Silver Nursing Cups Buyer's Guide 2026: The £27 Koala and £31 Pippeta Wrap Copper in Silver, the £56 Momcozy Is Solid Silver With Holes

COMPARISON · PARENT CARE

Sore, cracked nipples are one of the most common reasons parents tell us the first fortnight of breastfeeding felt harder than labour. Silver nursing cups have become the go-to gift for it: two small domes of silver you wear inside your bra between feeds, so tender skin isn't rubbing on fabric and stays in a little pocket of your own breastmilk. They are reusable, cream-free and small enough to carry in a coat pocket.

Shop for a pair, though, and prices run from under £20 to over £60 for what looks like the same thing. The difference that matters most isn't the brand, it is the build. Most cups under £35 are trilaminate: thin silver outer layers bonded around a copper core, which keeps them light and cheaper. The pricier pairs tend to be solid silver all the way through. Some are smooth domes that hold a few drops of milk, others are perforated to let air in, and you can't really have both.

We picked three pairs we can actually send you to, at three price points: the £27 Koala Babycare, the £31 Pippeta Trilaminate Nip Cups and the £56 Momcozy 999 perforated cups. We looked at what they are made of, the sizes on offer, how they are cleaned and what parents in our community say after weeks of wear.

One honest point before we start. The evidence for silver cups is almost entirely from parents' experience, not clinical trials. Many swear by them, some feel no difference. Pain that lasts beyond the first week or so is usually a latch or positioning problem, and no cup fixes that. If feeds are toe-curling, bleeding or getting worse, ask your midwife, health visitor or local infant feeding team to watch a feed first.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: Pippeta Trilaminate Nip Cups · 8.0/10 - UK brand, class 1 medical device, smooth dome that holds a drop of milk, two sizes
• Best Value: Koala Babycare Silver Nipple Shields · 7.5/10 - Italian-made trilaminate cups, and the Maxi size costs the same £27 as the Regular
• Best for Larger Nipples: Momcozy 999 Silver Nursing Cups · 7.5/10 - solid 999 silver in three sizes up to 65mm, perforated to breathe

Quick comparison

Cups	Price	Build	Sizes	Dome	Rating
Koala Babycare	£26.99	Trilaminate (silver over copper)	Regular, Maxi	Smooth
Pippeta Trilaminate	£31.19 (Large £33.59)	Trilaminate (silver over copper)	Regular, Large	Smooth
Momcozy 999	£55.99 (XL £59.99, XXL £63.99)	Solid 999 silver	Regular 45mm, XL 55mm, XXL 65mm	Perforated

Prices are what we saw at our partner retailers when writing and can change.

How we picked the 3

We started from the silver cups BubsNest families add to their Nests most often, then kept only pairs in stock at a retailer we work with, from brands with a real presence beyond a single listing. We read product specifications, manufacturer care instructions and a wide spread of parent feedback, then weighted the things parents raise again and again: whether the cups stay put, whether they leave marks, how they feel after a full day under a bra, and how easy they are to keep clean at 3am. We split them into budget, mid and premium so you can see where the extra money goes.

What to look for in silver nursing cups

Trilaminate or solid silver. Trilaminate cups have silver on both surfaces and a copper layer in the middle. Only the silver touches your skin, they weigh less and they cost less. Solid silver cups are heavier and dearer, and some parents simply prefer knowing there is nothing else inside. Neither has been shown to heal faster than the other.

Smooth or perforated. The classic way to use silver cups is to put a few drops of breastmilk in the dome and place it over the nipple. A smooth dome holds that milk. A perforated dome lets air in, which some parents find less sweaty, but the milk method doesn't really work and the hole edges can rub if the cup shifts.

Size. A cup should cover the nipple without pressing on it. If yours are larger, or swell a lot in the early weeks, a bigger dome matters more than anything else on this list. Measure before buying where the brand gives dimensions.

No creams underneath. Every brand here says to skip nipple creams and ointments while wearing the cups, as they can react with the silver. If you rely on a lanolin cream, silver cups are an either-or choice, not an add-on.

Care. Rinse daily in warm water to clear milk residue, and dry before storing. Silver tarnishes. A paste of bicarbonate of soda and water brings the shine back, but avoid jewellery cleaners and harsh chemicals. Always take the cups off before a feed.

1. Koala Babycare Silver Nipple Shields / 10 · Best Value

The Koala Babycare pair is the budget pick here, at £26.99 for either size. They are made in Italy, registered as a class 1 medical device, and built trilaminate: silver outer surfaces around a copper core. That keeps each cup light enough that most parents forget they are wearing it under a snug nursing bra.

The quiet win is sizing. Koala sells a Regular and a Maxi, and both are the same price on Amazon. With most brands the bigger cup costs more, so if you are unsure, or expect engorgement in the first weeks, the Maxi is a no-penalty way to size up.

What parents love

• Relief without cream. Parents tell us the biggest change is simply that fabric stops touching raw skin. One parent told us: 'I'd tried everything for the cracking. These were the first thing that let it close up between feeds.'
• Same price, bigger size. The Maxi costs the same £26.99 as the Regular, which makes sizing up an easy call.
• Light under clothes. The trilaminate build keeps the weight down and the low dome doesn't show through most nursing tops.
• Reusable for the next baby. Looked after properly, a pair lasts well beyond one feeding journey.

