Philips Avent Easy Sip Magic

6-Month old breastfed took to this instantly – We had researched the thing about sippy cups for days. Do we go straight to cups and have bub learn to hold a cup properly from the start or do we use sippy cups as a stepping stone. If we use a sippy cup, valved (harder to suck but less mess) or non-valved (more wet mess, easier to drink from). And which one - in our local baby shop there is an entire aisle full of them! We certainly didn't want to go down the route of trying one and if that doesn't work try another; we're not having a 6-month old dictate how much we spend! Hence reading reviews, talking to folk and looking at the wares available.

In the end, we went for the Philips Avent BPA-free magic cup. It was valved, easy to clean, inexpensive ($10.95) and understanding how the valve worked we thought it would be effective but still quite easy to drink from. The valve is a diaphragm in the top of the cup and when bub sucks it pulls the centre of the diaphragm away from a center grooved pillar allowing the liquid to pass. Simple yet effective.

I tried it first and found it quite easy to get water from;although if I gave it a real hard suck it would slow. Bub was reclined in her pushchair (we wanted her reclined to begin with as the cup has to be pointing down a bit - unlike straw systems - and so easier for her to try) and I gave her the cup with tepid water in it. Well, it was hilarious, bub just took the cup held the two handles and drank!! No messing. It was as if she had been drinking from it for ever. She has not yet (3 days in) got the hang of using it when sitting up (not reclined) but it is 99% mess-free (a drip or two comes out if she's playing with it vigorously) , when I help by pushing up the base she loves it and when reclined drinks like a fish from it.

So, a big thumbs up to the Philips Avent BPA-free magic cup for us. However, every baby and family is different so it may or may not work for you. Whatever happens; enjoy bub!!! :-) Easy to clean, simple, very little leakage, inexpensive and bub loves it The hard plasic packaging was difficult to get into and remove. Had to use sissors.