Read part two of this report here… & Check out my review on the New Glass Sippy.
By now you have probably heard about the big BPA or bisophenol debate. BPA is a nasty chemical most often found in polycarbonate plastics. These plastics are used many times to make products that are in a great many homes. I have posted about this issue a few times in the past but it is worth mentioning again.
So what is BPA and why should you be concerned? Bisphenol A is an estrogen-like chemical used to make plastic. You can find it in MANY products… water bottles, dental sealants, in the linings of most tin cans and in some of the most shocking places of all…in baby toys, baby bottles, and sippy cups. Companies have long known about this chemical’s ability to act like a hormone and they have always hidden behind the fact their specific product contains levels considered safe. Well, there is a fundamental flaw in this thinking…or rather a small detail they would like consumers to over look. We don’t just use “one” product. We may use many of the different products that contain BPA…tuna cans, baby bottles, sippy cups…and the cumulative exposure to this chemical is anything but safe. Just read an excerpt from a recent study below:
Bisphenol A manufacturers have said the trace amount leaching into food and beverages isn’t dangerous to people because it’s quickly metabolized into a form that loses its ability to act like a female sex hormone.
While the authors of the new assessment agreed that people break down some of the bisphenol A they absorb, they said since so many plastics and other products containing it are in use that “virtually everybody” in developed countries has chronic, low-level exposure to the chemical and measurable amounts of its biologically active version.
Typical readings are about two parts per billion in blood. Although this is an extremely small amount, hormones are active at this level, and at even lower concentrations.
Based on the amounts being found in people and what is known about the metabolism of bisphenol A from animal experiments, it also appears that human exposures are above the current U.S. safety limit, according to the assessment.
Another study done by the Environment California Research and Policy Center tested 5 popular baby bottles: Avent, Dr. Brown’s Evenflo, Gerber, and Playtex. ALL were shown to have unsafe levels of Bisphenol A. Sadly this is how many are starting out life for their precious babies…giving them toxic chemicals inadvertently. And to make matters even worse…if you use formula you are giving your baby a double whammy because the lining of those formula cans may very well be leaching BPA into the actual formula as well.
Many other studies have concluded the same thing BPA is unsafe. It can speed up puberty and add to weight gain, and may cause changes that can lead to breast and prostate cancer. Other studies have shown that is may cause brain damage, abnormal organ development, and hyperactivity. We must take steps to eliminate it from our lives to the extent we can. This is one BIG reason you need to store your food in glass containers and not plastic. It is also the reason you need to find safer alternatives for baby bottles and sippy cups.
I wrote an article about BPA free baby bottles if you recall. Glass baby bottles seem to be a new favorite among natural moms. Born Free is also quite popular. I did update that post recently to show a few other bottle choices for parents who wish to avoid BPA. I especially dig the new Nuby BPA free bottles.
As the parent of an older baby I am a bit more concerned with safe sippy cups myself. A glass sippy cup would be the best alternative but who is going to give a toddler or a mobile baby a glass cup? Not me!
So I decided to try several different BPA free sippy cups and see which ones made the grade. I reviewed the Klean Kanteen, Sigg, Born Free, Foogo, and Avent Naturally sippy cups/bottles. You will hear what I think and what my kids think. So let the battle begin….may the best sippy cup win. ;)
Baby Water Bottle (Price $14.95-16.95) – This great product is made by a Swiss company. This sippy bottle is made from aluminum and has a completely inert, water-based epoxy lining that does not leach harmful chemicals. Instead of an actual sippy spout it has one more like a sports bottle. It has a lid that clamps down over top of it to help avoid spills. They come in a variety of child pleasing styles so this bottle is anything but boring. My kids love the different choices available and overall they like this bottle. Although I have not had a problem with leaking I have some friends that have had issues. It is also pretty commonly known that these bottles will dent and chip if dropped a lot. My kids gave this cup an A+. I would give it an A-.
Avent Naturally Sippy Cup (Price $6.95)- Yes, it is made of plastic but not a variety which contains harmful chemicals like BPA. Although because it is made of plastic I knew this sippy cup would not be a favorite of mine. Plastic is always going to be slightly suspect to me…I can’t help it. We picked up this particular cup at Whole Foods. The cup is rather plain and ugly and we did have a few leak issues so I can’t even say that it did the job all that well. The lid also got lost pretty fast. My children would pass this one up in favor of one of their “cool” cups. They gave it an D. I gave it a C… it is BPA free and low in price.
Klean Kanteen Sippy Bottle (Price $16.95)- This sippy bottle is made of stainless steel which will 
not leach harmful chemicals. I use this bottle myself (the adult version of course) and I REALLY like it. For the kids bottle you have two choices. You can get a sports bottle spout (with a detachable lid) or an actual sippy spout AND you can get a sippy adapter to make the transition yourself which is a nice feature. The sippy spouts are made by Avent and are BPA free. You can also easily get replacement sippy spouts. The bottles are nice and shiny but they do get kind of dingy looking once they have been smeared by tiny fingerprints. Maybe it is an OCD tendency but I am often grabbing them and cleaning them to make them look shiny again, LOL. My kids really like this bottle and they especially like that it is a mini version of my water bottle. They give Klean Kanteen an A. I did too.
