Best Toddler Cutlery Sets UK 2026: Four Add a Steel Knife at 12 Months, the £8 Bibado Clips to the Bib Instead

COMPARISON · FEEDING TIME

Somewhere between the first birthday and the third, the weaning spoon you spoon-fed with stops being enough. Your toddler wants what you have: a fork that actually spears pasta, a spoon that holds yoghurt on the way up, and, sooner than you'd expect, a knife to "help" with. Toddler cutlery sets are cheap, so most parents grab whichever one matches the plate. That's a mistake worth avoiding, because the gap between a good and a bad set isn't the print. It's handle thickness, overall length and what the heads are made of.

We compared five sets from five brands, all sold in our channels and all in stock right now. Four of them are near-identical on paper: a stainless steel fork, spoon and rounded knife with a chunky silicone handle, rated from 12 months. The fifth, Bibado's Handi, takes a completely different route. It skips the knife, starts at 6 months and clips to your toddler's bib on a strap, so it can't end up on the kitchen floor.

That split is the real decision in this category. If your little one is still in the throwing phase, steel cutlery is a lot of clattering for not much eating. If they're past it, a strap feels babyish fast and the three-piece sets earn their place. Within the steel sets, the differences come down to length (14cm to 16.5cm), price (£15 to £22) and how the handle sits in a small fist.

We went through retailer specifications, brand care guidance and the feedback parents share with us about grip, dishwashers and which pieces actually get used. No brand paid to be included.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: Done by Deer Easy-Grip Cutlery Set · 8.5/10 - the shortest steel set here at 14cm, so it suits a one-year-old's hand best
• Best for First Learners: Bibado Handi No Drop Cutlery · 8.0/10 - straps to the bib from 6 months, so dropped cutlery stays within reach
• Best for Older Toddlers: Liewood Tove Cutlery Set · 8.0/10 - the longest pieces, up to 16.5cm, for three and four-year-olds
• Best for Character Fans: Trixie Silicone Cutlery Set · 7.5/10 - animal-face handles in five designs for toddlers who need persuading
• Best Value Steel Set: Lässig Cutlery with Silicone Handle · 7.5/10 - a plain, dishwasher-safe 12-month set for £15

Quick comparison

Set	Price	Pieces	Heads	From	Length	Rating
Done by Deer Easy-Grip	£19.51	Fork, spoon, knife	18/8 stainless steel	12 months	14cm
Bibado Handi No Drop	£7.96	Fork, spoon + straps	Not steel	6 months	12cm (boxed)
Liewood Tove	£22.10	Fork, spoon, knife	Stainless steel	Around 18 months	15cm to 16.5cm
Trixie Silicone Cutlery	£15.16	Fork, spoon, knife	Stainless steel	12 months	About 16.5cm
Lässig Silicone Handle	£15.16	Fork, spoon, knife	Stainless steel	12 months	Not published

How we picked the 5

Every set here is sold through a retailer we work with and was in stock when we checked. We limited it to one set per brand and left out spoon-only weaning packs, which we've covered separately in our weaning spoons guide. We then scored each set on four things: how well it fits a small hand, how well the heads actually pick up food, cleaning (dishwasher, crevices, microwave limits) and value per useful piece. Ratings reflect specifications and the feedback parents share with us, not lab testing.

What to look for in toddler cutlery

Steel heads or not. Stainless steel heads spear and scoop like grown-up cutlery, which is the point once your toddler is feeding themselves properly. They're also heavier and louder when they hit the floor. Softer first-learner cutlery is gentler on gums and easier to manage at 6 to 12 months, but it mashes food more than it spears it.

Length matches the hand, not the age. The sets here run from 14cm to 16.5cm. That doesn't sound like much, but on a one-year-old a longer handle swings around and the food tips off before it reaches the mouth. Shorter suits younger toddlers; longer suits three-year-olds who are starting to hold cutlery like you do.

Handle shape. All four steel sets use a thick silicone handle, which is easier to fist-grip than a flat metal one. Check there's no deep gap between the silicone and the steel, because that's where porridge hides.

The knife. Toddler knives are blunt and rounded. They're for pushing and cutting soft food like banana or pancake, not slicing. If your little one is under 18 months, the knife will mostly live in the drawer, so don't pay extra just to get one.

