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After updating our infant formula guidelines, we double-checked this guide to ensure that everything is up to date. We insist on our choice.
There is no best baby bottle. Finding the right bottle for your baby requires trial and error and patience. After 30 hours of research, including interviews with bottle feeding experts and pediatricians, and tested 17 bottles, we concluded that the Lansinoh mOmma bottle is the first bottle we want to try.
Lansinoh mOmma has a gently slanted nipple, and experts tell us that this shape is suitable for many babies. With only three pieces and a wide mouth, this bottle is simpler to use, easier to clean, and it leaks less than most other bottles we tested.
*At the time of publication, the price was $17.
The Lansinoh mOmma Bottle’s silicone nipple is wide but designed with a gentle slope. Bottle feeding experts say that many babies can suck on this shape effectively. This is one of the simplest bottles we have tested. With only three pieces, the sturdy wide-mouth container leaks less and is easier to clean than most other bottles we have tried. It is also very affordable and is currently one of the most highly rated bottles on Amazon, with a 4.7 star rating (out of 5 stars) out of more than 1,100 reviews. After reading dozens of discussions on popular Facebook groups about infant feeding, we found that parents often report that they are satisfied with their mother’s bottle.
The Philips Avent natural baby bottle has more dimensions than any other model we have tested, including a small 2 ounce baby bottle; it is also made of glass. With only a three-piece suit and a large collar that is easy to tighten, it is simple to use and did not leak in our tests. But very wide nipples may not be suitable for all babies.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publication, the price was $24.
Some babies may prefer the slightly narrow pacifier shape of Philips Avent's anti-colic design, but it may still be too wide for others. The Anti-colic baby bottle is a bit taller than Natural, but it is still one of the easiest to use and clean baby bottles with the least leakage.
*At the time of publication, the price was $23.
If you want more sizes and pacifier options, or you are interested in glass bottles, Philips Avent Natural and Philips Avent Colic Bottles may be good choices. Similar to our main selection, these models are one of the simplest bottles we have tested, and there were no leaks in our tests. Each part can also be interchanged. But Natural's wide nipples may cause latching problems for some babies, especially young babies. Anti-colic pacifiers are narrower (Natural and Anti-colic pacifiers and collars are suitable for two types of baby bottles). Both Natural and Anti-colic are among the most popular and highly rated bottles, and are as affordable as our main choice.
Traditional narrow milk bottles may be a good choice for newborns and small babies. Like most narrow bottles, Evenflo Classic + Vented is not fancy, but it is one of the few plastic and glass bottles. Unlike many narrow bottles, it can usually be purchased online, but when we publish this guide , 4 oz plastic bottles are out of stock.
*At the time of publication, the price was $23.
Experts say that many newborns and small babies can use traditional milk bottles with narrow pacifiers, which are sized to fit a small mouth to obtain good milk content. You won’t find many things that can distinguish these basic baby bottles, but Evenflo Classic + Vented is a good choice to try first, because it is the only model in our test group that uses both plastic and glass. Some parents might like it , And buying online is easier than others. The plastic version of the container is made of thinner plastic, which feels more fragile than our other options, and the volume mark is harder to read. Narrow bottles may be more difficult to clean by hand because it is more difficult to put a sponge or brush in the neck of the bottle. Knowing that it is also a good choice to buy a simple narrow-necked bottle at a local pharmacy or grocery store, and the nipple and collar of the basic narrow bottle are often cross-compatible, even if they are of different brands, so it is easy to mix and match.
Compared with other brushes we tested, this brush produces better foam and is easier to fit into a narrow neck bottle.
*At the time of publication, the price was $8.
The baby bottle and all its parts need to be scrubbed clean after each use. If you have a dishwasher and large enough bottles to wash them only once a day, this may be the easiest way to keep them clean. However, for many people, bottle feeding involves a lot of manual bottle washing. We tested four types of baby bottle brushes and found that the OXO bottle brush with stand is easier to fit into the narrowest bottle, produces more foam, and is easier to grasp than the competition. It is also the only brush we have tested with a mini brush for cleaning the tip of the pacifier.
Lansinoh mOmma has a gently slanted nipple, and experts tell us that this shape is suitable for many babies. With only three pieces and a wide mouth, this bottle is simpler to use, easier to clean, and it leaks less than most other bottles we tested.
*At the time of publication, the price was $17.
