Safe Sippy Cup & Water Bottle Guide

Written by:

Maia James

02/15/2018

Klean-Kanteen-Sippy-from-gimme-the-good-stuff-002

Updated: 03/21/2024

Looking for a different product guide? Browse them all HERE.

Felix never drank out of a bottle due to what I called his “reverse nipple confusion.” Once he started on water (and yes, diluted juice), he happily accepted a non-toxic sippy cup.

With Wolfie, we never even tried to give him a bottle, as I didn’t use a pump the second time around. I started him on a non-toxic sippy cup even sooner.

When I was researching non-toxic sippy cups for Felix, I was at first I was psyched that every single sippy I found was BPA-free. For once, a decision would be easy! Or not.

Since I’m neurotic, I decided to do a little more research, and sure enough I found some good reasons to avoid the plastic sippy cups they sold every baby store. Actually, I didn’t even need to go digging: even back then (in 2010 or so), major news outlets like The New York Times were reporting the dangers of BPA substitutes.

Since then, more research has emerged, and it has become clear that pretty much all plastic food and drink containers should be avoided whenever possible.

The good news is that there are lots of safe glass and stainless steel sippy cups available (see below, under “The Good Stuff.”)

In the updated version of this Safe Product Guide, I also included some kids’ water bottles—since kids really use sippy cups for such a short period of time. (Tears…it goes so fast!).

My Top Pick For Sippy Cup/Water Bottle

Pura is my pick for sippy cup. Because it fits with 4 different tops, this versatile cup goes from bottle, to sippy, to straw, to sport bottle. It’s the only one I use for both of my kids, ages 3 and 7. It’s the only plastic-free cup that’s Nontoxic Certified (by Madesafe.org).

Is There Lead in Your Non-Toxic Sippy Cup?

In early 2017, Natural Baby Momma blogged about sippy cups containing lead, and this freaked a lot of people out. You’ll see notes below on specific bottles, but the bottom line is basically this:

  1. Don’t worry about any glass bottles except Green Sprouts (see “The Sneaky Stuff”), but even if you have a Green Spout sippy, your child probably didn’t come in contact with the lead.
  2. Don’t worry about any non-insulated stainless steel bottles.
  3. If you have an insulated stainless steel bottle, make sure the dot on the bottom is covered with a seal (if there is a seam instead of a dot, don’t worry–your cup doesn’t have lead).
  4. If you have a stainless steel bottle AND it has a dot on the bottom AND the seal is missing, toss it and call the company, but still rest assured that the chances of your child having been exposed to unsafe lead levels is low.
  5. For Pura Kiki and Eco Vessel cups: if you have a bottle that you bought in the last year or so, even if it’s insulated and that seal over the dot on the bottom is missing, it won’t have lead (but still call the company to be sure).

Do Sippy Cups Cause Lisps and Cavities?

Some experts suggest that drinking from a sippy cup can cause lisps and other speech issues. Drinking from a straw will not cause speech problems, however.

Sippy cups also can facilitate tooth decay if they contain juice or milk, but this is related to the frequency of sugars being in contact with the teeth rather than the cup itself (when children have access to a sippy full of apple juice all day, for instance).

What Sippy Cups/Water Bottles Are Made Of

  1. BPA. I’m lying. Every sippy cup I researched (including all the ones sold by Babies “R” Us and Diapers.com) proclaims itself “BPA free!”  Sadly, this is meaningless, as we now know that estrogen-mimickers are found in BPA-free plastics, too.
  2. Silicone. This plastic substitute seems to be non-leaching and non-toxic, although I would like to see more studies conducted on silicone. Increasingly, sippy cup manufacturers are using silicone spouts or straws in place of the old plastic ones, and this is definitely an improvement.
  3. Latex. Like silicone, latex is a good alternative to plastic, although because it is a somewhat common allergen, not many companies go this route.
  4. Aluminum. The inside of aluminum water bottles or sippy cups are always coated, since aluminum is not considered “food safe.” This epoxy lining is usually plastic, and you should make sure that it is guaranteed to be free of BPA or its analogs (see below, under “The Sneaky Stuff,” for more on this). In addition to concerns about the coating itself, I also worry that if it were to be scratched or compromised in some way, the liquid inside the cup could theoretically contain traces of aluminum, particularly if your child was drinking an acidic juice.
  5. Stainless steel. Long considered the safest material for cookware, even good old stainless steel has come under fire for potentially being dangerous: when heated, it may leach aluminum and other heavy metals into food. Since sippy cups generally contain only cold liquids, this doesn’t concern me, and if you wanted to be really careful you could avoid using stainless steel sippy cups for acidic drinks.
  6. Glass. This is probably the best material in terms of safety, but it’s heavy and breakable, so most people prefer stainless steel sippies.

Good Stuff

Pura Kiki Stainless Steel Sippy or Straw Cup

This entirely plastic-free sippy cup is a customer (and personal) favorite. Pura offers the only sippy/straw cup that is Nontoxic Certified (by Madesafe.org). And for those of you worried about lead in this bottle: An older version of the INSULATED bottle was found to contain lead ONLY in a small dot on the bottom of the cup, which was covered by a (lead-free) metal seal. And there is no lead anywhere in the current line of Pura bottles and cups–insulated or otherwise.

