Last Saturday, I went to the Pregnancy Babies & Mothers Expo and bought a toddler cup for my boy. It is called the Kala's Downunder Magic Cup. We came home, washed it up and let my son try it. I really like it very much for these big reasons :

• It has a total of four parts only - cup with large handles, lid which is screw-on to cup, spout which is screw-on to lid and a dust cover. Some cups come with many spare-parts which makes assembing a chore, and some spare-parts are really tough to reach for proper cleaning.
• Because the parts are screw ons, the cup is totally spill-proof no matter how you shake it or turn it upside down.
• The cup is made of PP (polypropylene) (#5) and the spout is made of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) (#2). Completely safe of BPA.
• The spout comes with a valve. Liquids only come out if there is suction. The valve is very easy to clean both from the inside or outside of the spout. So, this cup has the most hygenic valve system.
• The spout is round and the lips seal around it nicely. The design also somehow prevents my son from trying to chew it.
• It has large handles for easy grip, even for the most slippery fingers after handling finger foods!
• It comes in various colours (for both boys and girls) with interchangeable mix 'n' match spouts. The pigments used in the cup's manufacturing contain no heavy metals and conform to JHOSPA food contact standards.
• It is lightweight even when full.
• It come with a waterproof label that I can write my boy's name onto, which is wonderful especially for childcare use (you won't lose it or mix it up with others).
• Best of all, it is completely Australian-made and owned.

Some small reasons which are great to have :

• The spout fits any drink bottle with an opening diameter of 28mm.
• The cup and lid are dishwasher-safe.

Some other points to note :

• This cup cannot be microwaved.
• This cup is not meant for hot or fizzy drinks.
• This cup cannot be sterilised (anyway, who would sterilize a toddler's cup?)
• The cups come in 200ml and 300ml.

Check out http://www.kalaslittlestars.com/

I have also tried using Avent's toddler's spouts on its milk bottles for Samuel. However, I did not find it very good. The green spout comes with a silicon piece. While the silicon piece is easy to clean, the interior of the spout is hard to reach. I did not find that very hygenic. Also, occasionally, the spout does leak. You have to really fit and press the spout into the screw cap and check! Another bad thing about this spout is that my son tends to chew it a lot since it is shaped in a flat way. It makes it rather tempting for him to chew on it while drinking. The spout becomes very worn-out and rough after all the chewing.

So if there is any mum who is having a headache like me trying to find a safe and efficient toddler cup, you may like to try Kala's.