Doidy Cup, 200ml

The Doidy Cup is about as low-tech as feeding accessories get: a rigid polypropylene cup with an angled cut and two moulded handles, no valves or spouts anywhere in the design. The slant lets a baby see and control the liquid level as they tip it, which is the whole trick behind teaching open-cup drinking earlier than most parents attempt it — health visitors in the UK have recommended it for decades for exactly this reason.

Against spouted trainer cups like the Munchkin Miracle 360 or valved sippy cups, the trade-off is upfront mess versus long-term skill. There's no valve to slow the flow, so early attempts mean spills, and it's not a cup you hand over in a car seat or buggy without expecting some drips. What it avoids is the prolonged reliance on a spout that some dentists and speech therapists flag as a habit that can affect swallowing and tongue posture if used well past the first year.

At 200ml it's on the small side for water, which arguably works in its favour — smaller volumes mean less to mop up while a baby is learning. It's dishwasher and microwave safe, comes in a handful of solid colours, and because it's a single moulded piece with no crevices, it's genuinely easy to clean by hand too.

Best suited to parents willing to tolerate the spill phase in exchange for skipping straight to open-cup drinking, or as a second cup alongside a spouted one for supervised practice at the table. It won't suit anyone who needs a leak-proof cup for the changing bag or car.