Have you ever bought a product that you and your kid love so much that you can’t stop telling others about it? Yeah, me too. And that’s part of the reason why I felt so compelled to start this blog. Times have changed; we moms and dads are heavily influenced by each other more than ever. This sippy cup is my prime example…
In the fall, as Jack transitioned to a cup full time, I was in search of a sippy cup that was durable and an alternative to plastic. We’d been using a great BPA-free plastic sippy cup, but after several weeks of usage, I noticed the wear and tear. At the baby store, amidst the wall of plastic cups, I set sight on this gleaming stainless steel sippy cup. Hello, SafeSippy! Modern looking, clean design and practical–my first impression was, this sippy cup completely met our needs.
Apart from its aesthetics, this cup, inside and out, is well-designed. It features a narrow spout, a contrast to many other sippy cups’ flat drink spouts. Research has shown that wide, flat drink spouts can cause developmental and speech problems in young mouths. The cup boasts a removable handle that can be removed once your kid can grasp the cup. My kid, though old enough to hold a sippy cup without handles, likes this specific cup’s handle, which makes it better to “crank” and chug. Don’t ask…
On the interior of the cup, there’s a valve that’s connected to the spout that controls the flow of the liquid. There’s also a gasket/O-Ring, which is a small rubbery translucent circle that fits inside the cap and seals the cap and cup to prevent leaking. Both elements are removable so that you can wash every crevice. When we first got the cup, after the first wash, I didn’t put the O-ring back in properly and so, the cup leaked. Ok, it actually rained milk. That said, if everything isn’t “in place” you’ll know. On that note, while it is spill resistant, if your child likes to shake their sippy cup like a Polaroid picture like mine does, the beverage will drip. As the company says: A few drips may come out when the cup is turned upside down. Making it completely drip-proof would also make it difficult for a child to drink from.
What I like about the actual interior of the cup is, you can actually clean EVERYTHING with ease. With the other sippy cups I’ve tried, there are so many crevices and hidden spots, making it close to impossible to clean those hard to reach areas. Not the case for the Safe Sippy. We have no dishwasher (thanks to our old school urban set up) so, it gives me a piece of mind knowing that this cup is actually clean after washing it by hand so often. The exterior of the cup has a fun, colorful sleeve that gives it insulation and as a cushion to protect the cup. The sleeve comes off and can also be cleaned quite easily.
Why stainless steel for a sippy cup? According to the Sierra Club, food-grade stainless steel has not been shown to leach into stored foods, so it’s a great option for sippy cups. In case you haven’t heard all the news with BPA, the Sierra Club has a quick primer. The SafeSippy is made of durable and lightweight medical grade stainless steel, making it non-leaching and toxin free. And, it’s good to know that any plastic used on the cup is certified free of Bisphenol A, phthalates and DEHA. While the cup has plastic components, the company reinforced that all plastic parts (cap and handles) are made from #5 plastic or polypropylene that is the safest and most stable of all plastics. Only when a child is actually drinking from the cup does the fluid inside come into contact with the plastic, so what you put in is what you get out. Their tagline says it all.
The cups come in pink, blue and green, and retails right around $15. The SafeSippy can be found at various baby stores and specialty stores, as well as online. I’ll be completely honest here, I originally balked at the price tag, but like with most greener alternatives, the upfront expense is often higher, but in the end, it’s always worth it. Considering it’s Jack’s favorite sippy cup and we use it every day, it was worth every penny for us. We don’t have a flock of sippy cups in our kitchen–we don’t have the room. The SafeSippy is one of 3 sippy cups that are used on a daily basis.
And consider this: All of the plastic options on the market are made from petroleum. Using glass or stainless steel cups and bottles will shrink your personal oil consumption a bit.
Oh, and fancy this friends, the folks at SafeSippy have generously offered one as a giveaway!
This one’s twofold, but easy. If you haven’t already, just go on over to SafeSippy and check out their site. (Some of the tidbits are quite hilarious.) And after you do that, help me out and become a fan of The Next Kid Thing. I look like quite the loser as my only fan. I’ll count all new fans for the contest, but be sure to comment below to let me know you’ve joined.
For additional entries: You know the drill, share the news on any social networking site and comment with each additional link.
I adore the SafeSippy so much, entries to this one are unlimited. Since I meant to post this yesterday, I’ll keep it open one day longer. This contest ends next Friday, 4/24 at 11:59 p.m. Per usual, the winner will be picked at random via random.org.
*****This contest is closed*****