The Good
A stainless steel body and silicone spout means zero contact with plastic for your toddler. Also great is the way this cup transitions as your child grows–just replace the spout with the silicone straw top (sold separately) and then the sport top for even older kids. And now you can buy a straw or sport version of this cup to begin with, if you want to skip the spout style entirely. It’s available in either insulated or non-insulated.

The Bad
The Pura Kiki cup is not completely spill proof–if your child is intent on tipping it and shaking it, water will leak. This is easily avoided, however, by using the travel cap that comes with every cup.

How to Get One
The Good Stuff online store, where we sell the Pura Kiki Sippy for $16 a pop.

Klean Kanteen

Klean Kanteen makes a great leak-resistant stainless steel sippy cup, and they recently swapped out the plastic spout for a silicone one.

The Good
This cup is good in the leak department because of the valve-style of the spout, plus the added dust cover.

The Bad
You aren’t supposed to put the Klean Kanteen bottle in the dishwasher because the paint chips–and it also seems to chip more easily than the Eco Vessel sippy when dropped.

How to Get One

Widely available at a range of retail locations as well as on Amazon, a Klean Kanteen sippy cup costs around $23 for the small 12-ounce bottle.

Thermos Foogo

We’ve tried a lot of Thermos’s stainless steel Foogo line, and we’ve been mostly happy with it. They make a traditional sippy cup as well as a miniature thermos with a silicone straw. I prefer the latter model (pictured on the right). Note that Thermos’s FUNtainers are also Good Stuff.

The Good
I love the mini thermos for smoothies (it keeps liquids colder for far longer than any of the other cups listed here), although even cleaning it out immediately doesn’t prevent some mold-like growth on occasion. If you want to avoid potential speech or dental problems caused by sippy cups, the straw is a great option. It’s also leak-proof, so you can toss it in a bag.

The Bad
Compared to the other options here, the Foogo sippy cup and thermos have more parts to clean and get funky pretty quickly. The sippy cup’s spout is made of thermoplastic rubber, which does not contain BPA or phthalates but about which I can find very little safety information. I recommend going with the straw option.

How to Get One
Foogo is widely available, including on Amazon, and you’ll pay between $6 and $12 for a cup, depending on which model you buy.

Thinkbaby Stainless Steel Sippy Cup

This Stainless Steel Sippy Cup works so well! Easy to hold for little hands and completely non-toxic.

Okay Stuff

Contigo Stainless Steel Autospout Kids Water Bottle

Several of you asked about this bottle, and my kids happen to love it. I’m only calling it Okay Stuff because the spout is made of ABS plastic. While this plastic (which is the same kind used to make Legos, btw) does seem to be inert and non-leaching, there are cups that are entirely free of plastic (under Good Stuff), so this one is second tier.

Lifefactory Glass Bottle with Sippy Lid

If you are looking for a glass sippy cup that’s a bit simpler and also sturdier than the Green Sprouts one recommended above, a Lifefactory glass bottle with a sippy lid is worth considering. The bottle comes with a silicone sleeve to reduce the chance of breakage, and the spout is a traditional plastic mouthpiece.

This cup is easy to clean and doesn’t get moldy and gross. All materials used by Lifefactory are manufactured in the U.S. or Europe.

The only reason I am not listing Lifefactory as Good Stuff is that the spout is made of plastic, although it’s polypropylene, a low-risk plastic that does not appear to be a hormone disruptor.

The Safe Sippy

The Safe Sippy has a lot of fans, and it is indeed made of safe stainless steel (insulated, no less).  The straw of the Safe Sippy is made of LDPE #4 plastic, which is one of the safer types of plastic, and not known to be hormone disrupting. Still, now that there are many sippy cups that are completely plastic free, I am reluctant to call this one The Good Stuff.

Bad Stuff

Just like in other Safe Product Guides, GerberEvenflo, and Playtex make the Bad Stuff, despite being BPA-free.

The same goes for Born Free plastic sippies, with an added demerit for being super stinky. Even when we only filled our Born Free sippy with water and took it apart and washed it after every use, it smelled like week-old garbage within a few hours. Gross.

Re-Play Spill-Proof Cups are made of the best kind of plastic, polypropylene, and I love that they are made of recycled milk jugs. That said, plastic is plastic, and there are too many good options to give any plastic cup a nod.

Skip Hop stainless steel straw bottle has a plastic–not silicone–straw.

The Zoli straw sippy cup is made of low-risk polypropylene, but with so many good non-plastic options now available, there is no need to use a plastic cup at all.

How about this for an offensive premise: The First Years Take and Toss sippies are disposable plastic cups (BPA free!) with “recycle!” printed on the front of the package.

Sneaky Stuff

Camelbak makes great stainless steel water bottles for adults, and they used to make a kids’ version with a straw that was a perfect sippy cup. Now, they only make a BPA-free hard plastic version, which was called out as unsafe in a 2011 study.

We’ve just moved Green Sprouts Sip ‘n Straw cup from Good to Sneaky Stuff because the paint on the glass insert was found to have lead (still–no one should panic about this, since that part of the cup is INSIDE the plastic case, so should not come in contact with a child’s hands or the liquid inside the glass).

Munchkin Miracle Stainless Steel 360 Sippy Cup, like so many of the brands I’ve mentioned above, is not terrible. But it has a lot of plastic parts, so I think there are better options available. 

