What's the Best Baby Bottle for...?
Do you breastfeed? Are you on a budget? Colic? Discover which is the best baby bottle for your infant, your situation.
Just because this was the best baby bottle for infant #1
doesn't mean it will be for infant #2.
It's time to strip back the label and see what most moms like (or hate) about the bottles out there.
You may be shocked to discover there's a better brand!
Or you may feel confident that you've discovered the holy grail of bottles.
Personally, I ended up picking up a whole new set of bottles after researching this article.
So pick which situation describes you best, and see which bottles worked best for that issue.
I have learned, over the years, that with each baby I have to throw my bottle assumptions out the window. Babies are individuals, with individual likes and dislikes. For example, my oldest Lauren, LOVED the Avent bottles. My second, Elena hated them. She preferred Dr. Browns.
Don't assume that just because a bottle was good for one baby, it will be good for you. All you can do is try one and see how it goes. I tried an Adiri bottle on Bella this year. She absolutely hated it. (Although my friend's baby will use nothing else.) Be prepared to be flexible in your search!
You can always return bottles that don't work or give them to friends to try. Use a callout box to call attention to important text.
I do not sell these bottles on my site. I will, however, link you to stores that do. Some bottles are easy to find in your local stores, while others are available only to the online shopper.
So what's your situation?
Contact Me
Did I miss a situation? Tell me.
- My baby is extremely fussy and gassy. I need something to fight colic.
- I'm breastfeeding and pumping. I need something to make breast-to-bottle easier.
- I'm worried about chemicals. I need glass.
- I'm on a tight budget. I need something affordable.
The Most Common Bottle Complaints
There are three things that are discussed most often when comparing baby bottles. The most common question these days is: "Is it BPA-Free?"
Bisphenol A is a type of chemical found in common plastics. Several years ago there was a study in California indicated that BPA was leaking into the formula and breastmilk from bottles. (A study that is currently begin re-examined.)
Due to this widely announced study, most companies now make BPA-free bottles. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find baby bottles that aren't BPA-free. (You can always call the manufacturer to be sure.) All the bottles listed on this page are BPA-free.
The second most common complaint people have regarding infant feeding bottles is in regards to leaking. I have yet to find a bottle, anywhere, that no one, anywhere has not claimed leak.
Yes, there are brands out there that are flawed, and so leak (the 2009-2010 Avent BPA-free bottle is an example). However, there are other reasons why bottles leak (see box below).
If your bottles are still leaking, consider calling the manufacturer. Many times they will give you a replacement product, a coupon, or even a refund.
Heather's Quick Checklist
for Leaky Bottles
- Is the bottle being used correctly, according to the directions? Are the threads lined up? Dr. Browns bottles will leak if the parts are not all in place.
- Has it been cleaned or sterilized correctly? Some bottle will warp in the sterilizer, bottle warmer, or dishwasher. See directions.
- Is the leak around the baby's mouth? Or around the ring? Different babies will naturally suck better on different size nipples. (Bella's mouth does not create a seal around wide-mouth bottles.)
The third most common bottle complaint is something called "nipple collapse". This refers to the nipple sandwiching flat when the baby is sucking, due to the force applied , on the inside of the nipple. A flat nipple is an empty nipple, which creates an angry baby.
If your baby has a hard suck, causing the nipple to collapse, you can try a higher level of flow (means a wider hole, letting him not suck as hard for more milk). Or, you can switch to a latex nipple, which is firmer and more likely to retain it's shape.
The most important part of an effective infant bottle is the nipple. Different ages will need different flows. A barracuda nurser is going to want more milk coming out than a gourmet eater.
What's the Best Baby Bottle for...
Fussiness and Gas?
The Dr. Browns series of bottles
was deemed to be the best baby bottle for colicky and fussy babies.
These bottles have a sytem of internal straws that vent the bottle. Venting is particularly important when it comes to gassy babies. It prevents a vacuum from forming inside the bottle as your baby sucks.
Vacuums are BAD for babies. Since you can never have a perfect vacuum, the semi-perfect vacuum inside the bottle just makes bubbles, which your baby then swallows. Less bubbles = less fussiness.
To further reduce gas, try using a
formula mixer like this one by Dr. Brown
or
this battery-powered mixer by Munchkin.
Shaking the bottle to stir up formula creates bubbles. Bubbles that end up inside your infant's tummy, keeping him screaming and you awake.
For those of you who are fans of the wider-neck variety of bottles, Dr. Brown's has their own take on a wide-neck version.
Honorable mentions for fussiness...
Although
The Dr. Browns
takes the gold in the colic category, these other bottles also rated high in this category. MAM was the second-place winner.
What's the Best Baby Bottle for...
Breastfeeding?
If you are breastfeeding and worried about switching from breast to bottle and back again, the best baby bottle for you is the
MAM UltiVent bottle.
This bottle has a wide-mouth that mimics the breast and helps avoid nipple confusion.
It has a specially-designed nipple (touted as "silky soft") that encourages suckling, just like in nursing.
It is also the only bottle that uses an orthodontic nipple, recommended for healthy tooth growth. None of the mothers who use the MAM UltiVent bottle were unsatisfied, most reported loving it.
