What Are The Best Bottles To Use For Newborns

Why Dr Brown Bottles Are The Best

A key feature of Dr Browns Bottles is that it preserves the necessary nutrients through a unique bottle design. These bottles are different from others because they have a vent system that allows air in the bottle to bypass movement through the milk so that no bubbles are formed as the air is removed.

How We Made Our Picks For The Best Baby Bottles

When it came to choosing bottles, we focused on a wide variety of bottles in different sizes and shapes and for different needs.

Bottles also had to provide something extra for parents, be it easy cleaning or a convenient design that allows for simple storage, among other perks. Nipple shape and feel also really matter when it comes to babys successful transition to a bottle, so the nipples that came with the bottles needed to be designed to encourage secure latching.

Here are the best baby bottles to try with your little one.

See registry advice and a custom baby gear checklist

Who This Is For

The experts we spoke to were clear: There is no single best baby bottle. There are no absolutes in choosing a bottle. What works for one baby may not work for another, Amy Peterson, co-author of Balancing Breast & Bottle, told us.

Many factors may influence what bottle works well for your baby, including your childs age, development, size, mouth shape, and suck pattern, and how often they feed from a bottle. Though some babies take to bottles easily, for others, finding the right bottle requires patience, trial and error, and a learning curve.

Bottles themselves are surprisingly complex. As a 2010 article about infant bottles in a nursing journal notes: “The variations within and between an individual manufacturer’s products include the shape of the nipple, the size of the nipple, the type of nipple hole , the milk flow rate , the shape of the bottle and the venting system used to reduce the entry of air into the system.”

We approached this guide with the aim of recommending bottles that would be good first tries for parents getting started with bottle feeding their babies. If our picks arent right for your baby, take a look at some of the other bottles we researched and tested in the Competition section.

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What To Know About Choosing A Baby Bottle

• What to look for in baby bottles: shapes, sizes, and materials

• How to know whatâs best for your baby when it comes to bottles and nipples

Whether youâre feeding your little one formula or expressed breast milk, navigating the wide selection of bottles and nipples can feel like a daunting task. As every baby is different, bottles and nipples are certainly not one-size-fits-all.1 It may take some experimenting to find what bottle works best for you and your baby.

Dr Browns Options+ Wide

Image via Dr. Browns

According to Simone Toomer, a certified doula and lactation consultant in New York City, Dr. Browns bottles work well for reducing gas and hiccups which isnt uncommon when breastfed babies drink from a bottle. Just be sure to choose a small-sized nipple, so the milk flow isnt too fast.

Go with a size 0 or 1 nipple, so baby can work at the bottle for the milk and not drink too quickly, Toomer explains. Paced bottle-feeding is also recommended, which is holding baby upright with the bottle horizontal. Additionally, every few sucks give baby a break to breathe, burp or just look around. This helps baby to not drink too fast or overeat.

Where to buy: Dr. Browns Options+ Wide Neck Baby Bottle

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What To Look For When Buying A Baby Bottle Suitable From Birth

Teat flow Most bottles suitable for newborns are sold with the slowest flowing teat available but there may be other teats you can buy that are better suited to your baby. A range of teat sizes mean that your bottle can transition as your baby grows and their preferences change. Every baby is different but many babies cope best with a slow flow or vari-flow teat for 0+months, medium flow for 3+ months and fast flow for 6+ months.

Anti-colic features Newborns under 6 months may experience colic so almost every baby bottle suitable for newborn babies has a design feature to help with this. Whether its a teat with valves, vents in the base of the bottle or weighted straw, these anti-colic features aim to prevent excess air entering your babys digestive system, where it can cause wind, reflux and colic.

Breast-feeding compatibility If youre planning to combination feed or want a seamless way to transition your baby from boob to bottle, bottles with teats that emulate the breast and nipple during breastfeeding can make things easier. Also look out for bottles designed to pace a feed more naturally, preventing guzzling.

Ease of use A baby bottle is no good to a sleep-deprived or distressed parent if its fiddly to put together or tricky to work out how the valve needs to be positioned. That said, some of the best anti-colic bottles take a bit of practice, which is worth it if it helps reduce your babys post-feed discomfort.

When Should I Introduce A Bottle To My Baby

Lussier says its hard to give an exact time for this. For example, if youre breastfeeding, Lussier says its important for you to feel comfortable with establishing nursing before you introduce a bottle. If breastfeeding is going well, you may want to introduce a bottle around the 4- to 6-weeks-old mark, she says. But we have moms who need to go back to work at two weeks and waiting is not an option.

