12 Best Stainless Steel Sippy Cup Options For Every Budget [2023]

Looking for the best best stainless steel sippy cup for your toddler? Here are 12 options recommended for oral development for every budget. Click here to skip to the list.

Let’s be honest — navigating the digital aisles of non-toxic toddler and baby brands can be VERY stress-inducing.

From choosing the safest teething toys and best crib mattresses to scouring the web for the best stainless steel sippy cup options, kids-centered shopping is by no means easy.

To take the guesswork out, we did the research to find 12 of the safest sippy cups for your little ones, ahead.

But before you start swiping your card left and right, let’s go over the benefits of stainless steel bottles in comparison to plastic sippy cups. Spoiler alert, there are many!

So what materials are good for kids? Is there a way to avoid the slew of harmful chemicals that are found in regular plastic cups? Why speech therapists are dissing the traditional sippies all of a sudden?

To help you pick the right stainless steel option, let’s learn some baby cup 101.

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Why Pick a Stainless Steel Sippy Cup For Your Toddler?

Toxic Chemicals Lurking In Sippy Cups

You’d think that plastic sippy cups wouldn’t contain nearly as many chemicals and heavy metals as regular bottles. But, sadly, this isn’t the case.

Substances like bisphenol A (BPA) can leach into the water and force our little ones to come in contact with endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

So what about a BPA-free traditional sippy cup? Well, those come with risks as well. A lot of companies have replaced BPA with BPS.

This under-the-radar chemical is known for its inability to biodegrade, which basically means that “once it is absorbed into the human body it may stay for a longer period of time,” experts say. 

Plastic Pollution 

Let’s not forget that U.S. landfills are overflowing with more than 2 million tons of discarded water bottles as we speak!

In fact, More than 700 species, including sea turtles, fish, and whales, eat plastic or get tangled up in plastic waste — regular cup options are no exception. ‘

Now, if you consider the huge amount of fossil fuels that come along with plastic bottles, the right option is pretty evident. By choosing stainless steel sippy cup alternatives, you can rest assured knowing that it won’t end up in a landfill somewhere for up to 1,000 years. 

What Are The Benefits Of Using Stainless Steel Sippy Cups?

Unlike their plastic counterparts, the best stainless steel sippy cup options are far more healthy and durable.

Also known as the world’s first ‘rustless steel’, stainless steel is extremely corrosion, heat, and fire resistant.

On top of that, because it is so easy to clean and sanitize, stainless steel water bottles and cups are very hygienic. 

Plus, stainless steel doesn’t contain harmful heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, or arsenic that are known for leaching into the water, food, etc.

 Moreover, it’s 100% recyclable and doesn’t need to go through rigorous manufacturing stages. This means that less fuel is consumed in the process of making the best sippy cups.

How To Pick the Right Stainless Steel Sippy Cup

Now that you know why opting for stainless steel baby bottles is the best option for your kids’ health and safety, let’s get into the trickier part: choosing the best toddler cups.

Consider the spout:

There are 4 main sprout options to consider:

• The straw cup: These sippies are known for encouraging sucking rather than sipping, however, they do promote a more mature pattern of swallowing that will eventually help your kid to safely drink and eat.
• Spouts: Cups with a soft spout or a hard spout (aka a tube projecting from the container) mimic the shape of the nipple, which helps kids do the initial transition. Nonetheless, hard spouts can affect your baby’s swallowing habits, speech development, and teeth. So it would be best to stick with a soft sprout just to be safe.
• 360-lid: The spill-proof, 360-lid option is an ideal trainer cup if you want to encourage the child to sip much like they would from a regular cup. They don’t have a spout or a straw, meaning that the liquid will flow from all angles.
• Open cups: Open cups encourage proper swallowing patterns and correct sipping action (rather than sucking). Plus, they are great for helping babies build the muscles in their mouths.

Double Walled Insulation

When choosing the best stainless steel sippy cup for babies, moms should always go with double-walled insulation options.

These containers have two layers, specifically created to keep drinks cold or warm for longer periods. 

Handle or No Handle Options

Handles definitely help little hands grab onto the cups a whole lot easier, but if the kid has already developed their motor skills, it would be best to opt for cups with no handles instead.

For very young children, however, the process of holding, lifting, and tipping a cup with two handles can be very beneficial.

Dishwasher-Safe

It goes without saying that your new toddler cups have to be dishwasher-safe and able to cope with high temperatures.

