Parent Picks: The New Generation of Safe Sippy Cups

As a parent I've become increasingly concerned about the early scientific evidence indicating that water, milk, juice, and other beverages stored both short and long-term in plastic containers potentially increases the toxins young children are exposed to. (See Is Plastic Dangerous? for more info)

I did a bit of research and found three companies that make stainless steel sippy cups for children. Using medical stainless steel is a great choice, as it does not have the danger of leaching Bishenol A, DEHA, and Phthalates (the toxins found in most plastic sippy cups), and they can’t break.

The Sigg Sippy, Switzerland (starts at $14.95 for .3 liters, about 10 oz.)

www.sigg.ch

This company has been around the longest, as Europe has been much more conscious about the dangers of drinking from plastic containers. They have an awesome collection of containers with all sorts of patterns and pictures for kids. My son loves the Sponge Bob one. The actual sippy spout is a “sport spout” so it’s great for bigger kids and teens. The only downside is that it's harder to clean than the others.

The Safe Sippy, California (starts at $16.99 for 6 oz.)

www.thesafesippy.com

The Safe Sippy has one style cup and I think it's perfect for young children, 6 months to three years. It's easy for young kids to hold and drink from, although my older son found it more difficult to drink from, and got frustrated getting the last portion of liquid out. They have a pink girls version and a boys green version.

The Klean Kanteen, California (starts at $15.95 for 12 oz.)

www.kleankanteen.com

The Klean Kanteen was the favorite for me, and my son. It’s easy to clean and easy to drink from. It uses a safe plastic Advent spout if you need a sippy, or you can use a cap and drink straight from the neck of the container for older kids and teens. The only downside is that they do not have the colorful patterns, pictures, and characters that kids expect these days.

Concerned parents should research studies done on the dangers of plastic sippys. There are safer options out there, and the above list is a good place to start.