I agree, those cups are terrible.
My first suggestion is to email or call Nuby with your complaints. They need to know this information to make good changes to the design of the cup.
What I had to do with my little man is give him the regular Nuby sippy cups, because they are the best one I have found, and made that his only option.
Ok so I know I sound like a big mean mommy, but he was only upset for about a minute. It took maybe 2 days for him to fully adjust to the plain sippy cups, but now they are the only ones he will use.

I use those Sip N Toss cups mentioned above - they are the best straw cups I found that didnt create a huge mess and were easy to clean. I use them for a few months and then buy a new set - they are also easy to store.

When my son was little, I started him on the non straw cups so I am clueless on how to get them to move away from them - we did the stages cups from playtex and follwed the age suggestions.

Personally, I like the sippy cups from playtex.  They don't spill and they even have a "Create My Own" for the creative types .

We use the Take N Toss straw cups.  They are cheap, so if you lose them no big deal.  The lid snaps on tight and is virtually impossible for a toddler to remove.  The only time we have them leak is when our son leaves one laying on its side for a long period of time or when he turns it upside down and shakes it.  They are very easy to clean, because there are only three parts (cup, lid, straw).  We just throw them in the dishwasher, straws in the utensil area.

We taught our son some "cup etiquette" and it really helped.  Despite everything we tried, he won't drink milk, so he gets fortified juice in the morning.  He drinks most of it while still in his chair eating.  If he doesn't finish it, I let him take it into the living room while I clean up.  If he doesn't finish it within a half hour, I take it and he's done with juice.  The rest of the day he just gets water in his cup, so if he does spill it's not as big of a deal.  He also has places where he can keep his cup.  We usually try to get him to keep it on the corner of the TV stand.  It's cute to watch him set it there.  He rarely leaves it laying on the floor anymore.  Just keep reinforcing putting her cup upright where it goes, on an end table, even on a coaster.  If she watches you do it enough times, she may start to copy you.

I don't know of any other straw sippy cups! We used the Nuby ones and I always just completely dismantled the entire thing to clean it...it's hard but you can get all the pieces apart and back together. Maybe you could call customer service and ask if the parts are safe to steam or boil to clean properly.

As for the throwing/spilling...don't be afraid to discipline! But you don't have to do it in a mean way.  I spend a lot of time talking to my kids even if they don't totally understand what you are saying they get that something is going on. Also I'm using strong facial expressions so that it's not necessary to raise my voice. Children need and appreciate boundaries. Just be consistent and talk it out EVERY time she throws her cup.

My son is 17 months old and he transitioned to a cup you have to turn up on his own. Someone bought him a cup that had a design on it that he liked to look at and that one just became his favorite. I spent time letting him hold it and telling him to turn it up, leaning my head back and eventually he got it. We just bought some Gerber color changing spill proof cups that have been really great.

You might also consider having her drink out of a regular straw and cup when she's sitting in your lap at the table. My son thinks he's doing something special and sucks down his milk in no time! Plus I feel like that's beginning teaching him that food and drink belong at the table.

Good luck!

With both of my sons, I must have tried every sippy cup/straw cup known to man! The best ones I have found are by Playtex.  My older son uses the Playtex straw cups and though the liquid can push up through the straw if the straw is left open too long, it by far is still the best one I've found.  The regular Playtex sippy cups are awesome.  We have a one year old who throws them on our hardwood floors fairly often but they leak very little, if at all!  Good luck!

We use the NUK orthodontic sippy cups.  They have all stages, but they are very easy to clean because the completely come apart and they don't spill!  AT least so far, mine haven't =p. 

I use the Take & Toss cups mentioned above, but I never use the straws that come with it. Instead, I just buy a box of cheap straws (usually 100 for $2 or so) and stick those in there. We supervise our kids when drinking, I don't like them getting into the habit of walking around with a straw cup. My 3 year old never spilled his drinks, my 15 month old still flips his cup upside down sometimes to shake the liquids out, but I think that is a problem for any sippy cups out there. I use these cheap disposable ones only because the straw is not reused, so it's cleaner, and you can replace the cups after several months. Hope this helps.

We have just about every brand of sippy cups in the cabnets here.  I like the Gerber and Playtex ones because they have yet to spill or leak.  The kids can throw them down and leave them upside down in the couch cushions and no spills.

When the twins hit a year and a half we started all three of the kids on putting their sippies on the table.  If you're not drinking it the cup needs to go on the table.  Once we saw them drop the cup to the floor we would walk over to them and ask them to please put there cup on the table.  It worked pretty well.  Though, we're still working on the twins who are now 29 months old, and the oldest (4) is now using "big boy cups", so those are a must stay at the table deal.

Do you want to save yourself?

I have many airsoft gun/combat gear

It seems like you are writting about two issues. A new sippy cup with a better design and your daughter's propensity to toss it on the floor.

Disclaimer: I don't have children. So maybe you'll write this off...but wouldn't it be better to gently teach your daughter to not throw the sippy cup when she's done? She seems old enough to understand disapproving looks and a sharp "no" in a reprimand. She gets ready to launch that sucker and you just need to nip it in the bud before she tosses it. She'll get it eventually. I mean whats going to happen when she goes to kindergarten? She's done with the red crayon and throws it's across the room?

She gets the attention when she throws it, it makes a mess (and a satisfying loud noise), you have to clean it up and your husband is irritated/frustrated by all of it. Doesn't sound like a new sippy cup is going to solve that problem.

Thanks, everyone, for your wonderful suggestions!  For right now I've switched to another straw cup (Munchkin, I think) that doesn't leak nearly as much and is easier to clean.  It also doesn't have handles, so she tends not to throw it as much.

@Calinda@xanga, @Monalynn@xanga, @Traci_Ladd@xanga, @englishbelleinks@xanga and others: Thanks for the encouragement on discipline techniques!  I, of all people, am not afraid to discipline/train my daughter.  In fact, she got her first swat on the leg for a diaper changing fit at around 6 months old.  Kids definitely know what they're doing at a very early age.  The reason I had been hesitant to be firm about the milk was because I was having a hard time getting her to drink enough and I was worried if I scolded her for throwing the cup, she'd get the wrong idea.  But the past few days we've been working on setting the cup back on the coffee table after she takes a drink.  So far she's only done it correctly once or twice, but I hoping that with time she'll get there.

Thanks again for all the suggestions!

Give her a sippy and remind her whenever she tries it to tip it up, and even pretend to drink it yourself and show her how much you like it. Throw away the cups that don't work. She'll learn that her new sippy gives her milk, reward her when she does a good job with it :)

That's how I got my son off his bottle and softer-nipple sippies. Just simply throwing them away and saying, "if you want milk you need to drink out of your big boy sippy." They love feeling grown up!