Please welcome my friend, Alfonso back to The Not-So-Blog with his very first product review!

My wife is very crafty. Some women have Saks or Macy’s . . . she has Michael’s and JoAnn’s. Her creative output is limited only to the amount of yarn she has on hand. It was not unexpected, then, that she announced that she had a great idea to use up extra yarn – cup and binkie tethers!

Our girls were getting to that stage where, after a sip or two, the cup would go over the side and on the ground. Catching a falling cup is difficult . . . even more so when it is two cups flying in different directions. This was a constant occurrence with their binkies as well. She decided to get on the internet and search for patterns and inspiration. It was during this search that we found the SippiGrip and BinkiGrip.

Now, we had purchased other types of binkie tethers before, but they had flaws which lead to their eventual non-use (the limbo that is the bottom of the diaper bag). Most notably, our girls would pull on them until their clamshell grip would come off. The plastic clamshells became chew toys . . . then they would just drop the whole thing. Maya, in particular, figured out how to undo the very small velcro strap and drop the binkie . . . smart kid. This prompted the search for a better tether.

We got two SippiGrips and BinkiGrips to try out while my wife came up with a crochet pattern for the tether. They simply rocked! They make our daily and restaurant feedings so much easier.

From the website:
“SippiGrip is durable, washable and grips your child’s cup or bottle for a secure and safe fit! It has a unique design which allows you to adjust the length of the longer strap to correspond with the height of whichever car seat, stroller or highchair you choose.  In addition it is also designed to custom fit any brand or size sippy cup or bottle!”

I hate to say is but most products for the girls that I purchase have to pass the “will this make me look like a cool dad?” test. For example, is it hot pink with frills and flowers everywhere? Or is it simple, efficient, durable, and well . . . cool? The BinkiGrip passes with dad-friendly colors.

First of all, it works. The strong clasp is impossible for a 14 month old to pull off, but doesn’t leave a mark on clothes. It can attach to almost any binkie (we have three different brands). The whole thing is washable and non-toxic. It is much cheaper that a portable binkie washer, and, for twins, it means I don’t have to carry 6 back-up binkies. Finally, and most important to my pediatrician wife, it is short enough not to be choking hazard.

The SippiGrips are a must for any parent. They are just as cool as the BinkiGrips, plus they solve so many needs because they are a multi-tool! We have tethered sippy-cups, snack cups, dolls, books (they had a small handle) teething rings, and various toys. They are also washable and non-toxic, but unlike the BinkiGrip, the SippiGrip is adjustable. This is very useful depending if they are being used on the highchair or the stroller. The grip that holds the cup feels like a soft rubber-like material which holds extremely well. The clasp is two and a half inches of impossible-for-baby-to-undo velcro. Both the SippiGrip and BinkiGrips have stood up well after multiple washings on the delicate cycle.

We packed four of these on our recent road trip. They helped us keep cups off of fast food floors and kept us from having to “wipe off” dropped toys. The SippiGrips were easy to setup, adjust, and small enough to pack 4 in our limited space of the diaper bag.

When you’re having a baby, there are many products you buy that you eventually never use. There are also products you eventually buy because you never imagined you would need them. The BinkiGrip and SippiGrip are the latter. These are products you can use everyday and make your life so much easier. I like them, the twins like them . . . the only bad thing is my wife needs to find other uses for the spare yarn.