Best open cups for 6 month olds
A small open cup, taught at the right age, builds oral motor skills sippy cups can't. The 5 cups we'd buy and the 5-step teaching plan.
Feeding · How-to
TL;DR
Yes, your 6-month-old can drink from an open cup. The right cup is 1 to 2 ounces, soft silicone, with a narrow base. Hold the cup for them at first. Offer water at meals. Expect spills for the first month. Top picks: ezpz Tiny Cup, Babycup First Cup, Olababy Training Cup, Doidy Cup, and a shot glass (yes, really, taught it for decades in feeding therapy).
If you haven't confirmed baby is ready for solids, check the four signs in our free milestone tracker.
Why teach open cup at 6 months
Two reasons:
- Oral motor development. Drinking from an open cup uses the lip seal, tongue control, and swallow timing that support speech and mature swallowing. Sippy-cup drinking uses different muscles and can build less effective patterns.
- Cup graduation timing. The AAP recommends weaning off the bottle by 12 to 15 months. Starting cup practice at 6 months means baby has a full 6 months to learn before it matters. Babies who start cups at 11 months are racing the clock.
Open cup is also a developmental milestone that pediatricians ask about at well-baby visits from 9 months onward.
What to look for in a 6-month open cup
- Small volume. 1 to 2 ounces. Larger cups are too heavy and hold too much.
- Narrow rim. Easier to find with the mouth. Wide-rim cups (regular tumblers) are too much for first sips.
- Soft material. Silicone or soft plastic. Glass and metal are unforgiving when they hit teeth or get dropped.
- Stable base. Slightly weighted or wider than the rim — helps when baby sets it back down (a bit).
- Dishwasher safe. Non-negotiable. You'll be washing it 3+ times a day.
1. ezpz Tiny Cup — best overall
The gold standard. 2 ounces, silicone, narrow rim, stable base. Made specifically for first-cup drinking from 6 months. Comes in cream, mint, and clay colors.
What we liked: babies adapt quickly. The soft silicone is forgiving when dropped. Dishwasher safe top rack.
What we didn't: more expensive than a shot glass. But you'll use it daily for 6+ months.
2. Babycup First Cup — best multi-pack
UK-made, 1.5 ounce hard plastic cup. Comes in 4-packs in fun colors. The narrow rim is the most precise of the bunch — babies tend to lip-seal best on this one.
What we liked: 4 cups means one in each spot (kitchen, daycare bag, grandma's, dishwasher). Hard plastic doesn't squish like silicone, so the rim stays defined for the lip.
What we didn't: hard plastic is unforgiving on teeth. Less forgiving when dropped on a hardwood floor — it'll skid.
3. Olababy Training Cup — best ergonomic
3 ounces, silicone with a "wing" silicone handle on one side and an angled rim. Slightly larger than ideal for a 6-month-old but adapts well as baby grows.
What we liked: the angled rim helps baby self-control the flow. Encourages a slight head tilt (the natural drinking position) instead of a far-back chin-up tilt.
What we didn't: a bit large for the smallest babies. Better at 8 months than 6.
Track every food + cup milestone in one place
Our free first foods tracker logs the first cup attempt, water introduction, allergen schedule, and reactions. Print or email to your pediatrician.
Try the tracker4. Doidy Cup — best UK classic
A cup with a slanted opening that lets baby see the liquid level without having to fully tilt the cup back. Hard plastic, 4 ounce capacity (use only filled to 1 inch). Popular in UK feeding therapy.
What we liked: the slanted opening is genuinely clever — lets baby drink with much less head tilt. Easier to teach than a flat-rim cup.
What we didn't: hard plastic. Larger than ideal — fill it only an inch deep at first.
5. A regular shot glass — best budget choice
Yes, really. Speech-language pathologists have used shot glasses for first-cup teaching for decades. The size is correct (1 to 2 ounces), the rim is narrow, the base is stable, and they're cheap.
What we liked: you probably already own them. If not, $1 each at any grocery store. The narrow rim is ideal for first lip seals.
What we didn't: glass is unforgiving. If baby drops it on a hard surface, it can break. Use plastic shot glasses if you're worried.
The 5-step teaching plan
Step 1: Fill the cup with 1/2 to 1 ounce of water
Less liquid means less mess and easier control. Start with water. Skip milk or formula for the first cup attempts (less waste, less concern about wasted breast milk).
Step 2: Sit baby in the highchair
Upright, supported, feet planted. Don't try open cup with baby reclined or in your lap — they need a stable seated position to swallow safely.
Step 3: Hold the cup for them
Bring the cup to baby's lower lip. Tip just enough that the water touches their lip. Let them taste. Don't pour. Wait for them to make a little forward motion with their lips.
Step 4: Gradual tilt
If they're sipping, slowly tilt the cup so more water enters their mouth. Move very slowly. The first sips are usually surprise tastes more than real drinking. That's normal.
Step 5: Set it down between sips
Don't keep the cup at their lip for the full feed. Take it away after one or two attempts. Set it down. Let them ask for more (by reaching, eye contact, or vocalizing). Building this rhythm makes cup drinking feel intentional, not passive.
What to expect in the first month
- Week 1: Most water on the chin. Tiny sips, possibly accidental. Lots of surprise faces.
- Week 2: Baby starts to lean toward the cup when offered. Small intentional sips.
- Week 3: Baby may try to grab the cup. Let them touch it but you keep control.
- Week 4: Some babies are pretty competent. Some need 8 to 12 weeks. Both are normal.
The mess plan
Long-sleeve bib at the highchair. Silicone splat mat under the tray. A small cloth wipe handy at every meal. The first month of cup learning is the messiest. By month 2, baby has the basic mechanics and spills drop sharply.
What if baby refuses the cup
If after 2 weeks of offering, baby pushes the cup away every time:
- Switch cups. Try a different shape (try the Doidy if you've been using a flat-rim cup, or vice versa).
- Switch liquids. Try a tiny amount of formula or breast milk instead of water — sometimes the unfamiliar taste of water is the issue.
- Try at a different time. Some babies do better right after a feed (not thirsty, not pressured). Others do better when they're a bit thirsty.
- Model it. Drink from your own cup right next to them. Babies copy.
- Take a break. Skip cups for a week, then try again. Pressure backfires.
Pairing cups with the rest of the kit
- 2 or 3 open cups in rotation (one in dishwasher, one drying, one in use).
- 1 straw cup (added around 9 months).
- 1 360-degree cup if you want a spill-proof option for the car or stroller.
- Long-sleeve bib for messy meals.
When to call a feeding therapist
- Baby cannot maintain a lip seal at 9 months.
- Coughing or choking with every cup attempt.
- Persistent gagging at the cup beyond the first few weeks.
- Speech-development concerns that pair with cup difficulty.
Note: This article is informational. Always supervise infant cup feeding and consult your pediatrician for personalized guidance.