Nalgene water bottles were the original Sneaky Stuff, embraced by environmentalists while all the while containing BPA. These days, Nalgene uses BPA-free plastic for their sippy cups, but plastic is plastic (I know I’m becoming a broken record here).

Another controversial sippy cup is the one made by Sigg. After promising their aluminum water bottles would not leach BPA, it was discovered that they contained the very chemical in their coating. Sigg has since corrected the situation (although if you have a bottle manufactured prior to 2008, it probably does have BPA in it). In addition to the BPA concerns, aluminum itself should be avoided, as explained above.

PlanetBox insulated water bottle also were found to have very high lead levels (on the bottom of the bottle, where children are definitely touching if the plastic bottom is removed).

ThinkBaby plastic sippy cups should be avoided for all the reasons I have been repeating.

What About Phthalates?

Although all sippy cups and kids’ water bottles these days proudly guarantee themselves to be BPA-free, very few mention phthalates. I’ve had almost no luck getting any manufacturer to provide me with a list of all the materials they use (that includes the makers of The Good Stuff!), but the potential for phthalates to be lurking in plastic sippy cups is just another reason to stick to stainless steel or glass. That said, phthalates tend to be found in soft plastic (think bath toys), so most sippy cups are probably in the clear.

Maia, Founder & CEO

Note: This article contains affiliate links or sponsored content, which means that if you make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that meet our strict standards for non-toxicity and that we use (or want to use!) ourselves. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Good Stuff! 

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Leave a Reply

  1. Violet Avatar
    Violet

    Polypropylene plastic is actually quite safe and does not leach much, and it is also historically known to be heavy metal free. The new craze is silicone, and I wish I didn’t fall for it! I’m trying to toss some of my old silicone kitchen utensils and kid’s stuff. Silicone frequently contains cadmium, and although often trace levels, can also contain high levels of it. It is definitely NOT a clean material in my opinion, and I don’t feel safe using it around my kiddo. I feel much safer using PP (polypropylene) plastic. It has a better track record!

    On another note, has anyone found anything online about the Munchkin 360 stainless steel cup? I know it also contains silicone in the drinking apparatus. I wonder if it has ever been tested by anyone with an XRF meter to determine if it contains any cadmium, and if the steel is also heavy metal free?

  2. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    Any ideas on the green sprouts plant plastic sippy cup!

  3. Lauren Gomez Avatar
    Lauren Gomez

    I contacted Klean Kanteen and they said they’re sippy spout is polypropylene? Is that still considered good stuff?

  4. Kathleen Avatar
    Kathleen

    Or just use 4oz and 8 oz glass mason jars that you probably already have on hand to store breastmilk, use as a baby bottle and as toddler sippy/straw tumbler. Can get needed accessories from: masonbottle.com and masonjarlifestyle.com. All non-toxic made of: silicone, glass and stainless steel. (Mason bottle has the only nipple that’s made in USA). Both companies MADE IN USA! 🙂 Have worked great for us.

    Kathleen W.

  5. Amy Voss Avatar
    Amy Voss

    Has anyone used LA Baby transition cups?? Trying to decide Pura or LA Baby.

    1. E S Avatar

      I’m wondering the same thing! This looks like it has all the right things to get…. any guidance really appreciated!

      https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JZTL6GF/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A2N72WQPPDG7MR&psc=1

  6. Charlene S Ruan Avatar
    Charlene S Ruan

    The funtainers by thermos use plastic caps AND have a plastic straw???
    They say it’s not for hot liquids?

  7. Amy Shumway Avatar

    Hi Amy here from Re-Play Products! While we do Recycle Plastic – our No Spills are made from HDPE – only our white is Polypropylene!

  8. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    Hi, I recently purchased a Green Spouts sippy cup and there was no paint anywhere on the glass bottle insert. It was just a plain glass bottle. Am I missing something or has the lead issue been resolved and this is now a safe cup to buy?

  9. Samantha Avatar
    Samantha

    Petite Collage makes a cup as well that goes with the lunchbox I bought off your site are those recommended?

  10. mona Avatar
    mona

    what about Goki?

  11. clara pelaez Avatar
    clara pelaez

    I have an insulated stainless steel Hydro flask for kids, Have you looked into this brand? I don’t see it on your lists.
    thank you

  12. Mell Avatar
    Mell

    Hi,

    I can’t find on your website and wondering if you can recommend a “healthy” option for kids learning utensils? I have some small metal ones but I’m preferring something a little softer for my little one and am worried about using plastic. Thanks!

    1. Suzanne Weaver-Goss Avatar
      Suzanne Weaver-Goss

      Did you mean eating utensils? If not, not sure what you mean by learning utensils. Please clarify? Pens and pencils? Crayons?

  13. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    Very informative although there were a few grammatical errors that took away from the importance of this post. I will be doing my own research based off this.

    1. John Goss Avatar
      John Goss

      Thanks Amy,
      Thanks for the heads-up. There are a few of us that post and grammatical errors periodically show up. Can you let us know where?
      Thanks,

  14. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Hi, Thank you so much for all this awesome information on cups! I have some Thermos Funtainers and saw that you say these are good. I was worried about the inner hard straw and emailed the company. They responded saying that while the soft flexible straw is silicone, the rigid inner straw is LDPE. Is that plastic a concern? I really don’t know anything about it. Thanks again!

