Reusable Silicone Straws: Benefits, Best Uses & Drawbacks

We started Reusably to help people do away with disposable — one easy swap at a time. Trading throwaway plastic straws for a reusable silicone one is about as painless as those swaps get, and it’s a great first step toward learning to sip reusably.

Silicone straws are soft, flexible, and forgiving in a way metal and glass simply aren’t — which is exactly why they’re the go-to for kids, for travel, and for anyone who’s ever clacked a cold metal straw against their teeth. Here’s an honest, evidence-based look at where they shine, where they don’t, and which ones we’d actually buy.

Our top silicone straw picks

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• Best everyday set: a silicone straw set with travel cases and cleaning brushes. Soft tips, folds into a bag, and the included brushes solve the biggest silicone-straw complaint before it starts.
• Best for smoothies & boba: a set of extra-wide silicone smoothie straws. The wider bore handles thick shakes and tapioca pearls that clog a standard straw.
• Best upgrade: skip loose straws and get an insulated tumbler with a built-in silicone-tip straw (BrüMate, Simple Modern, and Owala all make excellent ones). One purchase covers the cup and the straw — and it’s the one you’ll reach for every day.

Reusable straw materials, compared

Silicone is one of five common straw materials. Here’s how they stack up at a glance:

Material	Reusable?	Feel & safety	Best for	Eco notes
Silicone	Yes (years)	Soft, flexible, kid-safe; BPA-free	Kids, travel, hot & cold, smoothies	Durable; not curbside-recyclable
Stainless steel	Yes (lifetime)	Firm; can feel cold/hard on teeth	Iced drinks, everyday carry	Recyclable; very long life
Glass	Yes (years)	Firm, see-through (easy to spot residue)	Home use, hot & cold	Recyclable; can break
Bamboo	Yes (months)	Natural, lightweight	Parties, natural aesthetic	Compostable; shorter lifespan
Paper (disposable)	No	Softens as you drink	Events, one-time use	Breaks down in ~8–20 months in seawater
Plastic (disposable)	No	Cheap, rigid	—	Persists an estimated ~200 years

Prefer a firmer straw? See our silicone vs. metal straw comparison or the glass vs. stainless steel breakdown.

Why people love silicone straws

They’re genuinely kid- and klutz-proof

Soft, bendable food-grade silicone means no chipped teeth, no clanging, and no panic when one hits a tile floor. If you’ve got young kids — or you’re just done with the harsh feel of metal — this is the material to reach for.

They cut a real amount of waste

A single silicone straw replaces hundreds of disposables over its life. That matters, because globally we produce about 460 million tonnes of plastic a year and recycle only around 9% of it (OECD). Doing away with disposable is built from small, repeatable swaps exactly like this one.

They pay for themselves

A set costs a few dollars more than a bag of plastic straws up front, but you buy it once. Over a year of daily smoothies or iced coffee, the math tips hard in silicone’s favor.

They handle hot and cold

Food-grade silicone shrugs off iced drinks and hot tea alike, and it won’t transfer heat to your lips the way metal does. It’s also free of BPA and phthalates.

Silicone vs. plastic straws

The difference comes down to lifespan. A plastic straw is used once, for a few minutes, then lingers for a long time — NOAA notes plastic straws are often estimated to take up to 200 years to break down, while cautioning that real-world timelines are uncertain (NOAA Marine Debris Program). A silicone straw is used for years, and unlike plastic it isn’t shedding microplastics into your drink along the way. It costs more per straw and isn’t curbside-recyclable, but because one reusable replaces hundreds of disposables, it still comes out far ahead. If you’re weighing the throwaway side, see our paper vs. plastic straw comparison.

Are silicone straws safe?

Yes — as long as you buy food-grade (ideally platinum-cured) silicone, which is inert, non-toxic, BPA- and phthalate-free, and rated for hot and cold liquids. The one caveat: silicone is slightly porous, so it needs proper cleaning to stay fresh. A very small number of people have a silicone sensitivity; if that’s you, a glass or stainless steel straw is the safer pick.

How to choose a good silicone straw

• Food-grade, platinum-cured silicone — the baseline for safety and taste. Skip vague “silicone blend” listings.
• The right size — match length and width to your cups. Standard bores suit water and iced coffee; wide straws are for smoothies and boba.
• A cleaning brush (or straws that open) — the single biggest predictor of whether you’ll keep using them.
• A travel case — a set with a hard case turns a nice idea into an everyday habit you can carry in a bag.
• Minimal packaging — if the goal is less waste, avoid brands that bury a few straws in a pile of plastic.

The drawbacks (an honest take)

• Cleaning takes effort. A quick rinse isn’t enough — you’ll want the brush, especially after thick or creamy drinks.
• They can hold onto flavors. That slight porousness means a strong coffee or smoothie can linger if the straw isn’t dried well. An occasional soak in hot water and vinegar resets it.
• They’re soft. The flexibility that makes them kid-friendly also means they won’t punch through a to-go lid like a metal straw.
• Higher upfront cost. More than plastic to start — though far cheaper over their lifetime.

Keeping them clean

Rinse right after use, run the included brush through once, and let the straw air-dry completely before storing — trapped moisture is what causes odors. Most silicone straws are top-rack dishwasher safe, too. Our full guide to cleaning reusable straws covers the deep-clean routine.

Frequently asked questions

Are reusable silicone straws safe?

Yes. Food-grade silicone is non-toxic, BPA-free, and heat-resistant. Just keep them clean and fully dried between uses.

Are silicone straws BPA-free?

Food-grade and platinum-cured silicone contains no BPA or phthalates, which is a key reason people choose it over some plastics.

Can you recycle silicone straws?

Usually not curbside — silicone isn’t accepted by most municipal programs. A few specialty take-back programs handle it. The bigger win is durability: one silicone straw reuses for years, replacing hundreds of disposables.

How long do silicone straws last?

With regular cleaning, several years. Replace a straw if it tears, becomes misshapen, or stays cloudy after cleaning.

Can I use them for hot drinks?

Yes — silicone is heat-resistant, so hot tea and coffee are fine.

Are they better than plastic straws?

For waste and durability, yes. One silicone straw replaces hundreds of disposables and lasts for years, while only about 9% of plastic is ever recycled (OECD).

The bottom line

Silicone straws are the most forgiving reusable straw you can buy: soft, safe, kid-proof, and cheap over time. The trade-off is cleaning discipline — buy a set with a brush and case, dry them properly, and they’ll last for years. And if you want one purchase that covers everything, an insulated tumbler with a built-in silicone straw is the easiest way to sip reusably every single day.