In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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Is your child ready for a fun leak-proof sippy cup? Our review ranks the top 16 sippy cups available today and highlights the pros and cons of each contender. We've researched, purchased, and tested over 54 contenders since 2012 to determine the best. Through side-by-side comparison and extensive hands-on testing, we evaluated essential factors, such as leak-proof capabilities, ease of use, cleaning, eco-health, and more. With nearly a decade of sippy testing knowledge and testing, we are confident that our review will guide you to the perfect cup that will meet your needs and budget.
With your child graduating to a sippy cup (talk about a big milestone!), you may need other feeding gear. Check out our ultimate list of baby feeding gear that covers everything you need for your baby's mealtime.
Editor's Note: We updated our sippy cup review on August 12, 2024, with new product additions and award winners.
Easy to drink from, kid-centric design, silicone straw
Easy to clean, easy to drink from, sippy cup. Affordable
Comfortable to hold, easy-drinking sippy cup for an older toddler/child
Versatile, adorable, easy to clean, set includes a straw brush
Cons
Plastic, offers no frills or extras, hard spout
Not valve-free, and made of plastic
Heavy, no sleeve, bottle shape makes it hard to clean, expensive
Handwash leakproof top, might lose hard lid cover
Plastic, some leaking when tossed, includes no cover
Some leaking, fairly heavy, requires a straw brush to clean
Plastic, harder to clean, expensive
Plastic body, no insulation
Will leak if tipped/shaken. Very small
Does leak if shaken upside down or left on side too long (all of this style cup do). Plastic
Upfront cost, cold drinks sweat, chewers may destroy silicone straw
Bottom Line
What you see is what you get with this minimal, non-insulated, plastic sippy cup, but it does offer decent leak-proof abilities and a budget-friendly price
If you're not afraid of a cup with a valve or plastic, then this sippy is a great cup with cute pictures
A bit heavier than most, but healthy and well-liked by kids with versatile spouts and good durability
A stainless steel sippy that is simple to assemble, leak-proof, and provides a cup-like experience that prepares little ones to use actual cups
A lightweight plastic sippy cup that features handles for little hands and offers a cup-life experience
A well-rounded sippy cup with attractive features, like insulation, a stainless steel body, and silicone straw, and it's leak-proof when the lid is closed
A cute straw sippy with an incorporated lid to keep it clean when toddling about
A lightweight plastic sippy cup with a soft silicone straw and spill-resistant lid that is easy to drink, clean, and assemble
An affordable, simple, easy-to-clean option for a cup-like experience if leaking is not a major concern
Easy to drink from plastic choice that is nice to hold, but no lid and will leak when tipped
A set of versatile, cute drinking tumblers that double as food storage containers with a stainless steel body and silicone straw that works well for smoothies
There's much to love about the Pura Kiki Vacuum Insulated Toddler with Sleeve. This cup is a 100% plastic-free sippy, featuring an insulated stainless steel body with a silicone sleeve and spout. The Kiki is a durable, quality bottle with interchangeable spouts (sold separately) that accommodate your child's development stage. This unique interchangeability offers multiple years of extended use. Despite being stainless steel (a material that's generally heavier), this cup is comparatively lightweight, easy to use and drink from, and highly leak-proof.
The Kiki is somewhat expensive, making it less than ideal for those with tighter budgets or prone to misplacing items. Also, the design of the silicone sleeve is to fit tightly on the cup's body, making removing and replacing it difficult when cleaning. The Munchkin Miracle 360 Stainless is another stainless option that is easier for some kids to use with the cup-like edge. The Munchkin Miracle, however, does have the drawback of leaking when shaken upside down. As the tester reported, “If it tips over, it is fairly leak-free; if your toddler shakes it upside down, it definitely leaks.” Overall, we feel the additional price and effort of the Kiki are worth it for the longevity and extensive versatility of this healthy, eco-friendly steel bottle.
