Boon unveiled several new feeding products at the trade show, including baby bottles and a straw cup and a great-looking dish drainer that plays on artificial grass. Here's a close-up demo of the straw cup:


Born Free refused to let us film their prototype, but it's too late for that. Born Free and OXO each have identically-functioning cups that will be coming out around the same time - each of them featuring a twist ring that releases the straw, which is held against the inner rim when it is closed, rather than pinched midway between the center and edge, as the last two popular straw cup design saw similar widespread adoption a few years ago by Thermos, Nurture Pure, etc., and the flip-top (Munchkin, Playtex) did before that. Design comes in waves across this industry.

Here's a bowl I guess we missed - it's available now. Its lozenge shape echoes rounded corners we're seeing in new designs across the market. Such corners give babies and multitasking caregivers more scoopability when trying to get food out of a bowl - a feature pioneered by another company we'll write up soon. Anyway, Boon's bowl:



But Boon also has a bizarre web-like bowl holder in development that sort of turns the stay-put bowl idea on its head. "Wrap" actually encapsulates a bowl of your own in a thermoplastic elastomer webbing that has a suction base and wraps around the bowl lip too. The idea is that it helps keep the bowl affixed to a surface (these things are always great for high chairs, terrible for tables - porous surfaces don't take to suction cups well) but if it fails, the wrap protects the bowl if it is dropped, thrown, etc. We're looking forward to testing this one out when it comes into production.


We saw another clever reworking of the stay-put bowl concept from a new-to-America company that we've been waiting to reach our shores. We'll have a demo of that up soon.

And here's the Grass dish drainer, which is just plain clever. We'll test it too, to see how it works.


Boon also has some new bath stuff, also in prototype stage, that we'll show off soon. One strange item I haven't quite wrapped my head around yet, and one that looks very interesting.

We were surprised to show up at the ABC Kids Expo booth of the container, kitchen, and housewares company OXO to find a wall of prototypes of children's feeding items they'll be launching in early 2010. OXO's line features some interesting plates and bowls, a straw cup that's hard to evaluate in the prototype stage, and a trainer cup that slows the flow of liquids while offering kids the responsiveness to tilt that "real drinking" from a cup entails. If that last part sounds a little confusing, just watch this video, which we shot to show off the full line (remember, these are prototypes, which explains the poorly-fitting straw):


OXO warned us several times that these products wouldn't be available for several months. We told them you didn't care. What we should have said was that seeing stuff in the prototype stage is, at least for some ZRecs readers, the ultimate experience we're all really after.

Props to OXO for developing a line of cups that uses entirely interchangeable parts. For startups this is a long-range design issue to plan for from the outset, and one that ensures their products have resonance for retailers looking to invest in a brand that can sell to parents at multiple developmental stages. For a company like OXO that cut its teeth on relatively unrelated product categories (we love their Candela night lights), among other things) it's a chance to come out of the gate with a product that makes sense for consumers at a time when putting their own stamp on reinterpretation might take precedence and create a lot of one-off designs. It's a sign of this company's discipline and practical design background that they chose to prioritize both.

It's unclear to us whether these products will have parts sold independently, to allow consumers to upgrade existing cup bodies with later-stage lids, but it's also unclear whether the price point will really make that necessary. The main point is, you can have a bin of cups with parts that work together so that you don't have to play a matching game to build a cup for your child's drink - if, of course, you invest heavily in OXO product. It's the same product line compatibility we've praised Playtex for in the past, and we're happy to see it gaining more traction.

Needless to say, we'll be putting most of this line through the paces when it's available in January or so.

We met with Rick Dias, Chief Operating Officer at Thermos, who walked us through new changes to the Foogo and Funtainer line. The focus of our conversation was on the changes they have made to the composition of the plastic base and lid in response to reporting by bloggers and feedback from consumers that some Foogo and Funtainer lids were cracking and bases were splitting or detaching from the bottom of the cup.

Thermos launched the Foogo line with one type of plastic, and later changed it to a plastic that had a higher heat tolerance but proved more brittle and prone to breakage when dropped. This meant broken lids for some users and bases that came detached from the stainless steel body for others, which posed an additional laceration hazard with sharp metal welds were exposed.

Adrienne Jones of Baby Toolkit did excellent reporting on this issue, and we picked up the story in February 2008.

Dias cited blogger commentary as the leading cause of their decision to change the plastic again, to a mixture that is a bit more pliable but is not quite as heat tolerant. Here's an interview we did with him yesterday at the ABC Kids' Expo, where he walked us through the changes as well as showing off Thermos' new Phases line of Tritan plastic sippy and straw cups.

