As an every morning smoothie maker and avid user of my 30oz Yeti Rambler tumbler, I’m always on the lookout for the best reusable straws. I’m basically looking for Yeti tumbler straws that fit my criteria, aka the right size, easy to clean, bpa free, and durable (I tend to chew on straws.. what can I say). I’ve tried the typical plastic straws, glass straws, and stainless steel straws, but never silicone drinking straws. So, when I came across some silicone straws on Instagram, I decided to give them a try. Since writing reviews is part of my job I decided I’d write up a review.
So to make this review as simple as possible I’ve broken it down into a few specific sections.
Compatibility:
According to their website, Softy Straws has 3 sizes of straws to choose: wide diameter 9” smoothie straws, and standard diameter straight straws in 8.25” and 10.5” lengths. The website recommended the 9” smoothie straws for thicker drinks out of mason jars and most tumblers, which seemed like the right straw choice for my morning smoothies.
As for my daily hydration needs, I decided to give the reusable 10.5” straws (which they recommend for use with 30oz tumblers, such as my Yeti) as shot. They also mentioned the
10.5” straws would work with most popular tumblers, such as rTic, Atlin, Bubba, Starbucks, Hyrdo Flask, etc. So while I can’t give specifics regarding how the silicone straws work with each of these tumblers I would assume it’s similar.
The straws ended up fitting perfectly with my Yeti Tumbler and the smoothie straw worked as advertised.
Compatibility: 10/10
Unboxing:
The first thing I noticed is that the packaging is super cute and eco-friendly – a huge plus in case I want to give them as a gift, even to my super picky vegan friends. I hadn’t realized it before ordering (I’m somewhat of an impulse buyer if you can’t tell), but the straws are
not only BPA free and food grade, but Softy Straws also FDA tests the product for safety and quality. I verified this because their follow up email after purchasing had a copy of the FDA lab report. I’m assuming their usual customers care more about this than myself. I can see how a parent would likely want to be extra careful about what their kids use, especially if they chew on their straws like I do. Further, I did not pick up on any chemical or plastic smells at all – despite what I had read on one Amazon review (maybe that person was a super smeller?).
Another nice touch with Softy Straws is that they come with a nifty cleaning tool – which they call a Straw Squeegee. It seemed like a little much off the bat but they actually work really well. As a germ-a-phobe, the thought of smoothie build up inside my reusable straws is enough to drive me mad. This squeegee helped put my mind at ease.
Like I stated above, the Softy Straws were sized correctly and perfectly fit my smoothie glasses (I use mason jars) and my 30oz Yeti Rambler tumbler. At first glance, my only concern was that the straws would not hold up to my chewing and that they may collapse when drinking a thick smoothie (something I’ve experienced with some cheap plastic straws). So far that hasn’t been an issue but I’ve only had them for around a month so if that changes I’ll update the review. That said so far so good.
Size and Presentation 9/10
Drinkability:
As I mentioned, I’ve tested everything from the crappy plastic straws that came with my Yeti, to glass straws to stainless steel straws. Two major issues with those types of straws is that they are super hard — causing me to panic several times as I hit my teeth while driving — and they get super cold when drinking smoothies. I mention these two specific things because that’s the first thing I noticed about the Softy Straws: they don’t get cold and they aren’t scary hard. So all you out there with Hollywood veneers can rest assured.
When drinking a smoothie, they don’t conduct any of the cold, so I don’t freeze my mouth – and they are soft enough so I no longer worry about chipping my teeth or poking an eye out while driving to work (I suspect parents of children would find peace of mind not worrying about this). They are even kind of fun to chew on, which I’m strangely into but don’t recommend.
While we’re on the topic, even though they are soft enough to be safe, the material is fairly thick and plenty rigid to be effective, even when drinking thick drinks like a smoothie…so far they haven’t collapsed in like cheap straws or even worse paper straws, and they have shown no signs of wear and tear.
After my morning smoothie, I mainly drink water out of my 30oz Yeti tumbler for the rest of the day. The 10.5” straws perfectly fit my Yeti tumbler and work great for large gulps or small sips. One nice thing about the 10.5” straws is they have those little stopper bumps to help stay in the tumbler lid. During the day I drink a lot of water and inevitably spend quite a bit of time biting and chewing at my straws. So far these Softy Straws have held up surprisingly well.
Drinkability 10/10
Clean up:
The instructions on the Softy Straw’s boxes recommended cleaning the gunk out with one or two passes of a Straw Squeegee, then sterilization via the dishwasher. Apparently silicone can withstand a lot of heat and you can even boil them. I kept it simple and used the Straw Squeegee followed by a dishwashing cycle.
I was pretty surprised by how much smoothie gunk came out of the smoothie straws using the Straw Squeegee, even after I had run it under my kitchen faucet. It leaves me to wonder what kinda mold I’ve been sipping on all these years I’ve been in the “re-usable straw” game. The Squeegee really griped the straws, even making it a tad tough to pull through. Once I got the hang of it, it was pretty easy.. But I can see how some people might struggle the first time. If enough people ask I’ll make a “how to clean a straw” tutorial video…
But seriously to sterilize I put the straws into the silverware holders of my dishwasher and send them through a cycle. The combo of the Squeegee and dishwasher seems to do the job perfectly.
Ease of Clean Up 9/10
Summary:
If I wasn’t impressed with these Softy Straws, I probably would have thrown them away and not written this review. However, I need to find products to review and what better than something I use everyday! They combine the right amount of drinkability, BPA free safety and eco-friendliness (I can’t imagine how many regular straws I’ve contributed to landfills), bite-ability for straw chompers like me, and they are sized correctly for drinking smoothies or out of tumblers.
So whether you need straws for regular glasses, mason jars, or Yeti / TRIC / Orca / Ozark Trail tumblers these are probably one of the best options out there in 2018. Plus with the money back guarantee there really isn’t anything to lose.
Discounts & Deals on Softy Straws
I also did the busy work for you and tracked down all the current deals.
To take advantage of the discounted price at Amazon.com click here.