The Philips Avent natural baby bottle has more dimensions than any other model we have tested, including a small 2 ounce baby bottle; it is also made of glass. With only a three-piece suit and a large collar that is easy to tighten, it is simple to use and did not leak in our tests. But very wide nipples may not be suitable for all babies.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publication, the price was $24.
Some babies may prefer the slightly narrow pacifier shape of Philips Avent's anti-colic design, but it may still be too wide for others. The Anti-colic baby bottle is a bit taller than Natural, but it is still one of the easiest to use and clean baby bottles with the least leakage.
*At the time of publication, the price was $23.
Traditional narrow milk bottles may be a good choice for newborns and small babies. Like most narrow bottles, Evenflo Classic + Vented is not fancy, but it is one of the few plastic and glass bottles. Unlike many narrow bottles, it can usually be purchased online, but when we publish this guide , 4 oz plastic bottles are out of stock.
*At the time of publication, the price was $23.
Compared with other brushes we tested, this brush produces better foam and is easier to fit into a narrow neck bottle.
*At the time of publication, the price was $8.
To study this guide, I talked to Amy Peterson of the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) via email and phone, who spoke to the speech pathologist and infant feeding expert Mindy Hammer (Mindy Harmer) co-authored "Balancing Breast Milk and Bottle Feeding", a research and guide book on breastfeeding and bottle feeding. I also talked with Dr. Susan Burger of IBCLC as part of her breastfeeding counseling practice in New York, where she advised many parents on the choice and use of bottles for their babies. Peterson and Burger gave us general guidance on bottles; they do not endorse any particular brand.
To understand the nutrition and other issues related to bottle and bottle feeding, I talked with Dr. Anthony Porto, a pediatric gastroenterologist, professor at Yale University School of Medicine, and co-author of the Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Infants and Toddlers; Dr. Charles Wood is Du Professor of Pediatrics at the University School of Medicine, he studied (PDF) the relationship between bottle size and weight gain for formula-fed infants.
I read articles in medical journals about bottle design, how babies are fed with a bottle, and the flow rate of the nipple. I also read comparative reviews on baby bottles on websites such as BabyGearLab and BabyCenter, and select and use bottles in Facebook groups for breastfeeding and formula feeding mothers (including Exclusively Pumping Mamas, formula feeding mothers, and breastfeeding mothers) Dozens of discussions.
I am the research editor of Wirecutter and I have written guides on nursing pillows, breast pumping bras, and bottle warmers. I am also a mother with three children under 5 years old, and I breastfeed and bottle feed them. I have come into contact with a baby who completely rejected all bottles, and two babies were most satisfied with the bottles, so I understand some of the frustration and unpredictability brought about by bottle feeding.
The experts we interviewed are very clear: there is no best baby bottle. "There is no absolute choice of a bottle. What works for one baby may not work for another baby," Amy Peterson, co-author of Balancing Breast & Bottle, tells us.
Many factors can affect which bottle is best for your baby, including your child's age, development, size, mouth shape and sucking style, and how often they bottle-feed. Although some babies can easily accept bottles, for others, finding the right bottle requires patience, trial and error, and a learning curve.
The bottle itself is very complicated. As pointed out in an article on baby bottles in the 2010 Nursing Magazine: “The differences within and between the products of various manufacturers include the shape of the nipple, the size of the nipple, the type of nipple hole (single or cross-cut), and the flow rate of the milk. (Slow, medium, and fast), the shape of the bottle (standard, curved or inclined), and a ventilation system to reduce air ingress into the system."
The purpose of our approach to this guide is to recommend to parents a bottle that is suitable for the first attempt to start bottle-feeding a baby. If our choice is not suitable for your baby, please check out some of the other bottles we researched and tested in the competition section.
Therefore, our experts tell us that before knowing whether the bottle is really effective, they recommend not to buy any single type of bottle in bulk. “We recommend that parents buy several types of single-bottle milk before purchasing a feeding system until they know which nipple shape is best for their baby,” Peterson told us. "Try a bottle and give it some time," said Dr. Anthony Porto.
If you already have a bottle that both you and your baby like, and your baby is eating well, then you may have no reason to change. "If your baby is eating well, don't mess with it," Susan Berg suggested. If you are pumping your baby, trying the bottle that comes with the breast pump is a good place to start. If your baby finally likes these bottles, you can easily pump milk directly into them. (Some of the bottles we recommend in this guide are also compatible with some breast pumps.)
This guide is intended as a general introduction to bottles. We focus our research and recommendations on the use of bottles for babies who are healthy and who have no special feeding problems, developmental differences, or other medical problems. If you have difficulty feeding, please consult your pediatrician. Lactation consultants and speech pathologists can also help with bottle feeding problems.
