Just before the weaning stage, we started to offer Jin water to get him used to the colour, texture and taste. He took to it quite well but finding the right water bottle was more challenging. I feel like we bought every type out there!
In this post I’ll run through our selection of products we used in year 1 in the order we bought them.
Click on the below links to jump to a product:
The Beginner (4 Months+)
➀ MAM Extra Soft Spout – To Be Used With MAM Milk Bottles
£4.95 (Pack of 2) @Amazon
Product Link
Spout attachment only | Skin-soft silicone | Wide spout with slit opening | Fits MAM milk bottles | BPA Free
Why We Bought It
This spout attachment came with our MAM Easy Start Self Sterilising Anti Colic Starter Set so we started introducing water to Jin with this.
How Jin Got On With It
Took to it quite easily because its a similar shape to the milk bottle teats he’s used to but wider. It lets more liquid through than the teats but not too much so he could control the flow.
About the Product
| Age From | 4 Months |
| Capacity | Fits any sized MAM bottle |
| Dimensions | 260ml/9oz bottle in pic: H18 | W7 (base) | W9cm (handles) |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | Yes (including spout for sterilisation) |
| Spill Proof Spout | Yes |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Use | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Fit Together | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Clean | ★★★★☆ |
✓ Pros
Fits our existing MAM bottles
Baby is used to holding the bottle already so only the spout changes
Easy transition from MAM teat
✗ Cons
Great if you already use MAM bottles but not worth buying a bottle and this attachment if you don’t
Only lasts a very short time before baby moves onto a faster flow so even more reason not to buy the bottle just to use this spout
Do I Recommend It?
Yes if you already use or will be using MAM bottles for milk. If you don’t have the set with it included, you can just buy the spout.
No if you don’t already use the MAM milk bottles – you can choose from many other purpose made water bottles.
Learning To Drink Independentaly
(6 Months +)
➁ Nuby Easy Grip No Spill Beaker
£4.00 (Pack of 2) @Nuby
Product Link
Soft wide silicone spout with slits | Textured bottle and hourglass shape for grip | 3 Colours | BPA Free
Why We Bought It
I copied a fellow mum friend (^_^) because her little one was drinking from it so well – I always like to try personally recommended products.
How Jin Got On With It
It looked huge in 6 month old Jin’s hands but it was good practice for him to get used to holding a larger bottle and feel the weight of more liquid.
He was used to holding his milk bottle with two hands and tipping it up so he was able to use this one as a water bottle quite naturally.
About the Product
| Age From | 6 Months |
| Capacity | 300ml / 10.5oz |
| Dimensions | H17 | W7.5 (base) |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | Not mentioned officially but I put the bottle (not spout) in the microwave for 10-20 secs for milk |
| Spill Proof Spout | Yes if spout is lined up correctly |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Use | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Fit Together | ★★★☆☆ |
| Easy to Clean | ★★★★☆ |
✓ Pros
Textured bottle and hourglass shape for grip
Spout is a step up from the milk bottle teat but a familiar soft silicone texture
Slit design spout means baby can control drinking speed
✗ Cons
Doesn’t come with a lid and they don’t even make them for this bottle! I can’t take this bottle out with me in the buggy bag without a lid…
When fitting the spout into the yellow neck part, you have to line it up specifically, which can get annoying when you’re in a hurry (see pic above)
Do I Recommend It?
Yes
Its a great starter bottle for water or milk.
If this bottle had a lid, I would have used it A LOT more by taking it out but it remained a stay-at-home water bottle.
➂ MAM Learn To Drink Cup
£5.95 @Amazon
Product Link
Smooth spout with holes | Choice of no-spill or free-flow | Hourglass shape for grip | 3 Colours | BPA Free
Why We Bought It
It seemed like ‘the done thing’ to move on from milk bottle to this type of cup with a hard spout, so that’s what we did but there’s no reason why you can’t skip this and try a straw bottle or regular cup.
How Jin Got On With It
He didn’t take to this hard spout as well as the soft silicone wide spouts and couldn’t handle the free flow so used the valve for a while. Looking back, I think this would have been a good bottle once he had a little more practice with the silicone spouts and free flow.
About The Product
| Age From | 6 Months |
| Capacity | 190ml / 6.5oz |
| Dimensions | H13 | W7 (base) | W10.5 cm (handles) |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | Not mentioned officially but I put the bottle (not spout) in the microwave for 10-20 secs for milk |
| Spill Proof Spout | Yes if the inner valve atachment stays in properly |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Use | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Fit Together | ★★★☆☆ |
| Easy to Clean | ★★★★☆ |
✓ Pros
Great size for beginners and easy to hold
Good for travel – compact and comes with a cap
Spout is medium firmess so kind on teeth
Choice of no-spill or free-flow by using the valve attachment
✗ Cons
Valve attachment kept falling out whenever the cup was dropped and we had to keeping fishing it out of the cup and fitting it back in
Parts can be a bit fiddly to wash
Do I Recommend It?
