The best first cups for babies and toddlers, picked by speech therapists

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The 60-second answer

Babies can start practicing with a cup around 6 months, right when solid foods begin. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests offering small sips of water in an open, straw or sippy cup at that age, and the CDC notes most babies can learn to use a cup without a lid starting around 9 months. Small, light cups are easiest for little hands. Below are the four first cups our speech and feeding therapists recommend most, who each one fits, and a simple way to teach your baby to use them.

This guide comes from the speech-language pathologists and feeding therapists at Oaklin Lane, who help babies and toddlers learn to eat and drink every week in our Lake Highlands and Rockwall clinics.

When should my baby start drinking from a cup?

Around 6 months, alongside first foods. At this age cup drinking is practice, not hydration: breast milk or formula still does the real work. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests about 4 to 8 ounces of water a day for babies 6 to 12 months, offered in small sips. Between 12 and 24 months, that grows to roughly 8 to 32 ounces a day.

Expect the first weeks to be messy. Your baby is learning a brand new set of movements: bringing the cup to the mouth, sealing the lips on the rim, taking a small sip and swallowing before the next one. Most babies need months of practice before they drink smoothly on their own, and that is completely normal.

Open cup, straw cup or sippy cup: what's the difference?

Each cup asks the mouth to do something a little different, which is why our therapists like babies to practice with more than one.

The 4 first cups our therapists recommend

1. ezpz Tiny Cup: the best first open cup

The ezpz Tiny Cup is a soft silicone cup that holds just 2 ounces, sized for a baby's hands and mouth. It has a weighted base that resists tipping and a slanted inside that helps liquid reach the lips gradually. It is labeled for 4 months and up, and our therapists usually start it around 6 months with first foods.

Best for: a baby's very first open-cup sips, with a grown-up helping hold it.

2. Reflo Smart Cup: an open cup that slows spills

The Reflo Smart Cup looks like a regular cup but has a removable insert near the rim that slows the flow, so a tip does not become a flood. It is not spill-proof, and that is the point: your child still learns real open-cup drinking, with less cleanup.

Best for: older babies and toddlers ready to hold an open cup on their own.

3. ARK Bear Bottle Kit: the classic way to teach a straw

The ARK Bear Bottle Kit is the honey bear straw cup many speech therapists use to teach straw drinking. You gently squeeze the bear so the liquid rises up the straw to your baby's lips, then squeeze less and less as they learn to pull it up themselves. The kit includes a one-way valve that keeps liquid in the straw and a small guard that limits how far the straw goes into the mouth. It was developed by a speech-language pathologist.

Best for: teaching a baby to use a straw for the first time.

4. Munchkin Any Angle weighted straw cup: the everyday straw cup

The Munchkin Any Angle cup has a weighted straw that stays in the liquid even when the cup is tipped back, so your baby can drink without tilting their head just right. It has handles for small hands and a spill-proof lid. It is labeled for 6 months and up.

Best for: once your baby knows how to use a straw, for everyday drinking at home and on the go.

Which cup should I start with?

You do not need all four. Pick by where your baby is right now:

A simple rule our therapists share with families: an open cup at meals, a straw cup for everything else, and lots of patience in between.

Keeping cups and straws clean

Small cups get washed a lot, so easy cleaning matters. Rinse cups and straws right after use so milk and juice do not dry inside. Use a thin straw brush for straws and valves, and take apart every piece, including inserts and valves, before washing. Check each product's care instructions: some parts are top-rack dishwasher safe, while others do best washed by hand. Replace straws or valves that crack, tear or stay cloudy after washing.

How to teach your baby to drink from a cup in 3 steps

Teaching a straw? Squeeze the honey bear bottle gently so the water reaches the tip of the straw, let your baby close their lips around it, and give a tiny squeeze. As your baby starts sucking on their own, squeeze less until you are not squeezing at all.

When is cup drinking a feeding concern?

Spills, dribbles and the occasional cough are part of learning. A few signs are worth mentioning to your pediatrician, who can refer you to a feeding therapist if needed:

Every baby learns at their own pace, and your pediatrician or a pediatric therapist can tell you what is right for your child. To see what feeding therapy looks like day to day, read inside a pediatric feeding clinic, or learn what a pediatric speech-language pathologist does.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should a baby start drinking from a cup?

Around 6 months, when solid foods begin. Offer a few sips of water in an open, straw or sippy cup with help. The CDC notes most babies can learn to use a cup without a lid starting around 9 months.

Are sippy cups bad for speech?

There is little research showing sippy cups cause speech problems. Many speech therapists still encourage plenty of open-cup and straw practice, because those cups build the mature drinking movements children use for life. A sippy cup for car rides is fine.

How much water can a 6-month-old have?

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests about 4 to 8 ounces of water a day for babies 6 to 12 months, in small sips. Breast milk or formula remains your baby's main drink.

What if my baby just plays with the cup?

That is part of learning. Babies explore new things with their hands and mouths first. Keep offering a little water at meals, model drinking from your own cup, and keep it relaxed.

When should my toddler drink from a cup on their own?

Many children drink from an open cup with only small spills somewhere between 12 and 24 months, after lots of practice. If your toddler is still struggling well past that, mention it at the next checkup.

Get help from an Oaklin Lane feeding therapist

If drinking feels like a daily struggle, you do not have to figure it out alone. Oaklin Lane's speech and feeding therapists help babies and toddlers learn to eat and drink at our Lake Highlands and Rockwall clinics. One clear next step: fill out the Get Started intake, and our team will help you verify your benefits and book an evaluation.