The Best Leakproof Cup

Sippy cups get a lot of activity. In the blink of an eye, they’ll end up overturned on the tray of a high chair, upside-down on the floor of your car or even tossed out a window. With the wrong sippy cup, even one of those events can become a nuisance. At the very least, you’ll have a mess to clean up. In some cases, you’ll find the cup itself cracks, requiring you to replace it.

A leakproof cup can make life with a toddler much less stressful. No matter how much your little one shakes or tosses the cup, leakproof designs keep the liquid securely inside. The right type of cup opens easily when your child wants a drink, then automatically seals shut again once the sipping ends.

That seal is only part of a great leakproof cup, though. For toddlers, it’s important to ensure you choose a cup with a dentist-approved design. This will prevent the issues dentists often see with certain sippy cups, which can hinder the development of the oral cavity. Just as a nipple is pliable, molding to the shape the baby needs once inside the mouth, a sippy cup should be designed in a way that encourages proper mouth positioning while drinking.

Parents probably also want to consider how easy it is to clean the leakproof cup they choose. Some cups can be easily taken apart and cleaned, while others aren’t. The problem with that is that without a thorough cleaning, it can be easy for the constant moisture to build bacteria in those hidden areas. If you prefer a cup you can disassemble and put into the dishwasher, you should narrow your search to cups with that feature.

Instead of investing in a special sippy cup, you may prefer to buy lids that can fit on a variety of cups. That frees you up to purchase cups separately or, even better, use the stockpile of sippy cups you already have on hand. Since these lids come in multipacks, you’ll always have at least one or two clean lids that you can use while the others are in the dishwasher.

• If you’re looking for a versatile sippy cup with a dental-approved design, the Munchkin Miracle 360 Sippy Cup is the best choice. The lid is designed similarly to a regular cup, with a small slot that lets liquid out. While drinking, the seal remains open but as soon as the child stops, the opening seals back up automatically. The cup is built in a way that responds to a child’s sucking motions. The plastic design creates durability for the entire cup, so it’s likely to survive plenty of tosses and drops.
• Instead of buying an entire cup, you can get the same leakproof feature by simply buying lids that work with standard children’s cups. Healthy Sprouts Silicone Sippy Lids work with most 2.5 to 3.75-inch cups and comes in a pack of five. You can easily interchange the lids with cups you already own, giving you extras to use while you toss the last one or two used into the dishwasher. If you don’t have cups that fit, you can buy Munchkin’s Multi Cups in a set of five, and the top measures approximately 3 inches across in diameter.
• The Munchkin Click Lock Cup With Weighted Straw Cup has a straw design, making it better suited for water than thicker liquids. The weighted straw is flexible enough to go easy on the gums while sipping. The Contigo Spill-Proof Kids Tumbler also has a straw-based design that provides leak protection.
• Dentists often recommend parents stay away from standard sippy cups. The Munchkin Miracle 360 Sippy Cup is dentist approved, though, thanks to a spoutless design that provides a 360-degree drinking edge. This allows for healthy oral development while also making it comfortable for kids to drink.
• One major benefit of a straw-based sippy cup is that it helps acclimate toddlers to drinking out of a straw. The Contigo Spill-Proof Kids Tumbler and Munchkin Click Lock Cup With Weighted Straw Cup are great for helping transition to regular cups with straws.