Born Free Sippy Cup (Price $10.99) – This BPA free sippy is made the same company that is widely known for making BPA free baby bottles. Their sippy cups are made with safe plastics and they come in
green, blue, peach and yellow (that I have seen anyway). They are fairly attractive for a plastic cup with their translucent and delicate colors. They have a detachable lid (this one got lost too) and handles on either side. They have a low vacuum valve designed to create free flow of liquid but unless your child is just learning to use a sippy cup the flow may be to slow, so the drinking cup model for older kids might be a better fit. We had no leaks with this cup but there was a big drawback for me. This cup breaks up into six different pieces…the cup, the handles, the vacuum valve, the top part that houses the valve, the spout, and the lid. I guess this is good for an extra good cleaning but sheesh…there are just too many pieces to keep track of. My kids gave it a B. I gave it a C.
Thermos Foogo Sippy Cup (Price $14.99-17.99) – This cup is also stainless steel like the KK and it has a soft plastic spout. You can also get it with or without side handles. There is even a taller cup with a straw available. The colors are quite attractive with blue/yellow and pink/purple combos. I have one friend that claimed to have a few small leak issues but so far we have not. One BIG advantage that this cup has over the KK bottle is that it is also a thermos. Warm drinks stay warm and cold drinks stay cold. It is good, sturdy cup. I love that it is made of stainless steel, I love that it is also a thermos, and I REALLY love the ultra stylish design. It is one gorgeous sippy cup (did I really just say that). ;) My kids gave this cup an A and I gave it an A+.
Just a quick side note: I hand clean all my sippy cups and water bottles but of the ones I have reviewed here the only ones you can put in the dishwasher are the Born Free, the Avent Naturally, and the Foogo (although it is not recommended for this one). So if using the dishwasher is a sticking point for you keep that in mind.
So…what is the verdict? Who wins the safe sippy cup celebrity death match….muhawaaa! The Foogo by Thermos wins the first round in our household but the Klean Kanteen is very close behind. My kids really liked the kid friendly design of the Sigg bottles but mom likes durability more. Born Free is a good option in plastic but a little to high maintenance for me. Avent Naturally came in last but it is the most affordable option so parents with more limited budgets can feel safe with it.
So which safe sippy cup or bottle wins in YOUR house? Also if you know of any other great alternatives for sippy cups or bottles (even baby bottles) please share below!
Make sure to check out our reviews on BPA Free Plates, Bowls, and Utensils!
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I heart the foogo cups, both the straw ones and the sippy. The Kleen Kanteen is a close second but feels inelegant to me. And the Sigg, while super cute, is not easy to clean or tiny hands to operate. I put all of mine in the dishwasher.
What a great post! Thank you so much for this info!
Hi,
Great review, thanks. I use the SIGG for myself at work but have a Kleen Kanteen sippy for my one year old. I find the draw a little hard (she’d prefer to just drink out of a cup if she’s really thirsty).
Were you able to ascertain that the plastic parts of the Foogo are Bisphenol A free? Thanks!
Melissa, those components are made of polypropylene or plastic number 5 and have no BPA. Here is a good resource to check the plastic number and see if BPA is present: http://www.shahine.com/omar/BisphenolA.aspx
This is a great post! With the recent made in China debate, we’ve stopped buying products from China. Kleen Kanteen is made in China and so we don’t buy them. We love the Thermos in our house. :)
Thank you so much for posting this review! We currently have Klean Kanteen cups and water bottles, but I just found out they are made in China. In an effort to avoid supporting that government, I’ve been looking for alternatives.
This is really cool Tiffany.
I guess I’m odd because I never used sippy cups at all. I just give the toddlers/kids a small glass cup. They get broken sometimes but mostly by me, I’m the biggest klutz in the family.
Thanks for mentioning that Laurel! I meant to but I forgot about it. :)
Carrie, I am not so worried about the glasses breaking as I am injury. My youngest had a glass bowl a few months back and I was trying to take it from him and he decided to run away from me in order to keep it. He fell right on top of it and it cut his face badly. Now at 20 months he has a scar (sobbing). That kid isn’t touching any more glass until he is an adult! LOL.
If it isn’t one thing it’s another. I still am still reeling from all the toy recalls and now this! I had no idea about this…gosh, scary stuff.
That is something i did not know about i have always been suspect of plastic things and know sippy cups! I will have to change sippy cups for my toddler, thanks for the information.
BPA Free Sippy Cups…
This consumer reports on the problems of BPA products, and some BPA-free sippy cups…….
Thank you for bringing such nice posts. Your blog is always fascinating to read.
How hard/flexible is the spout on the Thermos Foogo sippy?