Here's our discussion of the changes to the line, and the engineering decisions behind it:



Thermos' Funtainer was denied a ZRecs Top Pick rating in our 2009 BPA-Free Sippy and Straw Cup Showdown, largely based on this outstanding issue and the company's insistence that there was nothing wrong with the product line. Readers, however, awarded it Top Pick Status in our Reader Rescue Poll. The fact that many voters may have been evaluating different versions of the product - either the first version or the second one, and thus making their recommendation on products with a significant variation in long-term performance, makes the often unannounced product tweaking companies do a bit of a challenge for the reviewing process.

We're looking forward to reviewing the entire new product line, and have some features we're particularly optimistic about. More on that - and on how to make sure you get the new version when you purchase a Foogo or Funtainer - when we get the products shipped from Thermos after the show.

Both Earthlust and Camelbak make adult stainless steel water bottles, and each offers a great downsized kids' version - Earthlust with a 13-oz. bottle with loop cap that is one of the lightest stainless steel bottles we've found, and Camelbak with a shorty version of its relatively new stainless steel water bottle with its patented "bite valve" (you have to bite it to use the straw). The later only missed inclusion in our Toddler to Pre-K Sippy and Straw Cup Showdown by a few days' time. And yes, in light of recent developments, we are regretting that SIGG bottle's Top Pick status.

Here's Earthlust's offering, which Mamanista pointed out was missing from the ZRecs Guide yesterday. (It's there today, thanks!) Earthlust's 13-oz. bottle is lightweight and narrow enough for a five- or six-year old to handle, and simple enough for the same age child to open and close. They have some really nice designs, all guaranteed to be made with lead-free paint.


Earthlust's stainless steel bottles also come in 20 ounce and one liter sizes.

For their kids' cup, Camelbak has added a flip-to-open tab to their standard bite-valve straw lid. It works pretty well, as this demo shows:


This squat bottle is pretty chunky, although it holds about the same amount of water as the Earthlust (it's cited as holding .4 L, or 13.5 oz.), and its weight and circumference will make Camelbak's entry into the kids' stainless steel bottle market a clunky one for smaller users. But the straw and lid are easy to use and easy to clean, the thick-walled bottle keeps cold drinks cold for hours, and we like how the designs show off the bottle's material as well as dressing it up. We've filed the stainless steel version, as well as the company's Tritan copolyester (BPA-free plastic) offering, under "Straw Cups" in the ZRecs Guide, and would highly recommend either of them to anyone.

We'll be announcing a giveaway of a family pack of another of our favorite stainless steel water bottles tomorrow - up to five water bottles in their adult (750 ml) or smaller (350 ml) sizes, for a single winner. The winner will be drawn from our newsletter's subscriber list, which will go out on September 1 after an unplanned summer hiatus. Stay tuned for all the details tomorrow, and make sure to sign up to receive our monthly email so you'll be eligible to win.

So we've told you what we thought were the best, pretty good, not so hot, and worst sippy and straw cups for kids from toddlerdom through the pre-K years. We think there were actually some pretty good cups in the Middle Tier this round, and even some decent ones in our Bottom Tier - the competition was tighter, for sure! So we're particularly curious to find out what cup readers - that's you! - will vote to rescue from this division's middle and bottom tier and strongarm into ZRecs Top Pick status!

Photos of all the contenders are below, as well as those already awarded Top Pick status, for comparison. The poll is in the Z Recommends sidebar. If you'd like to reread our reviews and scoring to remind you of which of our reviews had us most vigorously shaking your head in protest, here they are:

• Middle Tier


• Bottom Tier


• World's Worst

Don't miss your chance to vote up your favorite from among our unchosen - we'll keep this poll open through July 7. Use your vote to promote the cup you think is most deserving of "Top Pick" status!













Existing Top Picks in this division are:

Welcome to our favorite straw cups (and in one case, sippy) for kids from older toddlerhood through the pre-K years. These five drinking vessels are our highest recommendations for this age group, based on their ease of use and care, durability, eye appeal, and value. Let us know what you think of them in the comments if you've tried them!

Up next will be our Reader Rescue Poll, in which you can vote to have one of our Middle or Bottom Tier picks elevated to Top Pick status.

For cups for kids from ages one to twoish, check out our Baby and Toddler Division.

Contigo Autoseal

Design:A 9-oz. cup with a non-skid base, contoured body, and button-powered drinking spout.
Price: $9 | Shop for the Autoseal Kids Cup on Amazon | See all Contigo listings in the ZRecs Guide
Observations: The simple button release of Contigo's Autoseal line give this product the best of both worlds when it comes to kids' cups: Total, unassailable leak-proof performance matched by a fast flow through a sizeable opening when its button-release is pressed. The non-skid base has a sneaker-like look and feel and this cup is sturdy, durable, and attractive. The button assembly contained in the lid could conceivably get dirty, but has enough holes to be easily flushed clean. It's hard to beat the features and "Aha!" functionality of this great cup, and we think it will be worth the price for a lot of families.
Ratings: Ease of Use and Care: 9. Durability: 10. Eye Appeal: 8. Value: 7. Total points: 35/40.

