Drinking Cups & Drinking Bottles

Plastic, aluminium or glass: the right material for drinking cups and bottles

Drinking bottles for babies or infants are available in various materials which can differ particularly with regard to their production and environmental impact in the production process as well as in terms of pollutants, sustainability and health and safety. Many cups and bottles, especially those made for the smallest among us, are made of synthetic materials. For good reason: Synthetic material is known to be particularly resilient, light in weight and can be printed randomly and produced in many different shapes. Nevertheless, drinking bottles made of synthetic materials can still contain BPA and other harmful substances as well as paints from printing that are dangerous to health. Furthermore, some plastic bottles leak and lack insulating qualities. This is reasons enough for the trading industry to produce drinking cups and bottles which are made of alternative materials. Aluminium, for instance, is not only light in weight but also insulating. Apart from the problematic bauxite mining, the main disadvantage of aluminium is the internal coating of respective cups and bottles. High-grade steel is also used for the production of bottles for older children. Those of you, who want to avoid plastic, should take a close look at bottles made of stainless steel – usually the internal coating or the lid of stainless steel bottles are made of plastic. A smart alternative to the materials used for bottles and cups mentioned above is glass. The main disadvantage of glass is that it is relatively heavy.

The perfect drinking bottle for every age

The range of drinking bottles and cups for babies and infants is particularly wide not only in terms of colour, shape and size. Even the variations differ immensely – there are drinking bottles for every age and stage of development. Drinking bottles, for instance, which are similar to baby bottles but feature an additional spout are perfectly suitable for babies at the age of eight months and up. The spout of such bottles is usually made of silicone and supposed to ease the transition from drinking from a bottle to drinking from a cup or straw. Children who are already able to hold heavier items safely, can use a trainer cup with a soft spout and handles. Once your little one manages drinking with this cup, there is only a short way left to drinking from a cup with brim and then to drinking from an adult’s cup or glass. Children at the age of one years and up are also offered bottles for on the go, for example a bottle with a push-pull spout as well as a cup with a built-in straw and vent which prevents the bottle from leaking.