Sporting a regular cup design, the Munchkin Miracle 360 Stainless is an easy-to-love sippy that helps toddlers practice drinking without spilling. This innovative sippy allows little ones to drink from its 360-degree drinking edge and silicone valve system. It requires sucking, which is different than a regular cup, but we think its grown-up feel is noteworthy and enticing to toddlers. We appreciate its insulated, vacuum-sealed stainless steel body, which is easy to clean and keeps liquids cooler. Our tester said, “It did a good job keeping contents cool long enough.” It also rates high in our Eco-Health category since it steers away from plastic and all its potential hazards. The sippy includes a lid to keep the edge clean and limit spills. It is also reasonably leak-proof, straightforward to assemble, and one of our favorite cups with a reduced risk for injury or dental decay.
The 360 is more expensive than plastic products, but we prefer stainless steel over plastic and think the extra cost is worth the peace of mind. Also, this stainless steel cup is heavier than some competition, with a wider body and no handles, so younger toddlers may not like holding and carrying it. The Pura Kiki Vacuum Insulated Toddler with Sleeve offers stainless steel and insulation properties if you want a good option for keeping contents cooler. The lid and valve on the 360 can be challenging to clean. Some users report that the top can get stuck and contents spray if you drop the cup, so it isn't as hardy as other steel options or 100% leak-free. Despite these factors, we like this spoutless cup and believe it is an excellent trainer cup that is close to spill-free.
For a lighter, less expensive option, take a peek at the Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer. This option is similar in design but uses plastic materials for the body and has handles for little hands to hold and carry.
The Munchkin Miracle 360 has a cup-like edge that helps little ones with skills necessary to drink from a regular cup.
The Tommee Tippee Insulated Sipper Tumbler is a plastic cup with a “rim-like” hard spout. It's lightweight and feels durable compared to other plastic cups in our lineup. While the spout is not soft or flexible, it is covered with a softer material and has a lower profile, making it more mouth-friendly than hard spouts that stick up higher. This cup has a two-part valve that is easy to drink from and prevents leaks.
The Tumbler is BPA-free plastic that can potentially leach chemicals into contents like many other plastic cups. The cup has no cover to keep it clean. Although the hard spout doesn't protrude as high as others, it could cause injuries if children fall while using it. It has a two-part valve system you must disassemble for cleaning, which takes more time and effort. Our tester reports, “The valve must be cleaned, but it isn't hard to clean or take apart.” However, the valve system makes the cup practically leak-proof, and if you don't mind the extra cleaning effort, the Tumbler is a great insulated option. If you want an insulated option that is not plastic, our top choice is the Pura Kiki Vacuum Insulated Toddler with Sleeve. Despite being plastic, The Tommee Tippee includes some of the best qualities of a sippy cup, giving you the best bang for your buck.
You MUST remove the valve parts and clean them separately to avoid mold or bacteria build-up between the parts. This two-part valve is how the cup is designed and is not a health hazard if you follow the directions.
Several of the cups have multiple parts to assemble and clean, like the two-part valve mechanism of the Tommee Tippee shown here. Failure to properly clean all parts on any cup could lead to a build-up of bacteria or mold growth.
The Thermos FUNtainer is a child-friendly bottle with an easy-to-close lid that pops open to reveal a straw for sipping. This bottle's cover keeps the straw clean and offers leak-proof assistance that isn't available sans the lid. The FUNtainer has a wide mouth for easy and quick filling and cleaning and a durable, healthy, insulated stainless steel body. This insulated straw sippy comes in various colors and patterns, including popular licensed characters like Baby Shark, Frozen, and Paw Patrol, so your little one can choose their favorite.
Although this cup is dishwasher safe, we suggest handwashing (our suggestion for most products) to prolong its condition. The straw for the FUNtainer requires cleaning with a straw brush, and children with chompers can potentially bite through the straw top if unmonitored while sipping (trust us, it happened). This absent-minded chewing could quickly destroy the straw or result in a potential choking hazard for the younger crowd. As one mom tester reported, “It didn't take long for my kid to chew a hole in the straw.” However, if you regularly check the straw, we think the extra cleaning step is easy, and most toddlers can use this cup with minimal practice. The insulated bottle is also heavy and could be more challenging for toddlers to hold. The Pura Kiki Vacuum Insulated Toddler with Sleeve is lightweight if you need stainless steel for younger toddlers or children who can't lift heavier items. The Funtainer, however, does have a button system for opening the lid, which little ones enjoy, and it is the closest to an adult water bottle of all our choices, making it one that kids can use through several years of growth. Overall, the FUNtainer is packed with features, utilizes a valve-free system that is great for developing teeth, and is one of our favorites for toddlers excited to drink unassisted.