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How To Introduce A Bottle To A Breastfed Baby

There are a few things Murphy recommends when introducing the bottle:

• Upright hold. The position that a baby feeds in from a breast is different than how most people tend to hold babies while bottle feeding. Babies at the breast need to suck hard to remove milk. Youll want to try to mimic that as closely as possible when youre bottle feeding. Hold your little one a bit more upright with the bottle parallel to the floor so the milk is coming at them, not down into them. This makes them work to get the milk rather than gravity doing it for them.
• Paced feeding. Breastfed babies tend to pause often while feeding. Make sure youre pacing bottle feedings, too, so the faster flow of the bottle nipple doesnt get overwhelming. Pause every few minutes and let baby take their time on the bottle. This also prevents them from preferring a fast, easy bottle and deciding the work of nursing at the breast is too hard.

Some babies will transition from breast to bottle with hardly any issue at all. For others, thoughits not that easy. Murphy outlines some tips for an easier transition.

Dr Browns Options+ Anti

Best for premature babies

Sizes available: 60ml, 150ml, 270ml | Type of teats: Preemie Wide Neck , Level 1 , Level 2 , Level 3 and Level 4 | Made from: Polypropylene or glass | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Yes

Dr Brown has long been the trusted, go-to bottle brand if your baby has colic. Now they have changed their bottle so it can be used without the special, anti-colic vent when your baby has outgrown the colic phase.

Dr Browns Options bottle has a venting tube, which prevents a vacuum developing in the bottle and stops your baby taking in air while feeding similar other anti-colic bottles. Unlike some brands, the Options bottle can also be used without the vent as your baby grows out of colic. Without the vent, the soft, silicone Options teat vents the air through the bottle.

The bottle is also available in a 60ml size which, when combined with the Preemie teat which flows 47% slower than a level 1 teat, is ideal for premature babies who have poor sucking reflex and problems competing with the vacuum in unvented bottles.

MFM tester Amanda said, “I had to switch my youngest son to Dr Brown’s bottles and I found they really helped after trying lots of other options.” Though some reviews report the Options bottles are prone to leaking, so this is worth keeping in mind.

Available from:Uber Kids and

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When Baby Doesnt Finish The Bottle Or Goes To Sleep While Feeding

Dont worry if your baby doesnt finish the bottle. Babies are very good at judging how much they need, so you can let your baby decide when theyve had enough infant formula or breastmilk.

If your baby goes to sleep during a feed, put baby over your shoulder, rub their back, and stroke their head, legs and tummy. This can help to wake your baby up. A nappy change is a good way to wake your baby up if that doesnt work.

Wait until your baby is properly awake before offering the rest of the formula or breastmilk.

Always throw away any leftover infant formula or breastmilk after one hour. Storing half-empty bottles for future use is risky because they get contaminated quickly once theyve been sucked on.

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Why You Should Trust Our Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust brands cant pay to be featured in our articles or win a Mumsnet Best award.

We spend hours researching, speaking to parents, analysing data and listening to experts before we test out the products on our shortlist.

Transparency is really important to us and that’s why we’re always upfront about how we tested the products we recommend. There’s no incentive for us to be lazy with our research or in our testing process. There’s no reason for us to respond to pressure from retailers or brands trying to promote new products. It’s actually quite the opposite and we think it’s a good system, one that keeps us focused on making parents lives’ easier.

All prices on this page correct at time of writing.

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Best Overall: Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Baby Bottle

• Three-in-one design

• Measurements on bottle may diminish over time

• Glass may shatter if placed in freezer

• Some bottles may leak on baby during feeding

What do buyers say? 90% of 1,600+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.

With a combination of flexibility, affordability, and ease, the Tommee Tippee bottles earned our top pick and are some of the best on the market for bottle feeding. Theyre BPA-free and ergonomically designed, making for an easy clean for parents and an easy latch for babies.

Tommee Tippee bottles are also curved, allowing babies to hold onto them easily on their own, while their rims are small enough that brushes dont get caught on the sides. They come in either a 5-ounce or 9-ounce size so you can choose an option that works for your feeding needs. And because they only have a few parts, cleanup is low-maintenance and straightforward.

Material: Glass | Capacity: 5 or 9 ounces | Age Range: Newborn and up

The Best Narrow Baby Bottle

Traditional narrow-nipple bottles can be a good choice for newborns and young babies. Like most narrow bottles, the Evenflo Classic + Vented isnt fancy, but it is one of the few bottles of this type that come in both plastic and glass, and unlike many narrow bottles, it is usually available for purchase online, though at the time we published this guide the plastic bottle was out of stock in the 4-ounce size.

Buying Options

*At the time of publishing, the price was $23.

Also great

This brush worked up a better lather and was easier to fit into narrow-neck bottles than others we tested.

Buying Options

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What Type Of Baby Bottle Should I Choose

That said, one important bottle choice to consider is the material its made from. Baby bottles are made from glass, silicone, plastic, and stainless steel there is also a hybrid bottle on the market, the Chicco Duo, with glass inside plastic. Each material has pros and cons.