Thanks for writing this Tiffany, I had no idea. My kids are older now and don’t use sippy cups anymore but… after reading this I question those plastic cups we got :(
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Wow … my kids are bigger now so I do not even have any sippy cups anywhere in the house but when you mentioned … “can speed up puberty and add to weight gain, and may cause changes that can lead to breast and prostate cancer. Other studies have shown that is may cause brain damage, abnormal organ development, and hyperactivity. We must take steps to eliminate it from our lives to the extent we can. This is one BIG reason you need to store your food in glass containers and not plastic….” It got me really concerened. I do not have too many plastic containers at home … I guess from now on I will be using more glass containers. Thanks for your informative post.
OK — things like this scare me… I wonder how many things I have at home that are stealthily damaging my family. All the more reason to subscribe to this blog. Thanks Tiffany :)
New to this and would love to knwo what to get my baby, she’s 6 month and will use a sippy soon for the first time.
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Thank you so much for this! I hope it is ok, I linked to it on my “Living Green” blog, telling people that they could come here for more information (I was doing an article on a similar topic).
http://backtobasicsbylivinggreen.blogspot.com/
Thanks Robyn!
Doing it Differently Blog Carnival, 11th Edition…
Welcome to the 11th edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival!
This carnival is dedicated to the concept of stepping outside of the box and living our lives in ways beyond the "norm"!
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great post. i’ve passed it on to my daughter, whose son is just about to get into the sippy cup stage.
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Wow, this has me concerned about tupperware and the water bottles my kids take to school…
I don’t watch much news so I wasn’t aware of this until my husband told me not to save old sippy cups for the next child. I found your blog and now I’m going to get rid of all of them and get new BPA free cups. I’ve enjoyed your website. Thanks!!
My six year old’s dentist wants to put dental sealants in her permanent molars. Is there any BPA-free sealant being used yet?
“This is a great post! With the recent made in China debate, we’ve stopped buying products from China. Kleen Kanteen is made in China and so we don’t buy them. We love the Thermos in our house. ”
I’m 99% sure Thermos is made in China.
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Thank you for sharing this news Tiffany – I’m going to pass your link onto some moms that I know. It makes me so mad to know that companies knowingly allow this kind of exposure to happen. Makes we wonder about the kinds of things my kids (who are now teens) were exposed to.
Thank you for all the info regarding BPA free cups. I was interested in the Foogo but on their website it says it’s only for cold drinks. Do you have more info about that??
Has anyone tried the BPA free baby bottles at greentogrow.com? They are plastic and look nice. I don’t think they have sippy cups though.
Hi, I was wondering about the aluminum in the SIGG bottle. We are getting rid of all aluminum cookware as Alzhiemers runs in out family. Do you know if the liquids come in contact with it?
Word to the wise, the Foogo cup is manufactured in China. I was disappointed to discover this after purchasing one of these from Thermoses online store. The Element 5 line is made in Malaysia but is not really designed for children. It is a shame that Thermos has not switched to another country of origin for its children’s line considering all the bad press surrounding China at the moment. My Foogo is still in it packaging as I decide whether to use it or not.
Battle of the BPA Free Sippy Cups – A Review…
A review of 5 major brands of safe and bpa free sippy cups….
Hi Tiffany – Are all the “Avent Naturally” bypes of cups free of the dangerous chemical? They have a “sport bottle” Thank you!
Hi Lori Marie,
If the brand says “Naturally” I think they are BPA free…this is their line of “safer” plastic cups. If it just says Avent I would pass.
Does anyone know if feeding products made of melamine are ok?
I have always bought Gerber Sippy Cups so I was interested to see what they offer as far as BPA free… GERBER DOES make BPA free sippys– any of the SIP & SMILE cups ARE BPA FREE! However the “two-handle” and the “transitional” cups do contain BPA. It’s a really cheap alternative!
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Hi there, this is all new to me but I’m very interested in it! I have an 18 month old boy…….I of course want him to grow up as healthy as possible! Can you please tell me how I can get one of the sippy cups (Thermos one’s) with the handles?? I live in Canada (Ontario) and can only find the KK one’s!!! Thanks so much!!
I just contacted playtex. The person I spoke with said the only sip-cup that currently contains BPA are their Little Einstein cups. They have discontinued others that contained the chemical. It is worth checking into a bit further.
Hi, thanks for this great post. I love your blog!
My baby is 8 months old. We switched to all Evenflo glass and Medela bottles a few months ago when I learned about BPA. We are not using sippy cups yet but I am looking into them.
Thanks for mentioned the Thermos one — I am going to look into that. Thermos and Pyrex are two of the trusted brands in my kitchen. Oh, and Lodge cast iron! :-)
I like the look of the Sigg but is aluminum really safe?
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Ann Marie,
The Sigg is aluminum on the outside with a water based epoxy lining on the inside. Personally I like to stick with stainless steel but for parents that want a more colorful option the Sigg is pretty good.
