Are you looking for a sippy cup for your child but not particularly convinced that plastic is safe?
Well, you are not alone. The National Conference of State Legislatures have banned BPA in bottles and sippy cups in the United States since 2012, many parents have sworn against using plastic for their little ones – simply because BPA-free plastic alternative was not found to be any safer (Source).
Plus, plastic is just not environment-friendly.
So what’s the better alternative to plastic cups?
Luckily, you have a lot of options when it comes to the material of your baby’s cup. And one of them is glass sippy cups. But are they any better for your children than plastics?
According to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, polycarbonate plastic bottles and sippy cups are bad. Your better option is polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyamide bottles. But one of the best materials for containers is still glass.
Let’s find out why glass is better by discussing its benefits.
Benefits of Glass Sippy Cups
- Natural and non-toxic
Glass is a more natural material compared to plastic. Thus, you don’t have to worry about unknown chemicals when your child is drinking from it. Glass sippy cups also usually comes with food-grade silicone spouts instead of plastic – which is one of the better alternatives.
- Glass cups are easier to take apart, clean, and put back together
When choosing a sippy cup for your child, all parts should be easily taken apart and put back together. You should be able to clean the entire cup to make sure there’s no room for mold to grow. Yes, mold can grow inside a child’s plastic sippy cup, especially on parts that you can’t open and clean.
Check out this news clip from CNN about moldy sippy cups.
- Does not leach chemicals
Have you ever tried drinking from a cup and end up tasting a bit of plastic in it? Well, this isn’t new with plastic. But with a glass sippy cup, this is not an issue.
Glass won’t leach chemicals to your child’s water and other beverages. Thus, not only will their drinks taste better but they’re also purer.
- Safer over time
Since you’ll be cleaning and washing your child’s sippy cup after every use, it is bound to go through normal wear and tear – which facilitates leaching of chemicals in plastics. But with glass, you can wash it again and again without worry as it won’t deteriorate over time.
This also makes it longer lasting. Thus, you don’t have to replace it as often as you would with plastics. Well, unless it breaks or gets lost.
- Non-porous
Glass is non-porous, meaning it won’t keep or hold any taste from the last drink you kept inside your child’s cup. So you can use it for juice, milk, and water without having to worry about the taste mixing.
- Safe to heat in the microwave
Glass does not leach chemicals when heated and it’s safer to use when heating milk in the microwave.
Our Top Pick – Best Glass Sippy Cups
We have found the best glass sippy cups for your children, and our top pick is the Green Sprouts Sip and Straw Cup. This Sip and Straw Cup is made from glass that’s 100% safe for your child to use. The liquids inside only touch glass and silicone while the outer plastic shell and shock-absorbing base help to prevent breakage.
Read on for more information, or click the link below to read more reviews on Amazon.
- Liquids only touch glass and silicone
- Straw supports healthy oral development
- Drip-free spouts with vented free flow for natural transition from breast-feeding
- Non-slip, shock-absorbing base helps resist breaks
Here are the Best Glass Sippy Cup that we have included in our review
5 Best Glass Sippy Cups For Your Child
While a glass sippy cup is a better choice for children, there aren’t a lot of manufacturers who make them. You may have a hard time looking for one that suits your needs. So to help you, we have already scoured the internet to find you the 5 best glass sippy cups for your child.
1. Green Sprouts Sip and Straw Cup
- Liquids only touch glass and silicone
- Straw supports healthy oral development
- Drip-free spouts with vented free flow for natural transition from breast-feeding
- Non-slip, shock-absorbing base helps resist breaks
Our first choice is probably the most popular glass sippy cup in the market. This cup has an outer plastic shell that protects its inner glass container and a shock-absorbing base that helps prevent breakage. It has a spill-free silicone sippy and straw spout that you can interchange with one another. Thus, this cup effectively prevents liquid from touching any type of surface other than glass and silicone.
Also, if there are any damages in the glass insert, you don’t need to buy a whole new cup. You can always replace the broken glass bottle with Green Sprouts Replacement Insert.
- 6 months+
- PVC free!
- BPA free!
- Made with glass, a safe material that will not absorb odors or tastes.
The company had some issues in the past concerning the use of lead-containing paint to mark the volume on the outer part of the glass bottle. However, this has already been resolved with the company changing its design. Today, there are no more volume markings on their glass bottles.
Another thing about this cup is that since the glass is tucked inside the plastic shell, it may be difficult to spot cracks or chips. So we recommend checking it carefully before each use and to use it under adult supervision.
2. Tabor Place Glass Sippy Cup for Toddlers
- 300 ml (8 oz) Glass Straw Sippy cup - practically spill proof and designed so that liquids never touch plastic! At 8oz, it's the biggest and best designed Glass sippy cup on Amazon
- Strong borosilicate glass make this cup non-toxic, durable and shatter-resistant. This cup is almost impossible to break!
- Slanted silicone straw reaches all the way to the bottom of the cup - getting every last bit of liquid! We make it easy to use less plastic with our toddlers!
- Shock-absorbing silicone sleeve protects the inner glass, and makes it easy to grip, with a measurement window on the side.
The Tabor Place Glass Sippy Cup can hold 8 oz of water, juice, or milk, making it the biggest cup for your child. It is practically spill-proof and designed to never touch plastic. Its Pyrex glass is non-toxic, durable, and resistant to shattering. Plus, there’s a shock-absorbing silicone sleeve that protects the inner glass. This also makes this cup easy to grip and hold.