• Glass bottles are a good option for parents who are concerned about chemicals in plastic. Glass bottles usually last longer than plastic bottles, too. The downside? They can break and are more expensive.
• Plastic bottles wont break, are lightweight, and are the most affordable option when buying multiple bottles, but do need to be replaced more often. However, since plastic bottles tend to break down over time, and may be made of material containing BPA, they may bring with them the risk of exposure to BPA. See below for more information about avoiding BPA in baby bottles.
• Silicone bottles are a popular choice because they are lightweight and easy to clean. They are also easy to squeeze, making it easier for a baby to grasp. Silicone bottles arent likely to leak chemicals, like some plastic bottles. These, like the glass bottles, are more expensive.
• Stainless steel bottles arent as common as the other types. They last a long time, wont break, and, as long as theyre not lined with plastic, are BPA-free. Stainless steel bottles are generally more expensive than both glass and plastic.

Best Bottles For Breastfed Babies

Breastfeeding is one of the many ways you can nourish and comfort your baby, and many parents cherish the closeness that nursing provides.

But for many breastfeeding parents, the realities of everyday life can quickly sneak their way into that newborn bliss. Going back to work, an illness, catching up on some much-needed sleep or simply wanting a night out with your partner or friends are just a few of the many reasons you may need to be away from your little one for an extended amount of time. And if you are babys main food source, you need to be sure they can take a bottle so youll have one less thing to worry about when youre away.

Were talking with a lactation consultant about helping your baby transition from breast to bottle, then rounding up our list of Babylist picks for the best bottles for breastfed babies.

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Our Baby Bottles Selection Methodology

We chose our top picks by consulting two pediatricians, speaking with 11 breastfeeding and bottle feeding parents of young babies, and looking into existing research on baby bottles. Our writer, a mom to two children under 2 years old, has also used many different bottles on her quest to find the ones that work.

We evaluated baby bottles according to the following criteria:

• Easy to clean: We considered factors such as how many parts a bottle had, if those parts were dishwasher safe, and how easy it was to wash the bottle and its parts.
• Affordability: We compared the price of each bottle to similar ones on the market.
• Size and shape: We looked at the different sizes the bottles came in and the shape of each bottle, whether it was wide or narrow and how easy it was for a baby to grasp.
• Nipple shape, size, and slope: We looked for bottles with nipples that gradually sloped narrow to wide, similar to a breast, which can encourage a deeper latch.
• Material: We looked for bottles that came in both plastic and glass while also considering silicone bottles.

What Makes A Baby Bottle Safe

First, check that the bottle has complied with the relevant EU safety legislation, EN:14350, which gives specifications for childrens drinking equipment. This can usually be found on the bottle box or the manufacturers website.

Plastic bottles should now be made from BPA- and BPS-free plastics both chemicals can reportedly leach into food and drink and affect the body which should also be obvious on the label.

Keep an eye on the silicone teats. If they degrade, get damaged or are bitten through, theyll need replacing immediately so as not to present a choking hazard.

As you use the bottle, dont put the teat on too soon after filling with boiling water. The build-up of pressure can squirt hot water out of the teat and present a hazard.

The small parts found in an anti-colic bottle should, of course, be kept out of babys reach.

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Finding The Perfect Nipple Size

Just as important as the bottle you choose is the nipple size. The nipple size controls the flow of milk out of the bottle. Younger babies generally need slower-flowing nipples while older babies and toddlers need faster-flowing nipples.

There are as many different nipple sizes and types as there are bottles. However, most will fit into three categories: slow, medium, and fast . They may also be labeled with numbers, such as stage 0 , stage 1 , stage 2 , and stage 3 .

Each nipple you purchase, whether it comes with a bottle or not, should have an age range and flow speed listed. Your baby doesnt need to match this exactly, but these are usually helpful guidelines to consider. Slower is typically better for breastfed babies.

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How To Transition To A Bottle

It is common practice for a mom to start off breastfeeding and then slowly transition to a bottle as their child grows. This process can be tricky!

Here are five tips to help you make the transition:

• Use breast milk inside the bottle. If youre transitioning to formula starting off with your milk in the bottle helps the baby use the bottle because its milk they are used to.
• Find a bottle with a slow-flow nipple. These are designed to imitate the suckling effect during breastfeeding and prevent nipple confusion.
• Find a bottle with a wider base. It will feel more like your breast and be easier to latch on to.
• Choose a bottle made of soft silicone or one that has a silicone cover. Your baby is used to your soft skin and silicone can help replicate that experience.
• Choose relaxed feedings to try a bottle. If your baby is super fussy and upset, they may be more likely to reject a bottle. Choose a time when theyre more relaxed and happy.

If your baby constantly rejects bottles, try looking at both the bottle itself and whats inside it. You may have to try a few different bottles to find one your baby likes.

Something to consider for your registry is a baby bottle sample pack.

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