As I’m sure any parent will testify, the search for that perfect toddler cup is a long, arduous and expensive one! I can’t even remember how many cups we’ve bought and binned, bought and then they’ve stayed at the back of the cupboard or bought and still use despite them not being very good because we need something, anything even if it’s a bit rubbish! The main problems we’ve found in our search have been leakage and ease of use for small hands (we also have the problem of Florence chewing and biting through straws but I guess there’s not much we can do about that one)! The leaking aspect is the most fundamental for me, I have so many times shoved Florence’s cup in my bag and then come away with juice spilled in it and when she wanders round while shaking her cup or holding it upside down I’m forever behind her with a wet wipe trying to save the carpet! I mean how hard can it be to make a cup that doesn’t leak AND doesn’t let the toddler open it so that even if it doesn’t leak when the lid is on properly, because of tampering it does!
Actually not that hard said Munchkin and went ahead and produced their range of Click Lock spill proof cups! I have to say when I hear about the ‘latest spill proof cup’ I take the information with a bit of a pinch of salt because we really have tried many of the things and in the past there’s never been one that works as well as the company says it will. There’s always been a few problems even with some of the better ones. So, when we were asked to try out one of the new range by Munchkin I obviously didn’t hold out masses of hope but I have to say I’ve been pleasantly surprised! When the 9oz Click Lock Insulated Flip Straw Cup I instantly saw that this new design is very special indeed! I filled it with water and shook it and shook it and absolutely no spills occurred! The way that the lid screws on and clicks into place makes it very tight and also too difficult for little hands to unlock. That was the main hurdle down then, it didn’t spill and Florence couldn’t tamper with the lid once on!
I think because the screw lid has a big depth this must help with how sealed it is once locked in place as seen in the picture on the right.
The no spill technology doesn’t stop there either! Even when the soft straw is out and the cup is upside down still nothing comes out! I do find that just after the drink has been made, upon the first opening of the straw there is a bit of a spurt so I always open the straw once over the sink just after I’ve made the drink and then the next time it opens nothing comes out. The straw is soft so unfortunately Florence does tend to chew hers but she literally chews everything. As you can see from the picture above she has even chewed the flip straw lid… I end up having to snip straws down as they get tatty and then eventually buy a new one but this one does seem to be a bit more robust than others and it takes her longer to chew her way through the end so I won’t envisage having to buy new ones as often. I also really like the way the cup comes apart including the straw. It can be completely removed which makes it excellent for cleaning. We have had cups in the past where the straw can’t be removed and it’s just too hard to clean properly.
Florence finds this cup very easy to use herself and can quite simply pop the straw open which I have noticed she has not found as easy with other cups. It’s also really slim and easy for her little hands to hold despite the fact that it is a 9oz cup and has an insulation wall to ensure the drink stays cool. Usually this sort of thing bulks out a cup and makes them too big for her but this one isn’t too chunky at all. You need a toddler cup (this one is suitable from 9m) to take a fair amount of drink or it’s just not worth it but they have to be slim enough for them to hold. Another thing we like about the Munchkin designs in general is that they are always really bright, colourful and have interesting pictures, this particular style of cup comes in three different colours and patterns. All in all a really decent cup with some lovely features which are both practical and fun for the toddler. With an RRP of £4.49 we think it’s a bit of a bargain really!
Florence finds the ease of opening the straw very do-able for her on the left. On the right the cup with the straw open.. We have had this cup for four months and I’ve only had to trim the frayed edges from the straw (where it’s been chewed) once. This cup will last a LOT longer than others we have had!
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