What's your cup of choice?

After having 3 kids, I have tried almost every sippy cup on the market.

My oldest had speech, OT and PT and the speech therapist suggested the ones with straws.  The first brand I friend was Nuby.  I bought a small size:  http://nuby.com/en/nuby/cups-spouts/9845/ and the large size: http://nuby.com/en/nuby/cups-spouts/9637/.  They were pretty good for a period of time.  They are "no-spill" but they still dripped.  Every time I opened and closed them, the beverage would drip out too.  Cleaning them as also a pain.

I also tried Playtex straw cups http://www.playtexbaby.com/CupsMealtime/Lil-Gripper/Lil-Gripper-Straw-Cup.aspx and found them similar to Nuby but they dripped even more.

I found the Munchkin Mighter Gripper Straw Cup http://www.munchkin.com/products/detail.html?section=prodCategories&ID=10021&pID=1100 to be the absolute worst one.  I just did not like how difficult it was to get back together when I cleaned it.

I eventually gave up on the straw sippy cup because every time I packed them in my diaper bag, they leaked. They were a pain the clean too.

I have a preference for the "Spout-style" cups.

One of the first I ever bought was The First Sipster by Playtex.  It worked well for us and is a good early cup.  The soft spout is nice as are the handles.  It's easy to clean, take apart and put back together.  Just beware, once they get teeth, the spout will get teeth marks on it.  Once mine got too well used, the kids were biting off pieces of it.  My advice is to keep an eye on the soft spout for wear.

My favorite cups by far has been Playtex Sipster Cups and Playtex Insulator Cups.  They are a nice size, great to use when you are out, come in nice colors and patterns and are easy to clean.  http://www.playtexbaby.com/CupsMealtime/Insulator-Cup.aspx  http://www.playtexbaby.com/CupsMealtime/Sipster-Cup.aspx

I tried to Tommee Tippee cups and was less them thrilled - especially for the price.  http://www.tommeetippee.us/explora_truly_spill_proof_cups.html
First, the one I bought had this cover that flipped onto the spout.  The problem was, every time my child would lift the cup to drink, the cover would fall on their noses.  There was no way to snap the cover into the lid in the "open position" so I pulled them out.  I also did not like how wide it was.  I think they make them so it is easy for kids to hold but I could not easily fit cups in my diaper bag.  I prefer more narrow cups like Playtex.  Then I had problems with leaking because sometimes the tops did not thread well when you put them on.  In the end, I hated them.  I really wished I didn't because they seemed like they might be interesting.

I've also been pretty thrilled with The First Years insulated character cups.  http://www.thefirstyears.com/product/detail/Y9293A4?locale=en_US  First of all, they have tons of trendy designs for kids.  They are so easy to clean because they valve is built into the lid.  The First Years also has those "take n toss" cups, spoons and feeding items.  While many of those items are not spill proof, they are still great.  My kids like to use the cups as "big kid cups".

My biggest piece of advice it to pick a few different cups and try them out and see what YOU like.