Open cup vs. 360° cup: which is better for your child?

Many parents reach the same point at some stage. Your child is growing, wants to drink more independently, and then the question automatically arises: which cup is actually the best choice?

The 360° cup, for example from Munchkin, Difrax or Mepal, is popular because it helps limit spills. The liquid only comes out when a child sucks on the rim, which means less spillage. For many parents, this feels like a safe and practical solution, especially at first.

Yet, there is a clear difference between a 360° cup and an open cup.

The difference in how your child drinks

With a 360° cup, a child has to suck to drink. This makes drinking more similar to using a straw or a spout cup. The liquid is released in a controlled manner, but a child learns less about how to tilt and gauge a cup themselves. And it is precisely this skill that is ultimately needed.

In addition, there are a few points of attention that are not always considered. Because a child continues to suck instead of truly drinking, this can affect the development of oral motor skills. This plays a role in how the muscles in the mouth are used and is also linked to speech development.

In some cases, a link is also seen with the position of teeth and the risk of tooth decay, because drinking in this way moves differently through the mouth and often makes longer contact with the teeth.

With an open cup, it works differently. Your child sees what is happening, feels how much comes out, and gradually learns to control it themselves. Not perfectly at once, but exactly as it should be.

This allows your child to develop a natural drinking technique and gain more control over their lips, tongue, and jaw. This aids in the development of oral motor skills and better aligns with how drinking will happen later in daily life.

Additionally, children often drink more calmly and consciously from an open cup. This ultimately makes the transition to "normal" drinking much more logical.

Why an open cup is important

An open cup helps your child learn to drink independently, without relying on an aid. It aligns with natural development and prepares your child for how they will do it later.

That's why many experts advise practicing this as early as possible. Not because it's a must, but because it's logical.

There's only one drawback to open cups: they tip over.

Especially in the beginning, this leads to spills and sometimes frustration. And that's exactly when many parents revert to a closed cup.

The solution: STEDDI

The STEDDI drinking cup was developed to solve that problem.

It's an open cup, but with one important difference: it stays upright with normal use.

This means your child can practice drinking properly, while you're not constantly cleaning up. That makes the whole process a lot more relaxed, for both of you.

Additionally, the cup has a removable, reinforced base. This allows you to use it later as a normal open cup. So it grows with your child, from the first sips to fully independent drinking.

What is the real difference?

STEDDI drinking cup (open)
Drinks like adults, learns to tilt and gauge, sees what is happening, supports oral motor skills, does not tip over, suitable for daily use and grows with your child.

360° cup (Miracle type)
Requires sucking to drink, less focus on true drinking technique, no view of flow, can impact oral motor skills, speech, and dentition, can tip over or shift, and is primarily a practical, temporary solution.

Conclusion

The difference is not just in convenience, but primarily in what you teach your child.

A 360° cup is practical and helps limit spills.
An open cup helps your child truly learn to drink.

And if that open drinking cup also stays upright, it becomes a lot easier for both parent and child.

STEDDI - made to stay.