Although Dexter can now comfortably drink from a glass, I’ll admit it doesn’t do my nerves any good. I’m fine with it when we’re having dinner at the table or at a restaurant, or when we’re standing around in the kitchen - but if he takes a glass within ‘tripping distance’ of my sofas I start to panic. Like all men, my little dude can’t multi-task. This applies to drinking and walking, drinking and watching CBeebies, drinking and reading… you get the picture.
Almost a year ago now, I broke the news that Tommee Tippee unveiled new sippee cup ranges designed to support your child from their first tentative sips (approx 4m+) onto big adventures when they hit toddlerdom. These sleek, ergonomically designed, non spill, BPA-free and dishwasher-safe bottles, all come with a choice of spouts and removable handles to cater for every developmental stage.
It’s the Tommee Tippee sippee active cup range I’ll be focusing on for this review - showcasing 2 of the most popular products in the range for children over 12 months. After all - it’s these cups that have saved me from near heart attacks, and saved my sofas from being skipped and replaced.
The Tommee Tippee sippee active cup range
Both of my two little angels bypassed the baby cup stage and moved confidently onto sippee cups when they gave up teated bottles. Like most youngsters, they rejected a few different brands before settling on a spout that worked for them. There’s such a huge range of straw and soft spout options competing for mum and dad’s attention in the baby aisle, it’s tough enough choosing one for your child, let alone striking it lucky on your first attempt.
Yet this is where Tommee Tippee really come into their own. Their range offers uncompromising flexibility - if you’ve tried your child on the straw cup and they’re not keen, you can keep the bottle and screw a new head onto them. This means less stress in ASDA, and less wastage if your child decides your choice of spout isn’t for them.
12m+ Active Sports Cup
My first recommendation from the range is the active sports cup. Modeled on the cups us bigger people use when working out at the gym, these will make your toddler feel just like mum & dad. With a large 300ml capacity, it’s designed for when your toddler gets more active and needs to increase the amount of fluids they drink.
It boasts the same chunky design and easy-grip sides that have become synonymous with the Tommee Tippee brand - if you’re transitioning from a Tommee Tippee baby bottle you’ll already be familiar with this. In short, finger indents make it easier for a child to hold one-handed whilst they explore the world around them.
The bottle is made from toughened BPA-free plastic that is tough enough to withstand some pretty rough play. You then have a chunky rubber BPA-free spout that requires your child suck to release the liquid. The spout doesn’t click down as the non-spill valve does a fabulous job of preventing leaks. This means there’s nothing complicated for your child to get to grips with - I often find flip-up spouts are quite hard for tiny hands to master.
There’s no complicated spout mechanism - the non-spill valve clicks into the head, then the head is simply screwed into the bottle. The valve can be removed for cleaning although this is not essential. This means you can simply bung the two separate components in the dishwasher for convenience sake.
I was initially concerned about how well the spout would wear, as Dex has a tendency to bite and chew the rubber spout, but it’s remained in good condition. He drinks from the soft spout with ease – no small feat as he’s usually a straw-lover. His orange juice stays perfectly cool throughout the day too which is a major plus as he’s so very easily distracted.
12m+ Active Straw Cup
Our favourite cup of all time, the active straw cup is simply unbeatable for adventurous tots. At 260ml, it’s their biggest capacity straw cup with an insulated core to keep drinks cool (or indeed warm).
The soft flip-up straw is easy peasy to drink from in an upright position - so it’s a great first introduction to the paper cups they’ll inevitably end up supping from on trips to the cinema etc. Furthermore, this super soft straw is gentle on gums for teething kiddies.
In-between sips the straw flips down to stay clean and stop spills, yet this isn’t essential and a feature we only use when packing drinks for travel - that’s to say, the non spill valve works brilliantly on its own. Both Dexter and Heidi struggle to flip up the straws themselves, so we have to do it for them.
With plenty of cool designs and colours available, they’re also the perfect collectible choice for style-conscious toddlers. You might wonder why this matters, but trust me, if your child is kicking off in their car seat and you’re fishing around in your handbag for their bottle, a coloured bottle suddenly seems like a very good idea. It also makes it easier for the kids to identify which bottle is theirs when out with their buddies.
Both Dexter’s & Heidi’s bottles have lasted them well over a year and still look brand new. I might have changed the heads a few times, but the bottles have stayed in superb condition despite some 300+ cycles in the dishwasher and taking considerable batterings by the kiddies. I just can’t recommend them enough.
