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13 Best Travel Sippy Cups

It’s a bittersweet miracle to see our babies grow up before our eyes and start needing us less and less. It’s only natural that we want to help them through every transition they make. However, making the switch from nursing or bottle-feeding to drinking from sippy cup does make travel a little easier.

With less bottle parts to clean and sterilize, packing a travel sippy cup for your toddler is a step in the direction of needing less toddler travel essentials!

A travel sippy cup can also be your best friend by helping you to minimize messes, whether you’re out hiking or camping with your toddler. In fact, you’ll find sippy cups on both our lists of best camping gear for babies and also essential toddler camping gear.

The American Academy Of Pediatrics recommends introducing the sippy cup when they are around 6 months old to ensure they are ready to give up the bottle entirely at the recommended age of 12-24 months. 

With so many products available on the market, it’s often a tough decision for parents to make when it comes to picking the right sippy cup for their child. We’ve scoured the marketplace and compiled a list of the best travel sippy cups so that you don’t have to.

We’ll even get into the features you need to be on the lookout for as well as all the different types of sippy cups out there.

toddler walking drinking from sippy cup for travel

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Types of Sippy Cups

There are a variety of sippy cups on the market. Most have handles, a spout or straw, and a lid to help your little one master the skill of holding and sipping without spilling. Here are the main types:

toddler in travel tent holding travel sippy cup

Spout Sippy Cup

The spout sippy cup is a good choice for younger babies as its shape resembles the breast and the bottle the most. Available in firm and flexible variants, these no-spill sippy cups come with 2-3 holes to allow the adequate flow of liquids.

Soft spouts on sippy cups are made from silicone and are gentle on babies’ sensitive gums, but also invariably encourage chewing.

Hard spouts, on the other hand, are rugged and encourage the transition from sucking to tilting and sipping. They can withstand chomping and chewing and are better for travel as well. 

baby in airport drinking from sippy cup

Straw Sippy Cup

This type of cup comes with a detachable straw instead of a spout which makes it convenient for some kids who would rather not spend time tilting and sipping. However, even the best straw sippy cups bring with them the issue of being leaky which can result in a mess when traveling.

Straws are also difficult to clean and require extra tools like brushes which are usually pretty easy to lose. 

Especially for flying, we recommend avoiding travel sippy cups and toddler water bottles with straws, as the air pressure changes in the cabin of the airplane can cause the liquid to rise and spill.

You’ll notice we haven’t actually included any straw sippy cup options on this list, since we don’t love this type of sippy cup for travel (from our first-hand experience).

360 Degree Sippy Cup

The spoutless cup is perfect for older toddlers who are almost ready to switch to a standard cup but just need a little bit more practice.

Spoutless or 360-degree cups feature proprietary technology that allows liquids to flow freely when the cup is tipped upwards but seals tightly when it is right side up to prevent spills. This is the best transition sippy cup for little ones to move towards open-top cups easily and safely. 

Sippy Cup Lid 

The revolutionary spill proof design of the silicone sippy lid converts any cup into a sippy cup.  Lightweight and flexible, these lids are travel-friendly, easy to store and make the perfect addition to your backpack diaper bag

toddler walking in airport holding travel sippy cup

What to Look For in a Travel Sippy Cup

No Leak Sippy Cup

One of the biggest advantages of a sippy cup is that it helps prevent spills and messes as your tot learns to drink from a cup, so a leaking cup defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? Most of the sippy cups on the market claim to be either leak-proof or leak-resistant.

The best travel sippy cup is one that follows through on these claims! We recommend testing it before you toss it into your toddler’s travel backpack

Ease of cleaning and Dishwasher Safe

Straws, spouts, and other contraptions and crevices in a cup are notorious for accumulating sediment, gunk, and mold deposits. These can end up becoming breeding grounds for germs, which can turn out to be incredibly dangerous for babies.

To prevent this, cups need to be detachable for easier cleaning with a bottle brush. Some models can even be cleaned using microwave bottle sterilizer bags, so don’t get rid of yours if you still have some.

It’s most ideal, however, if your sippy cup is dishwasher safe to ensure hygiene and safety along with convenience. 

toddlers eating at table using travel sippy cups

Ease of Use and Durability

Whether it means quick assembly for parents or convenience for toddlers, the best travel sippy cup should be easy to use. Go for cups made of grippy materials and firm handles that are ideal for tiny hands to pick up and hold. It might take a few tries to find the right one for your baby, but it’ll be worth it.

From plastics to metals to silicones, there are a variety of materials used to make the best sippy cups. While stainless steel cups may be expensive, they are eco-friendly as well as long-lasting. 

Plastic sippy cups are economical and widely available, but care must be taken to ensure that they are BPA-free. Prone to damage from chewing, soft plastic and silicone sippy cups tend to have a shorter life span. 

eating out with baby in Paris - Baby in travel high chair with travel sippy cup on table

Don’t have time to read the entire post? Here are our Best Travel Sippy Cup recommendations:

Best Travel Sippy Cup Overall:

Playtex Sipsters Stage 3 – This sippy cup delivers on no-leak plus it’s easy to clean, making it excellent to travel with. We’ve been using this cup for years without any issues!

Best Training Sippy Cup:

Miracle 360 Trainer Cup – This cup is ideal for training babies and toddlers to use a regular cup! With handles and ease of use, it’s perfect for your little one to drink out of on-the-go.

Best Sippy Cup Alternatives:

Snug Spout Sippy Lids – These ingenious cup lids make any cup a sippy cup! Easy to pack and clean, they are perfect for travel.

First Years Take & Toss Sippy Cup – We love these for there ease to pack and clean, plus they are like a regular sippy cup. We’d choose these over the sippy lids, especially if you risk having only glass cups to use the lids on.

toddler in car seat with playtex sipsters sippy cup

Best Sippy Cups for Travel

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Best Travel Sippy Cups