First of all, here are some background on the basic design of the baby bottle, how babies drink milk, and some terms and statements about the packaging of the baby bottle.
All baby bottles have the same basic parts: container, ring or collar, and pacifier. The bottle usually also has a lid (to cover the nipple to keep it clean and prevent leakage during transportation).
The shape of the container partly depends on the shape of the nipple (narrow nipple requires a narrow container; wide nipple matches a wide-mouth container), but it can also be tapered, jagged, or angled. Almost all bottles in our test group have volume markings.
You will find three basic shapes of nipples:
Narrow pacifiers, sometimes called "traditional pacifiers", have a small overall diameter and a gradual slope from the tip to the bottom. Both Amy Peterson and Susan Burger told us that narrow nipples are usually the best choice for newborns. The narrow nipple fits a narrow-necked baby bottle (usually about 1.4 inches in diameter). These thin bottles can be conveniently stored in the refrigerator or in a diaper bag because they take up less space, but they may be more difficult to clean because you cannot put your hands or sponge in them.
Wide nipples are wider, and the angle from the tip to the bottom of the nipple is steeper. They are suitable for wide-mouth bottles with larger openings (usually about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter), and they are easier to enter for cleaning than narrow bottles. Wide nipples are often advertised as "breast-like", "natural" or "mother-like", but the wide shape and steep angle can actually make some babies more difficult to hold.
The gradually inclined nipple is wider than the base of the narrow nipple, but gradually transitions from the tip to the base. Burger and Peterson both told us that gradually inclined nipples are suitable for many babies. "Gradually tilted bottles are more suitable for helping babies open their mouths while letting their tongue touch the bottle," Berg said. Peterson pointed out that because some gradually tilted nipples do not have a specific position for the baby's lips to rest, it is important to ensure that the baby stays deep in the feeding process and does not slip off the nipple. Gradually inclined pacifiers are suitable for wide-mouth containers, so they have the advantages of larger openings and easier cleaning. Our choice uses this type of nipples.
You will also find special nipples, such as so-called "orthodontic nipples", which are asymmetrical and have angled or specially shaped tips; these are designed to solve specific feeding problems. As Burger suggests, these nipple shapes can cause problems for breastfed babies. We did not test specific nipples for this guide.
Regardless of their shape, pacifiers have a variety of flow rates to choose from, which refers to the speed at which milk flows from the pacifier. All the pacifiers we found offer at least three flow options; some offer up to six.
There is no industry standard to manage traffic. A product that one company calls a slow-flow nipple may end up being significantly faster or slower than a slow-flow nipple from another bottle maker. Several studies, including one published in a book by Peterson and Harmer, reported large differences in the rate of milk flowing from different nipples with slow-flow names. (Study by Peterson and Hammer found that one company’s slow-flow pacifier is actually 11 times faster than another company’s.)
The only way to determine which flow rate is right for your baby is to observe how your baby eats. "There is no research showing that babies need different flow rates at different ages," Berg told us.
Although many bottle manufacturers claim, there is no clear evidence that breastfeeding is the cause of colic, or that using any specific type of bottle can prevent colic.
Almost all baby bottles have some kind of ventilation system, which includes openings that allow air to flow back into the baby bottle when the baby sucks, thereby preventing vacuum. Many companies claim that their exhaust system is "anti-colic" or "gas reduction" because they believe that letting air flow through the milk will introduce bubbles, and swallowing air will make babies bloated, prone to vomiting, or picky and colic. . (Both Burger and Peterson told us that the link between swallowing air during bottle feeding and colic is exaggerated.)
The exhaust design includes the internal straw that divides the air to the back of the bottle, the vent at the bottom of the bottle is used to guide the air flow away from the milk, or the small hole on the nipple allows air to enter but does not guide it into any special way. This is all of us. Choose the method to use. "There is no data that really shows that any of them is better," said Dr. Anthony Porto. Some studies report that babies fed with bottles with specific exhaust systems have fewer symptoms of colic, but most of these studies are sponsored by bottle companies. An article published by an American family doctor in 2015 reviewed medical research on colic and pointed out that the cause of colic is still unclear, and that breast-fed and bottle-fed babies have the same rate of colic. Therefore, despite the claims of many bottle manufacturers, there is no clear evidence that breastfeeding is the cause of colic, or that using any specific type of bottle can prevent colic.
