It can feel quite overwhelming to introduce a new way of drinking to your baby, especially at a time when you're also contending with the mess weaning brings along. Here's some advice from baby experts the NCT: There are many kinds of sippy cups - whether you’re going for soft spouts, hard spouts, straws or free-flowing, open cups - with tons of great features. You might want to consider leak-proof for travel; spill-proof for, well, always; cups with handles for tiny hands to easily hold; eco-options; even glow-in-the-dark numbers for nighttimes. Another vote for the Tommy Tippee Free-Flow. My son drinks water out of this and gets all excited when he sees the cup” - voted for by Mumsnet user, SabrinaTheThirtySomethingWitch. Our Verdict Looking for something that will keep your DC’s drinks cool? Insulated cups can help and we like the look of this one, as Munchkin is generally a loved brand by parents - including Mumsnetters. It keeps drinks cool for up to 10 hours in the insulated, double-walled stainless steel cup. Doidy Cups may not look terribly modern. In fact, this same design has been around since the 1950s but we say: if it ain’t broke, why fix it? The Doidy is a slanted cup that's easier for babies to sip from than an ordinary open cup. It’s loved by healthcare professionals because of the independence it brings, the fact that it’s an open cup (the Holy Grail of cup training!) and the way it helps children to develop hand-eye coordination. The downside? You might end up with a few spills on the floor.

We used an Avent spouted cup, then an Anyway Up Cup - never took a bottle” - recommended by Mumsnet user, AnnieHM Our Verdict Shop baby bottles, bottle sterilisers, prep machines and more. Tommee Tippee bottles are designed with natural movement and anti-colic features to help make bottle feeding easier. Discover clever feeding products for every stage from birth to weaning, whether you’re cleaning baby bottles or steaming your own baby food.Boisterous or busy toddler on your hands? Kids aged 3+ won’t argue over the Camelbak Eddy (we can hope…) thanks to the fun, adventurous designs. They’re made for flip, bite and sip use with a straw, a button-press lid and a valve that delivers a steady flow. Important for active toddlers, they’re supposedly leak proof when closed and spill-proof when open, and our Mumsnetter’s review supports that. Munchkin Miracle 360. Was the only thing my daughter would drink out of. Tried loads of different cups before, but she refused them all” - tried and tested by MyLittlePony374. Our Verdict Capacity: 300ml | Recommended age: 6 months+ | Material: Silver, Silicone, Polypropylene, Thermoplastic Elastomer What we love We’re always fans of a product that does two jobs at once, like this clever little beaker which also functions as a nightlight! Invented by a dad and industrial engineer, the Litecup has a smart, well-thought-through design in a range of colours. It’s a 360-degree free-flow spout to let children sip from any side of the cup; it has easy-to-grab handles; and it boasts a light-up base. Just bear in mind that if you're using the lid for nighttimes, it won’t be completely free-flow. Get a Doidy Cup! They're brilliant, good size for little hands and angled so they can see the water coming at them. My toddler had one from 6 months and she much preferred it to a sippy cup. Takes a little while (and a lot of spills) to get used to but definitely worth it’ - highly recommended by Mumsnet user, HereComesFrog. Our Verdict

To further support the development of their grown-up drinking skills, our 360° Easiflow trainer cup comes with easy-grip handles designed for tiny hands. The handles ensure the cup doesn’t slip out of baby’s hands whilst aiding the development of the hand-eye coordination required to hold, lift, and sip, all while sitting upright.Capacity: 250ml | Recommended age: 6 months+ | Material: Polypropylene, High Density Polyethylene and Thermo Plastic Elastomer What we love Straw: Sippy cups that come with a straw attached or included, rather than a spout, help to get your child used to drinking from a straw and a cup, for when they eventually get there. With a straw, your child won’t have to tip or lift their cup - nice and easy.

Now, refit the filter to the water hopper and refill the unit with cold water. Run a test by selecting, “4oz Feed” on the dial and pressing the Start/Stop button. This will dispense a small amount of cold water into the container. Next, place a suitable container under the dispenser. Refit the water hopper and fill it with one litre of boiling water. The water light will extinguish, and the temperature light will illuminate. Capacity: 400ml | Recommended age: 3 years+ | Material: Plastic (50% recycled material) What we love Trying to reduce your plastics? You’ll love Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel water bottles for kids as it’s a bottle for life, which reduces wastage. The Classic Sippy comes with a spill-proof sippy cap and dust cover for little ones, but it’s also compatible with Klean Kanteen's bamboo, sports and loop mouth pieces so it can grow with your child. The bottle itself is virtually bomb-proof - it doesn’t scratch or dent, so it'll survive as time goes by. Just don’t lose it (eek!). We got the MAM trainer cups and she absolutely loves them, they are quite spongy on her gums which seems good for her’ - recommended by Mumsnet user, Sammilouwho Our VerdictTo do this, first unplug the machine and remove the lid, water hopper and bottle stand, setting the filter to one side (top side down). Clean them using hot soapy water, rinsing thoroughly with cold water, before allowing to dry naturally (do not use cloths or tea towels to dry).

I used one of these for my daughter, it took her a few attempts to get used to it and I didn’t push/rush it & just used bottles till she got the hang of it’ - recommended by Mumsnet user, MarigoldMoonStone Our Verdict Pricey but can replace the spout if needed, rather than the whole thing (just don't lose it, kids!)

Subscribe to Save

I couldn’t be bothered with getting the baby used to a bottle and to need to wean them off it for a year. We used a NUK soft spout cup, so somewhere between a bottle teat and a regular supply cup” - recommended by Mumsnet user, Callamia. Our Verdict