Best Sippy Cup For Breastfed Babies

If you’re in a hurry and just want to find out what the best sippy cup for a breastfed baby is, I’d recommend the Nuk Learner Sippy Cups.

Breastfed babies can be resistant to transitioning to a sippy cup. Going from the breast to a cup is a little different than going from a bottle to a sippy cup. If your little one has been struggling, look no further. The best sippy cup for breastfed babies is out there. We have some good options for you to consider first.

Here are the sippy cups I will be reviewing:

• Nuk Learner Sippy Cup
• Munchkin Latch Transition Cup
• Philips Avent Trainer Cup
• My First Tervis Sippy Cup
• MAM Trainer Cup

How To Transition To A Sippy Cup More Easily

Introducing a sippy cup isn’t always easy. You can make things go a little more smoothly by trying some of the following tips:

• Look for a sippy cup that’s more like a breast: Reach for those larger, softer tops. The more breast-like the sippy cup is, the more readily your little one is likely to take to it.
• Buy many options: There are a lot of sippy cups out there and it’s likely your little one will have opinions on what they like. You can help make sure you have a sippy cup that works for your little one by having many different options. Buy one of each at first and after you know your little one’s preference, you can stock up.
• Use breast milk: Make the transition easier for your little one by changing only one major thing at a time. Instead of introducing a sippy cup at the same time you’re introducing milk or water, use pumped breast milk. This will allow your little one to focus on one major change at a time.

Tips For Using Your New Sippy Cups

When your new sippy cups arrive, here are some useful tips to follow:

• Be patient and keep offering: Don’t throw in the towel the first time a sippy cup is rejected. Just keep offering it as an option and don’t expect too much right away. Know it may take some time to convince your little one to make the leap to a sippy cup.
• Clean the lids thoroughly: Sippy cup lids usually have an inner valve to help prevent leaking. While this is great for keeping your little one dry, it creates an opportunity for mold to set in. Make sure you clean your lids thoroughly, using specialty bottle cleaners, and sanitize them regularly.
• Encourage your little one to use and play with the sippy cups: Exposure to the sippy cups can help make it a little more familiar—and help encourage your little one to use the cups.

My Sippy Cup Reviews For Breastfed Babies

Have a better picture of what you need in a sippy cup? Let’s take a look at some of our favorite sippy cups.

Nuk Learner Sippy Cup

This sippy cup from Nuk features a soft silicone top piece and spout. The shape of the top and the material give your child the same feeling as when they’re nursing at the breast. The spout is off-center like a traditional sippy cup and its shape will make the transition to other sippy cups easier as well.

This sippy cup is leak-proof and features an air vent that helps prevent your little one from guzzling extra air. Once your baby is using the bottle, though, you’ll find that the beverage moves easily and with little effort.

Designed for children ages 6 months and up, the sippy cup also features a removable handle. With grasps on opposite sides, the handle snaps onto the bottle. It can spin to give your little one the opportunity to orient it to the sipping spout as needed. 

The handle is flexible and open at the top, which allows your child to hold around the actual sippy cup if preferred. The grasps are also textured to give your little one a non-slip grip. 

This is a great sippy cup to start with if you’re still breastfeeding. It’s similar enough to get your little one understanding sippy cups, but not too similar that you’re in danger of creating nipple confusion.

This sippy cup is BPA-free and safe for your little one to use. It is dishwasher safe and easy to clean. Though you’ll have to pay attention to the narrowest part of the spout, there aren’t many places where mold can settle in.

Munchkin Latch Transition Cup

This sippy cup features a soft silicone spout designed to move with your little one’s suckle. This allows it to function in a similar way as the breast does during nursing. This can help make things a little more routine and make the transition a little easier.

The spout of this sippy cup is equipped with an anti-colic valve. This helps prevent excess air from becoming trapped in the bottle and swallowed by your little one. In turn, this helps your baby avoid gas, distension, and general discomfort. 

This sippy cup (and its lid) is BPA-free. Removable handles are designed to help give your little one a choice of ways to hold and use the sippy cup. A snug-fitting cap allows this cup to be tossed in a diaper bag and makes it perfect for when you’re on the go.

