FOR AGES 18 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS
Whether you've decided that it's time to make the transition from bottles and breastfeeding to a more grown-up beaker or cup, or you've simply decided you want to improve your little one's drinking development and learn how to drink with less mess - it's important to find the right product to make the process as easy as possible.
There are a wide range of products available to consider, from cups with handles to open cups, to spout, straw, and sippy cups - all with different advantages. Though dentists tend to recommend an open or free-flow cup with no valve in order to protect your toddler's teeth and teach them how to sip well - ultimately you need to find the product that works best for you and your baby depending on their needs, age, and capabilities.
Deciding which beakers or cups to buy can be daunting, there are just so many different options out there and you don't want to waste your money or go through endless amounts by making the wrong choice. We'd suggest starting with those that use a healthy material such as silicone or BPA-free products, and to narrow down which type of sip-function you want to go for.
With that in mind, we've rounded up 12 of the top toddler beakers and cups - for whether they're 12 months, 18 months, 36 months, or anywhere in between. Take a look below, and if you enjoy these suggestions, why not check out our 15 best kids plates and bowls for messy toddlers or our 10 best toddler cutlery sets for home and away?
Available in either blue or red with a cute multicoloured animal design, this cup is great for toddlers aged 12 months and over. It's lip activated so it doesn't spill and has a one-part valve system that's both easy to clean and easy to get used to using. The cup is BPA-free, dentist-recommended, and can hold up to 250ml of liquid (water, juice, milk, or even a warm liquid). It can be drunk from at any point around the 360-degree edge and prevents spills whether it's shaken or turned upside down, and even comes with a handy travel lid. The cup is also great for oral development and for learning to drink without the help of a straw or spout. Toddlers and young children will love the design, and this cup is sure to become a firm favourite!
This Liewood two-pack features an olive green and a grey-coloured open cup mug-like design that's both adorable to look at and super-practical for little ones to use. With two handles on each cup for their hands to grip onto - they're both easy to hold and drink from alone and even have small studs on the bottom to make them harder to knock over and spill. Easy to wash and dishwasher-safe, each cup is made with 100% silicone, FDA-approved, soft to the touch and gentle against teeth and gums, and helps to improve fine motor skills. Bring some fun to mealtimes with these cute bunny-face design cups!
Available in a huge variety of 17 different vibrant colours, this innovative sippy cup can be used from as young as 6 months old all the way up to around a two-year-old - ideal for both babies and toddlers. It can hold up to 240ml of liquid (great for water, juice, or milk) and has a newly designed straw that features a two-way valve for easy drinking and zero leaks. The straw is weighted to move with the liquid so your toddler will never be just sucking on air, and there's even a flip-top lid to close when you're on the move for hygiene and to prevent spills. It can be drunk from at any angle, has easy handles to grip, and is totally BPA and harm-free.
Available in three gorgeous designs and a selection of different colours, this Nuk kiddy cup is recommended for those 12 months and older and can hold up to 300ml of the liquid of your choice. It's also leakproof, has a smooth valve, and features a tough spout that will survive any amount of biting and chewing. It even has a great contoured body shape that enables hands to easily grasp and hold on to and is both lightweight and durable. The cup is also transparent enough that you'll be able to see exactly how much drink is left inside, and there's even a valve under the spout that can be flipped to either make the cup free-flow or non-spill as you desire. The cup is sure to last for a long time and can be used as your toddler grows, with a cute and fun design that they're sure to love.
This Munchkin Miracle 360 trainer cup really is that - a miracle. It's available in either blue, green, pink, or purple and can hold 207ml of your choice of liquid (whether that be water, milk, or juice). The feature we love most about this cup is that is has a fantastic 360-degree drinking edge that seals when it's not being drunk from, meaning that there are no spills or mess whether it's thrown into a bag or carried around on the go. The cup can be used from the young age of just six months but is also great for toddlers and for use as they grow - and comes highly dentist-recommended. The BPA free non-spill cup is easy to clean and take apart, is dishwasher safe, and is great for learning to drink like you would from a regular open-cup.
This three-in-one cup features two light blue interchangeable silicone lids and an adorable black and white elephant/polka dot design - and is ideal for snack time whether you're at home or on the go. The cup can either be used as simply an open cup alone, as a sippy cup with the spout lid in place, or as a snack container with the smart snack-lid that prevents any unnecessary mess and spills. It's super stylish, has a double handle for easy grip, can fit up to 230ml of liquid, and is also dishwasher safe and easy to clean. The silicone lids can also be sterilised.
This may just look like a silly squashed cup, but it's actually a fantastic way to get both babies and toddlers learning how to drink from a cup with no spout or sippy function attached, and is a very popular choice among parents. The Doidy cup is slanted so that children can not only see what's inside but so they can also drink with ease, and it helps to decrease spillage and mess. Great for oral development, this encourages them to drink straight from the cup and has double handles that are easy for little hands to hold on to - the ideal toddler and baby cup that's also safe for the dishwasher and microwave, and free from any harmful additives.
Perfect for those aged 12 months old and over, this 300ml Nuby Flip It toddler and baby beaker is available in a variety of bright, appealing colours and is very practical to use. It's spill-free whether you flip it upside down, shake it, or drop it, and it uses a soft silicone straw that will only carry liquid when sucked. It's both kind to the gums and to developing teeth. Perfect for use on the go, the beaker features a flip cap for hygiene purposes and to prevent any potential mess, and has a handy grip on the side for little hands to hold.
This 4-pack of 296ml spill-proof cups come in a range of bright primary colours, each with their own interchangeable lids and straws that can be mixed and matched as you wish. The cups are aimed at those 18 months and older, and are durable enough to be used over and over again but also cheap enough that they can be treated as disposable if you'd prefer. Perfect for leaving sippy cups behind you, the lids prevent any spills and keep drinks as fresh as can be - whilst the straws are fast-flowing and keep liquid away from the teeth. They're easy to clean, can be used with your own straws if the provided ones get a little too chewed up, are both lightweight and sturdy, and dishwasher and freezer friendly.
This Munchkin 4-pack set of bright and colourful cups are great for those 18 months and older. They can hold up to 207ml of either water, juice, or milk and feature clear removable lids. The lids are not leak-proof as they each have a small hole to sip liquid through, but they help to minimise mess and can be removed when your little one is ready for a more grown-up open cup to be used for years to come. They're all BPA free and perfect to add a splash of colour to mealtimes and throughout the day!
Perhaps one of the best sippy cups on this list in terms of design, this Tum Tum cup is available in four different colours with various animal-shaped lids that toddlers are sure to love. The cup itself can hold up to 200ml of liquid and features a weighted straw for easy drinking and a flip-top lid to prevent any leaks even when moving about or in a bag. There's also a measuring scale on the side so you can see exactly how much your child has been drinking, along with handles for easy gripping and to take on the go. BPA-free, dishwasher-safe, and 100% food-safe, the cup can be used by those over six months up to a few years and is both lightweight and easy to suck the liquid out of.
This 2-pack of natural drinking cups are designed to be able to be gripped easily in a small hand and to help with learning to sip from an open cup with no spout or straw function. They can be used from six months up until a few years and have a hard-to-topple function that's great since the actual cups are not leak-proof. They're good for oral development, are BPA-free, made with food-grade silicone, are easy to clean, and are both flexible and durable. The bright colours are nice and add a touch of fun to drinking!
Kidadl Best Buys selects the top parent-recommended products across the web for families of all ages. If you liked our suggestions for toddler beakers and cups, why not check out our 16 best weaning equipment items or our 10 best baby booster seats for babies and toddlers for something a little different?
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.