Thanks so much for being so thorough. I have been really worried about plastics and have moved from our playtex & gerber cups (avent always leaked for us) to Siggs. I decided on the Sigg cups because I don’t like the avent spouts and okay a bit taken by the cute prints. ;) I have been doing some research in finding other alternatives (getting some Thermos soon as well) and was curious if you have had the opportunity to use a Safe Sippy by Kid Basix. They look very interesting and I like that they have a rubbery sleeve. I am most likely going to try one out, but was really wanting to get some comments prior to making the purchase. I appreciate your reviews…very well done!
Tina I will be reviewing the Safe Sippy by Kid Basix in January! I am also reviewing another called Fluid, very soon.
are there any bpa free regular drinking cups? my 4 yr old isn’t using sippy cups anymore… THANK YOU tiffany! this is an incredible post!
just checking the notify me of follow up comments option… sorry…disreguard this…
Hi Danielle,
I would suggest the Foogo version for older kids. It is larger and has a straw. Also from Thermos you can get a Funtainer (try Amazon) they are stainless steel thermos jugs with straws. My son has one with chracters from Cars the movie.
Also the Klean Kanteen mentioned above has a non-sippy spout…you can get the sport bottle attachment instead. And the Sigg bottles all come with a sport bottle style sipper and you can get ones without cute characters.
Hope that helps!
i have been researching BPA free sippy cups and discovered the foogo thermos cup. they look great but although they are stainless steel (a plus) i am wondering about the spout and if it is safe. it is made from Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) but i cannot find out whether TPEs safe or not. has anyone else come across this information?
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There is a new part 2 to this review located here:
http://www.naturemoms.com/blog/2008/01/21/bpa-free-sippy-cups-part-two/
And we are giving away a free sippy cup!
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Thanks for the review! I would be interested to hear your comments about Kleen Kanteen bottles verses Sigg in regards to using them with juice and milk.
mapsgirl’s last blog post..so many choices!
To the commenter from Canada who didn’t know where to find BPA free products, try Safety Superstore (toronto
area). They are getting the Safe Sippy in soon, I’ve got a couple on preorder.
http://www.safetysuperstore.com/
Yes this issue has only come to my attention recently and I can’t believe more moms out there don’t know about bpa problems in baby bottles. Thank you for writing about this.
Green Eilleen
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Are you reallly sure the “Avent Naturally” cups are safe? They certainly don’t claim that they are — it looks to me that the “Naturally” moniker simply refers to the shape of the nipples used in the bottles in this line, not necessarily to use of safe materials. And in fact, the Canadian study on BPA in bottles used the Avent Naturally ones and found BPA leaching, so that name alone doesn’t mean anything.
Further online searching leads me only to a) AVENT’s FAQ where they indicate that they think BPA is perfectly safe, b) the bottle study again, or c) reprints from your blog post.
I’d love for you to be correct as this would be a nice cheap option, but I can’t find any evidence that it’s so. If you could provide a further reference, I’d appreciate it very much.
i’m interested in your response to matthew’s post as well. i purchased the Avent Naturally sippy cup after reading your blog, as it is a cheap alternative that i am relatively happy with (spillage is for me one of the biggest issues for me among all of these BPA-free brands). if this cup isn’t actually safe, i’d like to know! by the sounds of it, the odds are not in Avent’s favour!
Hi Matthew,
When in doubt I contacted the manufacturing companies. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics and the Avent Naturally is made of Polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomer, and silicone. As with some other sippy cups lines like Nuby….these companies mostly have BPA cups with one or two exceptions. Whole Foods also only carries BPA free cups (according to them) and they carry Born Free and Avent Naturally.
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Regarding comments 65 & 67:: I’m not 100% sure and am looking into this a little further myself, but believe that the ‘Naturally’ line is part of their branding. The reasons that I say this is that I use the Avent Naturally Starter kit – the bottles (that can be transformed to sippies by buying the right attachments), not specifically sippy cups. I’m unsure of what they’re made of, but upon looking on their website, the ‘Naturally’ appears not only on all bottles and cups, but on their sterilizers, tubes of cream, sippy cups (softer plastic) as well as baby bottles (which I own) that are consistent in material with that of BPA (clear, hard, indestructible plastic). While I could be mistaken, I’ll most likely get rid of my bottles (that were converted to sippies). Tiffany, much appreciation for all the effort and time that’s gone into this research and trial!
thank you for this great review. over the past number of months i have felt SO TORN over the whole plastic vs metal debate. i recently got myself a stainless steel drinking bottle, then realized that the water i pour into it has been sitting in my plastic water filter for how many hours? so what is the point? i fear that this could be a very expensive and possibly endless battle.
Anj, Brita containers are apparently safe: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/brita
Not sure about other brands.
