Born Free Training Cup

Bottom Line

The Born Free Training Cup features a soft spout that delivers free-flowing liquid when the baby bites down. The design is intended to break babies of the hard-suck bottle habit that can contribute to ear infections and tooth decay. It is not leakproof and is not intended to be. For some this is a deal breaker; for others this is a way to end bottle reliance with reduced mess.

Ease Of Use

It takes some commitment to use this cup. The Born Free Training Cup requires extra cleaning and assembly steps. The spout includes an attachment ring, a nipple and two valves that must be assembled correctly and washed independently to keep the cup in good working order. The cup is dishwasher-safe, but all the small, extra parts can be difficult to keep track of. In spite of all that extra labor, you will still have spills from this cup. The sippy spout keeps liquids from dumping out, but the spout will leak when the cup is lying on its side, turned upside down, vigorously shaken, banged or tossed about in a bag.

That said, this is one of the only spouted cups that allows the baby to experience a free flow of liquid from the spout. The intention of this design is to break the sucking habit that typically extends from bottle or breast feeding to hard-valve sippy cup designs. According to parents who are committed to using the Born Free system, it is relatively easy and mess-free for babies to learn to sip from this cup.

Durability

Will last from babyhood to childhood. The Born Free Training Cup system is designed for babies around 9 months old who can hold their own cups and handle free-flowing liquid. The 7-ounce Training Cup has a softer spout for teething and the 9-ounce Drinking Cup has a slightly firmer spout for kids who have developed teeth. Both cups have handles for comfortable gripping. The Training and Drinking cup lids can be used interchangeably with Born Free bottle components as well as the Born Free Transitional Cup lid and the Born Free Twist 'N Pop. This interchangeability is a nice bonus for parents who are slowly stepping away from bottle use and enables the bottles to grow with the baby into toddlerhood.

The soft silicone spout on the Born Free Training Cup is gentle for sensitive gums, but there are no complaints about babies or toddlers chewing off the spout. The cup is said to be durable, and it holds up to dropping and tossing. Some parents say the handles seem flimsy, but there are no specific reports of breaking.

Lifestyle Features

Safest choice for babies with ear problems. Born Free was one of the first companies to manufacture BPA- and PVC-free plastic bottles and sippy cups. All parts of the Born Free Training Cup are made with safe plastics and soft silicone parts that are comfortable, but not harmful for children. In addition to plastic awareness, Born Free has focused their attention on creating products that address health issues experienced by babies and parents within the feeding process. Their training cup's free-flow valve discourages the pooling of liquids in the mouth that occurs when sucking from a bottle that can increase ear infections and lead to tooth decay in babies.

The Born Free Trainer comes with a travel cover, which protects the spout from germs and contamination but doesn't prevent spills. The cup is not insulated and is not intended for overly warm or cold beverages, but there are no complaints about the bottle sweating or feeling cold to the baby's hands. The 7-ounce Trainer Cups come in muted baby colors. The 9-ounce Drinking Cups feature brighter colors with animal designs.