The Munchkin Gentle Transition Sippy is an easy-to-hold sippy cup with a silicone spout that includes corrugated ridges, allowing movement when sucking that closely mimics a bottle. The soft spout design decreases the potential for injuries, and is suitable for bottle transitions, and is completely leak-free. The cup is ergonomic, and although it has several parts, we feel this makes it easy to thoroughly clean. Our tester states, “The parts are also easy to assemble after cleaning, so the extra pieces feel worth the effort.” Plus, it has marked measurements on the outside of the cup, so it is easier to track fluid intake.
The cup body is made of BPA-free plastic, but we still have reservations about plastic holding consumables, given the potential for plastics to leach chemicals into their contents. While not as good for super young users, the Munchkin Miracle 360 Stainless is made of stainless steel with a silicone valve if plastic is a no-go for you. Given its leak-proof capabilities, the Munchkin's design makes it a good match for younger children and a sippy cup you might not mind tossing into your diaper bag.
The Munchkin Gentle Transition Sippy Cup does have more pieces than most, but we found it easy to assemble, and we appreciated that each piece was easy to clean so we didn't have to worry about cracks or crevices that were difficult to reach and could potentially grow mold.
The Elk and Friends Stainless Steel brings unique versatility to the competition. Available in a set, these drinking tumblers can be transformed into food containers using the included separate lid, and they are freezer-safe. The soft silicone straw has a straw stopper to reduce the chance of toddlers pulling out the straw and creating a mess, and the stainless steel body sports an adorable silicone sleeve with some woodland creatures hidden amongst the leaves. The soft straw is intuitive for toddlers and works for thicker contents like smoothies. The entire cup is super easy to clean (straw brush included), and we appreciate that the silicone sleeve is simple to remove and replace — a reality that's not always true for other cups with silicone sleeves. We think this functional contender has the potential to last for years.
The upfront cost of this set may not appeal to all, especially those on a tight budget, but we think the set's versatility and longevity justify its price. We worry that the cup's soft silicone straw will feel inviting to little chompers who enjoy chewing, especially if time is allowed to chew mindlessly. The cup is not insulated, so cold drinks “sweat” and get surrounding items wet. Also, the cup isn't leak-proof. However, if it tips over, contents leak significantly less than in a regular cup. If you need a leak-proof option and aren't using it with smoothies and thicker contents, then the Munchkin Miracle 360 Stainless or the Pura Kiki could be good alternatives as both offer a more leakproof valve. Despite these concerns, this option uses healthy stainless steel, the lack of insulation makes it lighter, and the silicone sleeve adds some grip for little hands. The Elk and Friends is an excellent sippy for families concerned about materials if you don't mind a little condensation and sip while sitting.
Elk and Friends are a great choice for smoothies and opportunities where leaking a little is okay.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
Compare Products
As you can see, sippy cups come in various materials, shapes, sizes, and spouts.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
How We Test Sippy Cups
Our first sippy cup review and testing methods began in 2012. We have over 200 combined hours of research and testing of over 50 sippy cups, giving us unique insight and unmatched experience. Each time we update this review, we spend hours extensively researching the market to select sippy cups that exhibit the potential to be a top performer and purchase them at retail cost. We put these products through hands-on testing and side-by-side comparison with the competition. Our steadfast testing process is comprehensive and well-rounded. It includes testing and scoring each sippy cup on several performance qualities, like leakage, ease of use, cleaning, and eco-health. Scores in each metric combine to create a product's overall score, with a heavier weighting on the leakage result. We also give the sippy cups to tiny testers to evaluate which cups are the most appealing and the easiest to drink from and if a cup can stand up to a typical toddler on the go. These observations also influence a product's score.
