OXO Tot Straw Cup Review

The OXO Tot Straw Cup is a BPA, phthalate, and PVC free plastic sippy with a straw mouthpiece. The cup offers a twisting lid that helps keep the straw clean when not in use, and prevents leaking. The plastic is clear, and has obvious volume markings on the side, so parents can easily tell how much fluid has been consumed and how much is left. The straw is a two piece assembly, designed for easy cleaning with a straw brush. This cup is slightly contoured, with non-slip grips for easy holding, it is dishwasher safe, and comes in 3 different colors. The cup is widely available online, and in some stores.

Performance Comparison

Likes

The photo series above shows the cool twist lid design that keeps the straw clean and helps avoid leaks.

The twist lid on this cup is pretty darn cool. It is a nice way to keep the straw clean and help avoid leaks. We found most toddlers could easily do it, even if some had to be shown how to use it. The assembly of the lid might have been a little trickier to clean, but we felt the trade off was worth having an attached lid that helped keep the mouthpiece clean, and didn't add a lot of weight to the cup.

We also liked that the cup offered several clear volume marks on both sides, so we could easily see how much liquid had been consumed and how much was left. Volume markings were rare in the cups we tested, so that made this cup somewhat of a standout for parents monitoring fluid intake for whatever reason.

This cup was super easy to drink from, and one of our little in-house testers said he liked the cup best because he could drink lots of water from it. We interpreted this enthusiastic response as “Easy to drink from”. Given the straw spout, and the lack of valve in this cup's design, we felt it was a cup that aligned with the American Dental Association's recommendations concerning sippy cups and oral hygiene, so it earned some points for that.

Dislikes

It is heavier and larger than many contenders we tested. While it didn't measure out as heavy as the stainless steel cups, it definitely was heavier than most of the plastic cups, especially when full. In addition, the circumference was larger than any other cup we tested, which meant this cup was hard to fit in cup holders, and harder to hold compared to the other cups we tested. However, it still earned a 5 of 10 in these metrics, which beat out several other cups in our tests, including the Philips AVENT Straw Cup, which offers a similar twist lid straw design.

Above is the Philips AVENT Straw Cup (left), and the OXO Straw Cup (right)

This cup had a tendency to leak more than some of the other cups in our tests. If the lid was twisted closed it performed better in this metric, but it is hard to guarantee that toddlers will consistently close the lid before dropping the cup. The leaking was not necessarily a deal breaker though; depending on what is in the cup, and how rough your toddler is, it might not even be an issue. But it was definitely something we thought that OXO could do better in the future.

This cup also scored poorly for eco-health. Being made of plastic meant it took a hit on points for this metric. While being made of plastic allowed for visible volume markings (something we expressed a fondness for), plastic cups always give us pause because they are not as inert like glass and stainless steel. This sippy had more information on the kind of plastic used than other sippys, stating it was free of BPA, phthalates, and PVC, which was a refreshing change from the majority of cups we looked at. But, it still didn't give a complete picture.

Conclusion

This cup did not score well overall in our tests, and didn't even manage to break into the top half of the cups we tested. However, if you are looking for a larger straw type cup, and you don't mind a little leaking, it isn't necessarily bad option. This cup was easy to drink from, easy to clean, and had a really cool attached lid. While we do not recommend this cup outright, we still felt it might work well for some toddlers depending on what you are looking for in a cup.

Our Top Pick for Insulated, the Thermos Foogo Phase 3 Insulated Straw Cup, is also an easy to drink from straw cup with an attached lid. While the cup didn't have volume markings of the OXO, it might be a good alternative to the OXO, if a straw is the mouthpiece you are looking for. This cup also offered stainless steel construction, insulation to keep contents cooler, and an easy to clean design.