Please don’t take this the wrong way. I am glad they found a way to save our children’s lives by finding all these chemicals and being able to do something about it. The only thing I don’t approve of is how they go about it. They test these products on animals. It’s almost like you have to take a life to save a life. I am not a parent but I love children and I love animals. I just wish there was a way to save one life without hurting the other.
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Maybe I’m the only one with this problem, but the Foogo cups leak BIG TIME in our house. I ended up throwing 2 away in disgust and still have the 3rd, but I’m about to throw that one away. And you may want to point out to everyone that it has several pieces – the valve itself is made up of two pieces and if you don’t clean them, they get nasty. I personally give the Foogo a D.
The Born Free cup has worked extremely well with my 10-month old. But I do agree that the many pieces are not fun. I also woudn’t use this cup with an older child. I consider it to be a fantastic bottle-to–cup transition cup.
I am now putting my 10-month old on Nuby BPA-free cups. They work wonderfully, are easy to find even at WalMart, and not expensive.
Foogo sippy cup leaked all the time, I am returning them that’s how much I didn’t like them and they don’t hold a lot. I love the Klean Kanteen for my 2 year old and my 4 month old is drinking from Green to Grow bottles with Nuby non drip niples that are vented.
Thank you so much for this!
Another great product is the Laken bottle and Laken bottle Jr…they are made in spain of 100% recycled aluminum. My fave place to purchase them is http://www.morethanclothdiapers.com/laken.html
Thanks so much for this!
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Hi. I advise all to be aware of the Clean Kanteen spout made by Advent. My understanding is that it is 50% avoprene which is highly unstable. Please research this yourselft before purchasing.
Hey, I just wanted to put in that we searched high and low for a sippy that was BPA free, totally operatable by an 18 month old, would never leak and did not need to be opened and closed for use. Avent (including Kleen Kanteen which uses their tops) – leaky, Thermos – moldy under the not removable rubber rim, Born Free – to baby bottle-ish, Sigg – to hard to open and leaks if left open. Also, frankly, I am putting in a lot of effort here and I want to look like as cool of a mom as I am, so I don’t want a new version of a grocery brand thing, thanks! Then we discovered that Nalgene has recently started offering a BPA free kid sippy that doesn’t look rediculous, is affordable ($8 at REI), and NEVER leaks, even if left in bed or flung angrily from a stroller. Love it! It is plastic so I’m sure that it’s full of some other horrible chemical but it’s the best I can do right now. Also for bigger kids who drink/can carry more, the Camel Back brand is offering some nice 24oz, non-leaking, optional-straw water jugs that can come with an admitedly ugly insulating sleve (cold milk anyone?) in super cool colors. Our two year old loves his, especially that he can clip it to his trike with a small carabiner. For regular cups we use the Coleman enameled tin camping mugs (and plates and bowls) to solve the plastic vs. breakability issue in our house. They do chip and get a little rusty on the bottom if you repeatedly drop them on the sidewalk but most kids have a natural rust aversion and don’t put that part in their mouth. Love this blog, what a find! So happy to fing other families who care about this!
Just wanted to echo #80 – we have had the new nalgene “everyday” bottles for a few months now for our two year old and they work great – he has one for bed and one for the car. they never leak and they are durable, and since we’ve lost at least two siggs, the price is right too. it’s also great that they are dishwasher safe, since our remaining sigg was always looking a bit crusty. we finally got around to getting adult-sized bpa-free nalgenes this weekend to replace our old bottles that were several years old. as for everyday glasses, our toddler uses 1/2 pint jelly jars – they fit his hands just right and while I suppose they could still break, it hasn’t been an issue for us, even when it’s fallen on our concrete floor. now we just have to decide what type of bottle to use for our newborn once we introduce the bottle in a few weeks…
For all of the Avent users out there who have the leak issues, I thought I might mention to not screw the top on super tight. Turn the top until it catches and that will most often relieve you of those horrid leaks. That info was included in the user’s guide when they were made in England. I used these for two babies, 1999, 2005.
Both of my boys prefer the KK, but the youngest sometimes wants his blue Sigg with a straw! Go figure.
Hey 81, we just discovered the new MAM brand BPA free bottles. We considered glass bottles but they were really heavy and I need to be able to toss them into a bag and not worry about breakage. Anyway, the MAM ones have a sort of funky nipple but after a few days our baby got over her annoyance with them and now she’s fine. BUT… if you have any extra hanging around that didn’t work out as sippy cups the AVENT silicone nipples fit into the sippy adapter hole in the Kleen Kanteen bottle. Which is kind of cool. We were able to pick up the MAM ones at the local grocery here in Ohio and at $14 for 3 diswasher safe 9oz bottles I would reccomend them.
