The Avent Magic Cup is Decent, but You'll Pay for it OVER and OVER again!
Written: Jul 15 '04 (Updated Aug 07 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Durable. Interchangeable with Avent Reusable Bottles. Training made easy.
Cons: Expensive! Not exactly leak-proof.
The Bottom Line: The Magic Cup by Avent makes a decent sippy cup, but you’ll pay for it…BIG TIME!
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| marybatson's Full Review: Avent Magic Toddler Spout Trainer With Handles, Tw... |
If you have a baby, then you’ve probably seen the Avent brand taking over the shelves at your local Babies R Us, Target, and even Walgreen’s. For me, the main advantage in using the Avent brand was the interrelating parts. I used many of the Avent feeding items, and was pleased with the performance of all the products. Thus, when it came time to select a sippy cup, I choose the Magic Cup by Avent.
Description:
The Magic Cup is a training cup for infants, and toddlers. It is fitted with a non-spill spout so messy spills are prevented. The secret to this leak-proof cup is the valve system. While drinking, the valve opens, which allows liquids to pass through. When the suction stops, the valve closes. The valve consists of 2-parts:
● A silicone sealing disc, and
● A hard plastic component
The valve fits snugly inside the spout, so liquids won’t leak through the top. The spout snaps into the twist cap, and the cap twists onto the cup. To keep the spout clean a snap-on lid is provided. When using the Easy-Hold handles, place the handle on top of the cup before assembling the cap.
The spouts vary with the size of cup, although they are interchangeable, and can be used with the Avent Reusable Bottles as well.
● The white spout, also known as the Soft Spout, is gentle on babies’ gums. It is designed for children 3-months and up, and comes with the 7-ounce cup.
● The green spout, or Toddler Spout, is firmer in composition to withstand teething. It is designed for children 6-months and up, and comes with the 9-ounce cup.
● The firmest spout is yellow in color, and is called the Sport Spout. It is a 12-ounce cup designed for toddlers 18-months .
The Magic Cup is made of durable plastic, which is translucent. Parents can see through the cup to assess intake. Originally, the Magic Cup did not have measurements, although, Avent has recently updated the cup. Printed measurements have been added to the 7-ounce size ONLY. The Magic Cup is available in a variety of color combinations: yellow cup with pink cap, blue cup with green cap, orange cup with blue cap…you get the point. Mix and match the colors to create your own amalgamations.
The Magic Cup is comprised of 6-separate parts:
1. The sealing disc
2. The plastic component
3. The spout
4. The twist cap
5. The cup
6. The lid
7. The removable handle (optional)
This Twin Pack includes: Two-9-ounce cups with Toddler Spout, and Easy-Hold handles.
My Experience:
I started training my son when he was about 7-months old. He was a bottle-fed baby, so I wasn’t expecting a difficult transition. The 7-ounce Magic Cup was a baby gift, so that’s where I started. The training did not go well. Several weeks later, I tried again. This time I picked up a pack of the Toddler Spout and snapped them into one of the Avent Reusable Bottles . I chose the Toddler Spout as opposed to the Soft Spout because of his age. All you do is remove the nipple, and snap the spout in its place.
This was the perfect solution to my training troubles. William took to the spouts right away. The Toddler Spout allowed me to train William at his pace, which was slow. I started with the first feeding of the day. I learned that children adapt to new things easier in the morning, rather than in the afternoon, or in the evening. Several weeks later, the Easy-Hold handles were added, so he could self-feed. Essentially, I bypassed the Soft Spout all together, which was a good thing, because they stain. By the time William was 11-months old, he was using the Toddler Spout for all of his meals. Since he was comfortable with the spouts, several 9-ounce Twin Packs with Easy-Hold Handles were purchased.
The Magic Cup is quite durable, and long lasting. It withstood 20-months of dishwashing, sterilizing, gnawing, and dropping without any sign of cracks, splits, or chips. It’s also easy to clean and to store, because of the wide neck and bottom. Due to the wavy shape, the grasp is comfortable for babies; however, the Easy-Hold handles are great for beginners. The Toddler Spout will discolor after eating spaghetti and meatballs, but after several washings, the stain dissipates. By the way, the cup, and all its parts are top-drawer dishwasher safe. To avoid build-up in the spout disassembled the valve before cleaning. If cleaning in the dishwasher, store all parts in a basket to protect them from the heating element. Avoid anti-bacterial soaps, as they cause the plastic to become brittle.
The Toddler Spout handles pulpy juices, although I rarely served my son juice, so I don’t claim to have experience in pulpy matters. In addition, Avent does not recommend serving fizzy drinks in the Magic Cup. If you’re interested in training your child in a free-flowing cup, just remove the valve. As far as I know, Avent spouts only work in conjunction with the Avent products.
Why the 3-star rating? Well, I wasn’t thrilled with the performance of the Magic Cup. At first, the valves were difficult to separate. Eventually I got the hang of it, but long fingernails definitely get in the way of this task. Also, some people (hubby) found all the bits and pieces confusing, and annoying, but it didn't bothered me. The thing that really got my goat about this cup is the cost. According to the manufacturer, the spouts need to be replaced every 3-months. EVERY 3-MONTHS? The 9-ounce Twin Packs with Easy-Hold Handles retails for $9.00 a set. The replacement spouts retail for $3.95 a pair. If replacing the spouts every 3-months then that’s roughly $16.00 on spouts, in addition to the initial investment of $9.00 for the cups. WOW! $25.00 for 2 cups. Multiply that by 4, or 5… I think that’s expensive. In my case, I had to replace spouts due to biting abuse more than anything, so I don’t blame Avent for my son’s oral affliction. I found that the spouts last longer than the recommended replacement time, but after a while the valves loose suction, and this causes leaks. I suspect that’s from separating them dozens of times a week rather than from use. In addition, the cup seemed to work better when assembled with dry parts.
Closing Remarks:
As to the recommendation, I’m a bit on the fence. The Toddler Spout worked great for transitioning my son to the sippy cup. For some reason, the spouts worked better with the Avent Reusable Bottles then with the Magic Cup. I’m not sure why. To compare the Magic Cup with other training cups, I’d have to say the Magic Cup is superior to most. It will leak, but it’s minimal compared to other sippy’s. The thing that got me with this product was the price. If you select the Magic Cup you’ll have a decent training cup, but you’ll pay for it over, and over again.
Happy Feeding ~ ☺ ~
Mary
Avent
475 Supreme Drive, Bensenville, IL 60106
Toll Free: 800-54-AVENT (800-542-8368 Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm CST)
www.aventbaby.com
Other Avent Review:
Deluxe Gift Set
ISIS Breast Pump
All-in-One Starter Set
Non-Spill Toddler Spout
Reusable Variable Flow Nipples
EXPRESS Bottle & Babyfood Warmer
EXPRESS Microwave Steam Sterilizer
This is my entry into The First Great British Write Off! hosted by spiderkid's. Thanks Tom!
Recommended:
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