In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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The Playtex Training Time Soft Spout Cup had not much more to offer than its straw counterpart, the Playtex Training Time Straw Cup. Our tests indicated that while it didn't leak, it was significantly more difficult to drink from than many of the other cups we tested. We feel that if a baby can't get fluid from a cup, they may grow frustrated and avoid trying to drink from them. Given that this cup was difficult to use and clean, combined with the poor eco-health attribute of being made from plastic, we felt we could not recommend this cup. Beyond its great leak score, and fairly inexpensive price tag, this was not a cup we could recommend.
REASONS TO BUY
Soft silicone spout
Two handle option
Light weight
REASONS TO AVOID
Made of plastic
Difficult to drink from
Update — January 2017
The Playtex Times line has been updated and renamed to the Sipsters line. All the cups are now categorized into different age-dependent stages. The main difference in the new cups vs. the old is that any lid can be used for any cup, even ones from different stages. The Training Time Spout Cup is now the Sipsters Stage 1 Soft Spout Cup.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Playtex Training Time Soft Spout Cup is a dishwasher safe cup that offers a soft silicone drinking spout, and is available in one and two removable handle options. It is BPA-free and has a leak-proof guarantee. This cup also comes in a straw cup style called Playtex Training Time Straw Cup; both cups have a similar valve structure. This cup is widely available in most stores and online.
Performance Comparison
Playtex soft spout and straw cup
Credit: Micah Micah James
Likes
The primary thing to like about this cup is that it doesn't leak. Obviously whether or not a cup leaks is always a concern when looking for a sippy cup, and transition sippys are no exception. So for this metric, this cup more than fits the bill by refusing to give up any liquid, no matter how hard we tried (and laughed) trying to get it to do so.
This cup only has a few parts to clean
Credit: Micah James
We also like the soft spout design that seemed like it would be mouth and gum friendly for little ones learning to drink from something other than breast or bottle nipples. We prefer silicone to plastic when possible for mouthpieces and valves, so it was nice to see a silicone spout, on a plastic cup.
Dislikes
There was a lot to dislike about this cup. No matter which category you feel is the most important factor, this cup failed to measure up in almost all of them outside the leakage factor.
First, the cup was difficult to drink from compared to the other cups we tested, as well as, to the older version of the Playtex transition sippy cup that had a different kind of valve. Their new improved valve appears to be just the opposite of an improvement, and in the case of ease of sucking, it seems to be a step in the wrong direction. Adults had a hard time eliciting liquid from this cup, so we can only imagine baby may be just as frustrated with the experience. We preferred the older version of this cup, which had a much easier to drink from valve. We also felt this cup was further away from the American Dental Associations ideal of having no valve; given the increased sucking power needed to use it.
Second, we disliked that this sippy was made of plastic, and that Playtex (like most manufacturers) did not offer information on what kind of plastic. For eco-health we prefer glass and stainless steel to plastic, because of the possible potential of leaching effects in plastic. However, if a cup is going to be made of plastic, we would like to see more information on what kind, and whether or not it has been tested for BPA like properties even if it is BPA-free. Playtex does not offer a cup made of anything else but plastic.
New Playtex valve removed from the lid
Credit: Micah James
Finally, this cup was more difficult to take apart and clean than most the other cups in the review. It wasn't hard per se, it just wasn't as simple and straight forward as some of the competition. It didn't require a special tool which was nice, but the valve does need a little massaging to get the nooks and crannies properly clean. As with all plastics, we suggest hand washing as opposed to the dishwasher to avoid exposure to heat.
Conclusion
This cup scored just slightly better than its straw cup version, the Playtex Straw Cup. But the cup failed to impress or score as well as many of the other cups we tested. In fact, there wasn't much to like about this cup at all. Given that it is made of an undefined plastic, has a difficult drinking valve, and scored poorly for ease of cleaning and use, we feel this is not a cup we can recommend. There are better cups available no matter which metric you feel strongly about.
If you are looking for a good economical sippy, you might consider our Best Value winner, Gerber Graduates Sip and Smile. This sippy was simple to use, easy to clean, and never leaked on us at all. It scored a 79 of 100, which was the highest score earned out of all plastic cup in the review.
