Every coo, every gurgle, every tiny sip – these seemingly small moments are actually powerful milestones in a baby’s journey of growth. Recognising the pivotal link between feeding and speech development, Pigeon Singapore is proud to unveil StarTouch™ Straw Cup with Gravity Ball, a thoughtful and innovative solution designed not just to hydrate, but to support babies’ journey toward confident communication.
Co-developed with Dr Lisa Lim, a Singapore-based Speech-Language Pathologist (PhD) and Clinical Director at The Speech Practice with over 17 years of clinical experience, Pigeon StarTouch™ Straw Cup is built to promote healthy oral motor development, shaping the very muscles and movements essential for speech.
“Early feeding experiences lay the foundation for how babies learn to breathe, chew, and eventually speak,” said Dr Lim. “I wanted a cup that does more than just deliver liquids; I wanted a cup that supports babies in developing essential oral motor skills such as tongue tip elevation, jaw stability and lip closure from the very start,” she continued.
By leveraging Dr Lim’s extensive knowledge, Pigeon refined every detail: from the angle and positioning of the straw to how the valve opens in response to gentle sucking – not biting. Complemented with a gravity ball that allows babies to drink from any angle, the cup supports the development of lip closure, tongue retraction, and jaw stability – key foundations for safe swallowing and early speech development, which help develop oral motor skills essential for healthy growth. Together, these thoughtful features make the Pigeon StarTouch™ Straw Cup the right cup for easy sips – and a science-backed way to support your baby’s development, one sip at a time.
“Partnering with Dr Lim opened up new ways to look at product design through a developmental lens. Her deep understanding of feeding and speech helped us reimagine what a straw cup can do, not just for hydration, but for healthy oral motor development. Pigeon StarTouch™ Straw Cup empowers parents with a simple tool that delivers meaningful impact – one sip at a time,” shared Masataka Hongo, Managing Director of Pigeon Singapore.
A Smarter, Science-Backed Way to Sip
Pigeon StarTouch™ Straw Cup is thoughtfully designed to support natural oral motor development, helping babies build crucial mouth movements in a natural and enjoyable way.
Conventional sippy spout cups and long straws might hinder proper tongue posture by encouraging the tongue to stay low in the mouth or push forward. Some valved straws require stronger suction, which can sometimes lead babies to adopt alternative sipping patterns, such as tongue thrusting, lip pursing, or jaw jutting, that may not support optimal oral motor development. Over time, this may be associated with immature oral-motor patterns that affect how babies learn to feed efficiently and produce speech sounds clearly.
This newest addition supports muscle memory for key oral motor skills essential for speech clarity, especially the development of lip rounding (for early developing sounds like “oo” and “w”), lip closure (needed for sounds such as “b,” “p”, “m”), and tongue elevation (important for early speech sounds like “t,” “d”, “n”).
Key Features:
Short Straw – The short straw reaches only to the baby’s tongue tip, supporting tongue tip elevation at the alveolar ridge and promoting a mature swallow pattern.
Sensory Bumps – Provide tactile feedback to encourage lip rounding and closure, and help strengthen lip muscles for sounds like “oo,” “w,” and “b”.
EasyDrink Valve – Allows for easy, spill-free sipping without hard suction or biting
Available in 3 vibrant, eye-catching colours – Bubblegum Pop, Berry Blast, and Mint To Be – Pigeon StarTouch™ Straw Cup is as fun and stylish to use as it is beneficial. It’s thoroughly tested to ensure safe and consistent use throughout daily routines, meeting the standards parents expect in an infant product.
With both functionality and sustainability in mind, the cup is thoughtfully designed with:
Gravity Ball Straw – Supports natural sipping from any angle
Minimal parts for quick and easy cleaning, supporting better hygiene by reducing hidden spots where germs and residue can accumulate
BPA- and BPS-free materials to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals
20% ISCC-certified bio-based plastic¹, making it a more eco-conscious choice
Plus, the adapter from the cup is cross-compatible with Pigeon SofTouch™ Nursing Bottles² 240ml/300ml/330ml (excluding Glass), allowing for an easy start to straw drinking.
For parents already using Pigeon SofTouch™ Nursing Bottles, introducing straw drinking is now simpler than ever. Starting in August, the StarTouch™ Adapter & Straw Set (S$12.90) and Replacement Straw Set (S$9.90) will be available for purchase at the same retailers as the Pigeon StarTouch™ Straw Cup. Both sets can be paired with Pigeon SofTouch™ Nursing Bottles 240ml/300ml/330ml.
The Pigeon StarTouch™ Straw Cup with Gravity Ball is priced at S$20.90 (250ml) and will be available both in stores and online after 6 July at Pigeon E Shop, Agape Babies, Amazon, Baby Kingdom, Isetan, First Few Years, Kiddy Palace, Mothercare, Motherswork, NTUC, OG, Lazada, Shopee, Takashimaya, Tangs and Tom & Stefanie.
To learn more about Pigeon StarTouch™ Straw Cup and other available products, please visit www.pigeon.com.sg.
¹For the Handle, Lid & Connector only, mass balance approach
²New SofTouch™ BPP Nursing Bottles only (PP/PPSU/T-Ester). Do not use StarTouch™ Adaptor on Glass Bottles.