Has anyone ever used The Safe Sippy? I am curious, my daughter is 4 and only uses them at night or on the road so I would love a review before I buy. http://www.thesafesippy.com/
I have two boys, two and a half and the other just turned four. It is really interesting reading everyones comments about products, so I thought I would add mine as well. I have the safe sippy, sigg and the thermos stainless steel one with the straws. Personally, I like the Sigg the best, the quality just seems higher. I do not like the plastic straw pieces with the thermos one. Also, the Thermos one with the spout seemed to soft for older kids. I have used others in the past, and their teeth would just rip off chunks of the rubber spout, yuck! The safe sippy is great too, it is just a bit too “baby” looking for my four year old I find. We tend to use the safe sippy at home and the Siggs for travel. I like the new colored Kleen Kanteens and wanted to try them next, but after hearing a few nasty comments about rusting and made in China, I may re think about buying them. Any one out there know much about melamine products? And how about the new Laptop Lunches? They are labeled as using safe plastics? It is so hard to know what is good and bad any more, Rhonda
We have the Thermos straw ones and not only did my husband manage to break one of the straw assemblies within 3 weeks, but in that amount of time the inside bottoms of both of them are getting rust spots. I’m not sure what to do about it, since they’re pricey. Up until the spots appeared I was totally thrilled with the Thermos straw ones. They really did keep the liquids cold (not recommended for hot liquids), they washed easily, and the kids loved them. No leaking. I will contact the company today to find out about the rust and to order extra straw assemblies.
Hi Tiffany,
I didn’t see any feedback on the comment that the Thermos company moved to China some years ago. Is stainless steel from China safe to use? We need a feel for a safe product and not knowing what could be in stainless steel sure is a concern.
Thanks,
Brenda
Thank you for posting this info. I am looking for greener ways for me and my son. He will be using sippy cups soon and will decide which cup to purchase for him based on this info. Thanks again
I use the Safe Sippy with my daughter and I love it. It’s easy to clean (dishwasher safe!) and even though it’s stainless steel it comes with a colorful, stylish wrap that keeps it from getting dinged. The spout seems to be easier for her to use, too, since she’s only 8 months old and it’s shaped more like a nipple and I’m still breastfeeding. The water seems to come out too fast, but again, she’s only 8 months old, it’s probably perfect for a toddler.
Hello, paid industry shill “Susan”. I’ll save everyone else the trouble: the John Hopkins doctors quoted in the Snopes article say that there’s no *dioxin* released by freezing plastic water bottles. The part about BPA simply says that there is still considerable debate about the topic — which is true, and especially a year ago when that article was written. I’d put more trust in more recent articles like this one:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/26/AR2008042602126.html?sid=ST2008042602242
im the owner of chulamama, and the safe sippy has by far done the best ; they redesigned the top so no leaks : and peeps always come back for more, which is always a great sign !!! the style is great and the handles are great for toddlers transitioning : but ive also seen 6 and 7 year olds ask there mom for it !!
use coupon code : nayuremoms and get 10% off at http://www.chulamama.com
Hi Tiffany – I’m so glad this post is flagged on your site so many can read about the dangers of BPA, but I still worry about the uninformed mom who isn’t online, or aware of how nasty BPA is. I just read this morning that Canada will be the 1st country in the world to limit the use of BPA and add it to its official list of toxic substances. That means no baby products will be contaminated with BPA and appropriate warnings will be applied when BPA is in other consumer products. The USA ought to do the same. Here’s the link to the article: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/519762
I bought the Born Free sippy cups for my children and they chewed the “nipples” and they now leak constantly. I have purchased additional “nipples” but it is a never ending battle. We have the Klean Kanteens for our use and I will now look into purchasing their sippy cups. Thanks for the review!
For those of you interested in glass sippy cups, Born Free makes glass bottles the same shape/size as their sippy cups so the sippy “nipples” fit in the rings. I just bought the 5oz glass bottles and purchased the handles and nipples (hard and soft) seperately from their website. They are a bit pricey, but I know that my baby isn’t being poisoned by plastics. http://www.newbornfree.com
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Can anyone tell me if the brand name “Contigo” is a good brand? I Just bought a pack of 4 sippy cups from BJ’s club for $16.00 and they said that they are BPA free.
Just a FYI sigg will snap if it’s frozen. My son left his in the car overnight it was -8 dgrees c outside and froze the water and cracked and they will not replace it due to freezing. Just good to know if you are putting out $25 a bottle.
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The Safe Sippy was left out. http://www.thesafesippy.com
I had high hopes for it. It has a round spout, which is better for their speech. Stainless with a rubbery sleeve so your little one doesn’t have to hold cold stainless. Removeable handles. One single-piece valve.
I spent $70 of 4 of these cups for my twins. The valves wouldn’t stay in so liquid was flying all over my house. Even when the valve stayed in, the valve was at the bottom of the spout, so liquid would stay between the end of the spout and the valve and still come out when they weren’t drinking it – so high leakage issue. The rubbery sleeves were easy for my 2 year olds to pull off, then impossible to put back on. Their customer service was good though. I’ll try the Thermos next but I’m concerned abou it getting cold/hot with the stainless with no sleeve over it?? It must be insulated I’m assuming since it’s a Thermos.
