How to Choose the Right Sippy Cup #LoveIsInTheDetails

How to Choose the Right Sippy Cup

Now that Petit Prince has been eating solids for a couple of months, it’s time to introduce a sippy cup into his life. There are as many schools of thought on cups as there are cup options out there. I’m not going to go into the pros and cons of every style of sippy cup available, but I am going to talk about the key features that I look for. As Petit Prince is still breastfed, it hasn’t been crucial that he start drinking water yet. I remember asking The Heir’s doctor about when to introduce water and a cup, and he never seemed too concerned about it. As long as baby is nursing well and without restriction, baby should be getting enough fluids, after all, breastmilk is mostly water! Nevertheless, drinking from a cup is a skill everyone will need at some point in their life, so a cup that meets baby’s (and mom’s) needs is important! So what do I look for in a sippy cup and why? Let me tell you!

1. Easy for baby to grip. Yup, I expect baby to be able to hold the sippy cup for himself! I know this isn’t going to be possible right away, but a cup that incorporates good grippy handles is key! As much as I want to have to hold a cup in place for my child until he goes to preschool, independent sipping is far more appealing.

2. Easy for baby to drink from. So, baby should be able to grip and lift the cup themselves (once they figure that out), but the cup also needs to be easy for baby to drink from. I prefer a softer silicone spout on a sippy cup. You’re most likely going to be introducing a cup right in the midst of teething hell bliss, and a nice soft spout is going to make it more comfortable for baby. This will be particularly true when they grab the cup and lift it too quickly bonking their gums with the spout. You’ll be thanking me for recommending a soft spout. A built-in valve on a soft spout is going to help baby master the art of drinking without choking. A built-in valve opens when baby puts some pressure on it, and closes when baby opens his mouth/gums. Unlike a spout that’s just always open, the built-in valve won’t just dump water down baby’s throat simply because the cup is tipped.

3. No leaking. Yeah, right. You probably think I also want a unicorn that poops rainbows too. Never going to happen, right? Wrong! Believe it or not, a sippy cup that doesn’t leak isn’t just a pipe dream! Don’t settle for the endless drip that magically travels up and out of the sippy lid!

4. Easy to clean. If a sippy cup doesn’t come apart completely for cleaning, don’t bother! If you can’t see all the parts of the cup, then you can’t clean all the parts of the cup. It’s really that simple. The last thing you want is to discover mould growing in the cup that you thought was getting thoroughly cleaned. Yes, this happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. Look carefully at the cup before you purchase it to see if there are any inaccessible zones. A sippy cup that’s dishwasher safe is a must for me too. I admit that I usually hand wash sippy cups, but every so often it’s nice to just be able to pop it in the dishwasher.

5. BPA free. This should go without saying, but I’m putting it out there anyway. Make sure the sippy cup says that it’s BPA free.

How to Choose the Right Sippy Cup

Now you know my top five criteria for a sippy cup, so I won’t leave you hanging! Yes! Yes, I’ve found a cup that ticks all the boxes and meets (and exceeds) my five criteria for sippy cup bliss! Meet the Philips Avent My Penguin Sippy Cup! Allow me to take you on a tour of this cup and show you why I love it!

How to Choose the Right Sippy Cup

First, there’s those easy to grip handles. These special trainer handles are lined with soft touch grips. What that means for you is that they aren’t going to slide out of your child’s hand when they grab the cup. The inside of the handles have raised ridges that give even younger babies something to really cling onto with their tiny hands. Case in point, the very first time I ever put this sippy cup in front of Petit Prince, he reached out and grabbed those handles right away and actually successfully lifted the cup to his mouth. Magic. The handles are actually one piece with the lid of the cup, so there’s no seam to wear out over time. You don’t have to worry that you toddler is going to bend or break the handles off the cup. It’s just not going to happen. The way those handles are seamlessly integrated into the My Penguin Sippy Cup‘s unique shape will help your child learn to lift the cup, and makes it easy for toddlers to hold it totally independently.

How to Choose the Right Sippy Cup

How easy is it for baby to drink from the Philips Avent My Penguin Sippy Cup? SO EASY. I kid you not, at barely 9 months old, Petit Prince grabbed this cup for the very first time, tipped it, got the spout in his mouth, and successfully took a sip. Yes, this was the first time he’d ever been given ANY sippy cup. Though it pains me to say it, I really don’t think Petit Prince is a baby genius, but I do think that the My Penguin Sippy Cup is just designed to make it easy for babies to use. The soft silicone spout is angled just so, and it has a built-in valve. All that helps baby develop a natural drinking position.

How to Choose the Right Sippy Cup

How about leaks? The Philips Avent My Penguin Sippy Cup might just be the unicorn of sippy cups. It really doesn’t leak. Of course, I couldn’t just leave that to Petit Prince to test, so I handed the My Penguin Sippy Cup over the The Heir and told him to do his worst. Apparently, he’s a bit of a neat freak and didn’t want to tip it and shake it because he was certain it would spill (this goes to show you how leak prone cups we’ve used in the past have been). After some convincing, I got him to tip it upside down and give it a shake. Much to his surprise and my satisfaction, it didn’t leak. You can be confident that the Philips Avent My Penguin Sippy Cup is 100% leak-free, so go ahead, bring that cup in the car!