    1. Monica Avatar
      Monica

      I had the same question and see it was never answered..

  15. Ainslie Avatar
    Ainslie

    Hi Maia! I love your site and it’s been such a wonderful resource for our family! Have you looked into Go Glass sippy cups? My pediatrician wants us to get one with two handles and I prefer glass to stainless steel. The Go Glass looks ok to me– it’s a glass bottle with a silicone sippy lid and a silicone sleeve– but wanted to see if you had an opinion on it.

    If you dislike it (or haven’t looked into it), can you think of something that would work for us to satisfy those factors? Thanks so much!

  16. Gerry Avatar
    Gerry

    May I add to the confusion? Just because stainless steel is referred to as “stainless” and is known to resist corrosion doesn’t mean that it cannot corrode or leach the constituents of its alloy. Under certain conditions it corrodes more rapidly than mild steel, and those conditions could quite easily be met in a drink container like a sippy cup.

    Many years ago, when I was a Physics department technician at a London University college, I was tasked with setting up an exam experiment to measure the electrical capacitance between two circular metal plates a fixed distance apart in distilled, deionised water — but the attempt failed because the plates released ions into the water causing any charge to leak rapidly away before any meaningful measurements could be taken. I contend that the same thing would happen in a “stainless steel” container with a child’s drink in it — and stainless steel has a high percentage of nickel in it, a poor addition to anyone’s diet! Admittedly the degree of leaching is likely to be low, but the persistent amount over time? Who knows?

    My own vote would go to glass or ceramic whether as the main container or as a coating. I don’t know enough about silicones to offer an opinion on them.

    1. Yulia Muzychenko Avatar
      Yulia Muzychenko

      Thank you so much for your input.

  17. amy Avatar
    amy

    Do you know anything about the brand Zak! (https://www.zak.com/why_BPA_free) ? Thank you and thank you so much for this post, it is very informative and helpful!

    1. Ryan Avatar
      Ryan

      We bought a green sprouts (before reading about people freaking out about the paint on the glass), and it has clear glass. No paint. I’m assuming they listened to the concerns and changed the glass. I’d assume it’s totally lead-free now. (I haven’t read all the comments – maybe someone already mentioned this. I came to this post because I got concerned about the silicone top on the green sprouts, but I guess I shouldn’t worry.)

  18. Renee Avatar
    Renee

    Hi! Just wanted to share that I recently ordered a green sprouts cup and the inner glass part no longer has any paint or markings on it. I’m assuming they’re trying to avoid the toxic paint. So it’s safer now, as long as you don’t need to know how much liquid is in the cup.

  19. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    Hi what about the bran Zak stainless steel bottles for kids. They claim to be 18/8 stainless steel. Not sure about the inside of the bottle containing plastic though, it is not shiny and has a lot of welding lines?

  20. Kali Avatar
    Kali

    I went through 2 pura kiki straw cups and both became deformed on the bottom so the bottom surface became rounded to a point where the cup would rock and fall over easily. Another friend also had the same problem. I emailed the company to complain and was told this was normal, not covered by warranty, and they wouldn’t do anything about it. A toddler cup that starts falling over after a month of use is useless and definitely defective so even though it’s made out of the right materials, I don’t think you should recommend it.

  21. Mamaof3 Avatar
    Mamaof3

    We’ve had tons of issues with our Pura kids cups. They are definitely not one cup for life. They are super thin stainless and even minor drops dent them terribly (which show me a child or adult who won’t accidentally drop them sometimes). Especially where the lid screws on, causing MAJOR leakage. My toddler bites through the silicone on the straws and he’s not even a big “chewer”. And lastly and more importantly they grow black mold like crazy on all the silicone pieces. We have a cup for each of my 3 kids and the mold is literally imbedded into the silicone parts where it cannot be scrubbed off. And I clean the parts regularly. I personally emailed the company and they were less than helpful. We will no longer waste any more money on parts to extend the life of these cups. They are completely impractical.

  22. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    In terms of the Thermos Foogo, do you know what type of plastic the hard straw inside the cup is made of? If so, what are your thoughts on this type of plastic? Thanks!

    1. Katy Leute Avatar
      Katy Leute

      It’s actually silicone according to Maia. See above comments 🙂

  23. madhuri Avatar
    madhuri

    Hi,

    Are Avent sippy cups safe?

    Thanks,
    Madhuri

  24. Stefania Avatar
    Stefania

    Hi Maia,

    We’ve been using Lollacups but are now having second thoughts.. are they safe?

    Thanks,
    Stefania

  25. Meg Avatar
    Meg

    Thank you so much for all of your helpful articles! My baby is starting daycare and they are saying no to all stainless steel/aluminum (“too heavy, could hurt someone if it’s dropped”) and glass (“too heavy, could break”) sippy cups. I am using the Comotomo silicone bottles for breastmilk (which I don’t love, but feel OK about), but looking for a water bottle/sippy cup option that has as little plastic as possible. What would you do???

  26. Jason N Avatar
    Jason N

    Another really good option is Organic Kidz (www.organickidz.ca)

  27. Brittney457345 Avatar
    Brittney457345

    I bought the Pura sippy after reading this article. They are very nice but my 1 year old already dented it a few times and now it’s all wobbly when setting it dow . As nice as it is that it’s certified toxic free it should be cheaper for how fast they need to be replaced. I picked up a think baby stainless steal sippy cup with a straw at Mothers Market. It feels like it’s made of a thicker then the pura.

