These nonslip bowls and plates are designed to make mealtime and cleanup a little bit easier for par

2020-05-20T22:43:00Z

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

• Skip Hop offers a large collection of mealtime products for babies and toddlers.
• I tested its Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Bowls, Training Set, and Plates (all $10 per set) along with their Zootensils Fork and Spoon set ($8).
• The training set helped engage my son while eating, and the scoop-aid rim helped him guide food onto his fork.
• The bowls and toddler utensils could use some design improvements and better options exist.

Skip Hop Mealtime Collection

Skip Hop makes affordable plates, bowls, and training sets for toddlers.

Check price at Amazon Check price at Skip Hop

When it comes to mealtime, there are a lot of products designed to make feeding toddlers a little bit easier — ones that suction to the table, have nonslip and no-spill features, and are designed with lids for travel. It can be overwhelming to decide what to buy, and you may just end up with an entire cabinet's worth of plates, bowls, and cups if you're not careful.

If you're a parent, you probably have at least one product from Skip Hop in your house. The company makes everything from diaper bags and strollers to interactive toys and products for mealtime. Overall, I've been very pleased with its nonfood related products. 

I never tried out any of the items from its mealtime collection previously, but I was intrigued by the variety of options, which include plates, bowls, training sets, snack cups, utensils, and straw bottles.

For this review, Skip Hop sent me its Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Bowls, Training Set, and Plates and its Zootensils Fork and Spoon set to test. I used these for a month with my 2-year-old son.

Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Bowls

The three-piece nesting bowls set is available in a variety of fun animal prints. Michelle Piccolo

Available in five different prints, these BPA-free plastic nesting bowls are recommended for ages 6 months and older. The microwave- and dishwasher-safe set includes three different-size bowls, all with nonskid bottoms to help prevent sliding or slipping from a table or high chair. 

Although the nonslip feature worked well, I did have one issue. Only the largest bowl comes with a lid. Skip Hop suggests these bowls are good for storing leftovers, but in that case, I would prefer a matching lid for each bowl. Lids would make it convenient for carrying snacks in my diaper bag using one of the smaller bowls. These bowls could be handy for serving single snacks at home too.

If you're looking for a more versatile bowl set for traveling or storing leftovers, I'd recommend the Pinwheelers Nestable Quad, set of four ($28). Though pricier and without slip protection, each container comes with a lid making them ideal for travel or storing leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.

Skip Hop Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Bowls Check price at Amazon Check price at Skip Hop

Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Training Set

The specially designed rim found on the training set helps toddlers scoop food onto utensils. Michelle Piccolo

This nonslip training set is available in seven colorful prints and recommended for ages 6 months and older. 

The set is designed with three pieces: a divided plate with two sections, a separate bowl that fits inside the plate, and a scoop-aid rim that hugs the entire plate and can be removed if not needed. 

My son and I both really loved this one. The plate's fun print helped engage him while eating, and the scoop-aid rim helped him guide food onto his fork without it falling off of the plate. The training set worked well for us when he had meals like pasta and cereal since those could go inside the bowl that fits onto the plate.

I also could serve sides on the plate section without needing two separate dishes. 

Skip Hop Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Training Set Check price at Amazon Check price at Skip Hop

Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Plates

Like the other nonslip options, the plate set stayed on the table. Michelle Piccolo Snapchat

This plate set, designed for ages 6 months and older and available in five different print-color combinations, includes two identically sized nonslip plates. The plates also feature a rim making it harder for food to slip off. 

I absolutely love these plates. They are so simple in design but work really well for mealtime and snacks.

My son has thankfully passed the age of throwing his plate on the floor, so having it suction to the table isn't a total necessity for us. But the nonslip feature helps protect against any accidental bumping of the arms and hands that may happen when he eats his meals. 

Skip Hop Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Plates Check price at Amazon Check price at Skip Hop

Zootensils Fork and Spoon Set

The Zootensils lack the thoughtful design elements I found in the nonslip products. Michelle Piccolo

Skip Hop's Fork and Spoon set is available in nine colorful animal-themed prints. They are designed with stainless steel heads and soft sides that the brand says make the utensils easy to hold. 

My son was able to eat with these fine, but I had a few issues with them. First, they slid off the kitchen table very easily. Every time he bumped one of the utensils with his hand or put it down too hard, it slid and most of the time hit the floor. I was surprised that given Skip Hop has a whole collection dedicated to nonslip items, the fork and spoon weren't also designed with that in mind. 

Also, the stainless steel heads touch the table when not in use, which can lead to more cleanup post-mealtime. The utensils also couldn't easily rest on the plate and kept slipping off. There is nothing in the design to protect the head of these utensils.

At half the price, the Munchkin Raise Fork and Spoon Set is a nice alternative. Each utensil is designed so that the heads don't touch the floor when dropped, and I've had fewer issues with them slipping off of the table.

Skip Hop Zootensils Fork & Spoon Check price at Amazon Check price at Skip Hop

 

Care instructions

According to Skip Hop, all of the products are top-rack dishwasher safe. I don't have a dishwasher, but everything was easily cleaned with a sponge, warm water, and dish soap. 

The cons

I want to make sure what I'm buying really has a good purpose, works well, and is worth taking up the limited space in my cabinets. There are some really great products in this collection but also ones that aren't necessities.

The Zoo Smart Serve Nonslip Bowls and the Zootensils Fork and Spoon didn't hold up in my opinion. With only one lid, the bowl set is not ideal for storage. The Fork and Spoon set offers no protection for the stainless steel head when resting on surfaces.

Michelle Piccolo

The bottom line

Skip Hop is a brand I trust, and overall, I was pleased with the mealtime products I tested. The nonslip feature really works, and items like the Training Set and Plates are ones that I'm happy to have it my kitchen. They've made mealtime and snack time a little bit easier in my house. 

Pros: Affordable, fun designs, nonslip, Training Set eliminates need for multiple dishes

Cons: Nesting bowls only come with one lid, utensils have no protection for the stainless steel head

Skip Hop Mealtime Collection

Skip Hop makes affordable plates, bowls, and training sets for toddlers.

Check price at Amazon Check price at Skip Hop Michelle Piccolo Freelance Writer Michelle Piccolo is a freelance product reviewer who specializes in parenting. Michelle previously worked as a fashion and lifestyle publicist for 13 years, and since having her son, has turned to blogging and running a toddler-focused cooking Instagram called @feedingourtoddlers. Part of her content chronicles what she feeds her son, and the rest showcases other moms and what they make for their toddlers, along with their feeding tips and challenges when it comes to mealtime.  Read more Read less

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here.

Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnoJa%2FprrToqWgZ6OgtrF5x6inZqWVlrm1tcyeZKudpp6yuA%3D%3D

 Share!

• Share on Facebook
   
• Tweet
   
• Share on Google+
   
• Post to Tumblr
   
• Pin it
   
• Submit to Reddit