7 Of The Best Stainless Steel Sippy Cups For Toddlers

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Looking for the best stainless steel sippy cups for your toddler?

Sippy cups are a popular way to transition babies away from the breast or bottle. Designed to be ‘spill proof’ they’re usually introduced at around 6 months & often used until a child is 2 or 3.

Sippy cups are both convenient & help reduce mess, but they’re also traditionally made from plastic, a material increasingly linked with health & environmental concerns. Plastic also isn’t environmentally friendly.

Thankfully, one of the most common chemicals in plastic, BPA, has been banned from baby bottles & sippy cups in many countries, including the EU & US.

However, stainless steel sippy cups still have a number of key advantages over plastic ones.

5 Benefits Of Stainless Steel Sippy Cups

Here are 5 advantages of stainless steel sippy cups over the more common plastic versions:

even if a sippy cup is labelled ‘BPA free‘, research suggests plastic alternatives, such as BPS, may not be any safer
many plastics contains phthalates, which have been linked to health issues, including asthma & fertility issues
stainless steel is highly durable & typically lasts longer than plastic
stainless steel is non toxic & doesn’t leach chemicals when heated (many plastics do)
stainless steel is non porous, so doesn’t absorb food & germs in the way plastic can.

Stainless Steel Sippy Cups – What To Look For

When shopping for stainless steel sippy cups, look for #304 or 18/8 food-grade stainless steel to ensure high quality. Also look out for plastic lids, which may not be BPA or BPS free. Where plastic parts are included in a product, polypropylene or type #5 plastics are commonly considered the safest plastics.

Alternatively, silicone lids are often a safer, non toxic option that avoids plastic altogether.

Here are 5 of the best stainless steel sippy cups for toddlers & young children, which use traditional spouts, integrated straws or ‘spill proof’ sealed rims. There’s also the option of a stainless steel kids’ cup, should you want to bypass a sippy cup altogether.

1 – Pura Stainless Steel Sippy Bottle

Best For: Plastic Free

100% plastic free, the Pura 11oz stainless steel sippy cup is made from high quality stainless steel, with a food grade silicone spout & sleeve. Internal volume markings make measuring milk & drinks easy, plus the bottle is compatible with other Pura silicone components. This means you can switch the spout to a straw as your child gets older, extending the life of the bottle & saving you money.

BPA, BPS, PVC & phthalate free.

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2 – Klean Kanteen Kids Bottle With Sippy Cap

Best For: Smaller hands

Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel sippy cup is made from durable, high quality stainless steel & food grade silicone. The design makes it easy for toddler hands to hold & the larger opening makes the bottle easy to fill. The bottle is also compatible with the Klean Kanteen Sport Cap, so you can continue use the bottle as your child gets older.

If you’re looking to avoid plastic, the cap is polypropylene, but as a type #5 plastic it’s generally considered safe.

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3 – Munchkin Miracle 360 Stainless Steel Cup

Best For: Alternative to spout or valve sippy cups

If you want to avoid the spout or valve in traditional sippy cups, The Munchkin Miracle 360 is a popular choice. Instead of a spout, you’ve got a 360 degree spill proof rim, which is lip activated and creates a leak proof seal when your child’s finished drinking. It’s insulated too, keeping drinks cool for up to 15 hours (although it’s not suitable for hot drinks). As it’s valve free, no sucking is required, which is often a preferred choice by dentists.

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4 – Elk & Friends Stainless Steel Eco Tumblers

Best For: Straw instead of spout

Some experts recommend a straw over a spout in a sippy cup, as it helps strengthen the lip, tongue & cheek muscles. These Elk & Friends stainless steel cups are a best seller & feature a food grade stainless steel ‘tumbler’ with silicone lid & straw. Each stainless steel tumbler comes with a protective sleeve, leak proof cap, straw and straw stopper. These are all made from food grade silicone, plus there’s also a handy straw cleaner included to keep germs at bay.

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5 – Thinkbaby Stainless Steel Sippy Bottle

Best For: Incorporated handles

Made from 304 (18/8) stainless steel, the Thinkbaby sippy bottle features a silicone straw in place of a spout. Side measurement markings make it easy to measure liquid content, plus the easy to close swivel top helps reduce spillage & protects the straw when not in use. Some toddlers may find the handles easier to hold, but keep in mind handles & top are plastic, but the product lists them as BPA, phthalates, nitrosamines, lead & PVC free.

