Sippy Cups What Should I Look For? (part 1)

Finding the right sippy cup can be a daunting task, but once you find the right one for you and your child making the transition from bottle to training cup a lot easier.

This post is part 1 of my sippy cup series.

I remember standing in Babies R Us for 30 minutes looking at the many varieties of sippy cups wondering which one  I should buy. My children tried 4 sippy cups until I finally broke down and asked some other mothers which one they would recommend. From their recommendations I found the sippy cups that I like the best.

When looking for a training cup for my children, I had 7 features in mind that were important to me.

  1. No spill. Before I had children and even when I set up my baby registry I never thought about sippy cups. It wasn’t until after they were born that I began to research sippy cup options. I discovered quickly that 100% spill proof was the way to go.
  2. BPA Free.  BPA is a chemical in some hard plastics called Bisphenol A. It can be released into products when the plastic container or can is heated at high temperatures, scratched, or stored in the BPA container for a long period of time. BPA can be harmful to children and cause medical complications later on in life.
  3. Easy to hold. Children hands are small, but when the cup is for them it should be easy to hold. At first they will be curious about the training cup so one that allows them to get acquainted with it is important.
  4. Easy to clean. If you have already purchased sippy cups on the market, you will probably be able to attest to the fact that their are some sippy cups that are hard to clean. I have generally found that it is important to keep a bottle and nipple cleaning brush handy for training cups as well. I also purchased cups that were dishwasher safe so that the cups could be sanitized as well. Putting the cups in the dishwasher helped to keep the odors down and give the tops a thorough cleaning.
  5. Small spout. Some people recommend a soft spout at first to help your child transition from a nipple. I don’t think a soft spout is absolutely necessary, but I do prefer a smaller spout so that it will not entice your child to chew on it.
  6. Large enough that I would not need to refill it before they were full. Depending on the age of your child you may need to have a sippy cup that hold at least 9 oz so you won’t have to refill it often.
  7. Longest range of usage. Sippy cups, like bottles come in stages. The outside of the package will let you know what the recommended age is for that particular cup. It is important to keep in mind, but several training are versatile and will allow you to keep it longer. The range is based on the flow of the spout or top.

Please follow my up coming post (post 2, part 3) about which sippy cups I recommend and dislike. This week I will be reviewing the four training cups that my children used.

If you have questions that you want me to address specifically, please feel free to comment.

 

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