How to Choose the Right Sippy Cup
The Heir tried to get the My Penguin Sippy Cup to leak, and was shocked when it didn’t!

Is it easy to clean? Why yes! Yes it is easy to clean. The whole thing comes apart easily and you can really see all the part of the cup. You’ll know that there’s no milk or juice hiding somewhere with this cup. The spout even pops out of the lid (much like the way a bottle nipple pops out of the lid), so you can be sure every nook and cranny is thoroughly washed. Every part of the My Penguin Sippy Cup is dishwasher safe too, so toss it in there and let the machine do the work! The Philips Avent My Penguin Sippy Cup is made from BPA free materials, so you can feel confident that you’ve made a safe and healthy choice for your child.

What I love about the Philips Avent My Penguin Sippy Cup is that no detail has been missed. It’s clear that Avent knows what moms really want in a cup for their babies and toddlers, and they’ve truly delivered! Easy to grip, easy to use, soft on teething gums, leak free, easy to clean, and BPA free, the My Penguin Sippy Cup checks off all the boxes!

You can connect with Philips Avent on social media by following them on Facebook and on Twitter. If you’re interested in learning more about the Philips Avent My Penguin Sippy Cup just CLICK HERE.

How would you like the chance to WIN 1 of 40  Philips Avent My Penguin Sippy Cups? The giveaway is open to the USA & Canada (excluding Quebec, Alaska, and Hawaii) and closes on June 24th, 2016.

Philips Avent Penguin Sippy Cup Giveaway

TheMonarchMommy.comDisclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Philips Avent and I received compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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59 Comments on “How to Choose the Right Sippy Cup #LoveIsInTheDetails

  1. We have tried at least 7. Hard spout, soft spout, straw, no spout, different brands,

  2. Omg how cute are these cups?!?! I never realized how had finding the right cup was until I had my daughter. I randomly just bought a bunch of cups and yeah… That was the moment I realized they are definitely not all the same lol…

  3. Looks like a great cup! I’ll use it for my little ones when they’re old enough for it.

  4. I’ve got a few around the house, one spout for bedtime and a sippy for during the day. But we would totally use these for my current LO and expecting, unicorns are awesome!

  5. No leaks and dishwasher safe were always my top to MUST HAVES in a sippy cup. Lucky my little one (11 months) somehow figured out how to drink from his sister’s sippy cup already so we are golden! 🙂

  6. My kiddo is older now but I remember trying so many different brands before finding the one that was right for us! Great tips here!

  7. I might actually gift this to a good friend of mine who is pregnant!

  8. This cup is perfect for mother’s to give their babies. They are so healthy and easy to use. I have a dear friend who is pregnant and soon to have a baby. I would gift the cup to her baby. Thanks

  9. My LO is still too small for a sippy cup but it’s never too early to start doing research for when the time comes to buy one. Monarch Mommy is a great resource for information and I would give this cup a go for my baby. If she says it works, it probably works!

  10. Great tips, it seems like something so trivial but finding the right sippy cup is just as important as finding the right bottle! A non leaking one is a huge win for me.

  11. If I win itbwould be for my first grandchild, a little girl,
    born Nov 27, 2015!!

  12. I remember when Syrus was a baby. Oh my goodness, finding a decent sippy cup was SO hard. It either leaked, or he couldn’t get anything from it.

  13. It will be a present for my niece who has a toddler and a new baby.

  14. I would give it to my granddaughter- two generations of Avent sippy cup users 😉

  15. I’ll use it for my little one. He’s 6 months old and just figuring out the art of the sippy!

  16. I feel this is so important.. there are so many other options out there that don’t work well at all. If I were to win I would keep these for myself!

  17. it would go to my brother and sister n law they are expecting!! AGAIN

  18. I would use this for my son if i won, thanks for the chance

  19. I would definitely keep this for our little girl. I have a hard time finding good sippy cups for her.

  20. I would use for my little one, we LOVED the Avent naturals bottles and use their pacifiers too! great brand

  21. I would use for my little one. He currently has one of them and even though he isn’t using it yet I think it is a great cup!

  22. I would love to have this ready for our little one. Getting stocked up for all the stages!

  23. If I win, it will be for my first grand baby to use.

  24. I would give this to my friend who has a toddler. My kids are too old for it but she would like these.

  25. If I win, I would use it with my girl due at the end of July

  26. I was JUST starting to worry about figuring out which sippy my 8 month old will eventually want (finding the ones for my first two was TORTUROUS! SO MANY CUPS PURCHASED AND NOT USED!) so this would be perfect!

  27. My daugther figured out how to paint with this one… She is a pro-leaker.. Push the tip down until it bends 90 degrees and there you go, happy toddler milk painting on a table/couch ! It is our favorite anyway since it is so easy to clean and all well built

  28. Omgosh such a tough choice!! And I swear trying to find one that doesn’t leak AND is cleanable was so super hard!!

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