Cleaning. Every set here is dishwasher safe, but none should go in the microwave, so don't leave them in a bowl you're reheating. Done by Deer specifies a maximum of 70°C, which every standard dishwasher programme sits within.

1. Done by Deer Easy-Grip Cutlery Set / 10 · Best Overall

Done by Deer's set is a fork, a spoon and a rounded knife (the brand calls them Nozo, Elphee and Ozzo) with 18/8 stainless steel heads and soft silicone handles. At 14cm long, it's the shortest steel set in this roundup, and that's exactly why it wins. A one-year-old's fist only covers so much handle, and shorter cutlery is easier to steer to the mouth.

It's rated from 12 months, dishwasher safe up to 70°C and meets EN 14372, the European safety standard for children's cutlery. It comes in Blue, Green and Powder, and it matches the brand's plates, bowls and cups, if your kitchen cupboard is already full of Done by Deer.

What parents love

• Sized for small hands. The 14cm length means less wobble between plate and mouth for younger toddlers. We hear repeatedly from parents that this is the set they reach for first when a one-year-old starts grabbing at their cutlery.
• Grippy silicone. The handles are soft and anti-slip, so they stay put in a sticky hand rather than spinning round.
• Proper steel heads. The fork actually spears pasta and soft veg, which is the whole point of moving on from weaning spoons.
• Matches the rest of the range. Handy if you've already built a Done by Deer feeding set.

What to know before you buy

• Outgrown sooner. The short length that suits a one-year-old feels small by three or four.
• Not the cheapest steel set. At £19.51 it costs about £4 more than the Trixie or Lässig sets.
• No microwave. Take it out of the bowl before reheating.

Best for

• Toddlers moving from weaning spoons to steel cutlery at around 12 months
• Smaller hands that struggle with longer handles
• Families already using Done by Deer tableware

2. Bibado Handi No Drop Cutlery / 10 · Best for First Learners

Bibado's Handi is the outlier, and for a lot of families it's the right answer. It's a fork and a spoon, with no knife, each on a strap that poppers onto Bibado's Coverall weaning bib. When your little one flings it, it swings back instead of landing on the floor. There are several poppers, so you can set how much slack the strap has.

It's rated from 6 months to 2 years, which puts it squarely in the weaning-to-early-toddler window before steel sets start. The fork is shaped to pick food up rather than mash it, and the set is dishwasher safe according to the retailer. At £7.96 it's the cheapest set here by a distance. The catch is that the strap only works with a Bibado bib.

What parents love

• Ends the floor game. One parent told us: "My son loves to throw his cutlery to the floor and this has helped a lot as it attaches to the coverall."
• Adjustable strap. A parent shared: "There are multiple poppers to attach the cutlery so you can have them at different lengths."
• Starts earlier. From 6 months, so it bridges the gap between a parent-held spoon and real cutlery.
• Cheapest way in. Under £8 for the pair.

What to know before you buy

• Needs a Bibado bib. Without the Coverall bib the strap has nothing to attach to, and it's just a two-piece set.
• No knife, no steel. It's a first-learner set, so you'll still want a steel set by about two.
• Head material not published. The brand lists it as BPA, phthalate and azo-dye free but doesn't name the material.

Best for

• Babies from 6 months who are just starting to self-feed
• Toddlers in the throwing phase
• Families who already use the Bibado Coverall bib
• Eating out, where dropped cutlery is a bigger problem

3. Liewood Tove Cutlery Set / 10 · Best for Older Toddlers

Liewood's Tove set is the long one. The fork is 15cm, the spoon 15.2cm and the knife 16.5cm, with stainless steel heads and sculpted 3D silicone handles in mixed colours. It's the most expensive set here at £22.10, and it's the one that looks most at home on a grown-up dinner table.

Retailers list it for roughly 18 months to 4 years. That longer reach suits toddlers who are starting to hold cutlery with their fingers rather than their whole fist. On a 12-month-old, the extra length works against them. It's dishwasher safe.

What parents love

• Lasts longer. The extra length means it still fits a four-year-old, so you're less likely to replace it before school.
• Textured handles. The 3D silicone gives small fingers a textured surface to hold, which helps once toddlers start gripping with their fingertips.
• Grown-up feel. Steel heads and proportions closer to adult cutlery help toddlers who want to copy you.