I too was disappointed with the safe sippy. My daughter took to chewing on the sleeve. We have the Themos sippy and it’s fine but nothing special, especially since we do not heat our daughter’s water (which is the only thing she drinks.) I wanted to like the Born Free Sippy but like that one the least because it leaks. I was resistant, but my favorite is the *BPA-free* Advent sippy for 18-month-olds… No leaks, flip top, cute.
Thanks for all of the suggestions!! I was cleaning out my cupboards and came across some tops from the Avent sippy’s. It’s wonderful that you’ve shared the best of the best to save us all some $!
You had mentioned the the Thermos Foogo Sippy Cup can also come with or without side handles”. Which do you -the kids- like more? are the handles worth the extra $?
Thanks!
I personally lieke the Foogo without the handles. :)
The Foogo that I bought drips like crazy. Am I really the only one?
You have to line up the cup with the spout perfectly or else it will leak like crazy. You also have to make sure the clear pieces (one is hard and one is soft) are put together very firmly. Also, don’t put more than 6 ounces in it or it will come shooting out the tiny hole on the top.
My son is 2 & is suddenly addicted to the bottle – its glass w/ a liner. My pediatrician is all over me to switch to a sippy cup or plane glass. My friend who is a homeopath warns me away from the metal & plastic. I have been on the search for a sippy lid that would just fit onto the glass bottle & I’d be fine ANY THOUGHTS OUT THERE where I could find such a thing or even have one made. My son has dropped the glass bottle down the stairs & had it land on cement & it has been fine.
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Hi there,
Thanks for the reviews. I really hate buying things that turn out to be duds so I really do appreciate the folks who go out and try them first. : )
A couple notes on your article. The “study” you quoted isn’t a study- it’s a plain ol’ newspaper article. Fortunately there are plenty of actual studies that demonstrate pretty clearly that BPA is an estrogen mimic. I guess the only reason this is really a big deal is that quoting a mainstream media article as a “study” makes it easier for people to say you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Also I’m concerned about the popularity of stainless-steel bottles and sippies as a safer substitute for plastic– most stainless steel has nickel in it, which will leach out if the liquid inside is acidic (like juice- most water is on the basic side). Chronic nickel exposure ain’t good for you, folks… I don’t think it’s something to worry about for an adult with things like stainless-steel flatware, but I would be wary of letting a little kid run around with one of these things full of juice all the time.
Sarah — the popular Sigg stainless-steel bottles actually have a plastic lining. Sigg claims that this lining has been specially designed and tested to be non leaching. See: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/are-sigg-aluminum-bottles-bpa-free.php for more.
We L-O-V-E our safe sippy. It’s pricey, but the fact that it’s dishwasher safe was a big selling point.
Apparently they had some recalls at the beginning due to a factory defect that caused them to leak (see comment #1!) but we haven’t had any problems and my 14 month old loves it!
i really like the ordinary old Avent that you can get at a grocery type store—you can pop a little plastic (all BPA free) seal in and out of the lid to make it fast or slow-flowing. it has handles and a sort of soft spout that is gentle on the mouth. my daughter loves hers and is getting really good at it, at 8 months. sippy cup = a few dollars, endless drinking entertainment for baby = priceless.
I have the Foogo sippee cups(w/o handles) for my children, and I generally like them. One thing I am not clear about on them is if the plastic used on them is certified BPA free, b/c on the ones I bought there was not a word about being BPA free. Just wondering if anyone had any more information on that!
BTW, I really appreciate the detailed reviews as I am debating whether to get new Foogos or try something new!!
please read my comment on the website where you left your reply.
Has anyone tried Thinkbaby’s BPA free sippy/training cup?
the thermos foogo seem nice, but if you read the label it says it inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria( i am pretty sure the plastic contains silver nano particles) these particles are supposed to kill bacteria and they are in numerous products today (band aids, gym socks, washing machine filters,etc…) and there is a controversy on whether these are safe for people. Some products don’t even say they have these nano particles in them when indeed they do. So this keeps me away from the foogo. A glass sippy cup would be awesome, I use the glass baby bottles. And besides , even if plastics are bpa free, plastics always retain nasty odors, whether from food or even dishwasher soaps.
Good post, Thanks for share useful information. I will try Sippy Cups.
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We’ve used the Foogo sippy for over a year now, and were pretty pleased with it until a recent discovery that I wanted to bring to your attention…
If you open the cup and look inside, at the very top there is a plastic ring (part of the whole handle assembly) and just underneath it is a small bead of silicone “caulk”, or a gasket, or whatever you want to call it. My husband was drying the cup after a wash and he discovered all sorts of black gunk trapped just under that gasket. Presumably it’s the bacteria ridden remnants of a years worth of milk that became trapped under that seal.
This really freaked us out and the Foogo’s are in the trash now.
Oh, also, before this discovery, one of the cups began leaking profusely during regular use, not even when being held upside down. No amount of realigning the spout, tightening the lid, etc. could correct the leak. It appeared to be leaking from underneath the plastic handle assembly.
