Baby's First Cup: How to Choose the Right Cup for Starting Solids

When you start your baby on solids, introducing a cup alongside food is recommended from the very beginning, around 6 months. This doesn't mean ditching breastfeeding or bottle feeding; it simply means offering a few sips of water with meals to help your baby start learning the completely different skill of drinking from a cup. The question is: which cup do you actually need, and when?

The good news is you don't need seven different cup types. You need one or two well-chosen options that will support your baby's development and grow with them. This guide breaks down the types of cups available, what to look for at each stage, and which Wild Indiana cups deliver the goods.

Why Introduce a Cup When Starting Solids?

Introducing a cup alongside solids serves several purposes. It helps your baby begin to understand that water comes with meals, a healthy habit that supports hydration and oral health. Offering water (not juice or other drinks) with solid food also helps with digestion and iron absorption. From a developmental standpoint, learning to drink from a cup builds different oral motor skills than feeding from a breast or bottle, and early introduction makes the transition much smoother when it comes time to reduce bottle use.

Types of Baby Cups: What Are Your Options?

Open Cup

An open cup, just like a small regular cup, is actually the cup type recommended by many speech pathologists and paediatric dentists for earliest introduction. It sounds counterintuitive (won't it spill everywhere?), but offering tiny sips from a small open cup teaches the most natural and developmentally appropriate drinking pattern from the start. You simply hold a small amount of water to your baby's lip and tip gently.

The Wild Indiana Fancy Silicone Grip Cup is an open cup option that genuinely grows with your child. The grip on both sides means babies can hold it themselves from around 9 months, and the wide, stable base makes it hard to knock over. The soft silicone rim is gentle against gums and developing teeth. It's available in a range of colours that coordinate beautifully with the rest of the Wild Indiana silicone dinnerware range.

Straw Cup

Straw cups are popular and practical from around 6 to 9 months. The straw action is closer to the natural drinking pattern than a spouted sippy cup, and many speech therapists prefer them for this reason. Straws encourage a forward tongue position and support the development of oral muscles needed for speech.

The key with straw cups is finding one where the straw can reach the liquid from any angle so your baby doesn't have to tilt the cup upward to drink, which can cause spills and frustration.

The Wild Indiana Sippy Cup is a leak-proof straw cup designed specifically for babies and toddlers. Its weighted silicone straw moves with the liquid to reach water from any position, so your baby always gets a sip without tilting. The anti-backflow technology prevents spills, and the soft silicone handles are easy for small hands to grip. Available in four beautiful colours, it's BPA-free and dishwasher safe.

Spouted Sippy Cup

Traditional spouted sippy cups are widely available and widely used but speech pathologists generally recommend them less than open cups or straw cups, because the hard spout can encourage a sucking action similar to bottle feeding and may interfere with the oral motor development needed for clear speech. If you choose a spouted cup, look for a soft spout rather than a hard plastic one, and avoid using it as a "constant companion" throughout the day.

Which Cup Should You Start With?

For most families, starting with either an open cup or a straw cup from around 6 months works well. Here's a simple guide:

• 6 months: Introduce a small open cup with sips of water at mealtimes. Hold it for your baby and offer just a teaspoon or two to start. The Wild Indiana Fancy Silicone Grip Cup is pefect for this. Add a small amount of water and let your baby explore.
• 6–9 months: Introduce a straw cup alongside the open cup. The Wild Indiana Sippy Cup with its weighted straw is designed to make learning to drink with a straw as easy as possible.
• 9–12 months: Many babies are holding their own two-handled cup and taking sips independently. Offer water at every meal in a cup your baby can manage on their own.
• 12 months+: This is typically the time health guidelines recommend beginning to phase out bottles if your baby uses them. Having an established cup routine already in place makes this transition much smoother.

What About Cup Materials?

As with all baby feeding equipment, the material matters. When choosing a cup for a baby or toddler, look for:

• BPA-free: Essential. BPA is a chemical found in some plastics that has been linked to hormone disruption. Both the Wild Indiana Fancy Grip Cup and Sippy Cup are BPA-free.
• Food-grade silicone: The ideal material for anything that goes in or near a baby's mouth. Soft, durable, free from harsh chemicals, and dishwasher safe.
• Easy to disassemble and clean: Baby cups accumulate bacteria quickly if they can't be properly cleaned. Check that the cup comes apart fully for thorough washing.

How Much Water Should a Baby Drink When Starting Solids?

At 6 months, babies only need small sips of water at mealtimes. Think a few teaspoons to a tablespoon or two per meal. Breast milk or formula remains the primary fluid until 12 months. After 12 months, water becomes the main drink of choice and babies can transition toward drinking more throughout the day. There's no need to push water intake, simply offering a cup at every meal builds the habit naturally.

Cup Transition Tips

If your baby seems uninterested in the cup, or keeps refusing it, try:

• Dipping the straw in breast milk or formula for the first few tries to make it familiar
• Offering the cup when your baby is curious and relaxed rather than hungry or tired
• Letting older siblings or caregivers model cup drinking. Babies are extraordinary imitators
• Trying a different cup type if one isn't working (some babies prefer an open cup; others take to a straw immediately)
• Being patient. It can take many sessions before cup drinking "clicks"

The Complete Starting Solids Cup Setup

If you'd like a beautiful, coordinated starting solids setup that includes a cup alongside your plates, and cutlery, the Wild Indiana Fancy 5 Piece Silicone Dinner Set includes a cup as part of the full set. It's the kind of mealtime setup that makes every meal feel considered, and the kind of quality that lasts well beyond babyhood.

FAQs About Baby Cups

When should I introduce a cup to my baby?

Health guidelines recommend introducing a cup alongside solid foods from around 6 months. Start with small sips of water at mealtimes, there's no need for large quantities at this age. The habit of drinking from a cup is more important than the volume at this early stage.

Is a sippy cup or straw cup better for babies?

Speech pathologists generally recommend open cups and straw cups over traditional spouted sippy cups, because straw and open cup drinking encourages a more natural oral motor pattern. The Wild Indiana Sippy Cup with its weighted straw is an excellent straw cup option from around 6 months.

How do I clean a baby straw cup properly?

Disassemble the cup fully, including the straw and any valves, after each use. Wash in hot soapy water or the dishwasher. Use a small straw brush to clean inside the straw thoroughly. Allow to dry fully before reassembling to prevent mould growth.

Can my baby use the same cup for water and milk?

A cup can be used for either, but it's good practice to rinse or wash between uses, especially when switching from milk to water. Once your baby is 12 months and transitioning away from formula or bottle feeding, a cup can be used for small amounts of full-fat cow's milk as well as water.