This way, you can be sure that the cups are fully washed and sanitized before every use.

What does “sippy cup” mean?

The term “sippy cup” refers to a small cup  with a lid and a spout designed to help little ones learn how to sip liquid from the cup without spilling it as they transition from breastfeeding. 

Why do speech therapists not recommend the traditional sippy cup anymore?

Many studies have found that children with prolonged bottle feeding (aka past 15 months), may require to attend speech therapy to address the immature speech patterns that develop.

This is because sippy cups encourage an unnatural, forward positioning of the tongue. The same issue can also cause delayed development of swallowing skills. 

Additionally, many kids with prolonged sippy cup usage have outwards-grown teeth. Don’t fret!

While traditional sippy cups are not the best option anymore, there are plenty of other alternatives to keep your little ones safe and happy during the transitional stage.

12 of the Best Stainless Steel Sippy Cups

1. YETI Rambler Jr. 

Parents have been raving about the YETI Rambler Jr sippy cup for a while now.

The entire cup is made of BPA-Free 18/8 Stainless Steel and is extremely resistant to dents and dings when dropped.

Plus, it’s leak-proof, as well as shatter-resistant, and dishwasher-safe which means that your kids can have cold water ready for grads all day long!

It’s available in a wide range of colors and each option holds ‎12 ounces of liquid. You can also have it custom engraved on the YETI website.

2. Simple Modern Stainless Steel

The Simple Modern Kids Insulated Water Bottle with Straw Lid is one of the best stainless steel sippy cup options for kids aged 2 and up. This is mostly because it doesn’t have easy grip handles which may give small kids a hard time.

Aside from keeping beverages at ideal temperatures for hours, it’s also leakproof which means no-spills even when handled roughly!

Also, The BPA-free plastic sippy cup lid comes with a built-in straw design.   

3. Chill Out Life Stainless Steel Cups

Here’s a great way to encourage proper swallowing patterns and correct sipping action with open-lid stainless steel sippy cups made for small hands.

It features a BPA-free smooth cup “lip” and the cups are electropolished on the inside with a brushed finish on the outside to remain rust-free.

On top of that, it’s dishwasher-safe and extremely easy to clean. And if your little one isn’t yet ready to drink from an open cup, you can also add silicone lids to turn them into sippy cups!

4. Pura Kiki

Pura Kiki‘s 11oz, shatterproof stainless steel sippy cup MADE SAFE certified, which means that this product doesn’t contain any known toxic chemicals or heavy metals.

Aside from the easy-to-grip sleeve that protects the cup, it also features a silicone XL Sipper Spout with a Valved tip that prevents spills.

It is specifically designed for a fast flow rate that’s known for supporting tooth/gum development.

Also, this option can easily convert into an infant bottle, straw bottle, or sports/water bottle by swapping the sippy spout with another Pura Kiki lid.

Last but not least, it comes with a lifetime warranty on all stainless components. The only con is that this particular dishwasher-safe cup cannot be used for hot liquids.

5. Cupkin Stainless Steel Cups With Straws – RECALLED

If you own a Cupkin cup, please follow the recall instructions.

Cupkin’s best stainless steel sippy cup is equipped with a food-grade silicone straw and a plastic lid.

They are touted as the perfect insulated bottles for smoothies and all other cold beverages cold.

Keep in mind that these sippies are for kids 12 months and older because they don’t come with handles.

On top of that, the dishwasher-safe cups are powder-coated so they will resist chipping, peeling, or melting better — however, we noticed some complaints from parents who did notice some minor chipping.

We use these as our at-home stainless steel cups and we love them. The straws worked great when my kids were younger, and now that they are older, they use them as open cups.

6. ACCGZ Insulated Stainless Sippy Cup

If you are looking for an Insulated 304 Stainless Steel Sippy Cup with Handles for water, milk, and everything in between, this one is for you.

The package includes two Spill Proof Lids: a sippy lid and a regular straw lid. The basic idea is to Start using it as a sippy cup and gradually transition it to a regular cup with a straw when your little ones are finally comfortable with sipping.

Of course, it’s dishwasher-safe and BPA-free. Also, the double-insulated walls can keep liquids cold or hot for up to 24 hours which is a huge plus. 

7. Green Sprouts

Green Sprouts have an array of stainless steel sippy cups for all ages.

Equipped with a Drip-Free Silicone Spout and Removable handles, this up is here to help the baby comfortably sip when transitioning from bottle-feeding and breastfeeding.

