BornFree was established in 2006 in North America, where its products are bestsellers - the drinking cups have been on sale in the UK for less than two years.
In North America the company is endorsed by Healthy Child Healthy World and received the Heath Ranger Recommended Award in 2007. In the UK the products are endorsed by Baby Lifeline – the Mother & Baby Charity - and have been awarded the Prima Baby & Pregnancy Readers Choice Award for 2009. BornFree bottles have been short listed in the Practical Parenting Awards 2009.
As Michela is a toddler, I tested the Drinking Cup, designed for use from 9 months. The BornFree Training Cup, £6.99, is available for younger babies, from 6 months to 1 year.
What we love
As any other parent, I have been looking for the perfect cup to encourage Michela to drink more. I have tried many cups: free-flow, non-spill, with straw, with soft spout, with hard spout, sports bottles. So I was curious to find out if BornFree’s Drinking Cup would work out for us.
Michela is an active toddler, so although she can drink from open cups, she spills liquid as she walks along, pours water/milk on surfaces, creates puddles to step into to emulate the Teletubbies! She’s quite fussy with cups and drinking bottles – if she has to suck too hard and the liquid doesn’t flow fast enough, she will avoid drinking until she is desperate for a drink.
The BornFree Drinking Cup has been a success for a number of reasons. It’s easy to drink from, as the liquid flows easily, which is important because apparently hard sucking can lead to middle ear infections. It has easy-to-grab handles and includes a reliable travel cap so the cup can be stored in my handbag when we are out and about. Although it’s a free flow cup (which means it leaks if tilted), Michela is holding it upright and is drinking from it without making a mess.
When it’s not in use, the BornFree Drinking Cup is easy to disassemble, clean and reassemble, even though it’s made of several parts. The cup can be sterilised if needed and all parts are dishwasher safe on the top rack.
What to watch for
The instruction booklet advises to inspect the spout and to replace it when worn, damaged or punctured. If you have a teething child and you’re using a soft spout (which usually comes with the Trainer Cup), it might not last long. The good news is that you don’t need to discard the cup, as you can buy a pack of two replacement spouts for £3.99.
The BornFree Drinking Cup is free flow, so like any other free-flow cup it will leak when tilted. If your child can’t keep it upright, it’s not suitable for you. The Trainer Cup, suitable from 6 months, has a smaller hole in its soft spout, but it will leak if tilted.
Overall, the cups are among the more expensive in the market.
Who is the BornFree Drinking Cup best for?
Parents after a reliable, free-flow drinking cup made with safe materials.
Although more expensive than some other cups around, the Born Free Drinking Cup is made with safe materials and is appealing to fussy toddlers. You can take it out with you because of the lid and travel cap, and your child can drink without having to do any hard sucking. Being able to buy replacement spouts is great for anyone with a teething baby or biting toddler.
