“Will Glass Straws Cut My Mouth?” (Our Favorite FAQ)

We get a lot of questions from people who are new to glass straws. One of the most frequently-asked questions is whether our glass straws could break and somehow injure someone who is sipping.

First, we have to smile just a little. After all, nearly everyone puts glass to their mouths thousands (upon thousands!) of times without ever once worrying about getting cut.

Still, we see the, um, point.

So, here’s the answer: Glass straws are perfectly safe unless someone CHOOSES to put a broken one into their mouth. And let’s be clear: it is immediately obvious to anyone paying even the slightest attention that a glass straw is chipped or broken–just as it’s easy to see if a drinking glass is chipped or broken before you put it to your lips. (And even in the unlikely scenario that you take a sip from a chipped glass, your risk of injury is miniscule, as any chip that was hard to detect by looking is unlikely to cause a serious cut.

As for the idea that one could somehow bite down on a glass straw and shatter it, that is HIGHLY unlikely. Maybe in a world-class strong jaw contest it could happen, but under normal use, a glass straw is actually FAR LESS likely to break than your regular water glass or wine glass. In fact, in our wine glass vs glass straw tests, we found that 9 out of 10 times, the wine glass shattered while the glass straw remained unscathed. (Our poor wine glasses, though!)

How is this possible? Well, our straws are made from laboratory-grade borosilicate–the same material used in test tubes. It is designed to withstand not only pressure but also extreme temperatures. Borosilicate is a much stronger type of glass than the soda-lime compound used in the vast majority of drinking glasses. It´s the same material used for laboratory test tubes and popular bakeware because it has a very high heat threshold (so it´s perfect for hot or cold drinks!)

Here’s a caveat, though: glass straws are not intended for very young children. We generally find that most kids over the age of 10 or 12 can use a glass straw responsibly. However, we recommend that parents use caution when giving glass straws to children of any age, including teenagers. If you envision your kids using them in a sword fight, steer clear. On the other hand, we hear from many parents who use glass straws to entice their children to drink healthy smoothies! Many teens love our straws, and some are even raising money for ocean conservation and turtle projects by selling them.

Still worried? It may help to know that glass straws are recommended by dentists. In fact, we sell our glass straws to a number of dental clinics who give them to their patients with sensitive teeth or to those who have just had their teeth bleached.

So, sip easily. Your glass straw won’t spontaneously cut you or your loved ones. (I might worry about that wine glass, though….)