PriyApproved Cups & Straw Cups
I haven’t written a post in almost a year! When I sit down to write it, I end up answer client messages instead. And pretty much EVERY WEEK a handful of those messages are about recommendations for cups & straw cups that are good for oral motor development…and also avoid spills. Well, I’ve decided to write a quick post listing out all of my favorites (Updated: 9.5.22) for you!
Begin Balanced may make a small commission if you use the in post links, which helps keep this website and blog running. Thank you!
What I like to look for in cups/straw cups:
no traditional sippy cup tops! They were invented by someone who wanted to decrease spilling for parents, but didn’t realize that they would have a serious impact on orofacial development (and not in a good way).
quality of material
chance of spilling
oral motor development & oral posture during usage
does the benefit of oral motor development outweigh the chances of spillage?
where can we use the cup (perhaps a cup is great for development, but spills a lot…maybe we just use it at meals/at home and not out on the go)
The information below is minimal, but if you have more questions about cups and which ones to purchase, you can book a peace of mind session here!
Here are my favorites:
cups
nosey cups (drink from the tall side; better to see and control liquid as it enters their mouth, especially helpful if you’re a bit nervous about this!)
ezpz cup (although, I feel their noses get obstructed here and it’s hard to see what they’re taking in when they are BRAND new at this, so maybe start with the nosey cup above and then move to this)
Avent 360 (if you get a 360 cup, I prefer this one as it doesn’t require the child to bite down or use an inordinate amount of force or pressure like other popular 360 cups.
Talk tools purple plastic cup with handles is great (though, not my favorite - plastic material, but, balance is key). These helped my kiddo drink from an open cup so much!). Developed by speech therapists, two different tops to get less or more water out.
Green Sprouts Totally open, no top silicone cup with handles - I would use this once your child starts to get the hang of things, and start with just a little water inside! I love the quality of this and that it’s made of silicone instead of plastic…
Elk and Friends glass & stainless steel cup (see below)
straw cups (these are better options for minimizing leaks on the go)
bear straw cup - (more of an initial training tool - this is created by a speech therapist; you can add flavor to the water like orange juice or whatever fresh fruit you have to help there be a flavor when starting straw drinking, because sometimes it's hard to get them to realize they need to suck to get something good out haha)
tiny straw cup (this is the most popular tiny starter cup out there right now (you can purchase a straw attachment for it as well)
convertible straw cup (this one I like because you can put the lids on any cup & also when you use it with the boon cup, you can press the silicone topper and the water suctions up, which helps them not have to suck as much at first)
munchkin splash toddler cup with training lid
munchkin click lock weighted flexi straw
lollaland (use straw top only)
first years take and toss (make sure to get the straw ones not the sippy cup tops)
tommee tippee insulated straw cup
PuraKiki straw bottle (or similar; make sure the straw reaches far enough down so they don’t have to tilt their head too far back)
convertible (multipurpose, will last you through many phases)
elk and friends (glass and stainless steel options (stainless is lighter for the infants) we still use these every day & they can be used in a MULTIPURPOSE way as open cups, straw cups, snack cups, fridge storage cups etc. and they come with all of the tops/straws you need to convert between)
cupkin (stainless steel cups with lids and silicone straws)
Well, there you have it! A quick and dirty list of my favorite cups and straw cups!
Disclaimer: This post is for information purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before use. Always use good judgement and supervision and use at your own risk?