What to know before you buy

• Needs regular scrubbing. A parent shared that dried milk left a whitish film on their skin until they started wiping the cups out more often. Daily rinsing isn't optional.
• Amazon only. We can only send you to one retailer for this pair, so you can't pick it up on the high street to check the fit.
• Copper core. Only silver touches your skin, but if you know you react to metals, solid silver may give more peace of mind.

Best for

• Parents who want silver cups without spending £40 or more
• Anyone unsure of size, since the Maxi costs no extra
• A thoughtful baby shower gift on a mid-range budget
• Parents who prefer the classic breastmilk-in-the-dome method

2. Pippeta Trilaminate Nip Cups / 10 · Best Overall

Pippeta is a British breastfeeding brand, and its Nip Cups are the pair we most often see on Nest lists. The trilaminate version costs £31.19 for Regular and £33.59 for Large at our partner retailer. Like the Koala, they are silver outer layers around a copper core, nickel free, and registered as a class 1 medical device.

Pippeta explains clearly how to use them, which matters more than it sounds when you are sleep-deprived: add a few drops of breastmilk, place the cup over the nipple, take it off before each feed and put it back afterwards. The Regular dome is about 4.3cm across, low enough to sit discreetly under a nursing bra. They come with a small pouch for storage.

What parents love

• Fast relief. We hear repeatedly from parents that the change is quick. One parent told us: 'I put them on at bedtime and the next morning feed was the first one I didn't dread.'
• Clear instructions. Simple steps for use, rinsing and restoring the shine, so you are not guessing.
• Easy to buy in the UK. Stocked by baby retailers and pharmacies as well as online, and a brand you can easily contact if something is wrong.
• Smooth dome. Holds the milk drops properly, which is the whole point of the classic method.

What to know before you buy

• Large costs more. Sizing up adds about £2.40, small but worth knowing next to the Koala.
• Tarnishes with use. Like any silver, they dull over time and need the occasional bicarbonate clean.
• Not solid silver. If you want silver all the way through, Pippeta's solid version costs more and isn't in this comparison.

Best for

• First-time breastfeeders who want clear guidance in the box
• Parents who like buying from an established UK brand
• Anyone using the breastmilk-in-the-dome method
• Registry lists, where a trusted name makes it an easy pick for gift-givers

3. Momcozy 999 Silver Nursing Cups / 10 · Best for Larger Nipples

The Momcozy pair is the premium option at £55.99 for Regular, rising to £59.99 for XL and £63.99 for XXL. What you get for nearly double the money is solid 999 silver, no copper core, and the widest size range here: roughly 45mm, 55mm and 65mm across. For parents with larger nipples or areolas, that XXL is the only cup in this guide that doesn't press.

The dome is perforated with small polished holes to let air through, which Momcozy pitches as less sweaty over long wear. That is a real trade-off. Holes mean the cup won't hold a pool of breastmilk, so you're relying on the silver and the air gap rather than the classic method. Momcozy also makes a hole-free version, but it wasn't in stock with our partners as we wrote this.

What parents love

• Sizes that actually fit. Three sizes up to 65mm. Parents who found other cups pinching tell us the XXL was the first that sat flat.
• Solid silver. No layers to wear through, which appeals to parents who want something to keep for future babies.
• Breathable for pumping. One parent put it best: 'My bra was making me raw between pumping sessions. These basically saved me.'
• Easy to clean. Soap, water and air-drying is all most parents do.

What to know before you buy

• Holes can rub. A parent shared that when the cup shifted in their bra, the perforations made the soreness worse. A well-fitting bra helps.
• No milk-in-the-dome method. If that's how your midwife suggested using cups, a smooth dome makes more sense.
• Twice the price. There's no evidence solid silver heals faster than trilaminate. You're paying for fit and material, not results.

Best for

• Parents with larger nipples or areolas who need the 55mm or 65mm sizes
• Exclusive pumpers who want airflow between sessions
• Anyone who prefers solid silver over a copper core
• Parents planning to reuse the cups for another baby

What about the Silverette?

The Italian Silverette is the cup many parents have heard of first, and it is solid silver with a smooth dome. We don't have it in stock with a partner retailer right now, so we haven't scored it. If you see it, judge it on the same points: solid or trilaminate, smooth or perforated, and whether the size covers you without pressing.

How to choose

Choose the Pippeta Trilaminate Nip Cups if you want the safe all-rounder: a smooth dome for the breastmilk method, clear instructions and a UK brand behind it, for a little over £30.

Choose the Koala Babycare Silver Nipple Shields if budget matters, or if you think you need a bigger cup. The Maxi costs the same as the Regular, which no other pair here matches.

Choose the Momcozy 999 Silver Nursing Cups if standard cups press on you, if you pump exclusively and want airflow, or if you specifically want solid silver. Just know you're giving up the milk-in-the-dome method.

Whichever you choose, cups are a comfort tool, not a fix. If pain doesn't ease after a few days, ask for help with the latch.

Add it to your Nest

Silver cups make a useful gift because parents often don't think to buy them until they need them. Add your pick to your free BubsNest registry so friends and family can get it to you before the first week, not after it. For more feeding comparisons, browse the rest of the BubsNest community.