Reusable Straws, Ranked: Steel, Silicone, Glass, Bamboo

By Chen Deng · LAMOSE, Calgary

Most reusable straws end up in the same drawer as the last one: the bent silicone, the bamboo that went fuzzy in the seam, the glass one nobody trusts near a tile floor. The straw you keep is the one that survives the dishwasher, the gym bag, and your own forgetfulness for years. Only one material clears all three.

The short answer: stainless steel is the straw you keep. It carries no aftertaste, cannot grow mould, and outlasts every other type by years. It has one real flaw — the rim gets cold on a winter drink — and a soft silicone tip fixes that for a couple of dollars. Skip bamboo.

The ranking, worst to best

We work with stainless steel every day in our Calgary workshop, so we know how it behaves next to the alternatives. Here is where each material actually lands once it leaves the product photo and enters your real life.

5. Paper. Reusable in name only. It goes soft by the second drink and mushy by the third. Fine for one birthday party, useless for anyone who drinks something daily.

4. Bamboo. It looks warm and natural on a shelf. Then it splits, stains, and grows mould in the hollow you can't reach with a brush. Good intentions, short life.

3. Silicone. Soft on the teeth and safe for kids, which is a real job. But it holds flavour, so yesterday's coffee shows up faintly in today's water, and it turns tacky as it ages. A supporting straw, not the one you build around.

2. Glass. The taste is clean and you can see that it's clean, which people love. Then physics arrives. One drop on a hard floor, or one careless gym bag, and you're picking pieces out of the cupholder.

1. Stainless steel. No taste of its own. Nothing to grow inside it. It goes through the dishwasher a thousand times and comes out the same straw. Pair it with a straw brush and a soft silicone tip and there is nothing left to fix.

Reusable straw types compared

Are stainless steel straws safe?

Yes. Food-grade 18/8 stainless steel is the same steel used in kitchen knives and forks. It doesn't leach, it doesn't hold onto flavour, and it can't harbour the residue that builds up inside porous straws.

The two honest cautions are simple. Rinse and brush it after sweet or creamy drinks so nothing dries inside. And go slow near teeth, since a firm straw plus a sudden bump can chip enamel. A silicone tip solves the second one and makes it kid-friendly too.

Can you use a stainless steel straw for hot drinks?

You can, but the straw conducts heat, so the part at your lips warms up fast. For anything hot, sip from the rim of the cup instead and save the straw for cold. This is why stainless steel earns its place with iced coffee, cold brew, smoothies, and water — the drinks most people reach for a straw for anyway.

How do you clean a reusable straw so it stays sanitary?

Rinse it right after your drink, before anything dries. Once or twice a week, run a thin straw brush all the way through, then let it dry standing up so no water sits inside.

Stainless steel and glass are the easy ones here, because they're dishwasher safe and have nothing for residue to cling to. Silicone and bamboo need the brush more often, and bamboo will still lose the fight to mould eventually.

Keep the straw with the cup that keeps your drink cold

A steel straw is only as good as what you're drinking through it, and a warm iced coffee is a sad thing no straw can save. That's the part we actually make. Our Peyto tumbler is double-wall vacuum insulated 18/8 stainless steel that holds cold for 12 hours, and it's tall enough to take a steel, silicone, or glass straw without the wobble.

Every Peyto is made to order in our Calgary workshop, and your name goes on it — laser-engraved into the steel to stay for years, not months.

See the Peyto tumbler →

FAQ

Which reusable straw is best?
Stainless steel, for anyone who drinks something cold most days. It has no taste, can't grow mould, survives the dishwasher for years, and packs into a bag without breaking. Keep a silicone tip on it for winter and for kids.

Are stainless steel straws bad for you?
No. Food-grade stainless steel is inert and safe. The rare injuries you read about come from a firm straw hitting teeth during a fall or a rush, which a soft silicone tip and a slower sip prevent.

Are silicone straws safe for kids?
Yes, and they're the better pick for small children. Silicone is soft, so a bump won't hurt. It just holds flavour and wears out faster than steel, so treat it as the kids' straw rather than the family's forever straw.

Do reusable straws actually reduce waste?
Yes, if you keep using them. One stainless steel straw replaces years of single-use plastic. The math only works when the straw survives long enough to be used hundreds of times, which is exactly why the material you choose matters.