  28. Leigh Avatar
    Leigh

    Have you looked into the pottery barn kids thermos they sell.. they claim to be bpa free?!?

  29. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Hi Maia – thanks for your work. Thoughts on this silicone bottle with silicone straw? Interesting concept…not sure if LSR is different than regular silicone?

    http://innobaby.com/nursin-smart-9-oz-silicone-training-straw-cup-orange#Tablist31

  30. Leigh Avatar
    Leigh

    What are you thoughts on the swell bottles for both kids and adults?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Good Stuff:).

  31. Em Avatar
    Em

    Hi Maia,

    I was wondering if you can recommend any baby utensils and plates as well? I thought stainless steel utensils is too hard for him yet. My baby has started with solids and I have him use oogaa made of silicone. They said it is electric sterilizer safe.
    Thank you.

    1. Jackie Avatar
      Jackie

      I would like to know this as well!

  32. rochelle ralston Avatar
    rochelle ralston

    Hi Maia,
    Are you familiar with the Wow cup, it is suppose to promote learning how to drink out of a regular glass while containing spills. It says that it is made of BPA free and phthalate free food safe grade plastic. I’m having difficulty finding the exact plastic used.

    Curious of your thoughts.

    Thank you!!
    Rochelle

    http://www.wowcup.com/pages/safety.html#.WUlHoVPysWo

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      There are so many good glass and stainless steel options that I would recommend avoiding all plastic.

  33. Becky Avatar
    Becky

    Hi,
    Just curious if you have a list of safest/best bottles that you recommend? Or if you did any research on them?

    Thanks

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I assume you mean baby bottles? We haven’t done an official guide on this yet, but basically anything glass or stainless steel is Good Stuff:).

  34. Stephanie Montemerlo Avatar
    Stephanie Montemerlo

    Hi Maia, We are still searching for the perfect sippy cup for my 6 month old. Do you know anything about this one? It appears to be new and I can’t find any reviews on it. Looks to be plastic free, but I am sure there could be some hidden.

    https://www.nuby.com/usa/en/soft-sipper-stainless-steel-insulated-cup

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      This one looks like Good Stuff!

  35. Melissa Avatar
    Melissa

    Hi,

    Pura Kiki is made in China, correct? Is China truly trustworthy as the place lead in many of there goods? Green Sprouts is also made in China. I realize the companies make the choice. I only wonder if Pura is truly making a good one?

  36. Danielle Amitrano Avatar
    Danielle Amitrano

    Hi Maia,

    I own dr browns glass bottles and use silicone sleeves for the daycare. My daycare heats the bottles in a small crockpot is it safe for the baby to be handling the heated silicone sleeve (she always grabs the bottle lol) thank you !

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Yes, don’t worry about touching silicone that has been heated.

  37. Aleya Avatar
    Aleya

    This is so helpful! What should I do? We’re starting the transition but skipping the sippy spout (he didn’t like that) and straw. Since the munchkin 360 isn’t good, what’s an alternative? My little is really liking the 360 and now I’m not sure what to do.

  38. Kuleen Avatar
    Kuleen

    Thanks for the information. So is there any lead concern with Termos Foogo? I also use the Thermos Funtainer, which appears just like Foogo. Would you know if that has any lead concern.

    I agree the straw inside seems like plastic in both of these sippy cups. Isn’t that a concern with Thermos?

    Link: Thermos Funtainer: https://www.amazon.com/Thermos-Funtainer-Bottle-Neverland-Pirates/dp/B00IUMZMBM/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&dd=UuWTnGpsjnpq_GGGQDiD9g%2C%2C&ie=UTF8&qid=1490196151&sr=1-3&keywords=thermos+funtainer+hello+kitty&refinements=p_96%3A10155283011

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      That one is fine, and the straw is actually silicone.

  39. Melissa Blackburn Avatar
    Melissa Blackburn

    Hello, I am wondering what is the best way to clean/sterilize the stainless steel bottles and silicone nipples. Some people say always sterilize bottles and nipples daily. Some say you can wash in the dishwasher. Some say soap and water is good enough. I am looking into getting the Pura Kiki bottle. I am most concerned about how to sterilize the silicone nipple. Thanks. 🙂

  40. Stefina Avatar
    Stefina

    My gut says Munchkin’s miracle steel 360 Sippy Cup would fall under “sneaky stuff”. Any thoughts on the top portion of the cup?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      These are stainless steel and silicone and polypropylene, but they do also contain TPE (which I find conflicting info on, so I would avoid for now).

  41. Shawn Avatar
    Shawn

    Hi – Like a previous replier, I have easily found the Thinkbaby Thinkster stainless steel bottle with straw on Amazon and Jet.com. I’d love to know if there was any other reason you put it in the Sneaky Stuff other than limited availability before — like secret lead spots or whatever.

    Thank you.

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Nope, I don’t know anything about secret lead spots:).

  42. Jackie Avatar
    Jackie

    Hi, so since you said silicone should not be heated, how do you sterilize. I’ve heated all bottle nipples because instructions say to. Might my child have consumed some leaching material?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Not enough to worry about;).