This unit is designed for babies 4 months of age and older. It’s made to function with other bottles and lids in the same Munchkin line. You can easily make additions to your collection as your little one grows and their needs change. 

The silicone spout on this sippy cup is quite soft. While this is great for replicating the experience of nursing, teething can be problematic. If your little one bites down on the spout they may be able to tear through the silicone. 

This sippy cup is dishwasher safe. You’ll still want to pay attention to cleaning out the crevices in the valve and the spout. These spaces are tight and can be difficult to fully clean with a dishwasher cycle alone.

Philips Avent Trainer Cup

This sippy cup is designed for children who are 4 months of age and older. One top piece features a soft silicone spout that’s placed in the center of the cup like a bottle nipple. Another that’s also included in the pack features a sippy cup-style spout. The spout offers a fast flow that gives immediate positive reinforcement for a new sippy cup user.

This sippy cup has a removable handle. Unlike others that snap onto the base, this handle slips over the neck of the bottle before screwing down the spout and lid. This means you need to disassemble the sippy cup to remove or add on the handle. The grips do feature a textured underside to help make them easier for your little one to hold.

If you already have Avent products in your lineup, this one fits in easily. It’s designed to be mixed and matched with other bottles and tops from Avent. This can be a great way to keep up with your little one’s growing needs without wasting space or money. When your child is ready to graduate to a more sippy cup-like spout, you can simply swap that for the bottle-style spout. The cup included in this set can hold 5 ounces.

The sippy cup and included top pieces are all BPA-free. It’s dishwasher safe and the shape of the top piece and spout make deep cleaning a little easier. This helps keep your sippy cup mold-free and safe for your little one to use.

My First Tervis Sippy Cup

If you’ve been looking for a versatile sippy cup, this model from Tervis may be worth considering. It’s designed to be used with both hot or cold beverages. The double walled tumbler helps prevent excess condensation from forming and keeps the sippy cup easy to hold.

This sippy cup also features a handle. It’s attached directly to the lid so you don’t need to worry about the orientation. The cup is BPA-free and safe to put in both the dishwasher and the microwave. Like most plastics, you’ll want to make sure this sippy cup sticks to the top rack only when in the dishwasher.

While these units are quite sturdy and not prone to breaking, they may scratch and stain. If your little one is a juice drinker, you may want to stay away from those juices that are prone to discoloring plastics. 

This sippy cup has marks at the top to help you know where to start screwing the lid on. This helps ensure your lid is secured properly every time which helps reduce the likelihood of leaking. This unit’s top piece is a single piece that allows for easy cleaning. It has a traditional sippy cup shape to the lid with an offset spout. 

The plastic used in the lid and through the spout is sturdier than the lightweight silicone of bottle nipples. This is a great feature if you have a little one who likes to bite down while using their cup.

MAM Trainer Cup

This sippy cup from MAM features a wide mouth that allows for easy cleaning. The base of the sippy cup is even wider than the mouth, which helps keep it upright. This is a transitional cup that comes with two different style top pieces. One is a more traditional bottle nipple and the other is a soft silicone spout top. If your little one is struggling with the transition, two different types of tops can be helpful to you.

The unique shape of the cup helps your baby easily grasp the body of the cup. This unit does offer handles, though, to give your little one multiple options. Your child may find their preference changes as they become more proficient with their sippy cup. The handle grasps help provide your little one with a non-slip grip when they choose to use them.

MAM products are made in Europe and meet (or exceed) all European and United States safety standards. All materials used are BPA-free and safe for your little one to handle and have in their mouth.

Many early sippy cups don’t have a large capacity. Instead of only having a capacity of 4–6 ounces, this MAM sippy cup can hold 8 ounces of liquid. As your child grows and becomes capable of drinking more at one time, you won’t need to rush out for a new sippy cup.

MAM does offer other cups and bottles that are not compatible with this sippy cup. However, some of their other nipples can be used with this cup. This includes the slow flow, medium flow, fast flow, and extra fast flow nipple.

Choosing The Best Sippy Cup For Breastfed Baby

Babies need to learn how to use a sippy cup eventually. The right model can make the transition easier. Of these, I use and love the Nuk Learner Sippy Cups. They’re simple to clean and don’t harbor mold. Plus, they’re just the right size for small hands and the spout is leakproof.