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The best training cups and beakers for babies and toddlers
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Learning to drink from a training cup or beaker is a key stage in your baby’s development.
When your baby begins eating solid food at around six months, you’ll need to start giving him a drink at mealtimes, both to get him used to the sensation of drinking from a cup and to make sure he stays well hydrated.
Introducing a training cup at about six months is also important for his dental health: using a bottle beyond 12 months can cause problems with his developing teeth, and can also interfere with speech development.
1. Tommee Tipee No Knock Cup
*Toddler-proof open cup that won't fall over thanks to its suction base
*Dentists recommend open cups to support healthy oral and speech development
*Specially-designed base is easily lifted but stays put if knocked
This innovative toddler cup is the solution to all your problems. Not only does it promote open-cup drinking, as recommended by dental professionals, it also has a base which prevents it from being knocked over. It's available in two fun colours, and is easily lifted by little hands – unlike suction bowls, it's not designed to stay stuck down all the time, just when knocked by accident. So cool!
2. Munchkin Miracle 360 Degree Trainer Cup
*A spoutless sippy cup that can be used easily by older babies and toddlers
*360° edge allows drinking from any side of the cup
*Can be cleaned in the top rack of the dishwasher
Leak and spill-proof cup that teaches toddlers to sip rather than suck and, more importantly, doesn't make a mess as the cup automatically seals when a child stops drinking. It has handles, too, which makes it easy for little ones to firmly hold.
With no extra spouts, straws or pieces the Miracle 360° Cup is easy to use and easy to clean. Result!
3. Tommee Tippee Easi-Flow 360 Beaker Cup
*Lip activated cup for toddlers
*One-piece easy-clean valve, no fiddly or small parts to fit
*No spout means it encourages little ones to drink like a grown up
This cup doesn't just look great, it really works, too. It's designed for little ones over 12 months old, and only has two parts, making it easy for parents to clean. The Tommee Tippee Easi-flow 360° cup is spill-proof, even when turned upside down, and the shape of the cup promotes good oral health and is recommended by dentists.
It's also BPA-free, and comes in two adorable, colourful designs.
4. Doidy cup
*Easy to use cup for babies and toddlers
*Ideal for teaching them to drink from the rim
*Shape means toddlers are less likely to spill their drink
It might look a little strange, but this slanted model has been designed to help toddlers drink from a rim rather than a teat or spout, so they don't have to relearn drinking in the future.
It's great for oral development, and is recommended by healthcare professionals. It comes in a wide variety of different bright colours, too.
5. TUM TUM Super Stable Sippy Cup
*Fun training cup which grows with your child
*BPA-free and dishwasher safe
*Suitable for toddlers over the age of 12 months
This adorable cup with a straw is ideal for training little ones. The lid is removable, so it can be used as a non-spill cup with straw or a normal cup. The straw is easy to drink from, and has a wide and stable base, which is much harder for little ones to knock over. It's also dishwasher and microwave-safe and reassuringly BPA and phthalate-free.
6. NUK First Choice Sippy Cup
*Helps your toddler to transition from bottle to cup
*Anti-colic air system reduces the risk of infant colic
*Non-spill silicone spout helps to reduce mess
This 150ml bottle is designed to make the transition from breast and bottle feeding to drinking from a cup easier for your toddler. The ergonomic grips make it easy to hold, and the non-spill design is great for fidgety babies and toddlers.
It's suitable for little ones from six to 18 months, and the shape of the spout prevents air from being swallowed, minimising the risk of infant colic.
What to spend
Like most weaning products for babies and toddlers, trainer cups are inexpensive.
A basic sippy cup from a supermarket or baby store can cost as little as £2, and you can even get them in pound shops.
Even the pricier cups with extra features like training handles and non-spill spouts are still easy on the pocket, costing around £5 each.
Key features
Choosing the right cup for your baby or toddler is likely to involve a bit of trial and error – what one baby loves, another may completely refuse to use.
Most baby and toddler cups have a sippy spout that helps your baby make the move from bottle to cup.
This may be free flowing or non-spill.
Spill-proof cups have obvious advantages, but they can be quite difficult for babies to master – they often need to suck particularly hard or even bite on the spout to make the drink flow.
Free-flowing cups are easier to drink from, but will spill if they’re tipped upside down.
Spouts may be made out of hard plastic, rubber or silicone.
The harder spouts can be tough on sore gums, but silicone spouts are easily damaged if your baby chews on them.
For older toddlers, you can buy sports bottle-style cups, or cups that have an in-built straw.
These are good for giving them a more grown-up drinking experience, and are generally fairly spill-and leak-proof, but they can be awkward to clean.
Look for a cup that’s easy for your baby to hold, with handles or a shaped body that fits into his hands.
Some trainer cups are designed to grow with your baby: for example, they may be compatible with a bottle teat as well as a sippy spout, convert to an open cup, and have removable handles.
These give your baby a gradual progression from bottle to cup, but as a rule, the more pieces a cup has, the more fiddly they are to clean and assemble.
Cups that can be used in the microwave and dishwasher will save you time, especially if you plan to use them for milk, as they’ll need to be scrupulously cleaned after every use.
Some have useful features like insulated walls to keep drinks cool, or a separate core that can be frozen or filled with a different type of drink.
There are also various different types of lid to keep the cup clean in your bag: some have separate lids, which are easier to clean, while others have hinged lids, which won’t get lost.
There’s a huge range of colours, designs and motifs to choose from, so you can pick a cup with your child’s favourite character or colour to entice them into drinking from it.
Need to know
If you prefer, you can skip the sippy cup stage and move straight onto an open cup. This has drawbacks in terms of spills and mess, but is better for your child’s teeth. You can buy baby and toddler open cups with a slanted design that makes it easier for your child to drink from it without spilling the contents.
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