  43. Shelby Avatar
    Shelby

    Hi, I was wondering about the straw and sippy cups fromTarget, usually made by Circa? They claim to be BPA free. Please Advise
    Thank you

  44. Shelby Sidoti Avatar
    Shelby Sidoti

    Hi, I was wondering about the straw and sippy cups fromTarget, usually made by Circa? They claim to be BPA free. Please Advise
    Thank you

  45. Victoria Avatar
    Victoria

    Maybe I just want extra reassurance(because I’m neurotic too ;)), but my toddler’s insulated Eco Vessel has a printed bottom with cut-out seam. Is this a safe one? Thanks. I’m going to order a Pura Kiki too.

  46. Dawn Little Avatar
    Dawn Little

    What about contigo sippy cups that are plastic??? It’s about the only spilll proof one I can find.

  47. Swetha Avatar
    Swetha

    Any ideas about this product? Please share

    MoomooBaby Stainless Steel Baby Bottle with Fast Flow Silicone Nipple & Matching Handle 8-Ounce

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      That one looks like Good Stuff;).

  48. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    What do you think about the skip hop zoo stainless steel cups?

    1. Tiffany Avatar
      Tiffany

      Hi Maia!

      Thank you so much for all of your hard work putting these product guides together! I too am wondering about the Skip Hop stainless steel cups. Thanks in advance!

    2. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      They are Okay Stuff–plastic straws but otherwise not great.

  49. Tobi Rubin Avatar
    Tobi Rubin

    What is your thought on the new Munchkin Miracle Stainless Steel 360 Sippy Cup?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      These are stainless steel and silicone and polypropylene, but they do also contain TPE (which I find conflicting info on, so I would avoid for now).

  50. BJ Avatar
    BJ

    Have you looked into the stainless steel Laken bottles at all? They appear to be made in Europe.

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I can’t find any mention of what type of plastic they use for the straw etc.

  51. Presley Avatar
    Presley

    Just wanted to let you know that the think baby stainless sippy is pretty easy to find now. I’ve bought several in the last year, from local stores and Amazon. I know that part of your review stated that it was always out of stock before you updated, so please give it another look over. We love it at our house!

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VZ7GVP0/ref=mp_s_a_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487263995&sr=8-4&keywords=thinkbaby+sippy+cup

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VXV94JS/ref=mp_s_a_1_11_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487263995&sr=8-11&keywords=thinkbaby+sippy+cup

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Thanks for letting me know:)

  52. Rebecca Avatar
    Rebecca

    Thanks so much for the guide. What do you think about Thermos Funtainers? They are stainless steel, double walled, with a silicone straw. Any issues?

    Also, not 100% related to this post, but wondering about the Lunchbots containers for lunches, insulated and non insulated.

    Thanks! Enjoy Hawaii!!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I consider both those Thermos products as well as Lunchbots to be Good Stuff:)

  53. Jennika Avatar
    Jennika

    This woman ran a bunch of tests and found lead in the Green Sprouts sipping cup. Can you please take a look at this and think about removing it from you “good stuff” list? This is the cup I’ve been using for my baby and now I’m obviously very concerned.

    http://tamararubin.com/2017/02/sippylead/

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Yes, we are looking into this and for now are removing this from the guide.

      1. Maia James Avatar
        Maia James

        After looking into this, we’ve moved Green Sprouts to Sneaky Stuff….see above.

        1. Kelly Davis Avatar
          Kelly Davis

          Liquid gets between the glass and the plastic cover when it is tipped over. The liquid then comes out of the hole at the bottom. My daughter would constantly suck at the bottom where the liquid would come out. There is definitely a risk of lead exposure from these cups. The straws also contain cadmium.

  54. Jenna Johnson Avatar
    Jenna Johnson

    You are so knowledgeable!!! Thank you for posting this- I was wondering about the lifefactory glass bottles- but going to settle for the green sprouts- who would’ve thought, hormone disruptors?!

    Thank you for such great mom advice 🙂

  55. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Thank you for the guide! Do you know if any of your recommended brands have a flexible spout? I’ve reached out to a few companies but frustratingly haven’t gotten a response. My lactation consultant recommended one that requires baby to compress the spout to get milk because we’re going to work on training to a sippy cup soon. My three month old daughter refuses bottles and I’m returning to work in a couple months! Thanks ?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      you mean for a sippy cup? The straw on the Pura bottle definitely required the child to compress the straw–it’s not like a regular straw where you simply suck.

      1. Nicole Avatar
        Nicole

        Yes sippy cups! I’d try a cup or straw if it would work. Basically whatever gets her fed when I’m at work! I read recently about Pura Kiki having lead in its sealing dot, though it may have been addressed. Only way to know would be to test. Here’s the article link:
        http://tamararubin.com/2017/02/water-bottles/

  56. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    What about Munchkin Miracle 360 cups?

    Also any thoughts on the brand WeeSprout for baby food storage and reusable food pouches?

    Thank you

    1. Jennifer Gavrich Avatar
      Jennifer Gavrich

      I’d love to know your thoughts on this soppy cup too! Love all your research! It’s such a huge help.

  57. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    Hi! Thank you so much for this and all your other guides–they have been tremendously helpful to me in my first 9 months as a parent!