What to know before you buy

• Long for a one-year-old. The 16.5cm knife and 15cm fork are a stretch for the youngest toddlers.
• Priciest set. £22.10 is about £7 more than the Trixie or Lässig sets.
• Mixed colours only. The pieces in a set are different colours, which won't suit everyone.

Best for

• Toddlers from around 18 months to 4 years
• Buying once and keeping it until school
• Design-led kitchens and gifting

4. Trixie Silicone Cutlery Set / 10 · Best for Character Fans

Trixie's three-piece set pairs stainless steel heads with silicone handles moulded into animal faces, including Mrs Cat, Mr Lion, Mr Dino, Mrs Elephant and Mrs Peacock. It's rated from 12 months, dishwasher safe and measures roughly 16.5cm, although one retailer lists 15.5cm for some designs.

At £15.16 it's tied with Lässig as the cheapest steel set here. The faces aren't just decoration. For a toddler who'd rather do anything than sit and eat, "feed Mr Lion some peas" is a surprisingly effective trick.

What parents love

• Something to talk about. Parents often tell us character handles help with fussy eaters and get toddlers picking up the fork on their own.
• Wide choice of designs. Five animals to choose from, which helps with siblings who each want their own.
• Steel where it counts. The heads are stainless steel and the blunt knife is rounded for little hands.

What to know before you buy

• On the long side for 12 months. At around 16.5cm it's closer to the Liewood than the Done by Deer.
• More places for food to hide. The moulded faces have more contours to scrub than a smooth handle.
• Inconsistent size listings. Retailers quote 15.5cm and 16.5cm, so check the design you're buying.

Best for

• Toddlers who need persuading to sit and eat
• Siblings who each want their own animal
• A steel set under £16

5. Lässig Cutlery with Silicone Handle / 10 · Best Value Steel Set

Lässig's set is the no-fuss option: a stainless steel fork, spoon and rounded knife with ergonomically shaped silicone handles in the Happy Fruits print (cherry or lemon). It's BPA free, rated from 12 months and dishwasher safe, and like everything else here it shouldn't go in the microwave.

At £15.16 it matches Trixie on price but has smoother handles and a quieter print. Its weak spot is the specification. Lässig doesn't publish a single clear length, and retailer listings range from 16.5cm to 17.5cm, which suggests it's one of the longer sets here.

What parents love

• Price. A full steel three-piece set for about £15.
• Easy to clean. The smoother handle shape has fewer contours than the character sets, and it goes straight in the dishwasher.
• Understated look. We hear from parents that the fruit print is cheerful without shouting.

What to know before you buy

• Length unclear. No single official length, and listings suggest it runs long for a one-year-old.
• Fewer designs. Only two Happy Fruits colourways in our channels.

Best for

• Budget-conscious families who want steel heads
• A spare set for nursery or grandparents
• Parents who prefer a simple, washable design

What about Doddl or Vital Baby Nourish?

Doddl's three-piece set is often recommended for its short, palm-shaped handles that guide toddlers into an adult grip. It's a good design, but it isn't sold through the retailers we work with, so we can't feature it with a shop link. Vital Baby's Nourish chunky cutlery is widely available in supermarkets and is a solid budget pick, but it isn't currently in stock in our channels. If either is easier for you to buy locally, use the advice in our "What to look for" section to compare them with the sets above.

How to choose

Choose the Done by Deer Easy-Grip set if your toddler is around 12 to 18 months and ready for steel. It's the shortest, and that matters most at this age.

Choose the Bibado Handi if your baby is between 6 and 18 months, still throws everything, and you already own (or will buy) a Bibado Coverall bib.

Choose the Liewood Tove set if your toddler is two or older and you want one set that lasts until school.

Choose the Trixie set if mealtimes are a negotiation and an animal face might tip the balance.

Choose the Lässig set if you want steel heads at the lowest price, or a spare set for nursery.

Lots of families end up with two sets: a Bibado for the throwing months, then a steel set from around their first birthday. Together that's still less than £30.

Add it to your Nest

Getting ready for the toddler years, or know someone who is? Add your favourite set to your free BubsNest registry alongside plates, bowls and a long-sleeve bib, so family and friends can gift the things you'll actually use at mealtimes.