The amount of options on the wall of sippy cups at your local mass-market store or even the one at the supermarket can be overwhelming. Zero in on the main things you need: You baby might spill drinks to begin with but health experts agree these designs are better for your baby’s teeth. Dentists suggest avoiding no-spill designs or sippy cups with valves in them. They recommend choosing an open cup, or a free-flow cup or beaker. Something your little one can drink out of: This, unfortunately, requires some trial and error. A baby who has only been breastfed or has had some combination of breast and bottle might be a little thrown by a spout or straw. Eventually, though, they really do get it.

For the disabled, drinking cups that help them to sip a comforting cup of tea by themselves is a small act of independence that can be life changing. For carers, safe and sturdy drinking cups for the elderly relatives they care for will make a huge difference to the ease of their days. Limited co-ordination Get a Doidy Cup! They're brilliant, good size for little hands and angled so they can see the water coming at them. My toddler had one from 6 months and she much preferred it to a sippy cup. Takes a little while (and a lot of spills) to get used to but definitely worth it’ - highly recommended by Mumsnet user, HereComesFrog. Our Verdict Afganistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Egypt, Philippines, UAE, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, ThailandStraw. Straw sippy cups, as you may have guessed, employ a straw rather than a spout. Some feel that a straw is preferable for speech development over a spout. They can also help your child get used to drinking from a straw and using a cup.

The AAP suggests to start offering your baby a cup around 6 months of age, around the time when they begin solid foods. Some babies may be more ready to try a cup when they are around 9 or 10 months old. You can also try a sloping cup, which your baby might find easier as they don’t have to tilt it so far. Finally, because a toddler can carry a sippy cup more easily than an open-top cup, they may be more prone to injury if they fall with the cup in their mouth.There are many kinds of sippy cups - whether you’re going for soft spouts, hard spouts, straws or free-flowing, open cups - with tons of great features. You might want to consider leak-proof for travel; spill-proof for, well, always; cups with handles for tiny hands to easily hold; eco-options; even glow-in-the-dark numbers for nighttimes.