I purchased four of these for my children (ages 2-4). After using them for a few months we have had a variety of issues. The plastic on the bottom of all of the cups has cracked. One of the straws ripped apart. Also, the plastic hinge broke off. After contacting Thermos they said that there is a five year warranty on the cups ONLY if they haven't been dropped. These are made for kids right?
We have 4 of these: 2 are about 2 years old and 2 are just over a year old. They used to come with a replacement for both sides of the straw itself, and we have yet to use any of them. The instructions on mine say that it should not be put in the dishwasher and harsh chemicals should not be used when washing. Yes, it is harder to clean than a regular cup, but IMHO it is easier to clean than any flip top straw cup or leak proof sippy cup I have seen. The key is to rinse it once you get home.
The great thing about these is that they keep fluid cold a very long time, and they don't leak if closed properly. Add 4-5 ice cubes to your cold drink and it will keep it cold for 5-6 hours inside a sitting car on a hot summer day. Also, I'd rather have my kids' drinks sitting in stainless steel than plastic.
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My 21 months old daughter loves this! She carries it around the house and won't let anyone touch it. I was a little worried about it from other people' reviews, but I wanted something that will keep her milk cold for hours. It actually does keep her drink cold for the entire day. If she does not finish her milk in the morning, she can still drink it in the afternoon because it is still cold. The only downside is that the thermos cup bottle is not spill proof, so when my daughter accidently knocks it over, liquid will spill out. The thermos is only leak proof when the lid is locked on. With that said, I am still giving it a 5 stars because it does work well and unlike the previous reviewers, my daughter does not throw her bottles onto the ground, so there is no problem with breaking pieces or drinks being spilled into the car.
I think it really helped a lot that I showed her how the bottle works when we first got it, and she learned how to lock and unlock the lid right away, and she always locks the lid after she is done using it.
I would not buy this for a child younger than 20 months or a child who throws bottles though, I think you would have a lot of spill problems.
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Update
My daughter is 3 1/2 years old now and they still work great! I can't believe that they have lasted this long. Way better than any plastic slippy cups I ever brought her. This is totally worth the investment.
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New Update (May 2011).
My daughter is 5 years old now. She is still using these same bottles. I kid you not. She did chew through the top of her straws so I contacted the company and ordered replacements for just the straws. But the bottle are still going strong. I am sure the company would probably love it if I buy more, but they are so well made that I haven't had to buy new ones. My daughter takes her bottles
(filled with milk or juice) for preschool and they stay cold all day long. I never have to worry about spoiled drinks with these.
Seriously some of the best dollars I spent. At this rate, she will still be using them as she goes to grade school and jr. high, lol.
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Update (July 2012)
My daughter will be starting first grade in a couple of months and she will be taking these same bottles to school. We had to replace the straws again, but the stainless steel bottles are still going strong. We have had these bottles for almost 5 years now. I just recommended these bottles to some moms of the kids at my daughter's school. Seriously great bottles!
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Better than having to remember to pack juice boxes in a cooler/insulated lunch bag or a bottle of water that gets warm. Keeps things cold a long time, so it's great for travel, a hike or trip to the park. I like this much better than a Nalgeen type bottle less plastic off-gassing. Only downside is that they don't recommend putting it in a dishwasher, so it takes a minute to handwash since the straw mechanism breaks down into three parts (plus the screw off top and base, making 5 parts). But the mouth is wide enough to clean easily. Loved this so much I bought the larger stainless steel adult version of the flip top to replace my plastic water bottles nice having cool water for a change, even if I leave it in the car for a little while.
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IF I HAVE TO TRY TO CLEAN PRUNE JUICE OUT OF THE CARPET ONE MORE TIME..WHICH I WON'T BECAUSE I AM PUTTING THIS THERMOS IN THE GARBAGE. LOVED IT IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER COULD OPEN THE TOP AND USE IT HERSELF, BUT OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS IT HAS STARTED LEAKING WHEN LEFT ON ITS SIDE ON THE GROUND--AS CHILDREN TEND TO LEAVE THINGS. IF YOU TIGHTEN THE TOP TOO MUCH IT MAKES A GAP AT THE STRAW AND LEAKS FROM THERE AND IF YOU DON'T TIGHTEN IT ENOUGH IT LEAKS. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING AND AM TIRED OF FINDING IT ON ITS SIDE SOMEWHERE WITH A HUGE PUDDLE UNDERNEATH IT.
It seems every baby company has these pouches these days but no one has them that include SALBA, which is a super-grain that is so nutritious and good for brain development. I know I'm not alone in having a picky toddler (2 1/2) and struggles to get fruits and esp. veggies in him. This is a perfect way and the there is never any forcing! He goes crazy for this flavor with the strawberry, kiwi, beet (how else would a 2 year old eat beets??) and pear.
