Considering glass sippy cups or sippy cup alternatives for your baby or toddler? We’ve checked out the most popular options on the market.
Best Choice | Best overall | The Best on a Budget |
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Green Sprouts Sip and Straw Glass Cup | Elk and Friends Kids Cups with Straws | Lifefactory 12-Ounce BPA-Free Glass Water Bottle |
After considering multiple glass sippy cups for kids, we think the Green Sprouts Sip and Straw Glass Cup is the best of the best when it comes to glass sippy cups. With a clever design, your child’s liquid never touches plastic, coming into contact with glass and silicone only.
Here are the 5 best glass sippy cups, straw cups and toddler transition cups available today:
- Green Sprouts Sip and Straw Glass Cup – Best Overall
- Elk and Friends Glass Toddler Cups with Straws – Best Multifunctional
- Lifefactory Glass Water Bottle with Silicone Straw – Best Glass Water Bottle for Kids
- Duralex Tumblers – Best Glass Training Cup
- Mason Jar Silicone Sleeves – Best for Reusing What You Have
What Are the Best Glass Sippy Cups?
When it comes time to transition from bottle to cup, it’s near impossible to rid yourself of plastic entirely. Even by choosing a glass sippy cup, straw cup, and training cup, you’ll have to compromise somewhat, weighing convenience and breakability vs. going entirely plastic free. We’ve outlined our picks for the 5 best options below, including pros and cons to help you decide the best for your child.
Best Overall Glass Sippy Cup
We give the Green Sprouts Sip and Straw Glass Cup a rating of 5/5 stars
The Best Overall
The Green Sprouts Sip & Straw glass cup has a clever design that ensures your baby’s drink only comes into contact with glass and silicone, not plastic. It comes with both sippy spout and a straw top, letting you choose what’s best for your baby. And a plastic outer cup (which doesn’t touch the liquid) protects the glass bottle from breakage.
When we transitioned our baby from bottle to cup, we started with a straw cup. Straws are a better option than sippy spouts for your kiddos’ dental and facial muscle development, which we felt good about.
The Green Sprouts Sip & Straw cup gives you the choice of both sippy cup and straw cup. It’s also got a smart design that keeps your baby’s drink away from plastic.
The inner glass bottle holds the liquid. It’s protected by an outer plastic shell made from BPA/BPS-free polypropylene (Recycling #5). Polypropylene is one of the safest plastics available. Still, the liquid never actually touches the plastic!
The sippy top and straw are silicone, again keeping your baby’s liquid away from plastic.
If your young baby is still most comfortable drinking from a bottle, then the Green Sprouts cup are a seamless way to introduce sippy cups around 6 months of age, when you’re also introducing solids.
Does the Glass Sippy Cup Have Lead in it?
A couple of years ago, Green Sprouts used lead-containing paint to mark the volume markers on the outside of the inner glass bottle. This incident took place long before we started this blog, so I can’t comment on how things were handled. However, GreenSprouts has changed their design as a result. Now, there are no markings whatsoever on the updated version of the glass bottle. Volume markers are now on the plastic outer shell, removing the lead problem.
Important Specs:
- Dishwasher safe
- BPA/BPS, PVC free
- Lead free
- Silicone straw and sippy cup top
- Glass cup
Important Safety Information
One of the main cons of this design is the fact that the glass bottle is tucked away in the plastic shell, making it hard to spot chips and cracks in the glass. Some users have pointed out that this is a safety hazard, and we agree. If you choose this bottle, be sure you inspect the glass carefully after every drop and ideally before each use. If you can’t commit to doing so, we recommend choosing a simpler design, such as the Elk & Friends cups below.
Best Multifunctional
We give the Elk and Friends Kids Cups with Straws a 4.8/5 rating
Multi-Use & Good for the Whole Family
The Elk and Friends kids cups are beautifully simple and can double as food storage. They come with airtight lids, which means no fear of spills when you bring them to go. Plus, the BPA-free silicone straws are super-soft and chewable, making them great for introducing babies to using straws.
One thing we don’t love about these glass toddler cups is the lack of information about the lid. While the straw is made of silicone, the only information we have about the lid is that it’s made of “non toxic plastic” that’s BPA, phthalate and PVC free. We love these “free froms” but would feel better if we know the recycling number, too, since BPA and phthalate alternatives are also nasty.