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6 – Thermos Foogo Insulated Straw Bottle

Best For: Insulated bottle

Thermos have been making insulated products for over 110 years & the Foogo Insulated Straw Bottle makes a good choice if you want drinks to remain cold & fresh for up to 10 hours. Made from high quality stainless steel, the bottle’s contoured shape is easy to grip & hold & a push button lid reveals a silicone ‘pop up’ straw. Recommended for 18 months plus. A ‘standard’ sippy cup version with a spout (also stainless steel) is also available for younger children.

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7 – Kids Stainless Steel Cups

Best For: Transitioning to a standard cup

If you decide not to use a sippy cup or your child doesn’t like them, a good non-plastic (& non toxic) alternative is a stainless steel cup. They’re great to use at home, they don’t break, plus they can easily double up as camping or picnic cups. These stainless steel kids cups are a best selling choice. There’s also a version with silicone sleeves if you plan to use the cups for warm drinks.

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Sippy Cup Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re thinking about buying a stainless steel sippy cup for your child, here are some commonly asked questions you might find useful.

When Should I Introduce A Stainless Steel Sippy Cup?

It very much depends on your child and only you can really tell. So encourage your child to use a sippy cup whenever you feel he or she may be ready. Some babies start using a sippy cup as early as 6 months, whilst others may not be interested until around their first birthday.

Should I Buy A Hard Or Soft Spout Sippy Cup?

Many sippy cups, especially the plastic ones, have hard spouts. These are usually very durable and sometimes come with a flip top lid to help avoid leakage.

Soft spout sippy cups generally have a silicone nipple shaped like a sippy spout. They may make for an easier transition from either the breast or a bottle, as the change in the sucking sensation is less apparent. Silicone is generally considered a non toxic, safer material than plastic.

How Do I Clean A Stainless Steel Sippy Cup?

It’s important to clean a stainless steel sippy cup thoroughly between uses (including the lid) with warm, soapy water. Liquid can easily get trapped in nooks and crannies of a sippy cup, which can led to bacteria build up, or even mold, so you might find a bottle brush is a useful way to get into the harder to reach areas. Many sippy cups incluse a cleaning brush, especially if the cup features a built in straw.

Also remember to dry the bottle thoroughly.

What Should I Do If My Child Refuses a Sippy Cup

All children are unique and some simply don’t take to using sippy cups. There’s no law that says you have to use one, so if your toddler thinks they’re ready to use a regular cup, let them try one out.

Alternatively, it could be your child just needs a little encouragement or a lesson in how to use it – Babycenter offer some good suggestions for helping your child transition to a sippy cup.

Do Stainless Steel Sippy Cups Cause Tooth Decay?

Whilst sippy cups can be a helpful way for your child to transition to a regular cup, toddlers can sometimes develop a habit of keeping the sippy cup in their mouth for a long period of time. Or even fall asleep with it at bedtime.

This can cause the sugars from drinks, other than water, to pool in your toddler’s mouth, where it coats the teeth, potentially contributing to tooth decay.

Babycenter & many dentists suggest limiting acidic or sweet beverages, in your child’s sippy cup, to help prevent bacteria build up and cavities. Where possible, limit juice and milk to meal times and refill a sippy cup with water whenever your child is thirsty.

Best Stainless Steel Sippy Cups For Toddlers – Conclusion

A sippy cup for toddlers: Image: Pixabay.

Sippy cups are a popular way to help your child transition from bottle or breastfeeding to an everyday cup. They can also help with fine motor skill development and hand to eye coordination.

Traditional sippy cups feature a spout or valve, but you can also buy ones with straws or lip activated ‘spill proof’ rims. Which you choose largely comes down to personal choice, your child or dentist recommendations.

Stainless steel sippy cups are often considered a safer, more environmentally friendly choice over plastic ones, as stainless steel doesn’t leach chemicals, plus it’s highly durable. As a non porous material, stainless steel also doesn’t absorb flavours like plastic can, so is less likely to affect the flavour of your toddler’s drink.

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Comments

Chris
May 1, 2018 at
Hi Sarah,
thank you for that comprehensive article. I remember when my son was born we were on the edge if we would go with plastic or glass. At the end of the day we went with plastic, as we wanted to avoid a falling bottle from breaking (and my gosh, do they fall often 🙂 ) – But it didn’t even come to my mind that there are stainless steel options. Duh! I’ll definitely bookmark your site so that I can come back to it when number two is on its way 🙂
All the best,
chris
Sarah
May 2, 2018 at
Thanks Chris. I know, stainless didn’t occur to me either until I stumbled across the Klean Kanteen!

7 Of The Best Stainless Steel Sippy Cups For Toddlers

5 Benefits Of Stainless Steel Sippy Cups