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The best toddler water bottle can be hard to come by. It should be easy to clean, durable, and ideally leakproof.
When your little one is in the toddler stage, you want a water bottle with a soft straw. This is important to prevent mouth injuries. Because toddlers often walk around drinking, we don’t want them falling with a hard straw in their mouth!
Below are my favorite water bottles for toddlers to maintain healthy oral motor development.
Price: $18.99 for solid colors Age recommendation: 10 months and beyond Volume: 12 oz.
My top pick for the best toddler water bottle is hands down the Thermos Funtainer. Easy to open and close, the bottle has a valveless silicone straw.
Since the straw is thinner, not as much liquid comes up at once. This makes it easier for toddlers to manage as they learn how to drink from a water bottle.
The stainless steel bottle is vacuum-insulated to keep drinks cold for 12+ hours. It’s a great kids’ water bottle for traveling since it’s completely spill-proof when the lid is closed.
The Thermos Funtainer also makes a great water bottle for kids who love different characters. It comes in tons of fun colors, patterns, and character options.
Price: $24.99 for 2-pack (one stainless, one plastic) Age recommendation: 18 months+ Volume: 12 oz.
This stainless steel water bottle also has a strong valve that requires biting to break the seal and suck liquid up. This is why I don’t recommend it for toddlers under 18 months who are still learning to drink.
We don’t want toddlers to learn how to drink by biting! With that being said, once your little one can drink from a straw normally and competently, using a valve is not a big issue.
This toddler water bottle comes in a 2-pack with a stainless steel and BPA-free plastic water bottle. You can take the insulated one on the go and use the other at home!
Pros:
Stainless steel and BPA-free plastic option for home and away
Affordable kids’ water bottle set with replacement straw
Price: $19.99 Age recommendation: 18 months+ Volume: 12 oz.
I love this Owala kids’ water bottle for toddlers 18 months and older. Since the straw is leakproof, it’s also harder to suck water out of the valve. Toddlers should be competent in straw drinking before transitioning to this water bottle.
All that being said, we own and love these. They are insulated well and keep drinks cold for a long time. We took them to the beach and the kids sipped from them all day!
Price: $17.99 Age recommendation: 18 months+ Volume: 8 oz.
This insulated toddler water bottle can keep drinks cold for up to 15 hours! While it’s smaller than most kids’ water bottles, it’s a great size for toddlers.
The handles are removable depending on your little one’s preferences. And the flip-top lid is easy for toddlers to open and close independently.
Price: $16.99 Age recommendation: 2.5 years+ Volume: 15 oz.
While this can be used as a toddler water bottle, I only recommend it for older toddlers. Because it has a bite-and-sip straw, we don’t want toddlers learning how to drink from a straw like this. However, once your toddler masters straw drinking, this could be a good fit.
Because it’s BPA-free plastic, it’s not insulated. However, Bentgo also makes a stainless steel version of this water bottle that keeps drinks colder for longer.
Price: $30 Age recommendation: 2.5 years+ Volume: 12 oz.
I like this stainless steel and silicone cup for older toddlers around 2.5 years and older. It requires good fine motor skills for toddlers to open and close by themselves. But rest assured, you can continue to use this as a kids’ water bottle, too!
The cap twists to close, making it spill-proof. I appreciate how this water bottle’s design is easy to clean!
Price: $35.99 Age recommendation: 18 months+ Volume: 11 oz.
I LOVE that this toddler water bottle is completely plastic-free inside and out! The entire design is made with stainless steel and silicone.
It does have a small valve that slightly impacts water flow, so I don’t love it for babies learning how to drink. But, for toddlers who already have the skill down, it’s a thumbs up for me!
Price: $27.99 Age recommendation: 18 months+ Volume: 12 oz.
The BrüMate Leap Kids’ Tumbler is another good option if you’re looking for a leakproof water bottle. It has a stainless steel straw and a soft silicone drinking spout.
When looking at the design of this water bottle, I do worry about the ease of cleaning. The lid comes apart into three different pieces, which means more to clean!
Pros:
Silicone sleeve protects stainless steel bottle
Stainless steel straw
Easy to suck from
Easy-carry handle
Cons:
It’s a heavy water bottle!
Cleaning has lots of nooks and crannies
Difficult to lock for children under 3 years old
Some users note heavy wear and tear after a few months
Make sure your toddler’s water bottle is clean!
Ideally, you want to clean your child’s water bottle every 24 hours.
When cleaning the straws and lids, it’s helpful to have a small straw cleaning brush. Many kids’ water bottles come with them, but they wear over time. Plus, you want to change them every few months for hygienic purposes.
Keeping your toddler hydrated is important, but don’t forget the snacks! We rounded up our favorite snacks for on-the-go that pack a nutritional punch!
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Most parenting resources come from a single expert's perspective, but development doesn't really work that way.
You can't fully understand feeding without input from both a dietitian and a feeding specialist. You can't properly address milestones without OT, PT, and SLP perspectives working together. That's why every Eat Play Say resource is created collaboratively by our entire team — giving you the most comprehensive guidance possible, all in one place.
MS, SLP
Founder of Eat Play Say, Speech-Language Pathologist, Feeding Specialist, Play Expert, Mom of 2
Jordyn Koveleski Gorman
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and toddler speech-language, play, and feeding development, and curating a team that provides expert help that feels like a reassuring text from that one mom friend
EDUCATION: Jordyn received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Bloomsburg University and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “The first true smile, it’s the sweetest!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, oral motor dysfunction, starting solids, infant and toddler speech, treating oral motor disorders
EDUCATION: Jessica received her BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Pennsylvania State University in 2015 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University in 2017
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “Baby’s first wave! What a fun first communication gesture!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, starting solids, infant and toddler speech development
EDUCATION: She received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2014 and a MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “My favorite baby’s first is their first true smile that just warms your soul knowing they are smiling at you. My other favorite is their first word. I love watching their language explode!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Bilingual development (Spanish-English), supporting multilingual families, infant and toddler speech
EDUCATION: She received her BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders and in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology with an English-Spanish Specialization from Marquette University in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “It’s the first slobbery kisses for me!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and pediatric nutrition including breastfeeding, formula feeding, and starting solids. She also specializes in prenatal and postpartum nutrition.
EDUCATION: She received her BSc in Biology in 2014 from Life University, and her BSc in Dietetics from Life University in 2019.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: ”The first time they say ‘mama!’”
This checklist was created with input from a Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist and has been downloaded over 20,000 times by parents worldwide. Learn the important milestones to pay attention to, and keep it in your digital back pocket during the baby + toddler years!
Comprehensive Milestone Checklist for gross motor, fine motor, and speech-language milestones for 0-36 months,
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