Introduction (for those new to this website):
Tamara Rubin is a federal-award-winning independent advocate for consumer goods safety and a documentary filmmaker. She is also a mother of Lead-poisoned children, her sons were acutely Lead-poisoned in 2005. Since 2009 Tamara has been using XRF testing (a scientific method used by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) to test consumer goods for toxicants (specifically heavy metals), including Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Antimony, and Arsenic. All test results reported on this website are science-based, accurate, and replicable. Items are tested multiple times, to confirm the test results for each component. Tamara’s work was featured in Consumer Reports Magazine in February of 2023.
I currently have 11 articles posted that mention this product.
- February 10, 2017 – My “Safer Choices” water bottle post (they are not on my #SaferChoices list, but I mention the concern with their products.)
- March 4, 2017 – Testing of the normally accessible components of a non-insulated version of this product.
- March 5, 2017 – Testing of the normally accessible components of the insulated version of this bottle.
- May 14, 2017 – Update on the findings of Lead in the Pura Kiki insulated bottles, including correspondence to and from the company with one of my readers.
- July 2, 2018 – post with an update, including a link to a video with testing of an insulated Pura Kiki bottle purchased in 2018, as well as a discussion of the fact this product came in a box with the “Made Safe Certified” markings and logo.
- July 2, 2018 – post with an update including a screenshot of a dismissive email from Pura to one of my readers (dated January 17, 2018). In this e-mail, Pura cites their Made Safe Certification as an indicator of the product’s safety.
- July 2, 2018 post, which includes my July 2017 email to Made Safe asking that they revoke Pura Kiki’s certification until the problem is resolved. (Made Safe never responded to this, nor took any action – although the Executive Director [who used to be my IRL friend] did unfriend me on Facebook subsequent to posting these July 2018 posts.)
- July 7, 2018 – Post notifying my readers that on this date I confirmed that Pura was aware they were still selling insulated baby bottles with Lead.
- July 8, 2018 – Post with a screenshot of a July 5, 2018, e-mail from Pura to one of my readers confirming that Pura knew at that time that they were still selling their insulated baby bottles with Lead (in spite of their advertising claims on their packaging – claims “supported” by the Made Safe Certification language and badge printed on their package).
- July 8, 2018 – Post showing my reader’s (Erika’s) email to Pura Kiki from July 1, 2018 – to which the above-linked email from Pura is a response).
- This post!
To read all of my posts about this product and concerns, click here.
Was this issue ever resolved? I have been looking into this brands straw cup. Thanks!
Hi Laura,
I have not yet found one of these to be Lead-free. The company never responded and neither did Made Safe.
Tamara
Would it be possible to test the Nuby 2 Handle Stainless Steel Cup with No Spill Soft Spout? Thank you.
Hi Lisa – here’s how the testing I do works: https://tamararubin.com/2017/07/subscribe-in-support-of-my-advocacy-work-you-can-become-eligible-to-send-in-a-box-of-your-things-for-testing/
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara
Thanks for the info! Is it only glass bottles that I should be concerned about lead paint? I just purchased a Nuk plastic sippy cup and Nubby stainless steal sippy cup with decorative paint on the outside. I noticed the Nuk glass cup tested positive for lead. Does that mean plastic is just as bad? Do you have any safe choices with handles that you recommend?
Hi Lisa,
Only the new glass Nuk bottles have tested positive for Lead in the paint (from the Nuk line).
Tamara
Do you know if they use the same paint on plastic? I just ordered the plastic sippy cup so I will return it if it isn’t safe. Thanks so much for your help!
Hello Tamara, I have a Pura Kiki stainless steel board that I purchased on Amazon last year. I will look up your information and see if I can send it to you for testing. We have not been using it much, but I know other parents in the area who do.
Thank you for everything that you’re doing!
I wrote to Pura re: this (Dec 2022) and this was their response: “Thank you for contacting us. There is no lead in our bottles. I am sorry you had a concern. We changed to lead free solder in 2017. Before that, on older models of the insulated bottles there could have been lead at the solder area which was covered and did not touch the user.”
GHAA – what jerks. They never did a recall and never made an announcement. I would never use their products. They had SOLID LEAD solder seals!
T
Hi Tamara! Thank you so much for all you do!! Had you ever tested the pura stainless steel bottles after their claim to be lead free? I’m so worried my child has been drinking from these bottles since 2022!
TIA!!