The collection of sippy cups added to our most recent review lineup.
Credit: Katie Brown
Why Trust GearLab
Leading our sippy cup review is BabyGearLab founder, Dr. Juliet Spurrier, a board-certified pediatrician and mother of two. Using her education, knowledge, and mommyhood experience, Dr. Spurrier helped develop the review's test plan and is interested in each product's health and safety. The team also includes Wendy Schmitz, Senior Review Editor and mother of 2. Wendy uses her training in the scientific method to systematically conduct leak testing of each cup and create subsequent scoring and ranking. Wendy and Dr. Spurrier participated in BabyGearLab's first sippy review and have been instrumental in choosing and testing these products since then. Katie Brown rounds out the team. As a mother of one, she uses her eclectic and diverse life experience to test various products with GearLab.
Cups come in a variety of styles, materials, and number of parts.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
How to Pick the Best Sippy Cup
Choosing a sippy cup largely depends on your goals and budget. Your needs and choices will vary depending on how you plan to use your cup, which components/safety features you value most, and where it might need to travel.
We prefer cups made from materials like stainless steel instead of plastic.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Materials
If the materials of your cup matter to you, as they do to us, then what a cup is made of is the fastest way to narrow the sippy field. We prefer cups that limit the use of plastic and perhaps have some insulation properties. Our favorites are stainless steel with silicone spouts or straws. If plastic is less of a concern to you, then this consideration might be less critical.
How easy a cup is to clean or use can impact how often you use it.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
Ease of Use and Cleaning
Ease of use and cleaning are key because cups that kids can use without help are more likely to be used. Also, cups with fewer parts that clean quickly are more likely to stay in your routine. We recommend finding a cup your child enjoys, can use without help, and is a fast cleanup with limited special parts or need for tools.
Cups with straws can leak more than those with a leak-proof valve.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
Does it Leak?
How much a cup leaks matters depending on what you plan to put in your cup and if it needs to travel in your car or diaper bag. If your toddler uses their cup primarily at home, then it is less critical, and a cup with a soft straw might be perfect. If you plan to fill the cup with something other than water, then how much spills out when the cup tips over could be more important. If the cup will spend time in a diaper bag or the backseat of your car, keeping things dry is even more critical, and a leakproof cup will be a number one goal to avoid messes.
Analysis and Test Results
Comparing cups side-by-side is a great way to determine how well each sippy functions compared to the competition. We tested each cup for leakage, ease of use, eco-healthy, cleaning, and more to help you find the right cup for your needs and budget.
What's the Best Value?
We tend to lean toward long-term value rather than the lowest price for sippy cups, primarily due to the materials the cups are made from. Because you'll use your sippy cups daily, even the most expensive cups can seem like a great value given the usage over time. With that in mind, we feel the Pura Kiki, Thermos FUNtainer, and Elk and Friends Stainless Steel are excellent choices for the value-oriented shopper. Despite the somewhat higher initial price tags, they will last for years and provide more versatility than other options, with several offering alternative lids or drinking spouts for older kids.
Each First Years Soft Spout Trainer has a cute design.
Credit: Katie Brown
If you are on a budget, it's tough to beat the Tommee Tippee, which performs well (essentially leak-proof!) and offers valuable features, like insulation. And if you are looking for a basic, budget sippy cup for a new-to-sippy-cups kiddo that won't leak, the Munchkin Gentle Transition is a solid choice at a lower price. The First Years Soft Spout Trainer is another basic option, but it includes cute pictures on the cup if that is of importance to you. If you lose a plastic cup, the price makes it an easier-to-swallow occurrence.
While the Healthy Sprouts lids only dripped a little on their own when held upside down, we suspect more than one curious toddler will quickly figure out that the spout can spray if you squeeze it.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
Leakage
We compared each sippy cup side-by-side and ranked them for leaks. Contenders with no leaks earn a high score of 10, and those that spill like a regular cup receive a low score of 1. This metric includes two tests, and both involve placing the cups in sideway and upside-down positions to create a real-world experience of what a sippy cup may endure, from traveling around in a diaper bag or kid-sized backpack to being tossed or knocked over. First, we evaluate leakage with a sippy cup's cover removed since little ones are unlikely to put them back on after drinking. Then, we assess leakage with lids in place since most parents have more significant concerns about leaking in a diaper bag, car, or on the go, and they are more likely to use the cover to avoid spills. Although most of the competition includes a cover of some kind, a few contenders do not. A product's performance in each leakage test informs its overall score for this metric.