I just wanted to let you know just in case you wanted to reevaluate your love of the Foogo.
First, thanks for a great article!
I have had the same problem as Heather and Anna with the Foogo. We cleaned them very religiously, and still there is black mold that grows underneath the spout, and no amount of vinegar & baking soda will get it off (and I won’t do bleach for the same reason we’re having this discussion).
Also had the leaking issue, and it’s way too frustrating to try to line up the plastic liner when reassembling the myriad parts on this.
I will say in Thermos’s defense, that their related Foogo food storage systems are awesome, and I love being able to take a hot meal with for my son and myself. I still wish I had something similar that is FLAT, square with 1 division though, with a sealed lid, if anyone knows of anything like this. (I can’t fit something like chicken drumsticks into the Foogo – e.g. it would be great to fit 2 on one side, and rice and veggies on the other.)
I ended up finding a sippy cup & trainer cup that’s not even listed on this review (b/c it’s new maybe?) – Green Spouts! Totally my fave and everyone should check them out. They’re website is:
http://www.greensproutsbaby.com/gssippy.html
I love having the option of having a short sippy which fits very well into a small cooler, nice handles, and the lid doesn’t leak. Also, cool little nature designs make the kids (and me!) happy!
My son uses 1 sippy, 1 trainer, and 1 stainless steel bottle from Green Spouts – all super easy to clean, and they stay that way! Also, I use a large Klean Kanteen for myself, and my son has 1 small one. It’s great to have the variety for travel – I use the plastic sippy for juice (or smoothies with the lid off), and the stainless for water only. Works great!
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I just started a small online website geared towards organic and going green. It mostly offers items for babies and toddler with a few items for mommy and daddy but of course in time I would love to offer more. I would love to know what additional products you would recommend to add to the site. I loved reading your reviews and comments on the BPA bottles.
I started the site because like you, I couldn’t stand that there were so many health concerns out there, one being cancer (runs in my family and mom passed from it) and not too many choose to do anything about it. We adopted a newborn girl and I decided a couple years before I wanted to give her more than I was able to give my older sons. A better understanding of organic and going green. What I hear the most is that it is more expensive. At first it can be but in the long run everyone especially themselves benefit. Less health problems from pesticides etc and the Earth benefits as well. Aren’t our children worth it? Aren’t we? Isn’t Earth?
i just wanted to echo Heather’s comments above. We have had the exact same experience after almost a year of use (and we had two we would alternate between.)
My husband was giving it a thorough handwash, and discovered a bit of mold on the inside, just below the yellow rim. He ran a toothpick in there, and an absolutely appalling amount of black mold came out. It just makes me ill to think my son has been drinking from this cup (and the mold was present on both cups.) We disassemble whatever cup we used nightly, and alternated between dishwashing and handwashing, yet this still happened.
We also have had the spontaneous leaking – after almost a year of no leaking, now milk and water just pour from beneath the lid. Sometimes if my husband REALLY tightens it (I mean, to the point that I can’t take the lid off to refill it during the day), it may not leak, but often it does anyway.
So, they look good and seem great initially, but they do not seem to be a product that will hold up in the long-term.
I am very glad to hear that someone has had this finding. I have tried about 5 different types of bpa free sippy’s an my problem is the same. I have not found a system that would not have those hidden places where mold, regardless of dish washing or hand washing would not eventually form. If you find any, please post it. I will do the same. Actually, the soft spout sippy’s by Munchkin seem to be the best to be kept clean. The problem is that as my child is getting older she can bite the spout off place, or pull it by hand and you have quite a mess. Also, I have not found spout replacements and it feels pretty wasteful to buy the complete cup for just the spout. The bottles are great and easy to clean with a good brush. Most sippy cups have a small attachment to the spout and that is where most things end up accumulating without you even noticing.
hi, does anyone know of some bpa free cups/bottles like these but for bigger kids? i have a three year old thats out of the “sippy” stage. we have a few i bought from “here and there, but would like to find more.
I purchased some Contigo Autoseal Kids cups about 4 months ago…they are AWESOME! They are BPA-free and DO NOT LEAK! They require your child to push a button in order to get any liquid out (some slight coordination required) – my 4 yr-old loves hers. I also own their water bottles and insulated coffee mugs. If they didn’t drink so well out of their Camelbak bottles, I’d toss them because they leak like crazy with slight temp/pressure differences. Hope this helps
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Anybody heard anything bad about the tommy tipee brand of sippy cups, paci’s and bottles. They are bpa free…?
Anybody heard anything bad about the tommy tipee brand of sippy cups, paci’s and bottles. They are bpa free…?
Can you provide suggestions for completely plastic-free sippy cups? (Or at least plastic free on the surfaces that come in contact with the drink inside) So far the only one I can find is the Pura stainless steel bottle with 100%medical grade silicone sippy spout. Are there any others that exist?
Thank you!
Olivia