    I have been using the pura kiki bottles for my son for several months and love them. However, the bottles seems to be too heavy for my son to comfortably hold. This hasn’t been issue but he has recently started to take an interest in holding his own bottle, and while using a regular plastic bottle at a family members he was able to do so without issue. Any suggestions for a bottle that is non-toxic but lightweight enough for my son to use as a trainer cup.

    Thanks!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Are you using the insulated version? If you get the regular one it will be much lighter (as light as plastic): https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/pura-kiki-stainless-steel-infant-bottle-5oz/

  58. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    What about using the straw tops with a regular Lifefactory water bottle? What is the straw top like for those?

    https://www.amazon.com/Lifefactory-12-Ounce-BPA-Free-Bottle-Silicone/dp/B00FAS7NA2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1485319102&sr=8-7&keywords=life+factory

    thanks!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      My best guess is that the plastic top is made of polypropylene—which overall is a very low-concern plastic.

  59. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    Hi,
    We LOVE EcoVessel and Klean Kanteen (we even had the bottles from Klean Kanteen). The EcoVessel straw is great because you don’t have to suck so hard – we have a couple of the ‘Scout’ cups.

    Two questions –
    -What do you think of EcoVessel’s items other than cups – we have stainless snack cups w/ a silicone (?) lid and then collapsable silicone snack holders with plastic (?) lids.
    -What are your thoughts on the newer Munchkin stainless steel 360 cup? It also looks like they are making the snack cup things that are very similar to the EcoVessel ones.

    I try to pack my 16-months old daycare lunch/snacks in all re-usable containers, so I’m always looking for stuff. We used to like just the cheap 4oz Ball mason jars, but the lids rust quickly and I don’t even know if they are appropriate to begin with. We’ve liked the EcoVessel stuff, but it isn’t cheap (but worth it so far).

    Thank you!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi! EcoVessel’s other products are fine, and I’ll look into the Munchkin line! Thanks.

    2. Michelle Avatar
      Michelle

      There’s an Etsy shop called Mason ajar Lifestyle that makes stainless steel Mason jar lids. Great alternative to the canning lids.

  60. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    I found lifefactory tops to be too slow flowijgnandnto clog easily. I have all of mine away and I had well over a dozen.

  61. Sarah Haynes Avatar
    Sarah Haynes

    Thermos foogo has a hard plastic straw inside, which rather detracts from the point of sipping through silicone… Why Thermos???

    The Pura silicone straw fits it, but I can’t find them available single (ie come with the mouthpiece).

    I found a listing somewhere about a silicone straw I could buy yo fit it, but can’t find that now… Any tips? (available in Australia).

    1. Sarah Haynes Avatar
      Sarah Haynes

      I found it. Apparently Thinkbaby straws work, have just ordered some.

      1. Shawn Avatar
        Shawn

        Thanks, Sarah, for posting this. I had the same reaction when I opened my Foogos today.

        I looked at the Thinkbaby replacement straws online but wanted to ask — do they come apart or did you need to cut them?

  62. Jodi Avatar
    Jodi

    I love the Lifefactory cup and it drops off the high chair almost daily and has not broken yet!

  63. Brittney Avatar
    Brittney

    Are the OXO cups safe?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      They are plastic, so I would go for something else.

  64. Chelsea Avatar
    Chelsea

    Great article! However, I would NOT recommend the EcoVessel sippee cup. Second time my kid used it and dropped it, the cheap plastic top shattered, making it unusable. Despite reaching out to Ecovessel multiple times, the most they have done is send me an incorrect replacement part. Every other sippee cup my kid has used withstands normal wear and tear but not this one!

  65. Christy Avatar
    Christy

    Hi what is the story with the Replay line that is made in the USA from recycled milk bottles? Thank you so much. I find it so frustrating to not have safe sippy cups utensils and plates/bowls made in the USA. Also, tritan…bad stuff???

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Milk jugs are made from #2 plastic, high-density polyethylene. All evidence suggests that this is a safe, non-leaching plastic, but I still wouldn’t put Re-play items in the microwave. I would avoid Tritan. Some studies suggest that it’s main component, triphenyl phosphate, has more estrogenic properties than BPA.

  66. Tamara Avatar
    Tamara

    Hi,
    These all look great but some are 11 ounces which is too big for a 6 month old. Any recommendations of straw cups that are 4-6 ounces?
    Thanks?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      You can get a Pura bottle and put a sippy spout on it, but the straw is too long and will only work for the larger bottles.

  67. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    Great post, thanks! I have recently been trying to figure out what do do in this department. I had the green sprouts glass inside sippy cups and I did love them although it is true that they can break fairly easily had do have an annoying number of parts to clean. Here is my recent solution that you may be interested in. I used glass bottles for my son, and I just converted a glass Avent Phillips bottle into a sippy cup… their plastic penguin sippy cup top fits right onto the glass bottle! I’m sure you can do the same with other brands…. next I will try this with our Born Free glass bottles, and what would be even better about that is I have a silicone sleeve that fits over those bottles so this would make it all the better. Anyhow, thought you and your readers might be interested 🙂

  68. Grace Avatar
    Grace

    Hi! I was going to pick up a Pura Kiki 5 ounce bottle, because the 11 ounce is too big for my 6 month old. I called the company to see if they had a straw that would fit, and they said sure! Just snip the 11 ounce straw in half and that works fine. Would this still qualify as good stuff for you or am I leaching extra silicone by snipping it? Thank you!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Nope, no extra leaching:)

  69. Javier Avatar
    Javier

    Hi, would you consider “Organic Kidz’s Baby Grows Up narrow neck bottle” a Good Stuff product?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I wasn’t familiar with that product, but I just checked it out and yes at first glance it looks fine.

