10 Best Non Plastic Sippy Cups (Plus, why straw cups are better!)
If you are looking for a new sippy cup for your baby or toddler, these are my favorite cups as a Registered Dietitian and mom of 3.
Had you hear that the AAP now recommends avoiding plastic when possible, making it more important than ever you choose a cup made of glass, silicone, or stainless steel.
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Additionally, many pediatric therapists and dentists recommend skipping the sippy cup altogether for a straw or open-style cup. You can get more details about this at the end of the article.
10 Best Eco-Friendly Cups for Toddlers & Babies
Best Stainless Steel Sippy Cups
1. Funtainer Straw Bottle
- The lid closes, making it perfect for travel.
- Stainless Steel; Double Wall Insulated
- The top of the straw is silicone. However, the straw that goes into the liquid is plastic.
- Dishwasher safe. Does have several parts that need to be removed.
- I find that the shape of this doesn’t always fit in cupholders. It will fit in my son’s car seat holder, but not 1 of our strollers.
This is one of the first cups I got for my son when he turned 6 months old. It’s too big for a 6-month-old baby to hold comfortably, but by the time he turned 1 he could hold and open it. The lid did crack at one point from being dropped repetitively (as most babies do), so I personally find this cup to be great for travel and toddlers and less great for using at home with babies.
2. Munchkin Stainless Steel Sippy Cup
- 360-degree drinking edge.
- Vacuum insulated keeps drinks cool 15 hours.
- Eliminates spills by sealing automatically when child stops drinking.
- Easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
I also bought this cup for my son early on. Although he figured it out quickly, he had a hard time remembering to turn it up since he was used to drinking from straw cups. The lid to this cup does contain some plastic below the silicone top.
3. Pura Kiki Stainless Steel Straw Bottle Sippy Cup
- Pura Kiki nipples, sipper cups, and straws are compatible with each cup. In other words, the spout can be changed from a baby bottle to sipper cup to straw bottle as your child grows.
- 100% plastic-free. The bottle is stainless steel, straws/spouts are silicone.
- Internal marks make measuring easy.
- Silicone lid included for traveling.
Other Stainless Steel Sippy Cups
Here are a few other stainless steel sippy cups and toddler cups I have looked at before (both while researching for this article and when purchasing my kids’ cups.)
- Munchkin Cool Cat Stainless Steel Straw Cup – Comes in 4 pretty colors pink, purple, green, and blue. Looks very similar to the Foogo.
- Think Baby Stainless Steel Sippy Cup – Again similar to Foogo except it has handles and looks like the lid may be easier for some kids to open (if they have a hard time with buttons.)
- NUK Active Cup – This cup only includes the less recommended sipper cup spout – no straw option.
- Elk & Friends Stainless Steel Toddler Cups – I have these in glass and love them. I’m sure the stainless steel is great, too.
- CamelBak Eddy 12 oz Stainless Steel – If you want something cute, CamelBak has some fun designs on their toddler cups. They’re great because they are insulated but probably better for older kids since it does take some practice to drink from them. (Recommended age shown is 3+.)
Best Glass Sippy Cups
4. Elk & Friends Glass Toddler Cups
- Glass cup with silicone sleeve and straw.
- 8 oz glass cup can be replaced with 8 oz mason jar.
- Also comes with lids to use cups as food storage or for travel.
- Can also buy as a 6 pack with 6 colors.
- Straws now have straw stoppers so your toddler can not remove them from the cup.
- These cups may not be the best option for travel as they can not be tossed in a diaper bag if this is important to you.
These are my personal favorite glass cups for kids. I have the older model and my mom got the newer set for her house. I love that they have improved the newer version to include straw stoppers, making the perfect glass cups for toddlers. (I know I’m not the only one who tells her toddler constantly to stop removing his straw.) They are easy to clean, durable when dropped, and very cute.
5. Hamarue 3-in-1 Glass Sippy Cup
This looks like a great choice for on the go. I love that it comes with a lid, is covered in silicone, and has handles which could be helpful for younger babes. With my kiddos, I skip the sipper cup spout (as recommended by many pediatric dentists, OTs, and speech therapists) and go straight for a straw, but this cup does offer a lot of versatility in the three spout options
Best Silicone Cups for Babies and Toddlers
6. Best Open Cup for Babies – Ezpz Tiny Cup
- Designed to fit in a baby’s hands and mouth.
- Made of soft silicone.
- Weighted base bakes it somewhat topple resistant.
This is my favorite cup for babies. I start out teaching my babies to drink from an open cup while simultaneously working on a straw. With my son, I used inexpensive glass shot glasses and broke a handful of them. However, since then this ezpz tiny cup came out and I bought and love it for my daughter! Not only is the design amazing, but it will save me loads of time in cleaning up broken glass.
7. Silipint Silicone Kids Cups
- 8 oz cups are a great size for kids.
- Everything is silicone – including the straw.
- Versatile by offering a mouth opening on lid or ability to use a straw.
- Fits in cupholders.
I don’t have personal experience with this one (yet) but I can see where this would be a great option. I like that the entire cup, lid, and straw are all made of silicone whereas with many cups the straw often contains some plastic.
8. Boon Snug Silicone Sippy Lids
- Silicone sippy cup lid will turn any cup into a sippy.
- Easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
- Boon snug also has a silicone straw cup lid (instead of sippy spout) however, the straws are not made of silicone.
