Pigeon SofTouch™ Training Straw 12m+

A higher-flow straw top for little drinkers ready to practise more independent straw drinking.

The Pigeon SofTouch™ Training Straw 12m+ is designed as the next stage in Pigeon’s straw-drinking system, giving older babies and toddlers an opportunity to practise drinking more independently from a straw.

Designed for approximately 12 months+, it features a flat straw tip with an X-cut valve that allows a higher flow of liquid, along with dual air vents to help liquid flow smoothly while drinking.

The straw set is compatible with Pigeon SofTouch™ 240mL and 330mL bottles, allowing families already using the bottle system to convert a familiar bottle into a straw cup.

Why we love it

Learning to drink through a straw is a new skill.

A child needs to bring their mouth to the straw, create suction, manage the liquid as it arrives and coordinate swallowing and breathing – all while figuring out how much effort is needed for the next sip.

We like that Pigeon has created different straw stages rather than treating straw drinking as a single skill that children either can or can’t do.

The 12m+ version has a higher-flow X-cut valve, making it suited to children who are ready to manage more liquid with each suck.

And because the straw top fits existing SofTouch™ bottles, children can practise a new drinking skill using a bottle that’s already familiar.

Great for

• Babies and toddlers from approximately 12 months+
• Children developing independent straw-drinking skills
• Practising generating suction through a straw
• Transitioning from earlier training straws to a higher-flow option
• Moving from bottle drinking towards a straw cup
• Children already familiar with Pigeon SofTouch™ bottles
• Offering water or other appropriate drinks from a straw
• Everyday meals and snacks
• Drinking at home or while out and about

What changes at 12m+?

The Pigeon 12m+ straw features a flat tip with an X-cut opening.

The X-cut valve opens as the child sucks and is designed to provide a higher flow than Pigeon’s earlier straw stage.

This means the child still needs to actively draw liquid through the straw, but the drinking experience changes as their skills develop.

The dual air vents also allow air to enter the bottle as liquid leaves, helping maintain a smoother flow while drinking.

Practising a new way to drink

Straw drinking looks simple once we’ve mastered it, but there’s quite a bit happening.

The child has to learn that sucking on the straw makes liquid appear. They then need to work out how much suction to use, what to do when the liquid reaches their mouth and when to pause for another breath.

Those skills develop with experience.

For children who are ready, offering regular low-pressure opportunities to drink from a straw during everyday meals and snacks can give them plenty of practice.

There’s no need for every sip to be perfect.

A feeding therapist’s note

One thing I like to remind families is that moving from a bottle to a straw isn’t simply about changing the container.

The drinking pattern changes too.

With a straw, the child needs to generate suction to bring liquid into their mouth and then manage the amount that arrives.

That’s why flow matters.

A higher-flow straw isn’t automatically better because a child is older. We still want to watch how they actually manage it.

If they’re comfortable, taking manageable sips and pausing when they need to, great.

If the liquid seems to arrive too quickly or they’re regularly coughing, spluttering or looking overwhelmed, I wouldn’t keep pushing ahead simply because the product says 12m+.

As with teat flow, the age on the packet is a useful guide – the child in front of us gives us the more important information.

Product details

• Training straw set for approximately 12 months+
• Flat drinking tip
• X-cut valve
• Higher-flow design
• Dual air vents to support smooth liquid flow
• Designed for independent straw-drinking practice
• Compatible with Pigeon SofTouch™ 240mL bottles
• Compatible with Pigeon SofTouch™ 330mL bottles
• Part of Pigeon’s staged straw-drinking system
• By Pigeon

Important

The 12m+ recommendation is a guide. Children develop drinking skills at different rates, and a higher-flow straw should be introduced when the child can comfortably manage the liquid flow.

Always supervise babies and young children while drinking.

If your child regularly coughs, chokes or splutters when drinking, has changes in breathing or colour, recurrent respiratory concerns, or has known or suspected swallowing difficulties, seek advice from an appropriately qualified health professional.

For children with dysphagia, aspiration concerns, respiratory compromise or prescribed thickened fluids, straw type and liquid consistency should follow the recommendations of their treating speech pathologist or swallowing team.

We send Australia-wide. Delivery costs and timings, and how to arrange a return, are set out on our shipping & returns page.

If something isn’t right for you, get in touch and we’ll sort it out.