An updated list of all the most recommended low-plastic toddler cups and bottles

[steamchristian]

Who would’ve known the pursuit of a high quality toddler cup with minimal plastic would be such a time suck! What I thought would be one day of research has turned into a long weekend and I’m still not completely sold on what to try first. Figured I’d compile this list here to help the next parent on their magical cup quest. These are just my personal notes to keep everything straight to better compare products before buying. All info was collected from company websites and reviews on Amazon and Reddit. Cheers!

What I’m looking for: cup or bottle for water (bonus points if it’s suitable for milk!), straw for oral development, safer materials (stainless steel, glass, silicone), small enough for tiny hands, not easily tipped over or spilled, able to withstand toddlerhood

Who it’s for: 1 year old who needs easy access to water all day and is starting to drink whole milk consistently

Some takeaways:

- Non-insulated bottles may have condensation and leave water rings on furniture

- Insulated bottles will have a leaded sealing dot and is recommended to hand wash only

- Milk can be a pain to clean out of straws and bottle caps, especially if left to sit and the straws are not clear

• Elk & Friends Drinking Tumblers (10 oz) $36 - 18/8 ss and glass options, comes with 4 food grade silicone sleeves, 4 silicone straws with stoppers, 4 plastic drink lids and 4 plastic storage lids (BPA, phthalate, PVC free), no cover, well loved by parents, great for smoothies, easiest to clean, can be used for snacks too, 12 oz glass version has spout on lid for multi-use, could buy ss cups to use with glass version lids in future
• Mason Bottle Silicone Sippy Straw Tops, 2 Pack $15 - zero plastic, silicone outer and internal straw, parents say straw top squirts water out when pushed, straw IS bite proof, compatible with mason jars
• Mason Bottle SS Straw Cup (16 oz) $22 - ss, non-insulated, silicone outer and internal straw, parents say straw top squirts water out when pushed, straw IS bite proof, plastic cover, non-insulated is lighter for baby to carry, easiest to clean
• Pura Kiki Straw (11 oz) $23 - ss, insulated and non-insulated options, zero plastic, silicone outer and internal straw, outer straw is NOT bite proof, parents say straw cap traps milk and liquids, bottle evolves with baby, interchangeable caps, silicone sport straw looks great, has silicone covers available, Made Safe certified, dents easily, insulated version has lead-free sealing dot and reviews of bottom cap falling off, customer service and website returns may be awful
• Klean Kanteen Classic Kids Sippy (12 oz) $18 - 18/8 ss, non-insulated, bottle comes with silicone sippy top, interchangeable caps, sport cap may be ok in future, no cover, certified B company, powder coat exceeds regulations, BPA free
• Klean Kanteen TK Wide (12 oz) $30 - 18/8 ss, insulated, plastic twist cap, silicone outer straw, steel internal straw, this straw cap is NOT compatible with Classic Kids bottle, interchangeable caps, leaded sealing dot under bottom metal cap, may buy generic silicone boot to use with it?
• Hydro Flask Kids (12 oz) $30 - 18/8 ss, insulated, plastic cap, plastic internal straw, easy to clean, lead-free sealing dot post 2018, BPA free, comes with silicone boot
• Beaba SS (12 oz) $28 - ss, insulated, plastic top, open mouth spout
• Zak! Kelso Tumbler (12 oz) $16 - ss, insulated, plastic cap, BPA free, silicone outer straw, able to sub silicone straw easily
• Thermos Funtainer (12 oz) $17 - ss, insulated, silicone outer straw, plastic internal straw, able to sub silicone straw easily, leaded sealing dot under plastic bottom boot, easy to clean
• Contigo SS Kids (13 oz) $23 - ss, insulated, auto spout, bite to suck, parents say is truly spill-proof, plastic cap and straw, free from BPA, BPS, BPB, BPF, and BPAF, easy to clean cap, can’t buy replacement spouts or caps
• CamelBak Eddy+ (12 oz, 14 oz) $23 - 18/8 ss, insulated and non-insulated, silicone spout, bite to suck, plastic cap is free from BPA, BPS, and BPF
• Yeti Jr Kids Rambler (12 oz) $25 - 18/8 ss, insulated, plastic cap and straw, really difficult to clean lid crevices, parents say is most durable, leaded sealing dot under metal bottom cap, can buy silicone boot to cover

Alternative options:

- Stainless steel cups with silicone lids

 

[chalcedony]

@steamchristian Love Elk and Friends!