Many bottles say they are designed for breastfeeding babies, imitating breastfeeding, "just like a mother", or look, feel, or function like a breast. "There is no evidence to support [this idea] breastfed babies need a special bottle," Peterson told us. "There is no bottle on the market that can imitate breastfeeding." In fact, as both Peterson and Berg pointed out, the bottles that are often advertised as "the most suitable for breastfeeding" are often difficult for babies, especially newborns, to hold the correct position. milk.
Many people are concerned about the materials used in baby bottles. Almost all baby pacifiers are made of silicone (latex is another possible material, but we found that it is mainly used for disposable pacifiers). The bottle container can be made of plastic (usually polypropylene), glass or silicone. The collar and additional ventilation system can be made of plastic, silicone, or a combination of both. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of BPA in plastics used to make baby bottles and children's drinking cups in 2012, so you don't have to worry about looking for packaging labeled "BPA-free." For information on the concerns and controversies of BPA and other compounds in plastics, check out Wirecutter Science Editor Leigh Krietsch Boerner's article on the subject.
In order to determine which bottles to test, we made a list of all the bottles we can find on websites such as Amazon, BuyBuy Baby, Babies "R" Us, Target and Walmart. In the end, nearly 20 companies produced more than 30 bottles. . Based on the information we have learned from research and dialogue with experts, we have determined that a good first bottle should have several attributes.
Easy to use and clean: Experts we interviewed said that it’s best to start with a simple bottle. You don’t know which bottle is right for your baby, so you might as well use a bottle with fewer parts that need to be assembled, cleaned, and tracked. Reading dozens of posts on Facebook’s popular baby feeding group, scanning hundreds of owner reviews about feeding bottles, and talking to parents we know, let us discover an obvious fact: busy parents and caregivers like easy Clean baby bottle.
There are two sizes to choose from, small and large: your bottle should match the amount of milk your baby drinks on average during feeding. Newborns and young babies usually consume only 2 to 3 ounces per feeding, while older babies may drink 6 ounces or more at a time. Feeding a small amount of milk with an oversized bottle means that you have to tilt the bottle at a steeper angle to keep the milk from accumulating in the nipple, which can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Some studies (PDF) indicate that infants fed with formula milk in bottles larger than 6 ounces gain weight faster than infants fed with smaller bottles. On the other hand, using a bottle that is too small means you may need to refill the bottle before your baby is satisfied. We only considered offering small size (5 ounces or less) and large size bottles.
No leakage: We found that one of the biggest complaints of parents about baby bottles is leakage. This is another reason to start with a simpler bottle design-the more fragments and openings in the bottle, the greater the chance of leakage. An easy-to-assemble bottle may also leak less, because you are less likely to make a mistake when putting it together.
Affordable: "Spending more money on a bottle of wine does not always buy a better latch. Sometimes, a cheaper bottle will produce a good latch," Peterson told us. Since you may need to try a variety of bottles before you can use your baby’s favorite bottle, it’s best to start with a cheaper bottle. We mainly focus on bottles that cost less than $10 per bottle.
Parts can be interchanged: Some milk bottle brands provide models with different nipple shapes, or glass and plastic models, and the parts are interchangeable. This means that you can exchange pacifiers and collars between bottles, and if you change the style, you can still use the original container, pacifier or collar. Although this is not the most important criterion for bottle selection, we have given extra points to bottles that provide this flexibility.
We narrowed our list by focusing on the bottles with the highest star ratings and the number of owner reviews on Amazon and other retailer sites, and finally we decided to test 17 plastic, glass, and silicone bottles. All bottles in our test group have multiple sizes. In most cases, we choose to test small and medium sizes (4 or 5 ounces volume) and "slow flow", "newborn" or "0-3 months" nipple.
We first assemble and disassemble each bottle to evaluate how difficult it is to assemble each model.
Then, we test the accuracy of each bottle's volume markings by placing each bottle on a digital scale, filling it with water, and confirming that the weight of the water (in grams) matches the printed ml and ounce volume markings.
Next, we mix the infant formula and blue food dye (to make the liquid easier to see) and fill each bottle with approximately 2 ounces of the mixture. We hold each bottle at an angle of about 45 degrees for one minute to evaluate whether the liquid drips from the nipple and at what rate. Peterson told us that dripping water is not necessarily a problem for babies, nor is it a sign that the flow rate is too fast. Dripping nipples are more of a mess than a feeding problem, and we evaluated this to understand how much the bottle might leak if it tipped over on a diaper bag or table.
