Oddly enough, the first time I saw an Avent Non-Spill Toddler Spout was in church. I should have been paying attention to the service, but I was drawn to a little girl who was playing with her sippy cup. She was twisting is all about, right, left, upside down, and nothing spilled out. Not a drop. My son was only 6-months old at the time, but I knew the sippy phase was just around the corner. Thus, I was determined to find out WHO made the cup. Like an idiot, I chased down the parents after services. The funny thing is, I received a Avent Magic Cup in a gift package at my baby shower, and I forgot I had one. Duh… For those who aren't familiar with the Magic Cup, it is a training cup that comes fitted with a Non-Spill Spout.

Soon after the church incident, I introduced my son to his 1st training cup. Nope, his eyes told me, and his tongue pushed the foreign object out of his mouth. Gosh, you would have thought I was trying to feed him Strychnine by the expression he flashed me. I don’t recall what it was about the cup that displeased my son, whether it was the spout, the shape, or the color of the cup, but one thing’s for sure; he did not like the cup. William was bottle-fed from the time he was born, so this wasn’t a breast vs. bottle issue. He just wasn’t ready.

A couple weeks later, I tried again. This time, I bought a pair of Non-Spill Toddler Spouts, which are designed to adapt to the Avent Reusable bottles. All you do is remove the nipple, and snap the spout in its place. The system interrelates. It adapts to your training routine. In other words, whether you’re using the spouts for one feeding a day, or for eight, you can switch between the Avent teats and spouts easily.

The Non-Spill Toddler Spouts were the perfect solution for us. William took to them right away. I think he liked them because he was drinking out of his bottle and the only distinction was the spout. I liked them because I could continue to monitor his intake, as the 9-ounce Magic Cups do not have measurements on them. In addition, the spouts allowed me to train Will 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, I added the Magic Cup Handles. Avent bottles are wider than most, so handles make it easier for children to self-feed.

By the time William was 11-months old, he was drinking with the Non-Spill Toddler Spouts for all of his meals. Essentially, I bypassed the newborn spouts all together, since he was nearly 7-months old when I started training. The newborn spout is softer in composition than the toddler spout, but will stain. I noticed the green toddler spout will discolor after certain foods, but with several washings, it dissipates. The spouts are top-drawer dishwasher safe. Make sure the parts are completely disassembled before cleaning. If running through the dishwasher, store all parts in a basket for protection from the heating element.


Description:
The Non-Spill Toddler Spout is made of durable plastic, and consists of 3 parts: the spout, and a 2-part value. The secret to the training cup is the valve system. While drinking, the valve opens, which allows liquids to pass. When the suction stops, the valve closes, so no spills occur. The spouts fit snugly into the locking ring, so liquids won’t leak through the top either. Avent offers 3-phases in their training cup system.
● Newborn Spout - White Spill Proof, 3 months +
● Toddler Spout - Green Spill Proof, 6 months +
● Sport Spout - Yellow Spill Proof, 18 months +


Do They Work?
Well, in a word ~ yes. We had very few mishaps, and most of those were probably due to user error. Wrongful assembly mostly ~ if you’re using the Magic Cup Handles, there are 6 parts to assemble: the bottle, the ring, the handle, the spout, and 2-part valve. Some might find that confusing, or annoying, but I guess it never bothered me. The Non-Spill Toddler Spouts are quite durable, and last a long time. Some of our spouts needed to be replaced after a years use, however that was due to biting abuse more than anything. We probably have several extra sets of valves as they did not crack, chip, or split, and I sterilized them in the dishwasher, or a steam sterilizer daily. After a long while the valves will loose suction, and this causes leaking. Although, I suspect that’s from separating them dozens of times every week rather than from use. At first, I thought the valves were difficult to separate. Eventually I got the hang of it, but long fingernails will definitely get in the way of this task.

The Non-Spill Toddler Spouts made for such a smooth transition to the sippy stage I purchased several Magic Cup sets when Will turned one. I found the spouts worked better on the Reusable bottles than on the Magic Cups. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe it’s because the reusable locking ring is more compact than the Magic Cups twist cap. If the cap is not threaded onto the cup properly the Magic Cup will leak, and boy does it make a mess. Unfortunately, I was not as pleased with the Magic Cup as I was with the Non-Spill Toddler Spouts, and because of that, my view is a bit tainted. Overall, I recommend these spouts. In 20-months time, I probably discarded 5 spouts, and 3 valve sets. I’d say that’s a great record for toddler treatment.


Other Points of Interest:
● Avent recommends replacing the spouts every 3-months due to wear
● Avoid anti-bacterial soaps which can cause the plastic to become brittle
● Remove valve for free-flowing cup
● Not suitable for fizzy drinks


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 Feeding Review:
Magic Cup by Avent
Deluxe Gift Set by Avent
Pump In Style by Medela
ISIS Breast Pump by Avent
All-in-One Starter Set by Avent
Mealtime Tote by The First Years
Reusable Variable Flow Nipples by Avent
EXPRESS Bottle & Babyfood Warmer by Avent
EXPRESS Microwave Steam Sterilizer by Avent





Recommended: Yes