 

[mardbein]

@steamchristian Can someone ELI5 what is a leaded sealing dot and do I need to be concerned?

 

[jaenalyn]

@mardbein Some kind of low melting point metal is needed to make a vacuum insulated cup, even though the rest of the cup is stainless steel. The stainless steel walls are one piece, then a vacuum is pulled, and plugged with soder.

Lead Safe Mama made a huge deal about these which had a lot of people freaking out.

USCPSC, allows lead sealing dots in child products if they cannot be exposed during reasonable abuse and breakage.

The Green Sprouts brand, had their bottom cap knock off easily, exposing the lead dots. They did a voluntary recall.

Some cheap cups just put paint over it. I would avoid those. Personally I trust metal caps and would recommend silicone boots over all metal cups because the finish on my dining room table is fucked up enough as it is.

 

[timonrhoff]

@mardbein The leaded sealing dot is used to seal the bottom to the bottle like on the thermos funtainer. You only need to be concerned if the bottom comes off and it's exposed. If that happens, don't use it and dispose of it as little ones may touch and then put their hands in their mouth.

 

[andrew6297]

@steamchristian This is amazing! Thank you for sharing and doing all that leg work.

Wanted to add one we found at Target:

Ello SS Emma Kids (14oz) $17 - 18/8 ss, insulated, silicone spout, internal plastic straw, plastic cap is BPA free

To clean it properly I use an assortment of little brushes or it might be difficult to get in all the little nooks and crannies. It has reviews of it leaking on Target, but I haven’t run into this problem. It’s been throw, banged around, has dents everywhere, and is still holding up.

 

[lettyvdax]

@steamchristian Have you found a silicone straw for the Zak cups somewhere specific?

 

[tempered_1]

@steamchristian This is soooo helpful, thank you! We received the Camelbak Eddy for our son’s first birthday, but it was the plastic model. Once he gets a little stronger (we love how he can hold it!) we’ll be switching to the stainless steel. It’s our favorite straw cup by far!

 

[westernrose]

@steamchristian My friend and I hung out with our 1 year olds the other day. I later ended up buying the cup her daughter was using and she bought the cup my son was using we laughed about how much money we’re all out here spending on toddler cups wtf.

 

[kagenonikki]

@steamchristian Just going to put down my usual plug for the Green Sprouts Sip & Straw glass cup. While it is not minimal plastic, it is plant-based instead of petroleum based plastics in the cup. Also nice is the plastic doesn't come in contact with the beverage. Pros are the carafe is glass and the full straw is silicone, it comes with both a silicone straw and sippy, compatible silicone nipples are available for purchase to make it into a baby bottle as well for all stages, they are really durable and don't leak easily, and they are double-walled so no condensation and ring. Cons are they are pricey ($20 each) the potential for breakage is there, and they are not low plastic as the outer pieces (bottom, outer wall, and screw on lid, and handles) are all plastic.

They also make a nearly-full silicone bottle/pouch thing that we like a lot as well, only the collar is plastic and again the beverage doesn't touch the plastic, only the silicone in this case. The con is if your kid squeezes it they can absolutely create a fountain, the pro is you can use it as a reusable food pouch as well, stands up on its own, is pretty easy to clean. Also nice is all the pieces I already had from the other cups (straws, spouts, collars) are compatible with the silicone cup

 

[convenant_child]

@steamchristian This is great! We love Elk and Friends glass cups and their plates are great too.

 

[ellyflowers]

@steamchristian The munchkin cat water bottle is the only bottle I’ve found that does not leak when tipped sideways. I’ve tried the planet box, pura kika, hydroflask, thermos. So much wasted money. And the munchkin isn’t clean enough to my liking but it doesn’t get everything wet when my kids leave it open

 

[topsquark]

@steamchristian Thanks so much for putting this list together! I’ve spent so much time trying to find the perfect plastic free or low plastic water bottle and this was such a helpful summary.

One more option I found that I just ended up buying:

PlanetBox Glacier (10 oz) - plastic free, lead-free, insulated, stainless steel straw with silicone flip top.
Downsides mentioned by reviewers: lack of cover over the straw top, may be hard to reassemble after cleaning, smaller capacity for bigger kids, straw can be difficult for younger kids to flip up