We also tested the possibility of each bottle leaking from the collar (where the pacifier is attached) and the vent. We pinch the pacifier, shake, spin and turn each bottle for one minute. While shaking the bottle, we pay attention to whether there is liquid leaking from the vent or around the bottle mouth, and then we unscrew the bottle mouth to see if the liquid leaks from the nipple into the bottle mouth and the inside of the bottle mouth.
We did not test any of these bottles with babies. Whether we recruit 10 or 100 babies, it is almost impossible to control all variables (and babies cannot fill out the questionnaire).
We scrub each bottle and its accessory parts with a bottle brush to check their cleaning difficulty. After drying, we checked each one to see if the blue traces were still visible, which indicated if there were any parts that were particularly difficult to clean.
Finally, for the glass bottles, we tested their durability by placing them on concrete floors of different heights: 27 inches, 60 inches, and 72 inches.
We did not test any of these bottles with babies. For the above reasons, whether we recruit 10 or 100 infants, it is almost impossible to control all the variables that may affect the response of a single infant to a specific bottle at a specific time (and infants cannot fill out the survey). Instead, we looked at dozens of discussions on bottle selection on several active Facebook groups and read hundreds of online owner reviews to evaluate which bottles parents think are best for their children.
Lansinoh mOmma has a gently slanted nipple, and experts tell us that this shape is suitable for many babies. With only three pieces and a wide mouth, this bottle is simpler to use, easier to clean, and it leaks less than most other bottles we tested.
*At the time of publication, the price was $17.
Lansinoh mOmma Bottle has a slightly inclined silicone nipple (this shape fits many babies and we find it easier to clean than other shapes), simple three-piece design and a wide mouth container, all of which make this a good one The bottle, you can try it first. It has no leaks and is easier to clean than most other bottles we tested. It is also one of the most highly rated bottles on Amazon. It currently has 4.7 stars out of 5 stars out of more than 1,100 reviews. It is one of the cheapest bottles we have tested.
The nipples of Lansinoh mOmma are slightly inclined, gradually opening from the tip to the bottom. Although no nipple shape is suitable for all babies, the two bottle experts we interviewed agreed that this general shape is a shape they have seen that encourages successful breastfeeding. mOmma’s nipples are significantly stronger than most other nipples we tested while remaining flexible. It is significantly easier to successfully push this nipple into the collar, and the softer nipple tends to collapse or bend.
mOmma is one of the simplest baby bottles we have tested. There are only three pieces: a plastic container, a collar and a silicone nipple (for ventilation, the bottle relies on a small hole in the bottom of the nipple). This simple design makes the bottle easier to assemble and track than competitors with multiple small parts. We found that the mOmma pacifier is the easiest to clean of all pacifiers we tested, because the gradual slope from the bottom to the tip means that the inside of the pacifier is wide enough that we can easily clean the brush with our fingertips or little fingertips. Due to its shape and slightly firm texture, the mOmma pacifier is the only pacifier we can easily turn over, which also allows for easier cleaning. The entire inside of the nipple is smooth, without ridges, edges or protrusions, which also makes cleaning easier and reduces the surface for collecting residue.
mOmma is one of the few bottles that we tried to perform well in the shaking test (after we shake it vigorously, there is no obvious liquid in the collar), and we did not find any leakage from the small vent at the bottom of the nipple. Usually less than $5 per bottle, it is also one of the cheapest bottles we have tested.
Gradually slanted nipples may not be suitable for all babies; Amy Peterson points out that some babies’ lips may slip when they feed from a place similar to that of Lansinoh’s mother, so it’s important to make sure they can hold the nipples deeply. The most common complaint about mOmma comes from parents who find that the flow rate is too fast for their baby. mOmma provides three flow rates: slow, medium and fast. This is typical of the bottles we tested, although some bottles have four, five or six flow rates. This bottle is only 5 ounces and 8 ounces in size (however, only a few bottle manufacturers in the set of bottles we tested sell bottles that are smaller or larger than these sizes). And Lansinuo does not sell glass versions of this bottle.
The Philips Avent natural baby bottle has more dimensions than any other model we have tested, including a small 2 ounce baby bottle; it is also made of glass. With only a three-piece suit and a large collar that is easy to tighten, it is simple to use and did not leak in our tests. But very wide nipples may not be suitable for all babies.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publication, the price was $24.
Some babies may prefer the slightly narrow pacifier shape of Philips Avent's anti-colic design, but it may still be too wide for others. The Anti-colic baby bottle is a bit taller than Natural, but it is still one of the easiest to use and clean baby bottles with the least leakage.