That said, we think these cups are pretty awesome, and know most kids will be happy with the colors. The liquid shouldn’t actually touch the lids under normal use, and they’re surely better than 98% of the toddler straw cups on the market, which are made entirely of plastic.
Elk & Friends / Jervis & George is a Mom-run company, which we always love. Founder Georgie started the business with a mission to make safer and more eco-friendly food and drink storage options for families. We can get behind that mission!
Important Specs:
- Dishwasher-safe
- BPA, phthalate and PVC free lids and straws
- Freezer and Microwave-Safe
Best Glass Sippy Cup Alternative
We give the Lifefactory Glass Water Bottle a 4.5/5 rating
We chose the Lifefactory Glass Water Bottle as best overall glass water bottle as a sippy cup alternative.
With a straw top (the straw is made from silicone), your little one will be able to use it from quite a young age. We also love that this bottle is USA and Europe made, and assembled in the USA.
The bottle comes in 16 different colors and styles. The silicone sleeve is non-toxic, and the cap is made from polypropylene, which is plastic #5. Polypropylene is considered one of the safest plastics, and we love that Lifefactory is transparent about the type of plastic they use. While Lifefactory says the cap is top-rack safe for the dishwasher, we recommend hand-washing all plastics, as heat tends to degrade them over time.
This bottle comes in 12, 16 and 22 ounce sizes. We recommend going with the smallest for kids, as the larger sizes will probably be too heavy for them when filled with water. The bottle also has a wide mouth, which makes them easy to clean.
The one thing we don’t love about this bottle is the straw mechanism. Over time, a lot of users have noted it becomes harder to use, requiring it to sit at a particular angle to get the liquid out.
Important Specs:
- Dishwasher-safe
- Made in the USA or Europe
- BPA/BPS-free and phthalate-free
- Available in 12, 16, and 22-ounce sizes
Best Glass Training Cup for Babies and Toddlers
We give the Duralex Tumblers a 4.5/5 rating
Best Glass Training Cup
Duralex tumblers are a classic. They’re a great option for parents who want to go cold turkey from bottle to cup, and for introducing your older baby or toddler to a cup slowly, over time. Our daughter loves drinking from these cups, and the smallest size (3.13 ounces) works well for her small hands. Made from non-porous glass, you can be confident these are toxin free.
Duralex tumblers don’t have lids, so they’re best for parents who don’t mind a bit of mess. If you go this route, start by filling the cup with minimal liquid (1 tsp or so) and letting your child empty it into their mouth. You may have to do this over and over again, but eventually your child will get used to it, and you’ll be able to add more liquid each time.
These cups are made from tempered glass, which Duralex claims is 2 ½ times more resistant to breaking or chipping than “normal” glass. While they are super durable, it’s worth considering the flooring in your house. If you’re going to be using them on vinyl, laminate, or linoleum floors, or something similar, they probably won’t break if dropped. If you’re using them on tile floors, they probably will break.
The size and design helps keep them upright (no tipping) and is easy to grip. For younger kids, start with the smallest size (3.13 ounces) for easy grip.
Important Specs:
- Made in France
- Dishwasher-safe
- Microwave safe
- BPA, phthalate and PVC-free
Best Value Sippy Cup Alternative
We give the Mason Jar Silicone Sleeves a 4/5 rating
The Best for Reusing What You Have
If you’re a green family that loves the 3 Rs, you’ll like this option. These Mason Bottle Silicone Sleeves let you reuse the mason jars you already have lying around the house as your child’s cup. The sleeve helps prevent breakage when your kiddo inevitably drops the jar.
One of the best ways to minimize your carbon footprint and raise a more earth-friendly baby is to reuse things you already have. Instead of buying a completely new set of glass sippy cups, using mason jars as cups is a great option.
We gave this product 4/5 stars because it doesn’t come with a lid. As such, this is going to be a messy solution with younger kids, until they’re able to really control the cup (and resist the temptation to shake, tip, and drop it!).
However, Mason Bottle does sell silicone bottle nipples, if you want to make a mason jar baby bottle. You can also get universal silicone sippy cup tops, which should fit regular-mouth mason jars well (but may be too tight for the wide-mouth mason jars).
Important Specs:
- Dishwasher-safe
- Made in the USA
- Made from medical-grade silicone
- Fits 4 and 8-ounce regular-mouth mason jars
Glass Sippy Cups Buying Guide
As your baby grows and becomes more independent, you’re not going to be able to protect him from all the world’s dangers. Once area you do have control, however, is mealtimes. And that includes using nontoxic utensils, plates, bowls, baby bottles and cups. And the products you use to clean them.
