Honest Singing Straw Review: Will it Change Your Voice?

Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, or SOVTEs, help many speakers and singers. 

Semi-occluded means partially closed. When the mouth is partially closed, air pressure from the lungs gets reflected back at the vocal cords. This creates the perfect environment for the vocal cords to vibrate. The vocal cords vibrate easily, efficiently, and the muscles around the larynx relax.

There are many different types of semi-occluded vocal tract exercises. Lip trills, ‘vv’, humming into a straw in water, among others. 

Many products have been developed that claim to offer magical voice transformations. 

So, I’ve decided to check them out! 

The first one I got interested in is the Singing Straw. This is a product developed by Whitney Nichole Cytryn, and has been around for a few years. 

I’ve had my Singing Straw for about a year (gifted to me by my brother, not by the company!), and I wanted to share my thoughts. 

What are the products?

The original product is the Singing Straw. It’s $49, and you get three 3mm stainless steel straws that come in a wooden case and linen bag. It also comes with a cleaning brush. 

• Pros

  • Sustainable 

Stainless steel is a sustainable material. Stainless steel can be recycled. It also keeps you from using single use plastic straws that end up in a landfill. 

• Customizable

With the pack of three straws, you can change the amount of back pressure that works for you. 

• Small Size

I like the size of the straws and the case. I’m able to throw them in my purse and go. 

• Cons

  • Price

$49 is a pretty steep price if you compare it to other stainless steel straws for sale online. I looked up some comparable ones, but couldn’t find 3mm stainless steel. I did, however, find a 4mm straw for $3. I also found eco friendly, compostable 3mm straws in a pack of 100 for $17. 

• Packaging

The wooden case seems convenient, and I wondered why they included the bag to hold it. But I’ve tried throwing it in my purse without the bag on the outside and noticed that the lid comes off of the case easily. All my straws have come out and I’ve had to dig around for them. I wish they’d make the lid secure. 

They have two other similar products. One is called the Singing Straw Pro, and for $69, you get three straws of three different diameters, 2mm, 3mm, and 4mm. This gives you different options in changing the back pressure. It looks like the metal case is more secure, but I can’t tell from the photos. I’m curious about the $20 difference in price here…

They also have a silicone version. At $49, you get three 3mm silicone straws. Silicone vs. stainless steel probably just comes down to mouthfeel preference.

What are the science claims?

There’s nothing on the website that explains how they came to the 3mm size, so I'm curious about that! 

While there’s not a ton of information on the Singing Straw website about the scientific benefits of using SOVTEs, there could be a reason for that. Maybe they don’t want to overwhelm consumers with too much technical information.

This study measures and compares the amount of intraoral pressure created from 13 different SOVTEs. It showed that a small straw with a diameter of 3.5mm was 3/13 in the list of most to least pressure. A tongue raspberry was at number 2, and a straw in water came in at number 1, creating the most intraoral pressure. 

If you're interested in learning more about the science of SOVTEs, check out this blog.

In the study, the 3.5mm straw got the most consistent results among the participants. The researchers Lynn Maxfield, Ingo Titze, Eric Hunter, and Mara Kapsner-Smith hypothesized that it was because the diameter was consistent. Other SOVTEs like a lip trill can different for different people based on how loose or tight the lips are.

I’d be interested to know more about how the Singing Straw came to be 3mm. 

Is the Singing Straw worth it? 

Truthfully, I’ve been really happy with my Singing Straw, and I would recommend it. It’s been convenient to take with me in the car to warm up or cool down after a gig. I used to use a regular 6mm drinking straw that didn’t have the same impact for me on its own. I do notice a difference in the ease of my voice, a clearer tone, and my resonance after I use it. 

You can get a similar amount of back pressure using a regular drinking straw in a glass of water. But, that’s not always convenient if you’re in between meetings at work, or on the road. 

I do also like the flexibility of having three of the straws to change the amount of back pressure on days that I need it. The voice is always going to be different day-to-day depending on a million different factors. That can include sleep, hydration, energy levels, etc. 

I use the Singing Straw frequently, but I do wish it were at a lower price point. If you’re interested in trying a sustainable straw option with similar diameter, but don’t feel like you can afford the Singing Straw, check these out. 

I won’t be purchasing the pro or silicone versions, but I do like mine! 

Curious to learn more about SOVTEs or want to explore your speaking or singing voice?

Try a voice consultation with me!