*At the time of publication, the price was $23.
Although we think our main choice is a better starting point for most people, if you want more sizes and pacifier options, are interested in glass bottles, or have found that Lansinoh mOmma is not suitable for your baby. Similar to our main choice, the Philips Avent bottle is one of the simplest bottles in our test group, and there was no leakage in our test. However, Natural's large, more inclined nipples may not be as easy for some babies, especially young babies, to bite like the gradually inclined nipples we choose. The nipple of the Anti-colic baby bottle is narrow, but the angle from the tip to the bottom is still quite steep. That said, our experts agree that these nipple shapes can work well, depending on the baby.
Both Natural and Anti-colic baby bottles are the most popular and rated models and are as affordable as our main choice. Natural and Anti-colic pacifiers and collars are suitable for two types of baby bottles, so if you buy one or more types of baby bottles, you will be able to mix and match bottles and pacifiers in any combination to best suit your baby. The Philips Avent bottle can also be directly connected to our breast pump selection.
Natural bottles come in many sizes: 2, 4, 9 and 11 ounces for plastic, and 4 and 8 ounces for glass. This is the largest selection of all bottles we have tested. Anti-colic baby bottles are available in 3 sizes: 4, 9 and 11 ounces. We tested the Natural glass bottle against three other glass options and found that it is durable enough, practical but not unbreakable: it can be dropped from 27 inches onto concrete, but when we drop it from 5 feet , It was broken. Plastic and glass Natural baby bottles use exactly the same nipple and collar. This is a benefit if you are interested in trying glass but don’t want to use it alone.
Like our main choice, both Natural and Anti-colic bottles have only three pieces (vented through a small opening on the edge of the nipple). In our leak test, they performed as well as Lansinoh mOmma, and did not penetrate the collar significantly after shaking vigorously for one minute. The container is as easy to clean for us as the Lansinoh design, with a similar wide-mouth opening that can be put into a sponge or bottle brush.
Both Natural and Anti-colic pacifiers have five flow rates, more than the Lansinoh mOmma pacifier, which only provides three flow rates. Although Philips Avent will not advertise these components in this way, in our tests, we found that Natural pacifiers and collars are suitable for anti-colic baby bottles, and vice versa, without causing any significant performance issues. Although you may want to use a combined container and nipple, if you end up buying these two types of bottles, this will increase flexibility and practicality, because you don't have to separate them strictly.
Traditional narrow milk bottles may be a good choice for newborns and small babies. Like most narrow bottles, Evenflo Classic + Vented is not fancy, but it is one of the few plastic and glass bottles. Unlike many narrow bottles, it can usually be purchased online, but when we publish this guide , 4 oz plastic bottles are out of stock.
*At the time of publication, the price was $23.
As Amy Peterson and Susan Burger told us, newborns and small babies can usually suck well in traditional narrow-necked baby bottles, which have very narrow nipples. (The overall diameter of this narrow pacifier is smaller, and the difference in diameter between the bottom and the tip is also smaller.) Narrow pacifier bottles are often basic, without additional functions or special designs to distinguish them from each other. They are also very cheap, and nipples and collars of different brands are usually cross-compatible, so they are easy to mix and match. After investigating posts on message boards and baby feeding Facebook groups, we found that wide-mouth bottles, like our other choices, seem to be more popular than the best narrow-mouth bottles, and are stronger and easier to clean. But if you want a narrow bottle, after testing three top models, we found that Evenflo Classic + Vented is a good choice.
Like our other select products, this Evenflo bottle consists of only three pieces and is easy to assemble, clean and use. It is the only narrow neck bottle in our test group with two materials (and angled versions), plastic and glass, and it is easier to buy online than most bottles of similar shape. It did not leak in our tests. Evenflo baby bottles (and most narrow neck baby bottles) can be directly connected to our runner-up breast pump. However, the container is made of thinner plastic, which feels more fragile than our other picks, and the volume mark is more difficult to read. Generally speaking, narrow-necked baby bottles are more difficult to clean than wide-necked baby bottles such as Lansinoh mOmma and Philips Avent Natural and Colic.
Compared with other brushes we tested, this brush produces better foam and is easier to fit into a narrow neck bottle.
*At the time of publication, the price was $8.