Glass is a great non-toxic option, as it’s not going to leach chemicals in the liquids it holds. The downside with glass, of course, is it’s breakable.
An Important Safety Note
While there’s lots you can do to reduce the chance of your child’s glass sippy cup from breaking, at the end of the day, it’s a risk. If you choose glass, you should also be prepared to go through some replacements.
With some of the products we recommend (for example, the Duralex Tumblers or the Elk and Friends Cups), it will be fairly easy to spot any breakage.
However, with many of the other products, past customers have mentioned situations where the glass broke, and they didn’t notice the breakage. This can obviously be quite dangerous for your baby.
If you choose to use a glass cup or bottle for your toddler or baby, we recommend you inspect it closely before every use. If your kiddo drops it, take all the parts apart so you can see the entire glass unit up close, to be sure there’s no hairline fractures, tiny chips in the glass, etc.
And if you notice any damage at all, stop using it immediately.
What About Lead in Glass Baby Bottles?
A few years ago, a parenting blogger and some individual parents tested their children’s glass bottles for lead. The bottles tested positive, and it was reported the paint used on the outside of the bottle (to market volume levels or for logos) was the culprit.
None of the products listed above have volume markers on the glass, at the time of writing.
When issues like this arise, it erodes my trust in product safety and makes me wonder if government regulations are really effective. Personally, I’ll now avoid buying glass products with painted volume markers painted. If you decide to purchase a glass bottle that has a painted logo or volume markers on it, you might consider using an at home lead test to test it before giving it to your child.
Glass vs Plastic Sippy Cup and Alternatives
Glass is safer than plastic when it comes to holding foods and consumable liquids because it’s virtually inert. The silicone-oxygen chemical bonds within glass are very strong, meaning chemicals won’t “come loose” and leach into your food or liquid. The same cannot be said for many plastics (or, indeed, many products – weak chemical bonds is one of the reasons fire retardants and VOCs can be so harmful).
Avoiding Sippy Cups Entirely Is Better For Development
You might have noticed many of the glass sippy cups on this list are actually sippy cup alternatives. That’s because it’s far better for your baby/toddler to use training cups and straws instead of sippy cups. Conventional sippy cups with hard spouts affect how a child’s swallowing pattern matures. While many parents believe transitioning from bottle to sippy cup is a right of passage, your kid is actually better off with a sippy cup alternative, such as a straw or training cup!
Things to Look for When Buying a Glass Transition Cup
What type of top does it have?
Look for a non-toxic, flexible spout or straw. While avoiding plastic is ideal, this narrows your choices even further to either the Mason Jar Silicone Sleeves or Duralex Tumblers – neither are the most practical choice for most families, especially if you’re using it on the go.
Straws are the best for encouraging healthy development, but soft spouts can work during the transition. Hard sippy spouts can hold the tongue down too low, and could lead to speech delays or impairments.
How much does the cup weigh when full?
Babies aren’t very strong. Although thicker glass cups will be more difficult to break, they’re also heavier. Use a light glass cup, like a shot glass or the small size Duralex tumblers. Or choose something that uses thinner glass with a protective sleeve to prevent breakage.
How breakable is it?
This goes without saying, but read reviews closely. If there are lots of recent reports of the cups breaking easily, avoid that cup. Fact is, companies change production facilities and designs sometimes (and without notice). We can only recommend products based on the information available at the time of writing. However, all this can change, so we encourage you to read the latest reviews as well. After all, children are excellent at breaking anything that’s easy to break!
If the glass does break accidentally, will they replace it?
Some companies are generous and stand by their products so much so that they’ll replace the entire cup if it cracks or breaks. Read reviews and look on the website or reach out directly to the company and ask.
Final thoughts
After considering all of these factors, the Green Sprouts Sip and Straw Glass Cup is the clear winner, followed by the Elk and Friends Cups. We also like the LifeFactory water bottle, but are concerned about longevity of the straw mechanism.
Both options travel well with spill-proof designs, are easy to clean, and free from toxins. For parents who want to skip the bottle and go straight to a glass toddler cup, we suggest Duralex tumblers.
I hope you learned something new and useful from this post. If you know of some parents, grandparents, or other caregivers who facing the prospect of transitioning from bottle to sippy cup, and could benefit from our research, I hope you’ll hit the share button!