Yes if you don’t use the valve attachment or if you do, your little one doesn’t throw the bottle around like ours.
No if you’re using the valve attachment and you’re little one drops the cup a lot.
➃ Munchkin Click Lock Tip & Sip Weighted Cup
£5 @Amazon
Product Link
Soft flexible weighted straw | Can be used from any angle | Flip lid | 4 Colours | BPA Free
Why We Bought It
I wanted Jin to be able to drink without having to tip the bottle high up like a milk bottle. A straw bottle seemed convenient, clean and good for travel.
How Jin Got On With It
He was already using the Nuby Easy Grip No-Spill Beaker when I introduced him to this straw bottle. He didn’t quite get the sucking action at first – he has to bite down slightly on the straw and then suck to get the liquid through so I offered this along side the Nuby beaker and he mastered it after a month or so.
About The Product
| Age From | 6 Months |
| Capacity | 207ml / 7oz |
| Dimensions | H13 | W7.4 (base) | W12 (handles) |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | Not mentioned officially but I put the bottle (not straw & lid) in the microwave for 10-20 secs for milk |
| Spill Proof Straw | Yes |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Use | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Fit Together | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Clean | ★★★★★ |
✓ Pros
Large domed flip lid easy to open
Soft straw that needs to be sort of squeezed between teeth to get water out so is spill-proof when dropped or lying on its side
Weighted straw means baby can drink from any angle – even upside down! – and the straw will pick up the liquid
Very easy to fit the straw when putting the parts back together
Long curved handles easy for baby to hold
Using for almost 1 year, smooth shiny plastic doesn’t get scuffed with use and looks forever new
✗ Cons
I wish the handles were detachable but that’s the only con!
Do I Recommend It?
Yes!
The design of this straw cup is just brilliant. From the lid to the weighted straw and most importantly for me, the ease of fitting everything together after washing. Its great as a water bottle but is also good for milk because it wont spill.
➄ Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup
Around £5-6 @Amazon
Product Link – Cup
Product Link – Lid
Can be used from any side | Regular cup shape | 4 Designs | BPA Free
Why We Bought It
Another fellow mummy recommendation – it looked like a great product to practice drinking from a ‘regular’ cup rather than just sticking to a water bottle. And the design, so cute! I don’t think they make the designs of the one I have in this pic anymore but they have other designs.
How Jin Got On With It
Surprisingly well! I thought he would have trouble because you have to press your upper lip down a little on the edge to let the liquid out but he worked it out quickly and soon after he wanted to try drinking from our cups!
About The Product
| Age From | 6 Months |
| Capacity | 177ml / 6oz |
| Dimensions | H10.5 | W6 (base) | W12.5cm (handles) |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | Not mentioned officially but I put the bottle (not lid) in the microwave for 10-20 secs for milk |
| Spill Proof | Yes |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Use | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Fit Together | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Clean | ★★★★★ |
✓ Pros
Great small size for home and travel
Very clever 360 edge that introduces baby to sipping from a cup
Cute fun designs
✗ Cons
Doesn’t come with a lid but can purchase separately here
The rubbery material of the 360 insert is the kind that gets grubby easily or attracts bits so need to be careful it’s clean or use the lid often
Do I Recommend It?
Yes
It’s compact, colourful and a brilliant way to get baby used to putting lips to a cup edge and controlling the water they drink. I recommend you buy the lids for hygiene.
Complete Independence
(12 months+)
➅ Nuby Flip It Beaker With Dripless Straw
£5.94 @Amazon
Product Link
Soft wide silicone straw with slits | Textured bottle and hourglass shape for grip | Flip lid | 3 Colours | BPA Free
Why We Bought It
We were looking for more straw bottles to try, just to give some variety and came across this one in Tesco. It’s the same style as the Nuby Easy Grip No-Spill Beaker but with a straw and a built-in lid.
They seem to have stopped selling them at Tesco but I found them on Amazon.
How Jin Got On With It
Brilliantly – he took to it straight away, perhaps because of the chunky silicone straw, which he seems to prefer. He holds the hourglass bottle with one or two hands and even walks around drinking from it just by biting the straw hands-free!
