Toddlers

• The ‘right’ cup for your child will depend on their age, stage of development and individual preferences. 
• Sippy cups are often the first step away from bottles or breastfeeding. 
• Straw cups are a great choice to support development.  
• Open cups are recommended as they encourage proper sipping.  

Choosing the right cup for your little one can feel surprisingly complicated. With so many options, it’s not always clear what’s best for your baby or toddler. 

The “right” cup often depends on your child’s age, stage of development, and their individual preferences.  

To make things easier, here’s a breakdown of the main types of cups, split into two stages: baby cups (usually 4-12 months) and toddler cups (12 months and beyond).  

How much water should my baby drink?

Once they're six months old and you begin weaning, you can offer your baby a small amount of water at mealtimes. This is to help them get used to the taste and help them learn to drink from a cup.   

When thinking about how much water your little one should be drinking, it's important to note that water can come from foods as well as drinks – in fact, food accounts for 20% of their intake.  

What type of cup is best for babies? 

Cups are about practice as much as hydration, helping little ones with their development and there are a range of cups you can choose from, all with different features and learning practices.  

Here’s an overview of the different types of cups and their benefits: 

1. Baby sippy cups 

Sippy cups with spouts are often the first step away from bottles or breastfeeding. 

Some have special leak-proof valves for less mess as baby learns this new type of coordination.  

Other cups are free-flow to allow liquid to flow through easily. Free-flow cups are recommended by health professionals as they help your baby learn how to sip rather than suck.  

This helps set them up for using open cups where they have to manage the amount of water they sip.  

Our First Cup combines both – with the lid, it's a free-flow sippy cup, and without it’s an open cup. (It can also be used as a snack pot on-the-go, too!) 

If you’re wondering how to get your baby to use a sippy cup, we have everything you need to know in our how to transition your baby from a bottle to a cup guide. 

2. Baby straw cups 

Straw cups are a great way to support development. 

It can take a little while to master the sucking motion. While there are techniques to help them with this, it might be worth taking a break and trying again later. 

To make it easier, some straw cups have a weighted, built-in straw. This is perfect for learning babies as it means they can drink from any angle. 

 3. Baby open cups 

These are just like the cups we use as adults, but smaller, more lightweight, and often with handles. 

Open cups are recommended as they encourage proper sipping. However, at this stage, your baby is still developing the coordination and understanding needed to drink independently, so you might find it best to guide the cup for them and support them in taking small sips. 

This will also help prevent the mess that’s common with open cups. 

What cup should a toddler drink from? 

From 12 months, health professionals recommend starting to move away from bottles altogether. At this stage, toddlers are ready for a wider variety of cups to support independence including spout, straw and open cups. Each offer different benefits and help development – let’s take a look. 

1. Toddler spout cups 

If your baby has used a sippy cup in the past, a bigger spout cup won’t feel much different.  

To prevent spills and messes, many toddler cups come with a special valve. This, alongside being durable and drop-proof, is why our spout cups are extra helpful for parents. 

Plus, our smart two-piece valve can be removed for free-flow drinking, which helps the transition to open cups as your toddler has to control the amount they sip. 

It is recommended that you don’t use spout cups exclusively or for a long time as they can encourage bad drinking habits such as over-sucking. 

2. Toddler straw cup 

A straw cup is a great choice as it is practical and helps development.  

Instead of a bottle-sucking motion, straws encourage a more mature sipping motion with a different tongue placement. 

Using a straw also helps toddlers learn to control the flow of liquid and coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing - important skills for safe drinking and eating. 

Another added benefit to having this skill is that your toddler will be able to use an open cup with a straw when out and about, making life on-the-go that little bit easier. 

While straws aren't as easy to clean as spouts, cups like the Insulated Active Straw have a cover that flips between sips to help keep the straw clean. 

3. Toddler open cup 

At this stage, your baby will have more coordination and can try drinking from an open cup independently. 

Open-cup drinking is not only important for development, but it’s a great skill for them to have if you don’t have access to their usual cup. 

But, as mentioned before, open cups can be messy so expect spills. 

Sources

• Drinks and cups for babies and young children - NHS 
• Choosing cups for babies and toddlers | NCT 
• How to Choose the Best Toddler Cups for Your Child – Baby City