Some contenders are 100% leak-proof, no matter what we tried to produce leaks, like the Tommee Tippee Insulated Sipper, NUK Learner, Munchkin Gentle Trainer, and MAM Starter Cup. However, it is necessary to note that these cups can be challenging to use, requiring harder sucking technique than competitors. You might consider purchasing these from a retailer with a generous return policy if your little one can't get the cup to work. Breastfed babies may find these options less challenging as they use more vigorous sucking techniques than bottle-fed youngsters.
Leaking with straw cups varies depending on whether the straw is in place or not but all leak more than cups with leakproof valves.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
The straw cups are more likely to leak. However, they leaks less than a regular cup when tipped over, giving parents time to jump into action before the contents spill out or create a mess. The Thermos FUNtainer, on the other hand, hardly leaks even on its side with the lid open, but it leaks significantly upside down with the top open. This leaking could be fun for little ones who like making messes. If the attached lid is closed, it's leak-proof.
We also found that although the 360 cups were great for ease of drinking, some of them, including the Nuby and Dr. Brown's Milestones Cheers 360 Cup cup did not come with a lid and were prone to leak after being tipped for a while or when tipped upside down and shaken. We could see a toddler making a fun game of tipping their cup over and shaking out the contents. Conversely, however, we found that even older kids enjoyed the ease of drinking out of this style of cup, meaning that it could be used for years to come while also avoiding (the majority of) spills.
Even older kids enjoy the ease of drinking from a cup with the 360 design.
Credit: Katie Brown
Ease of Use
The ease of use metric evaluates how much effort a sippy cup requires for parents to assemble and disassemble and how easy it is for toddlers to use.
Fewer parts mean it is easier for parents to manage, with a lower learning curve and fewer parts to lose accidentally. The Nuby Wonder Cup, for example, had very few parts but was otherwise unremarkable.
The Nuby Wonder Cup 360 Smart Edge Cup has very few parts and each part is very easy to clean.
Credit: Katie Brown
The Tommee Tippee Insulated Sipper Tumbler ranks high among the competition as it's lightweight, keeps drinks colder, and is easy for toddlers to drink. Other high-ranking options include the Munchkin Miracle 360 Stainless and Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer, which sports a cup-like edge. Although some children may need practice with this innovative edge with a valve, as it requires sucking, unlike a real-edged cup, it's easy to use once they get the hang of it. We also appreciate that the tops are easy to assemble, and we like the idea of no protruding spout that could cause potential injuries to little ones who toddle and fall while drinking.
The Munchkin 360 has multiple parts to assemble and clean to create the leak-proof edge little ones like. Cups with multiple parts could take longer to clean or assemble depending on the parts and tools required to clean them.
Credit: BabyGearLab Staff
Although the OXO Transitions Straw has several parts that make it harder to assemble and clean, the straw is easy for little ones to drink from, and the dual handles make it easy to hold and carry. Because this cup is lightweight plastic, even the youngest toddlers can tote it, but you'll need a straw brush to keep it clean between uses.
A thin straw brush will be needed to clean straws.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
With a lightweight design and soft silicone spout, the NUK Learner is a good introductory sippy cup for a younger little one. However, it's not the easiest to drink from, which kept the NUK from scoring higher. While this may work for little ones who don't need a lot of water yet, it will likely not quench the thirst of an older toddler. In contrast, the Munchkin Gentle Transition cup and the First Years Soft Spout cup were similar in design but much easier to drink from.
The Nuk Learner is a leak-proof option and comes with a lid, but it difficult to drink from.