About The Product
| Age From | 12 Months |
| Capacity | 300ml / 10.5oz |
| Dimensions | H18 | W7cm (base) |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | Not mentioned officially but I put the bottle (not lid) in the microwave for 10-20 secs for milk |
| Spill Proof Straw | Yes |
| Design | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Use | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Fit Together | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Clean | ★★★★☆ |
✓ Pros
As the name suggests, the hourglass shape and grooves make it easy to hold
Smooth opening flip lid reveals a thick straw
Liquid stays in the straw because you have to bite the straw a little to get the liquid out
✗ Cons
Straw comes in 3 parts and the mouthpiece part can be difficult to push through the lid – need dry hands and no long nails
Not so much a con but a warning – if the bottle is thrown around too much and on a hard surface, the lid can crack and will no longer be spill-proof (happened to us)
Do I Recommend It?
Yes!
This is our second most used water bottle, we have 4! Jin carries it around no problem, easily drinks from it and it fits nicely in my buggy bag.
We tried it for milk but the straw can’t quite get all of the liquid so I recommend the Munchkin Click Lock Tip & Sip Weighted Cup for milk.
➆ Tommee Tippee Easy Flow 360 Cup
£7.99 @Amazon
Product Link
Can be used from any side | Regular cup shape | 2 Designs | BPA Free
Why We Bought It
We already had the Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup which Jin drank from really well but we wanted another option and decided to try a different style. This one doesn’t have handles and is a larger capacity than the Munchkin so a step closer to a grown-up cup.
How Jin Got On With It
He was already used to the Munchkin Miracle 360 Cup so just had to get used to not having handles and a larger capacity. He seems to love the bright colours and the fact that it looks like something we would drink out of.
About The Product
| Age From | 12 Months |
| Capacity | 250ml / 8.8oz |
| Dimensions | H10.5 | W6.5cm (base) |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | Not mentioned officially but I put the bottle (not lid) in the microwave for 10-20 secs for milk |
| Spill Proof | Yes |
| Design | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Use | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Fit Together | ★★★★★ |
| Easy to Clean | ★★★★★ |
✓ Pros
Very clever 360 edge that introduces baby to sipping from a cup
Substantial size enough for a toddler
Only has 2 parts to it so very easy to open, close and clean
✗ Cons
A little pricy but Amazon prices can change and you may come across this cup in supermarkets for less
Do I Recommend It?
Yes
Good choice if you want a larger capacity and something for baby/toddler to grow into. Shaped like regular cups/glasses so makes your little one feel like they’re using a grown-up cup.
➇ Zip & Zoe Water Bottle With Straw
£5 @Babymel (Currently on sale for £3.50!)
Product Link
Silicone straw | Slim bottle | Flip lid | Carry strap | 5 Designs | BPA Free
Why We Bought It
This cute water bottle came with a Zip & Zoe mini backpack we bought for Jin from Babymel – check out my post here – and I’m glad it did because I may not have chosen this bottle otherwise. I was so busy looking for a fancy no-spill, leak-proof featured bottle that I didn’t think to just get a normal straw bottle.
How Jin Got On With It
Really well – by now he was used to straw bottles so was able to use this straight forward straw, not the type where you have to bite down to get liquid through. The most grown-up water bottle he’s tried!
About The Product
| Age From | 12 Months |
| Capacity | 350ml / 12oz |
| Dimensions | H18 | W7cm (base) |
| Dishwasher Safe | Yes |
| Microwave Safe | Not mentioned officially but I put the bottle (not straw & lid) in the microwave for 10-20 secs for milk |
| Spill Proof Straw | No, its a regular straw |
| Design | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Use | ★★★★☆ |
| Easy to Fit Together | ★★★☆☆ |
| Easy to Clean | ★★★★☆ |
✓ Pros
Slim ‘regular’ straw unlike the other thick silicone types made for babies
Amazing designs!
Slim bottle and easy to hold
✗ Cons
Straw comes in 2 parts but the mouthpiece part is SO hard to remove from the flip lid. I ended up leaving it in there but make sure I wash it really well with a straw brush
Do I Recommend It?
Yes!
As soon as your little one masters the straw bottle, I recommend this one because its a regular straw bottle – not necessarily just for babies.
We’ve now almost completely switched to using these and not the special spill-proof types because Jin can control the bottle so much better now – we have 5 of them now!
Final Thoughts
So there we are, all the cups and bottles we’ve tried from 4 months to just over 1 year.
We liked and used all of these products but the ones we love and use the most are definitely the straw bottles – Munchkin Click Lock for non-spill milk time, Nuby Flip It No Drip for on-the-go, and my favourite, the Zip & Zoe bottle for home and going out.
Have you tried any of these for your little one? Any others you’ve discovered that work really well?
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases made via my website. Thank you for your support!
[…] Babymel have an offer on where you get a free 350ml Straw Water Bottle with every backpack, which normally costs £5. See my review on the bottle here. […]
[…] And Here’s Our Bottle Station Today for 1 Year Old Jin. Its more like a water/drinks/snacks station for all of us now but we still use it everyday. See my post on baby water bottles here. […]