What’s even more amazing than that? The cup and collar are sustainably made of Sprout Ware plant-plastic — an innovative 100% plant-based material!

As for the double-walled insulated 304-grade stainless, it can help keep drinks warm or cool for hours!

8. SunZio Stainless Steel Sippy Cup

Featuring Silicone stretch lids that mimic a mother’s nipple, SUNZIO’s stainless steel sippy cups are also Spill proof, leak-proof, AND breakproof.

Because it has no nooks or crannies where bacteria can build up, these dishwasher-safe bottles are a great option for kids at any age.

The vibrant colors and engaging elephant-shaped lids also work as fun, adorable distractions — and kids love them! That’s not all.

These sippies are designed to Grow with Your Toddler which means that you can easily remove the 100% food-grade silicone lids and turn them into open cups for their next drinking transition.

9. Thinkbaby Stainless Steel Bottle

Many parents believe that the Thinkbaby transition sippy cup is the most splurge-worthy option thanks to its many valuable features and price.

It was our personal favorite transition cup. We had no issues with leaking over the several months we used it while my baby was around 6-12 months.

Aside from the no-spill straw, the cup also has two swivel top removable handles that successfully prevent leaks and spills all while helping toddlers easily grip their sippies.

Another great feature is the open/close straw cover to keep things more hygienic. Last, but not least, you can also opt for replacement straws just in case.

The only downside in my opinion is that i comes in limited color options.

10. Thermos Foogo

Ideal for keeping drinks cool for up to 10 hours, the double wall stainless Thermos Foogo stainless steel sippy cup features a push-button lid that is leakproof until you pop it open to gain access to the straw.

As your little one grows, you can easily swap the lid with other Foogo styles.

Of course, the cup is BPA Free, scratch-resistant, and dishwasher-safe. And even if it has no handles, his bottle’s contoured shape is easy to grip and hold.

11. Elk and Friends Stainless Steel Cups

These adorable kids & Toddler Cups with Silicone Sleeves look just like our favorite mason jars.

Aside from being cute, the sleeve also provides protection from bumps and drops as well as a greater grip for those little hands.

Available in 7 colors, the cups come with leak-proof and air-tight storage lids and silicone straws with stoppers.

On top of that, you can easily convert them to open cups as soon as your kid becomes a bit too comfortable with using the straw. 

Elk and Friends also makes this same cup in a glass version which is also a great option.

12. Real Deal Steel Mugs (Set of 2)

The Real Deal steel mugs will quickly become your kids’ go-to choice for juice, water, hot cocoa, milk, smoothies, and more!

They come with a silicone straw attached to the mug’s lid which is leak-proof and mesh-free.

But these cups can easily turn into regular drinking mugs by removing the lid when it’s time for another drinking transition.

As many reviewers pointed out, these are great unbreakable kids’ cups with handles— but that doesn’t mean that parents cannot use them as well during their outdoor shenanigans.

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Stainless Steel Sippy Cup FAQ

Is stainless steel safe?

Stainless steel is extremely safe for our health and for the environment.

Aside from being a top-quality and durable metal, it is also recyclable and emits no toxins when it comes in contact with liquids.

This means that it doesn’t cause any inhalation, or ingestion issues — unlike plastic. 

What makes a cup preferable for mouth and jaw development?

Open cups are preferred by specialists because they “force” kids to use every part of the mouth which can strengthen mouth muscles.

Straw cups are also great for oral development and cheek muscle strengthening because kids use the same muscles for sipping and food consumption.

Plus the use of a straw cup can also help prevent lisps and slurred speech.  

Are traditional sippy cups still recommended?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children be weaned from the sippy cup by age 2.

Traditional sippy cups are not recommended, because using sippy cups for too long can cause tongue thrust.

That’s why using a straw at 9 months old is a great alternative because it can help to build lip, cheek, and tongue strength and will promote an appropriate resting position of the tongue.

What should I avoid?

Munchkin 360 and the 360-style lids should be avoided because they may cause your child’s tongue to rest in the front of their mouth. So if you are already using a 360 cup, try switching it to an open or straw cup.

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In Summary:

Finding the best stainless steel sippy cup for you child can feel overwhelming because there are so many options.

Start with where you plan to use it. If at home, you can likely go with an open cup. If it is for travel, you probably want something with a lid of some sort. After that, pick your size and features. Do you need a handle, for example? And finally, pick your color!

Cheers!