Credit: Katie Brown
We also tried several 360/Trainer cup options, such as the Dr. Brown's Milestones Cheers 360 Cup and the Nuby Wonder Cup 360 Smart Edge. Although both of these cups performed well in terms of being easy to drink from, this style of lid does tend to leak when tipped over for too long or when shaken upside down. These might work well for lunch at home but not necessarily for throwing in a diaper bag. They also don't have lids, and the Nuby is quite small, but they are easy to hold for little hands and easy to clean.
The 360 style cup does tend to leak when tipped for too long, or when shaken upside down.
Credit: Katie Brown
Ease of Cleaning
Each contender has varying components, from lids and bottle bodies to valves and straws. These parts influence how easy a cup is to clean, as you need to disassemble the sippy and handwash the parts, potentially using multiple cleaning brushes. While some cups claim to be top-rack dishwasher safe, we recommend washing them by hand in warm, soapy water. Hand washing might mean purchasing a top-ranked baby bottle brush or straw brush.
The Pura Kiki and Elk and Friends Stainless Steel are some of the easiest cups to clean. They have a simple, stainless steel body that is uncomplicated to scrub and clean with a bottle brush. Also, stainless steel doesn't absorb odors or stains. The sippy spout on the Pura Kiki is a little more involved but should be easy to clean with a straw brush or the tip of your bottle brush. The Elk and Friends set comes with a straw brush (we consider this a bonus), and the cup's silicone sleeve is painless to remove and replace. The Pura Kiki's sleeve isn't as easy.
The Thermos FUNtainer is somewhat more complicated with several parts and the requirement of a straw brush. However, this bottle is intuitive to assemble but arguably more complex than the Kiki. The Tommee Tippee Insulated Sipper Tumbler requires disassembly of the valve, and if you don't, mold and bacteria can grow. This design makes the Tumbler more convoluted to clean but not necessarily more challenging.
The Kiki is simple in design with minimal parts, making it easy to assemble and clean.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The First Years Soft Spout Trainer was easy to use, but we wondered if the valve's intricacies would make it difficult to keep clean over time, especially if special care isn't taken with the right tools.
The First Years Soft Spout Trainer is a good, basic option (and cute) but does include a valve spout, which is not always recommended for teeth and gum health.
Credit: Katie Brown
Eco-Health
Since several health and safety concerns arise concerning sippy cups, we evaluate several components of a cup's design from an eco-health standpoint. We also use the American Dental Association's recommendations concerning sippy cups and oral hygiene to guide our evaluation.
First, we look at each contender's design to see if it offers insulation (which we favor) and examine a cup's material makeup. Given the potential of plastic leaching chemicals (even BPA-free plastic), we value stainless steel the most, as this option is considered healthy and holds other benefits, followed by silicone. Second, we looked at each cup's spout shape and material. If children fall while drinking, hard spouts can cause potential injury; therefore, we credit soft spouts and straws. Last, while a cup's valve system is handy at stopping spills and leaks, it requires a child to suck, not sip, and according to the ADA, a valve-free system is preferable. Contenders who incorporate all or most of these favored qualities score higher than those that do not.
Among the competition, the Pura Kiki Vacuum Insulated Toddler with Sleeve outshines most of the competition. This 100% plastic-free, insulated, stainless steel cup offers a mouth-friendly soft silicone spout. In regards to eco-health, it's hard to beat this contender.
The Re-Play No Spill comes in at the bottom. Although it's made from recycled milk jugs, and you can recycle it after use (a slight nod to being earth-friendly), it's all plastic, provides no insulation, features a hard spout, and uses a valve system. Therefore, it couldn't score enough points to raise its position.
Travel Gear
Consider purchasing other travel-friendly products for babies and kids that make on-the-go life and travel much easier. Our top-ranked baby travel product lineup includes our favorite options.
Because the Kanteen has a hard spout, little ones should use it when seated or be standing still.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
The sheer number and variety of sippy cups on the market can leave you dizzy. Thankfully, our in-depth review provides the information you need to make a confident purchase without fearing a mistake. Each little one is different, and therefore, their needs vary tool. So, before choosing a sippy cup for your little one, determine the important functions and critical features to you and your child. We are confident our review includes the perfect sippy cup for every child.
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD, Wendy Schmitz, and Katie Brown