You can wash all the options in this guide in the dishwasher, but unless you have a large number of bottles, sometimes you may wash by hand. After scrubbing the bottles with four popular brushes of different designs, we recommend the OXO bottle brush with holder as the best choice for cleaning containers, pacifiers and other bottle debris. OXO's brush head is fuller than other brushes we have tried. In our tests, it produced more foam and scrubbed bottles more thoroughly than the competition. Although the bristles are wide, they are still soft enough to be squeezed into a narrow-necked bottle. The OXO brush is 12 inches long, which is more practical than other brushes we have tried, including the shorter Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottle Brush or IKEA Medelvåg, which is 17 inches long and impractical. Boon Forb uses silicone petals instead of bristles (they are cleaned separately), which is cute, but more difficult to use than OXO: in our tests, the petals did not reach all the inner surfaces of the bottle, making it difficult to fit in a narrow container.
OXO has the strongest handle of all the brushes we have tested, even if you wear dishwashing gloves, it can provide a more comfortable and safer grip. OXO is also the only brush with a separate mini brush we have tried to clean the nipples and other small parts (it screwed into the handle, there is a small window on the handle, so the mini brush is kept ventilated when not in use to prevent get mouldy) .
OXO is one of the most highly rated bottle brushes on Amazon, with a 4.6-star rating (out of 5 stars) from more than 2,300 reviews at the time of writing. Several parents of Wirecutter staff also recommended it, and they have used it with good results. It is usually less than $10, easy to use and reasonably priced, and can be replaced regularly. However, there is a drawback: some parents report that the brush breaks after a few months of use. Considering its price, this makes sense, but it is not ideal.
We chose OXO and the other brushes we tested. This is based on a fairly informal scan of the Amazon bestseller bottle brush page (to be honest, this was to find a tool for cleaning baby bottles during the test), and limited research led to We experimented with this model and other popular options using different designs and materials. In the future, we may also pay attention to bottle sponges.
How do you know if the bottle is suitable for your baby? In addition to the obvious signs that your child doesn't like it-crying, total refusal-there are some signs to be aware of when trying a new bottle. (Infants are individuals and will be bottle-fed in their own unique way. The following are general guidelines from experts we interviewed and other infant feeding resources.)
Generally speaking, your baby should be able to bite the pacifier deeply, keeping their lips against the bottom of the pacifier, not just the tip. (See Peterson and Harmer's website for examples of good or bad latching.) If your baby swallows often, can look at you, and is relaxed, they may eat well. Babies who are uncomfortable with feeding may look worried, swallow irregularly, or have shortness of breath.
As mentioned above, there is no industry standard for nipple flow rate, and the flow rate suitable for babies is not always related to their age. "Due to individual differences in sucking, it cannot be assumed that every newborn needs to start with a slow flow rate," said an article on baby bottles and pacifiers in "Women's Health Care" in 2010. Some signs that the nipple is flowing too fast for the baby include choking, tongue tingling (trying to stop the milk flow), loosening from the bottle, and milk leaking from the sides of the mouth. Signs of a slow flow rate include fussing and sucking so hard that the nipple collapses. You can also slow down the flow rate by supporting your baby upright or semi-upright and holding the bottle at a more horizontal angle while you are feeding.
You can clean all our picks (including containers, pacifiers and collars) in the dishwasher or by hand. 1 Either way, you should wash them with soap and hot water after each use and let them dry thoroughly. You should regularly check all bottle parts for mold and check the pacifier for signs of wear or damage.
For tips on heating breast milk and formula, see our bottle warmer guide. All of our bottle selectors can be used with any of our bottle warmers.
Although we think the above bottle is a good choice to try first, your baby may end up preferring a completely different bottle. Many parents must introduce multiple bottles before finding the most suitable bottle for their baby. Sometimes as the baby gets bigger, they need different bottle shapes and nipple styles.
Joovy Boob: Joovy is the only brand we found that offers the same bottle in three materials: polypropylene, PPSU (a more durable plastic), and glass. The three baby bottles all use the same nipple shape, which is slightly longer and taller than the Lansino mOmma nipple. The Boob baby bottle has a removable plastic and silicone ring for venting the baby bottle. This is an additional cleaning and tracking component. We also found that some volume markings on the glass Joovy were inaccurate. In our test, the plastic Joovy leaked. Joovy's bottles are available in 5 ounces and 9 ounces.
