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The Best Open Lid and Straw Cups for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids

There are so many cups sold for babies, kids, and toddlers that it’s enough to make your head spin. So, instead of purchasing more than you need for trial and error, here our top picks for straw cups. Not only do these work great for babies, but they will also grow with your kid into toddlerhood.

The Best Open Lid and Straw Cups for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids

Written by: Jessica Diamond, MPH, RDN

There are so many cups sold for babies, kids, and toddlers that it’s enough to make your head spin. So, instead of purchasing more than you need for trial and error, here our top picks for straw cups. Not only do these work great for babies, but they will also grow with your kid into toddlerhood. We also break down which work best for milk when you hit that transition around 12 months.

Wondering which cup style is appropriate for your baby or kid? Check out:

And check out our free download, A Guide to Milk, and our article, Milk Weaning: The Three Major Transitions for Toddlerhood for all the details on when and how to introduce milk to your baby or toddler, milk versus milk alternatives, and which nutrients to focus on in toddlerhood. 

Disclaimer: Always clear these recommendations with your healthcare team because every situation is different! Also, this article contains affiliate links, which means that a percentage of your purchase goes to support Meaning Full Living at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting us!

Favorite Open Lid Cups: Most typically developing kids are ready to drink from an open lid cup around 6 months. We know, it’s wild to imagine! You can purchase small training cups, or you can use cups you already have at home, like mini Dixie cups. 

EZPZ Silicone Tiny Cup for Babies: This cup, designed for babies 4+ months, is the perfect first open lid cup for your baby. It was designed by a pediatric feeding specialist to specifically fit a baby’s hands and mouth and serve up to 2 oz of liquid. The soft silicone is soft on their gums or teeth and makes for an easy grip. It’s also designed to provide an even flow of liquid for safe drinking, along with a weighted bottom to make it less prone to tipping over. And it’s BPA, BPS, PVC, latex, and phthalate-free!

  • Stainless Steel Condiment Cups: These are one of those very versatile kid items that we use daily for lots of different things. They are perfect open lid cups for babies, toddlers, and preschool-aged kids, and they are also great  for holding dips, which can really help with picky eating (because kids love dipping!). They are made out of stainless steel and so easy to clean, which also makes them wonderful for crafts. ! 
  • EZPZ Silicone Mini Cup for Toddlers: Designed for the toddler stage, this cup has the same features as the Tiny Cup for babies but is slightly larger, holding up to 4 oz of liquid.. 
  • Stainless Steel Cup: This is our top pick for toddlers and kids. It’s a good stainless steel cup that can handle the bumps and dumps of little hands, and it’s made without any plastic. They’re so easy to clean and will last for a very long time. This is our open-lid cup of choice as our toddlers become school-aged kids and beyond!

Favorite Straw Cups

Training Straw Cups:

  • The Honey Bear Teaching Cup: This cup was designed by a speech language pathologist to teach your baby or child how to drink from a straw cup. If you think about it, learning to suck in from a straw is very different from drinking from a bottle or an open lid cup, so kids need lots of practice with this. When you squeeze the belly of the bear, water comes out of the spout, and this cues your child to suck. This cup is the perfect cup to teach straw drinking, but once your child masters straw drinking from this cup, you should move on to other straw cups. Even though it only is used for such a short amount of time, it’s a great teaching tool and good investment. 
  • EZPZ Silicone Straw Training Cup: This cup was also designed by a pediatric feeding specialist to help teach cup drinking. We love that it’s silicone with little bumps on the straw to cue your baby where to place their lips. It’s made with 100% food-grade silicone, so it’s BPA, BPS, PVS, phthalate, and latex-free, and has a Beginner Training Straw and an Advanced Training Straw so it can grow with your child. 

Once your baby or toddler has learned how to drink from a straw cup, it’s time to introduce non-training straw cups that will carry them through toddlerhood and into childhood. In fact, we love drinking from many of these cups ourselves!

Glass and Silicone Cups: 

  • WeeSprout Glass and Silicone Cup: These are the perfect at-home straw cups. They are wrapped in food-grade silicone with a silicone straw designed to be great for water, milk, and thicker drinks like smoothies. Plus, the straw has a stopper on it so your kid can’t pull it out and “paint the table” with their drink! The soft silicone straw is great for speech and oral development, and the cup, which has measurements on it, can double as a snack container or freezer-safe baby food jar.
  • Elk & Friends Mason Jar Glass and Silicone Cup (small version and large version): Like the WeeSprout cups, these glass cups are wrapped in food-grade silicone with a silicone straw, which is the perfect alternative to plastic. They have all the same benefits as the WeeSprout cups and come in the cutest colors. All Elk & Friends products are made from natural materials and independently tested to ensure they are safe for your child and the environment. 
  • Jumpin Jar Glass and Silicone Cup: The glass and silicone cups are FDA tested and BPA, phthalate, and lead-free. Like the two cups above, they have a larger silicone straw that is great for all beverage types, including thicker liquids like smoothies. 

Stainless Steel Cups:

  • Elk & Friends Stainless Steel and Silicone Cup: If you’re looking for a stainless steel instead of glass option, this is your cup. It’s premium stainless steel with a food-grade silicone cover and has all the same features as the glass Elk & Friends cup. 

On-The-Go Straw Cups: We recommend using a straw cup over a sippy cup, and there are plenty of great convenient, spill-proof options. 

  • Stainless Steel Cup with Lid: This cup is made of polypropylene, stainless steel, and silicone, is dishwasher safe, and is BPA, lead, and phthalate-free. We love this cup because it’s so durable.
  • ThinkBaby Stainless Steel Cup: This stainless steel cup is really popular! Opt for the straw attachment and not the sippy cup nipple. It’s stainless steel with a tight lid, making it a great on-the-go option. 
  • Vacuum Insulated Straw Cup: This stainless steel Thermos cup is made with vacuum insulated technology that keeps contents cold and fresh for up to 10 hours! It’s durable, sweat-proof, and easy for little hands. It disassembles into 4 simple parts for easy cleaning and is dishwasher-safe.
  • Travel Insulated Straw Cup: We love this company because they focus on safety, durability, ease of use, and eco-progressive consumption. They also have a mix-and-match system that means the cup can be used as an infant bottle, straw cup, or snack container that grows with your kid.
  • Silicone Straw Cup with Universal Cover with Straw & Universal Silicone Straw & Lid Cover: This is a great option to bring on the go because the silicone lid will fit over virtually any cup to turn an open lid cup into a straw cup!

Silicone Cups: There are also some cups made of food-grade silicone that are a nice, light option for at home. Just know they aren’t as spill-proof!

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