Reflo… Smarter Alternative to Sippy Cups?

By Jamie Lund
Contributing Writer

If you have children you’ve probably purchased some type of training cup. Most parents can contest that the use of sippy cups can be a successful transition from a bottle to a regular cup for their child. Though various brands of sippy cups (including Gerber, Playtex, and Nuby) have been around for numerous years and utilized by countless families, they may have been hurting more than helping. Luckily, a smarter alternative to the traditional sippy cup has been introduced within the last few years. The Reflo smart cup brings a new concept to the table for people across the world. This smart cup may also ultimately reduce the amount of speech and dental problems seen in developing children.

The Reflo smart cup can be used by people of any age, but has been mostly used by children. This revolutionary style cup has two main options. It will hold six ounces of liquid with a special insert, or up to ten ounces without the insert. These translucent style cups are BPA free and practically indestructible. Unlike traditional sippy cups, the Reflo cup has zero moving parts that are able to trap germs or debris. They also come in four different colors (clear, blue, green, or red-violet) to market to a wider variety of people.

While the Reflo smart cups may seem like they are only for children, they have been used by everyone from six months to 91 years old. They have also recently become more popular with the disabled as well as the elderly. These cups have been coined a “smarter alternative” because they have been proven to work at virtually all angles and at any point of rotation while delivering the same amount of beverage to its user.

Reflo smart cups can be a great training tool for children to learn to drink from a normal rimmed cup. This transition period is possible by using the inserts that come with each smart cup. Pour six ounces of your child’s favorite liquid into the Reflo cup and place the insert inside the cup, over the top of the liquid. As the child drinks from the rim of the cup, the insert will block the rest of the liquid from spilling. Even though they are not completely spill-proof, they do provide a reasonable amount of spill protection.

One of the great things about these smart cups is that it will deliver an even stream of liquid to its consumer, no matter which angle or tilt the cup has. As long as the insert is placed properly, your child will technically be drinking from a “normal” rimmed glass without worries of spilling. Once your child is old enough not to spill, simply remove the insert out of the Reflo cup. The smart cup then becomes a normal sized, regular cup! There is no need to “re-teach” your child how to drink a glass after months of using a sippy cup.

Controversies about current sippy cups on the market have pediatricians and dentists alike concerned about the developing child. Sippy cup companies typically sell to new parents by encouraging them to introduce their easy-to-use, covered spout cups to their children. By drinking only with teeth and lips locked around a spout while your teeth are trying to come in, it could cause especially front teeth to curve around the sippy cup’s spout. A common risk for children who use a sippy cup would be having multiple cavities due to constantly having the sip spout in their mouths. Children are also commonly offered sugary drinks such as juice or flavored milks, which lead to tooth decay. “Small children should always finish their drinks before a nap or bedtime. Their teeth and gums should be cleaned before they go to sleep. This will reduce the risk for cavities that may be caused by sippy cups,” said Melinda Harr, DDS of Fargo. Reviews have shown that babies of five to six months old begin to use sippy cups, and not until age four or five do they learn to efficiently drink from a normal cup. By introducing the new Reflo smart cup to your baby, they will learn how to drink normally right away.

There are many children who have drank from sippy cups since they were six or seven months old, and have thus seemed to develop feeding and/or speech delays. According to Speech/Language Pathologist Suzanne Ducharme, trying the Reflo cup with a variety of children has showed nice progress with skill development and received positive feedback from the parents about the ease of use and its functionality. She also mentions that from a clinical perspective, the goal is to encourage children’s typical oral motor skills for cup drinking, such as lip closure and the coordination of fine and oral motor skills for managing the flow of liquid. This is all now possible with the new Reflo smart cups.

Though there are minor limitations with the use of these cups, the overall opinion of consumers is extremely positive. Limitations with these cups may include, but are not limited to, the following: Some children may not be able to hold the cup on their own due to size. It has been recommended to the company that a version with handles could be helpful. Also, a smaller version for younger children could be useful as well.

These smart cups were recently introduced into various stores across the country. Luckily, the Fargo-Moorhead area has joined the fight. Reflo cups can be purchased at two different locations in Fargo. Eco Chic Boutique, located at 4955 17th Ave South in Fargo. Contact them for more details at 701-356-6600. Pout Baby Boutique, located at 4325 13th Ave S # 6 in Fargo, also carries the Reflo products. Contact them at 701-356-7688 for more information. Reflo smart cups typically sell for $6.99/cup, which are available on the website at http://www.reflo.net, and each comes with its own insert. Reflo products that are sold at area boutiques may run a few dollars more per cup. Regardless, they are on par with other transitional sippy cups in terms of availability and price.

Reflo is a fairly new company that has introduced their amazing idea to the public through their revolutionary cups. They welcome constructive criticism from consumers as well as professionals who wish to review their smart cups. With more pros than cons, the Reflo smart cup seems like a hit as a healthy alternative to the traditional sippy cup.

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