Furthermore, this cup has a snap-on lid, a slanted silicone straw that reaches the bottom, and a handle that your child can easily hold. All these parts and pieces come apart and can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
3. Eco-Friendly Glass Toddler Sippy Cups
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Toddle Up offers a cup set that includes 3 sippy glasses and 4 bamboo straws. Each cup comes with bamboo lids and colorful silicone sleeves which helps protect the glasses and prevent them from slipping. It also helps your little one to have a better grip.
You can use this cup as a sippy cup with the lid and straw. When you’re child is ready, it can be used as a normal cup. But what makes these set of sippy cups different is that they are eco-friendly. The non-plastic reusable bamboo lids and straws are made with high-quality materials, making them safe and good for the planet.
However, take note that the cups are not microwave-safe and the bamboo parts are handwash only. That said, it does come with a straw brush so it’s easy to clean.
4. Elk and Friends Kids Cups
- LOVE: Kids and Moms 'love' our tumblers! The ‘Original’ Glass Mason jar cup designed by Elk and Friends. We’ve listened, tested and fine-tuned our products to meet every one of your needs. Also,...
- WHAT'S INCLUDED: This set includes 4 * 8oz mason glass jars, 4 * silicone sleeves, 8 lids (4 Straw Lids with spout + 4 * leak-proof & air-tight lids), 4 silicone straws with stoppers and straw...
- STRAW LIDS WITH SPOUT: Our straw lids have a spout so they can also be used to drink from with the sipping spout. A great way for little ones to start to learn how to drink from a cup.
- STRAW STOPPERS: Our toddler cups have straws with stoppers. No more mess with toddlers pulling out their straws. Our straws are also a little wider for those thicker smoothie drinks.
Here’s another set of sippy cups from Elk and Friends. They offer 4 glass jars, 4 silicone sleeves, and 8 lids (4 lids with straw hole and the other 4 lids are leak-proof and air-tight). The set also includes a straw cleaning brush and 4 silicone straws with stoppers. Thus, your toddler or baby won’t be able to pull it out from the glass.
Similar to others in the list, this set of cups has silicone sleeves which not only looks good but also provides protection from bumps and drops. They also give a greater grip for your kid’s little hands. Aside from being great sippy cups, these glasses are a must-buy for its versatility. They are great for children’s drinks and they can be used for storing food as well thanks to the leakproof and airtight lids.
5. Hamarue 3-in-1 Glass Sippy Cup for Toddlers
- SAFE. Our sippy cup with straw is non-toxic and made with high quality ingredients - 3rd party tested, proven to be BPA (and subsitutes), PET, Phthalates, Cadmium and Lead FREE. They will not leach...
- EVOLVES. Hamarue glass baby cup with straw also includes nipple and sippy spouts along with removable handles. The bottle transition sippy cup is perfect for ages 3M+ and evolves through every stage...
- SHATTER PROOF. Hamarue baby sippy cups are made of high quality glass and can withstand some drops on hard flooring and with it's silicone outer layer. The silicone helps prevent injury in case of an...
- PROTECTS PALATES. The food-grade silicone mouthpieces and extra soft and protect developing teeth and palates. Silicone spouts are recommended by pediatricians throughout development to prevent...
Our final pick is Hamarue’s glass sippy cup which is tough, non-toxic, and includes 3 spouts. It comes with a silicone nipple, sippy, and a straw spout. Meaning, your child can use it as an infant up until he turns into a toddler. It also includes a cleaning brush for the straw mouthpiece.
What makes this cup unique from other glass sippies is that it doesn’t have a silicone sleeve to protect its glass parts. Instead, its high-quality glass is coated in food-grade silicone. This makes it able to withstand drops and protects it from breaking. This outer layer also prevents injury in case the glass does break. Furthermore, it is spill-proof and heat resistant so you can put it in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sippy Cups
What age should a child use a sippy cup?
Try introducing sippy cups when your baby is around 9 months old or even earlier. This will give him time to get used to it. Just remember finding the right cup requires some trial and error. Also, don’t completely take away his bottle as he might see it as a punishment.
Consider switching your child from bottle to a sippy cup around the time they turn 1. Experts say that a baby should be off the bottle by this time since waiting longer can make your baby get more attached to his bottle. Thus, making it harder for him to give it up. Moreover, bottle-feeding past the age of 1 can lead to tooth decay.
Should a 4-year-old use a sippy cup?
No. Sippy cups are used to help kids transition from bottles to regular open cups. It is supposed to be used short-term within 3 to 4 months and not 3 to 4 years. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should switch to an open cup by the time they turn 2.
What age should you stop using sippy cups?
We recommend trying to wean your child from sippy cups before they turn 2. Try to introduce an open cup once in a while when you can look after him and only use a sippy cup when the situation calls for it. By 3 years old, try to wean completely.
Can sippy cups mess up teeth?
According to Dentistry for Children, it’s perfectly fine for your child to drink from a sippy cup. However, what you put in it and what they drink is what matters. See, frequently drinking soda, juices, or milk is like bathing the teeth in sugary liquids. This allows bacteria to grow, thus, leading to tooth decay.