  70. jennifer Avatar
    jennifer

    Hi,
    It looks like all of the above “good stuff” options are made in China (Life Factory being the one option made in USA). Do you know of any additional made is USA straw cups for toddlers besides Lolacup – which is horrible with leaks! It seem slike almost all of the food vehicle options are made in China which is very alarming to me.
    Thanks for any advice,
    Jennifer

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Unfortunately, no, I do not know any other non-toxic sippy cups that are made in the USA. Is there a reason you don’t like LifeFactory?.

  71. Matt Akers Avatar
    Matt Akers

    Hi, some great reading, wish I found this page 18months ago before our daughter was born. Now off to the shops and have all the plastic in the recycle bin!!

    Just wondering, do you ship over seas, as we are in New Zealand?

    1. Matt Akers Avatar
      Matt Akers

      Looking at your Pura Kiki straw cup.

  72. Carrie Avatar
    Carrie

    How does my sitter heat the breastmilk in the stainless steel bottle? Does it affect the breastmilk if she heats the bottle and milk in hot water?

    1. Rainbo James Avatar
      Rainbo James

      Breast milk should ONLY be heated in warm/hot water! Never microwave breast milk! Glass mason jars are a great choice for storing and heating breast milk. You might even be able to find a nipple to go right on the mason jar.

      1. Michelle Avatar
        Michelle

        Mason Bottle makes nipples for Mason jars. You can get just the nipple and cap or the whole set with the Mason jar. They also have silicone sleeves to protect the glass. It’s a great option, especially for breast milk since you don’t have to transfer it to a new container to feed the baby.

  73. Lauren Avatar
    Lauren

    Any suggestions for infant baby bottles? Thank you!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Lauren-
      Anything glass or stainless steel, with this one being my top pick: https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/store/pura-kiki-stainless-steel-infant-bottle-5oz/

      1. Lauren Avatar
        Lauren

        Thank you, Maia!

  74. Rebecca Avatar
    Rebecca

    Do you know anything about the Contigo Autospout Flip Chill kids stainless steel water bottle? This one: http://www.gocontigo.com/10-oz-autospout-flip-chill-kids-water-bottle.html

    I’ve had a hard time finding much information about it. I like it because it’s stainless steel, spill-proof, insulated, has a straw, and protected flip up mouthpiece (to better avoid germs). I’d love to know more details about the type of plastic used for the cap and straw, though, and haven’ been able to find any reviews on blogs about it.

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I don’t know about this cup! Looks cool though. Like you, I would want to know what the plastic part is made of…my best guess is thermoplastic rubber. Which is not terrible, but I’ve chosen not to carry cups in my store that have thermoplastic mouthpieces.

      1. rebecca Avatar
        rebecca

        Just found out that the lid is made of ABS. Seems like that might be questionable, so I think I’ll avoid it.

  75. Nina Avatar
    Nina

    Silicone is NOT safe. Most of what you find when you google silicone toxicity relates to breast implants- apparently thousands of women have been very ill from implants (the covering of even saline implants is silicone), with no one relating it to silicone. I found an article where a former DOW chemist states that “silicone is silicone” http://www.safbaby.com/is-silicone-in-baby-products-and-bakeware-really-safe. Dr. Susan Kolb, who wrote a book on the toxicity of implants has a list of all of the chemicals – including heavy metals which comprise silicone. The more you dig, the worse it looks.

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Nina-
      I agree with you that glass or stainless steel should be first choice, and that silicone shouldn’t be heated. Other than that, I am not convinced that it poses a significant risk.

      1. Leah Nathan Avatar
        Leah Nathan

        What are your thoughts in research re silicone baby bottles (como tomo), as opposed to BPA free plastic? My baby has to have breastmilk heated in a bottle at daycare, where they dont allow glass, so I have been using silicone. Cant seem to get a clear answer on the best non-glass option.

        1. REbekah Avatar
          REbekah

          Why don’t you just not heat it?
          Breastmilk doesnt need to be heated if you’re concerned …

  76. cat Avatar
    cat

    Just a piece of info I recently learned: Thermos doesn’t offer replacement parts on their Foogo stuff. So if you need to replace the straws like I did because of the dreaded black spots that grow on them, you’ll be out of luck. On the bright side, the Thermos Foogo brand sippies are very durable and can be used as cups even after the straw parts are no good anymore.

    1. Amy Avatar
      Amy

      I actually googled and found replacement parts for the Thermos Foogo.

      1. Maia James Avatar
        Maia James

        Thanks for sharing, Amy.

  77. Yvette Avatar
    Yvette

    I am wondering if the Lifefactory Glass Bottle with Straw Cap has a silicone or plastic straw and if so, would it be considered The Good Stuff…

    I’ve also been looking at “Buggygear Drinkadeux Glass Double Wall Bottle” but I think reviewers complain that it does have a lot of parts to clean. I wonder how it compares with Green Sprouts glass straw cup.