The most common complaint is that it's hard to find MAM bottles in stores. Most had to purchase them online in boutiques like
Baby Earth.
Also, since the bottom unscrews (for easy cleaning) it's important to thoroughly dry the bottles (upside down is best) or they may drip water out the bottom. Also unique, MAM has cross-cut nipples for mothers who need to supplement with watered down cereal.
My baby refused all bottles until you showed me the MAM bottle. Thank you so much for the recommendation! I wouldn't have known about them if not for your website. ~ Jennifer
Honorable mentions for breastfeeding bottles...
The second place winner for the best baby bottle for breastfeeding moms was
The First Years Breastflow Bottle.
What's the Best Baby Bottle for...
Good 'ole Glass?
More and more mothers are switching to good 'ole fashioned glass for their infants.
When I say "glass", what pops in your mind first? Let me guess...is it you, on your hands and knees, scrounging the floor for tiny shards?
Today's glass baby bottles are much more sophisticated. We have silicone sleeves that practically bounce the bottles around the room.
Amazing Fact
The Coddlelife bottles are made with the same kind of glass used in professional labs, where being "unbreakable" is a safety must.
Not only are the Coddlelife glass bottles,
virtually indestructible, they are the lightest glass baby bottle on the market. (Who needs an extra pound in the diaper bag?)
These bottles even won both the iParenting Best Product Award and the Hottest Product Award for 2009, the year they were first introduced.
The nipples are all 100% food-grade silicone and are vented to prevent nipple collapse and bubbles. The vented nipples have tiny bumps on them, which some babies don't like. If yours is one of them, you can easily purchase regular, smooth nipples.
Honorable mentions for great glass...
What's the Best Baby Bottle for...
the Budget-Conscious?
So what if you can't afford to spend $10 on a single bottle? What if you're on a strict budget?
Yes, you can go to Wal-mart and purchase the 99 cent special. And your baby may actually thrive on it. (Hey, it's possible.)
But why guess? These bottles are favorites of thousands of moms, and they so cheap that you could throw them out, purchase new, and skip the whole washing thing altogether.
The best baby bottle award in regards to affordability goes to....(envelope, please...) Gerber. The
Clear View bottles
are only $1.32 each (in a pack of 3).
They come with latex nipples, which are stiffer than silicone and less prone to collapse. However, if you have latex allergies in your family you may wish to purchase regular silicone nipples instead.
Gerber's Gentle Flow bottles
are seen as a twin to the more expensive Avent bottles. At $2.32 per bottle, they are $7.63 less per bottle then Avent. They have the same wide-neck design as Avent,
and you can even use the Avent nipples, caps, and collars on them.
Honorable mentions for the thrifty...
The second place winner for best baby bottle for budgets would be those made by Nuby.
They are all high-quality and well-liked by moms who need to stretch a dollar.
Finding the best in everything.
Looking for "the best" of things (like the best baby bottle) is one of my favorite research topics.
Primarily for selfish reasons. I want the best of everything, so I don't mind doing the research to find out what that is. (You should see my desk when we're car shopping!)
One of my newest articles in this subject vein is on baby thermometers. I had a box under the sink filled with these frustrating devices. I felt guilty throwing those pricey pieces of junk away, so there they sat.
Finally thoroughly frustrated at being able to get an accurate fever rating, I cracked my fingers and got to work. See my results.
What Do You Think of These Bottles?
Do you love the Avent bottles? Do get frustrated with Dr. Browns? Here's where you can start venting. By sharing your experience with these bottles, you help other moms make smarter buying choices.
Bottle Reviews Started (Add Your Comments!)
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
MAM Anti Colic Bottle Review
I had a hard time breast feeding my son when he was born because of my low milk supply (finally found out due to overmedicating thyroid meds) and because ...
Review of MAM Anti Colic Bottles
These bottles are awesome. Easier to clean than Dr.Browns but harder to find. I think they would be more popular if they were available more places. Just ...
Review of Dr Browns Bottles
Dr. Browns are my absolute favorite bottles. My baby was pretty fussy when she was born, after switching from Avent to these, we noticed a big improvement....
I am using Nuk bottles (by Gerber)
I had purchased Avent bottles and everything compatible to them. It was the worst experience ever. It leaks all over. So, I did some research and once ...
Review of Avent Bottles
We purchased these bottles and loved that they only had the one piece nipple and they were easy to clean. As we began to use them we realized that they ...
Review of Gerber Nuk Bottles
Not rated yet
I have tried the Gerber Nuk bottles with my 10 week old twins and we have tried many bottles to satisfy these little boys and unfortunately these aren'...
One complaint about Dr. Brown
Not rated yet
The only negative comment I have for Dr Brown bottles is the colour of the measurement on the bottle. It is a clear colour which makes it difficult to ...
Review of The First Years Breast Flow
Not rated yet
I tried these with my two-week-old. On the plus side, they do seem very breast-like, and he seems to like them all right. The nipple tends to collapse,...
Review of Nuby Bottles
Not rated yet
I absolutely love the Nuby bottles. Especially when it comes teething time because of the ridges they have on the nipple! Both my daughters enjoy them ...
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