-safe, parents appreciate that you can use it in the microwave or freezer.

Created by a pediatric feeding specialist, Ez Pz cups are designed to help teach older babies and toddlers how to drink from an open cup and eventually, a straw. The brand has both a regular open cup and a straw version of their popular Tiny Cup, but the straw is a great choice for 1-year-olds (you can simply remove the top when your child is ready to just use a proper cup).

Many What to Expect parents rave about this brand, saying Ez Pz’s cups effectively taught their tots how to drink from a straw and manage a cup. It has a clever design; the cup itself is small and easy to hold, sensory bumps on the straw help activate lip rounding and the base is weighted to prevent it from easily tipping over. Parents also like the non-slip silicone, which is BPA-, BPS-, PVC-, latex- and phthalate-free, as well as dishwasher-safe.

While excellent for teaching kids how to use a straw and open cup, the Ez Pz straw cup isn’t as leak-proof as some of the other options on this list. If you’re looking for a portable cup that won’t spill when thrown, for example, this may not be the best sippy cup for you.