Babes and Kids

I'm sure many of you have heard of, seen, or probably used cups from The First Years. They have the infamous "take and toss cups." They also have another cup that is usually seen in stores which we will be looking at.

Take and Toss

Pros: The take and toss are a plastic cup, with a plastic lid that snaps on. It's nice that there are only two pieces to this cup. They come in a variety of colors as well as many different characters. (Elmo, Disney, Thomas) The cups are a see through plastic so you always know how much liquid is in them. They are also quite inexpensive, hence the "take and toss" name. They are inexpensive enough that it doesn't hurt your budget if you lose one. They are BPA free as most sippy cups are now. It is easy to drink from and they are easy to clean. They come in a 5 oz learner size, 7 oz, and 10 oz size, as well as a straw sipper cup. They are also a great cup without the lid, easy for a toddler to drink from. I like that they are lightweight and easy for a child to carry around. We have bought these multiple times and I was pleasantly surprised with them.

Cons: Sometimes you get what you pay for. These cups are great at first but tend to crack easily, especially if your child chews on the spout. After they have cracked, you have to throw the lid away as it is totally not spill proof anymore. We also had problems with the lid coming off occasionally as it is a snap on lid versus the screw on lid that most sippy cups have. The spout also can become obstructed easily if you let anything dry in it, aka dried milk.

Price: Around $3.49 for a 4 pack

Where to Buy: Amazon, Target, Walmart, Kmart, Drugstore.com (Most retailers carry these)

Rating: Great

Insulated 9 oz Cup

Pros: This is a heavy duty cup. It is insulated to keep drinks cooler/warmer longer and seems almost indestructible. Once again, it is only 2 pieces as the valve is built in. The valve is silicone. These come in tons of different character styles, thus appealing to their audience. They are dishwasher safe.

Cons: I bought these cups for Chandler in the Disney Cars design when he was way into the movie. He was really excited to have the cups and was about 18-20 months at the time. I washed the cup, put water in it and a few minutes later Chandler threw the cup across the room. I handed it back to him and watched him try to suck the water out. He got frustrated again and threw the cup. Being curious as I am, I tried to drink out of the cup. My cheeks felt like they would if I were trying to blow up a tiny water balloon. It was ridiculous how terrible the flow of the cup was. I figured it would get better over time, but it didn't. We bought the cups in a two pack and the 2nd cup was just as bad as the first. The spout is also very large for a child's mouth, it makes drinking even more awkward. Not to mention the cup feels really heavy when full of liquid. I was mad that I had even spent money on this cup and ended up throwing them away.

Price: $8.00 for a two pack

Where to Buy: Amazon, Walmart

Rating: Terrible (If you can't sip out of a sippy cup - why buy it?)