Best Plastic-Free Kids Utensils
Last reviewed September 2026
Forks, spoons, and training cutlery for babies and toddlers.
The short answer
The trade here is soft grip versus no plastic. Kiddobloom's set is the fully plastic-free answer - solid 304 steel forks, spoons and a food pusher, no coating or paint - and Avanchy's training forks do the same in one piece of steel, unlike Avanchy's better-known silicone-handled spoons. Bare metal is firmer on new gums and offers nothing to hold, which is exactly why Avanchy's stainless-and-silicone spoon exists: steel bowl, soft silicone handle, silicone-only rather than plastic-free. Doddl is the pick if a child needs the ergonomic chunky grip to self-feed at all - the handle is plastic, but only steel goes in the mouth.
Why plastic matters in kids utensils
Utensils go in a child's mouth at every meal and get chewed, scraped against plates, dishwashered, and left in hot lunchboxes. Most "first utensils" are plastic, sometimes with a plastic-coated metal core that chips. Stainless and wood alternatives are cheap and easy - a low-effort, high-frequency swap.
What to look for in kids utensils
- Solid stainless steel is the simplest fully plastic-free choice - toddler-sized handles exist
- Silicone-tipped spoons are gentler on new gums but the tip is silicone, not plastic-free
- Avoid plastic-coated metal utensils - the coating chips into food over time
- Wood/bamboo utensils are plastic-free but need hand-washing and oiling
Recommended kids utensils
Every product here we'd actually suggest — best-in-class picks first, then the rest by how plastic-free they are.
Stainless Steel Training Forks
All-stainless toddler training forks - handle and tines are one piece of 304 steel, no silicone grip - so unlike Avanchy's silicone-handled spoons these are fully plastic-free.
Stainless Steel Utensil Set
Solid 304 stainless toddler forks, spoons, and food pusher with no plastic, silicone, coating, or paint anywhere - a genuinely plastic-free first-utensil set.
Stainless Steel + Silicone Baby Spoon
A 304 stainless bowl on a soft silicone handle - gentler on new gums than bare metal, but the grip is silicone, so it is silicone-only rather than fully plastic-free.
Toddler Cutlery Set
Ergonomic self-feeding cutlery with stainless-steel food ends on a chunky plastic handle - the mouth and food only touch steel, but there's no all-metal doddl.
Dig In Utensil Set
Kid-sized fork and spoon in solid 304 steel - no plastic handles - with a silicone case to carry them home dirty.
| Product | Rating | Touches your food | Price | Made in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Avanchy Stainless Steel Training Forks Best Plastic-Free Fork | Stainless Steel | $ | — | |
| Kiddobloom Stainless Steel Utensil Set Best Fully Plastic-Free | Stainless Steel | $ | — | |
 Avanchy Stainless Steel + Silicone Baby Spoon Best for New Gums | Silicone ·Stainless Steel | $ | — | |
 doddl Toddler Cutlery Set Best Ergonomic Trainer | Stainless Steel | $ | China | |
| Silicone ·Stainless Steel | $ | China |
Kids utensils to avoid
Popular options that look plastic-free but aren't — and whole categories worth skipping.
Grabease First Self-Feeding Utensil Set
For a plastic-free first utensil in the mouth, choose the solid-stainless Kiddobloom utensil set instead.
Munchkin Soft-Tip Infant Spoons
The archetypal "first spoon," and entirely BPA-free plastic - Munchkin's own listing describes them as flexible BPA- and phthalate-free plastic. A soft plastic tip is gentle on gums, but it is still 100% plastic in the food path, scraped against plates and left in hot lunchboxes, exactly the high-frequency exposure this category exists to avoid. A stainless bowl on a silicone handle does the same soft-feeding job without the plastic.
Nuby Spoons & Forks
Standard toddler utensils made of BPA-free plastic (Nuby also sells a SoftFlex silicone version). Same issue as any plastic utensil - the whole thing is plastic in the food path and abrades with use. Inexpensive, but the solid-stainless sets cost about the same and never chip.
Plastic-coated / painted metal kids cutlery
Character-themed kids' forks and spoons often have a metal core under a colored plastic or enamel coating on the handle (and sometimes the bowl). The coating chips with dishwashing and chewing and ends up in the food - the exact failure mode we warn about. If you want metal, buy it bare (Kiddobloom, Avanchy steel), not painted or plastic-dipped.
Common questions about kids utensils
Is there a fully plastic-free option for kids utensils?
Yes. Of the 5 kids utensils we recommend, 2 rate as fully plastic-free, with no plastic and no silicone anywhere in the product: Avanchy Stainless Steel Training Forks and Kiddobloom Stainless Steel Utensil Set.
Which kids utensils do you recommend most?
Of the 5 kids utensils we recommend, Avanchy Stainless Steel Training Forks takes Best Plastic-Free Fork, Kiddobloom Stainless Steel Utensil Set takes Best Fully Plastic-Free and Avanchy Stainless Steel + Silicone Baby Spoon takes Best for New Gums.
Which kids utensils should you avoid?
Among the kids utensils we have reviewed, we do not recommend Grabease First Self-Feeding Utensil Set. We also suggest skipping Munchkin Soft-Tip Infant Spoons, Nuby Spoons & Forks and Plastic-coated / painted metal kids cutlery.
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