New review! thinkbaby Trainer Cup

I am deeply sorry for the serious lapse between product reviews. I guess starting up a new blog about product reviews was more difficult than I thought! Especially with the holidays! My Annabel is now about eight months old, and for the past couple of months I have been trying to teach her to drink out of a cup. I've read so much about the "dangers" of sippy cups that I decided to look for alternatives. As Annabel tries them out, I will review them here. I know that sippy cups don't necessarily count as cutting edge "gear," but I figure that since I'm looking for your not-the-run-of-the-mill sippy cups, they would count.

So the first one I bought is the thinkbaby Trainer Cup. It seems to have several features going for it:

- Free of BPA, PVC phlalates, lead, nitrosamides (whatever those are) and apparently anything harmful whatsoever.

- An extra soft spout that hopefully won't lead to Annabel having a lisp.

- Easy to hold handles, because my Annabel is a gripper.

Those were the three things that I was looking for in a good sippy cup, and thinkbaby seems to have answered my prayers with their design.

The spout, as you can see in the photo, is made from a soft silicone, so feels similar to the nipples on the numerous baby bottles that we use today. But, it's shaped like a sippy cup spout, and works like a little bit of both. It requires both pressure and suction in order for the baby to get a drink. So, it works as a better transition between a sippy and a regular cup.

So what's the verdict? See for yourself:


I've been putting formula in it most of the time, because Annabel still isn't crazy about juice (which is probably a good thing). She seems to really like the cup and to be able to use it easily. However, I have a couple of cons that I should mention.

1. Similar to regular silicone nipples, this spout is easily collapsible. Especially if you have a baby like mine who likes to clamp down on things. So sometimes she just ends up chewing the spout instead of actually drinking from it, and I have to use my fingers to put it back to its intended shape.

2. A nine ounce bottle seems pretty big for a transition cup. If I put any more than four or five ounces in the bottle, then it's really difficult for Annabel to hold up and drink from it on her own. As it is, you can see I have to put her in a reclining position to drink from it in the first place. I wish they made a five ounce version of this bottle. I feel like by the time she's able to fully hold the bottle on her own, she'll be drinking from a regular cup.

Also, the cup is definitely on the pricier side, retailing for $8.99 at most stores. I bought mine on sale at The Right Start, so I paid a little less than $7.00 for it. If you can find it somewhere and be able to use a coupon, then it might be worth your while.

All in all, I really like this cup and I recommend it for parents who are willing to shell out a little extra cash for this "next generation" sippy. Other sippies that I've bought but have yet to try are "The Safe Sippy" (which may be awhile until Annabel uses that one because it's really heavy) on the expensive end (yes, waaay more expensive than the thinkbaby) and the Nuby No-Spill Twin Handled 1st Cup. So look for those reviews, coming soon. No really, I promise.

Do any of you have a sippy cup to recommend? Or what's your experience with the thinkbaby? Please share in the comments below!

Cheers!