Comotomo Natural-Feel feeding bottle: The popular Comotomo has an egg-shaped, flexible silicone container, silicone nipple and polypropylene collar. Some people may find the soft, flexible bottle attractive, and it is one of the easiest bottles to clean because you can put your entire hand into the wide opening. However, some babies may find it difficult to hold wide and obtrusive nipples, and the bottle is crumbling on a narrow base. Our experience in testing milk warmers shows that milk in silica gel takes longer to heat up than milk in plastic or glass. Comotomo bottles are available in 5 ounce and 8 ounce sizes.
Dr. Brown's Natural Flow wide-neck baby bottle: Many people are familiar with Dr. Brown's baby bottle because its internal ventilation system looks like a plastic siphon inside the baby bottle. The exhaust system is designed to separate the air from the liquid in the bottle, but it requires two additional parts with thin tubes that require special cleaning (if the exhaust system is removed, the bottle will not work). This Dr. Brown bottle leaked during our test. Leaking is a common complaint in the owner's comments. The wide pacifier has a sudden transition from the tip to the bottom, but overall it is not as wide as the Comotomo and Philips Avent natural pacifiers. This bottle is available in sizes of 2 ounces, 5 ounces and 9 ounces.
Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Options wide-neck bottle: You can use this bottle with or without an exhaust system. It uses the same pacifier as Natural Flow Wide-Neck, but with a different neckline. It is made of glass; that version is the most durable glass bottle we have tested. It dropped from a height of 6 feet onto concrete without chipping or breakage. The bottles are available in 2, 5 and 9 ounce sizes.
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature baby bottle: This popular baby bottle has a wide, sudden transition nipple similar to the Philips Avent Nature model. It did not leak in our tests. It is available in 5 ounces and 9 ounces, which is less than our choice, and it is only made of plastic.
Playtex Baby VentAire: This bottle has a two-piece exhaust system with a vent cap and a separate silicone stopper that can be screwed into the bottom of the bottle. The bottle itself is angled; the design is designed to help keep the nipple level and slow down the flow rate during feeding, but it also means that you have to hold the bottle in some way. The shape of the nipple is similar to the wide nipple of the Dr. Brown baby bottle. There is a sudden transition from the tip to the bottom, but it is relatively narrow overall. This bottle is available in 6 ounces and 9 ounces sizes.
Munchkin Latch Bottle: Latch’s pacifier is slightly wider than Dr. Brown’s bottle, with an accordion ridge at the bottom, designed to make the pacifier more flexible (but to make cleaning more difficult). The bottle has a silicone sheet, suitable for bottom ventilation. It has two sizes, 4 ounces and 8 ounces.
Lifefactory baby bottle: This glass baby bottle (with a silicone protective sleeve) is the narrowest nipple of all the baby bottles we have tested. It is one of the most durable glass bottles we have ever seen, and survived a 6-foot drop with the least debris (we removed the silicone sleeve for testing). The volume markings are difficult to read, and the bottle is one of the most expensive bottles we have tested. It has two sizes, 4 ounces and 9 ounces.
Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Options bottle (narrow): This plastic bottle has the same removable vent insert as Dr. Brown's Options Wide-Neck. It is more durable than our narrow bottle pick, but it is also more expensive, and we think most people best start with a simpler bottle. It is available in 2, 4 and 8 ounce sizes.
NUK Gerber First Essentials bottles: These basic narrow bottles are very similar to our main selection, and if they are cheaper or more readily available, they are a good choice. They are available in 5 ounce and 9 ounce sizes.
Recommendations vary for the level of meticulous cleaning of baby bottles. For example, the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that special basins should be used to clean all bottle parts to avoid bacteria in the sink. As the New York Times (now the parent company of Wirecutter) reported, the American Academy of Pediatrics no longer says that you need to sterilize baby bottles with boiling water or microwave, as long as the water you use to wash them is clean enough for drinking. If you have a premature or weakened baby, you may need to take extra precautions. Seek guidance from your pediatrician.
Amy Peterson, IBCLC, email and phone interview, December 5, 2017
Susan Burger, IBCLC, phone interview, November 27, 2017
Anthony Porto, MD, professor at Yale University School of Medicine, telephone interview, November 1, 2017
Charles Wood, MD, professor at Duke University School of Medicine, telephone interview, October 30, 2017
Donna A. Dowling, PhD, RN, and Laura Tycon, Bottle/Nipple Systems, Nursing for Women's Health, February 1, 2010
Jeremy D. Johnson, MD, MPH, Katherine Cocker, DO, and Elisabeth Chang, MD, Infant colic: identification and treatment, American Family Doctor, October 1, 2015
Juliet Spurrier, MD, Best Baby Bottle of 2017, BabyGearLab, September 22, 2017
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