Playtex Coolster Tumbler

Design: A 9-oz. insulated cup with Playtex's standard "figure-8" valve and a drinking slot much like an adult insulated mug.
Price: $5-$6 | Shop for the Playtex Coolster Tumbler on Amazon | See all Playtex listings in the ZRecs Guide
Observations: Playtex's Coolster Tumbler offers an unbeatable package: A virtually indestructible insulated cup with Playtex's nearly-spill-proof, easy-to-clean valve. Playtex's astonishingly low price point for this product is certainly a factor of the manufacturing giant's economies of scale. But the ability to swap lids and valves across every cup in Playtex's line cannot be so easily dismissed: It is the sign of a company's belief in their full product line and their respect for consumers. Lids for newer Playtex sippys, like this one, also feature a tab that enables in-lid storage of the valve while washing and storing the cup. Like the Contigo, its size, look and functionality mean that this cup could last your child for several years without looking "too young." In sum, this is the kind of product that keeps a big name big.
Ratings: Ease of Use and Care: 9. Durability: 9. Eye Appeal: 8. Value: 9. Total points: 35/40.

Nalgene Grip 'n' Gulp

Design: A 12-oz. translucent cup with a sippy-style spout and internal valve.
Price: $6-$9 | Shop for Nalgene Grip 'n' Gulp on Amazon | See all Nalgene listings in the ZRecs Guide
Observations: Made of BPA-free Tritan copolyester, the industry-favored replacement for polycarbonate for its clarity and shatterproof strength, Nalgene's Grip 'n' Gulp is a worthy kids' version of the company's storied water bottles. We would have included this one in our Baby and Toddler Division due to its relatively slow flow - the Grip 'n' Gulp lacks any way for air to get in through a secondary route, so it "locks up" after moderate sips and requires the user to let go to allow more air back in - but its circumference and volume makes it more suitable for older children, and Z doesn't seem to mind the flow rate one bit. In fact, it's one of her favorite kids' cups, and it isn't hard to see why - Nalgene's Grip 'n' Gulp is a gorgeous sippy in hard candy colors. The internal silicone valve is chunky and easy to both install and to wash, and the cup is leakproof when left on its side, and leaks very little when shaken. Many parents will also appreciate the translucent body, which allows you to see how much liquid is left.
Ratings: Ease of Use and Care: 8. Durability: 8. Eye Appeal: 9. Value: 6. Total points: 31/40.

Playtex Insulator Twist 'n Click Straw Cup

Design: A 9-oz. insulated cup with a two-piece straw and flip-top.
Price: $7 for two | Shop for the Playtex Insulator Twist 'n Click Straw Cup on Amazon.com | See all Playtex listings in the ZRecs Guide
Observations: Built with the same insulated body as the Coolster Tumbler, Playtex's Insulator straw cup has one of the simplest and easiest to use straw assemblies we've seen. The two-part straw inserts more easily through the cup's lid because it does so through a straight hole, with the sliding top folding it down to create a leak-proof vessel when closed. The cup leaks only slightly when shaken upside down. Ultimately, we think Playtex's Insulator features the kind of straw assembly other straw cup manufactures have to design around, adding complexity to avoid getting into a patent war. After you take apart and put together this cup a few times, other, slightly more awkward straw and lid designs just seem to make a little less sense.
Ratings: Ease of Use and Care: 9. Durability: 10. Eye Appeal: 5. Value: 9. Total points: 30/40.

Sigg Kids' Water Bottle

Design:A .3 or .4 liter aluminum bottle with twist-to-open sport top and flip-top half-dome cover.
Price: $13-$20 | Shop for Sigg on Amazon.com | See all Sigg listings on the ZRecs Guide
Observations: Sigg's aluminum bottles are coated with an epoxy the company has demonstrated to be free of any BPA leaching, and in recent years they have made two improvements to one of the cutest kids' water bottles on the market: They've switched their flip-cap from a simple plastic loop to a hinge that helps keep it out of the user's face when drinking, and made their twist cap easier to open, which means little hands can do it themselves. We still think Sigg makes one of the best kids' bottles on the market, and it's hard to find something this sustainable and this cute at the same time.
Ratings: Ease of Use and Care: 7. Durability: 8. Eye Appeal: 10. Value: 6. Total points: 31/40.

Have your kids used any of these cups? What do you, and they, think of them?