Choosing the Best Baby Bottle

Choosing the best baby bottle is an important purchase. It may be tempting to buy any-old cheap bottle out there, but the rewards may be late-nights and fussy feedings.

These baby bottle pictures and reviews will help you pick which bottle is best for your baby.

Besides burping him on a regular basis, you can help lower his fussiness and tendency for spit-ups by varying your diet, changing the formula, or using a different bottle.

All bottles are not created equal.

There is a difference, and your baby will prefer some over others. My oldest, Lauren, preferred the Avent bottles. My youngest, Elena, Dr. Brown's. I chose both for different reasons.

Here are the strengths/weaknesses of each of brand-name bottles. As always, there is a section for you to share your experience with mom's wanting to know where to stop.

Read below for pros and cons of the top three bottle designs (Dr. Browns, Avent, and Playtex).

{Photo by Inferis}

BPA-Free Bottles

With the findings of recent studies suggestions that plastic bottles can harm your baby, it's no wonder that more and more mothers are turning back to the good 'ole glass bottle. Here's an article looking at the benefits of going glass.

If glass is just too O natural for your tastes. Several companies have now expanded into BPA-free plastic bottles. Here's a brief list of the top non-chemical safe baby bottles:

Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Baby Bottle

This bottle is currently the highest-rated bottle on the market. I used it with my second, Elena, and it was wonderful. She was pretty fussy in the beginning, but this design did the trick and we had a much happier baby after switching. Here is a best baby bottle review of Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Baby Bottle:

Features a patented internal straw-like vent system that eliminates air bubbles via a vacuum system to allow positive-pressure feeding with no air (like in breastfeeding).
Indiana University of Nursing found using these bottles over a 2-week period reduced crying and fussing in 36 colicky infants
Easy to clean and top-rack dishwasher safe
Winner of American Baby Best of the Year (AMBY) award for 2004, and Gold Winner in the 2000 Medical Designs Excellence Awards (MDEA)
Cons to Dr. Brown's Bottles: Multiple and small parts can make cleaning difficult and loosing parts more likely

Try Dr. Brown's Bottles If...

Your baby seems gassy and fussy after eating. It could be he is swallowing too much air. If you're only formula feeding, I recommend trying the standard bottle kit.

And, again, if you're worried about chemicals, you can use Dr. Brown's Natural Flow BPA-Free Bottles

What Do You Think of Dr. Brown's Bottles?
Click Here to Add Your Review!

Remember Your Nipple Upgrades!

If your infant seems increasingly frustrated after trying to drink from a bottle, you may have the wrong size nipple. Newborns require a smaller nipple hole, to help slow down the milk flow.

As your baby grows, he will want faster and faster milk flow so he doesn't have to suck so hard to get a good drink.

Double check your bottle nipple size and plan on upgrading every 3-5 months.

Avent Baby Bottle

The Avent baby bottle was the best baby bottle for my firstborn, Lauren. I was combo-feeding (breast and formula) at the time and found that the switch from bottle to breast and back again was really easy using these bottles.

The wider nipple is more conducive to older babies. Elena started on Dr. Brown's but slowly began to prefer Avent once she reached her first birthday. The wider nipple base meant she got more with each suck.

The soft, naturally shaped nipple encourages proper latch-on, making it easier for baby to switch between breast and bottle feeding.
The nipple features a built-in valve that flexes with baby's natural feeding rhythm so baby can control the flow of milk, which can help reduce overeating and spit-up.
A clinical study demonstrated that at two weeks of age, babies fed with the AVENT bottle showed a trend to less colic than babies fed with a conventional bottle.
Makes transitioning to and from breastfeeding easier
Has no small parts to clean or assemble, dishwasher safe
Easily found in most stores
Cons to the Avent Baby Bottle: The wide-nipple may be too big for some mouths, causing a lot of dribbling over on baby's chin and soaking clothing. Plus, if you don't get the nipple screwed on exactly right it will leak ALL over.

Try Avent Baby Bottles If...

You need a quick bottle that has few parts to put together, or if your baby is older than 8 months and has a hard sucking reflex (wants more with every suck).

Unlike Dr. Brown's, Avent comes in 4-ounce bottles , amd 9-ounce bottles.

Of course, don't forget the Avent BPA Free Bottles

What Do You Think of Avent Bottles?
Click Here to Add Your Review!

Playtex VentAire Angle-Neck Bottles

The Playtex VentAire bottle is the leader in angle-neck design

The angle shape causes milk to collect at the end, preventing the baby from swallowing air
Has a flexible disc at the removable end of the bottle that keeps air out of the liquid (as opposed to near the nipple like the bottles above)
Design encourages semi-upright feeding, which is recommended by pediatricians to help prevent ear infections
Easy to clean, dishwasher safe
Cons to the VentAire Baby Bottle: Can be awkward to fill, must hold sideways or use a special funnel

Try the VentAire Bottle If...

You have several small children running around already, and will need something he can hold that will lower gas-intake. This may also may be the best baby bottle for you if your baby seems prone to ear infections.

They come in 6-ounce bottles and a Newborn Gift Set.

What Do You Think of Playtex VentAire Bottles?
Click Here to Add Your Review!

So, in summary, the best baby bottle is the bottle that fits your baby best. Use the reviews of myself and other mothers to help guide you in making a good decision.

Elena seemed to do best with Dr. Brown's bottles in the beginning, but gradually shifted to the Avent bottle as time went on. What was the best baby bottle at 3 month, may not be the same at 9 months!