- Some reviewers complain that they can eventually rip.
- Could be used on mason jars to make mason jar sippy cups.
I love the concept of lids that go on any cup. However, these are the less recommended sippy style. As I mentioned, it does come in a straw cup lid, but the straws in this version are not made of silicone.
Bamboo Toddler Cup
9. WeeSprout Bamboo Toddler Cups
- Eco-friendly and biodegradable
- Free of PVC, Phtalate, and BPA
- Stackable, lightweight cups are chip and scratch-resistant.
- Can buy matching bamboo plates and bowls.
Best Smoothie Cup for Toddlers
I have a whole post on the best smoothie cups for toddlers with more details if you are looking specifically for a toddler smoothie cup. However, here are my favorites:
10. Cupkins Stainless Steel Cups
- Cup with lid and straw is insulated and perfect for smoothies.
- Cup is stainless steel, lid is plastic, and straw is silicone.
- Cups are stackable and include various color options.
- Dishwasher safe.
- Some reviewers did have trouble with chipping on their cups even though they are supposed to be chip resistant.
These cups would be great for smoothies or everyday use, including when you need to keep beverages cold. They are great for siblings since they come in various colors and are stackable.
Other Options for Toddler Smoothie Cups
Several of the other options discussed above could work for smoothies, including:
- Elk & Friends Glass or Stainless Steel Cups – We have the glass variety at home and have used them for smoothies before.
- Boon SNUG silicone lid and straw – This fits on any cup and could turn any of your cups into a smoothie cup.
- Silicone Straws – Simply buy some silicone smoothie straws and put them in a glass cup.
Why You Should Choose Non Plastic Cups for Your Kids
The American Association of Pediatrics now recommends parents to:
- avoid microwaving food or beverages in plastic.
- avoid putting plastic in the dishwasher.
- use alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, whenever possible.
In fact, did you know many chemicals used in packaging and processing are simply Generally Recognized As Safe? In many cases, this means they are being recognized as safe by company employees or hired consultants. In other words, the studies recognizing chemicals in plastic to be safe are often highly biased. The AAP is recognizing this and therefore recommending parents reduce plastic exposure in their kids.
However, plastic also has implications for our environment, and choosing eco friendly cups is a great way to reduce your use of plastic.
The Different Types of Eco Friendly Sippy Cups
What material is the kid’s cup made of?
Nontoxic cups can be made of a variety of materials. When deciding on a cup for your toddler or baby, one of the first things you should look at is material.
In my house, we use cups made of three different materials: glass, stainless steel, and silicone.
- Glass – Glass is considered very safe in that it does not leach chemicals. However, glass cups can be heavy which can be a challenge for small babies. Also, glass is, of course, breakable. However, basically all kid’s glass cups have silicone sleeves making them pretty durable.
- Stainless Steel – Stainless steel is typically considered the safest for cookware. Therefore, many parents feel confident having their kids drink from stainless steel sippy cups. Additionally, many of them are insulated and thus stay cold longer than cups made from other materials.
- Silicone – There are fewer silicone cups on the market. Silicone does not leach and is a great material for straws and spouts. Unlike glass, silicone won’t break and is more scratch/dent resistant than stainless steel.
Isn’t plastic BPA free now?!
Yes, while all plastic sippy cups proclaim to be “BPA free,” this does not mean they do not contain other chemicals. BPA free plastic still contains many chemicals and research now shows that these leach from the plastic and can be endocrine-disrupting.
Sipper Spout, Straw, Open Cup?
Straw cups are typically recommended over sippy cups by pediatric therapists and dentists. Many babies can be taught to drink from a straw at a very young age making sippy cups unnecessary. Straw cups, although more likely to leak when dropped, encourage proper oral development.
If you feel your child needs a more traditional sippy cup, make sure you do choose one with a soft spout (such as one made with soft silicone) which is better than the hard spouts.
Open cups are also a great way for babies to learn. I started my son with an open cup at the table as a baby and have already started working with my 6-month-old now on using her Ezpz tiny cup (which I love!) If you are looking for an open cup concept that does not spill, many go with the munchkin 360 cups.
Things to Look for in A Toddler or Baby Cup
Here are the main points to consider when choosing your toddler and baby’s cups:
- Will the cup be for travel or home? – If you’re looking for travel consider a cup that does not spill easily, has a lid, and is durable. If it is for home use, it does not need to be leakproof as you can teach your little one proper care and handling.
- Easy to clean? – Evaluate if the cup has many parts and is dishwasher safe.
- Material? – Do you want glass, stainless steel, or silicone? Does the cup need to be insulated?
- Choose a straw spout or open-cup design. – Again, aim to choose straw spouts and open cups. Most babies can get by with skipping the sipper spout.
- Handles – Handles may make the cup easier to hold by young babies. Some cups have removable handles.
Other Favorite Toddler Finds
Best Toddler Learning Tower – A learning tower is a must-have for getting your toddler cooking in the kitchen with you!
3 Best Toddler Utensil Sets – If you’re looking for the best toddler utensils to promote self-feeding this will definitely help you get your toddler started with the perfect set.
The Best Toy Kitchen Sets – Be sure to check out these toddler kitchen’s that your child will love!
FREE Toddler Snack Printable & Grocery List
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This is such a fantastic resource, thank you!