Gentle Transition Cup: A Leap Forward in Infant Feeding

Simon Kang's Innovative Design Eases Babies' Shift from Bottles to Cups

Simon Kang's inspiration for the Gentle Transition Cup stemmed from the understanding that moving to a sippy cup is an exciting, yet potentially confusing step for bottle-fed babies. The spill-proof Gentle Transition Cup, with its soft, patented spout design, is gentle on babies' sensitive gums. The removable handles make it easy for babies to take the lead, making this cup the perfect first sippy cup to introduce.

The Gentle Transition Cup stands out from other products in the market due to its unique properties. It serves as a starter cup that helps babies move away from bottles. The ultra-flexible spout, made from liquid injection molded medical grade silicone, stretches and moves as the baby suckles, providing a continuous latch that helps reduce colic symptoms. The soft handles, co-molded from Polypropylene (PP) and Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE), are easy to grab and help absorb shock when the bottle is accidentally dropped.

The cup is constructed from BPA-free Polypropylene for the bottle and collar, ensuring safety for the baby. The design process involved extensive research on materials, flow rates of liquid, and safety issues related to how babies grab handles and drop the bottle. The team overcame challenges such as the silicone spout collapsing and not returning to its original form when a baby suckled too hard. This was resolved by reshaping the spout with variable thicknesses, altering the elastic property of silicone throughout the spout's accordion-like folds.

The Gentle Transition Cup measures 73mm in width, 110mm in depth, and 138mm in height. The design process took place from September 2017 to September 2018. The design team behind this innovative product included Nairi Gharibian, Thomas Birkert, Mark Tebbe, Kevin Johnson, and Wyman Cheung, along with Simon Kang.

Simon Kang's Gentle Transition Cup was awarded Silver in the A' Baby, Kids and Children's Products Design Award in 2019. The award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. This accolade is a testament to the Gentle Transition Cup's remarkable level of excellence and its ability to introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.