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When it comes to choosing the right bottle for your baby, it can be overwhelming. There are many different types of bottles, and the truth is, sometimes you may have to try more than one before you find the best option for your baby.
Different babies will have different needs. For example, a strictly bottle-fed baby may prefer a specific nipple design, while a primarily breastfed baby may need a longer nipple or wider mouth. Or you may have a preemie baby, a baby with colic, or another situation that could warrant special features.
As a parent, you may not have a problem with plastic bottles, or you may only want a glass or silicone nonplastic bottle. The point is, you have to find the baby bottle that works best for you and your family's needs, so I have tested all different kinds of baby bottles to help you narrow down your search.
What makes me an expert to choose the best baby bottles for caregivers to use for their own babies? Well, for one, I've used bottles in almost all different types of feeding scenarios with my own five children, including strictly breastfed babies who needed a bottle when I wasn't present, a full-time bottle-fed baby, a baby who had a mixture of formula and breast milk through a bottle, and a premature baby who had very different needs for a bottle. I'm also a registered nurse who worked in obstetrics for several years, where I had the opportunity to bottle-feed many babies.
To help you find the best baby bottle, I put together this guide by testing all of the bottles with my own baby, from the age of newborn through 8 months old. During that time, she was primarily bottle-fed, although we did attempt nursing at the breast as well. I tested everything from the leading and lesser-known brands of bottles and bottles for specific purposes, like for breastfed babies and formula-feeding. For more feeding-related guides, see the best bottle warmers and breast pumps.
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Here are our top picks for the best baby bottles you can buy:
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I use the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Options+ Glass Bottle for everyday use because it can withstand full sanitizing without breaking down the way that polycarbonate bottles do. One of the great things about Dr. Brown's bottles is that the pieces are all interchangeable. They have both a narrow and a wide neck bottle type, but the tops are the same no matter which size you pick, unlike most other bottles.
Along with being premature, my daughter also suffered from severe colic for the first few months of her life, to the point where her pediatrician wanted to temporarily put her on reflux medication. However, after her medication was taken off the market, this bottle helped reduce her symptoms of colic.
I even removed the colic vent a few times to test if it was actually making a difference — and it sure was. Without the vent, my baby basically gulped air, the milk filled with bubbles, and she spit up and had more discomfort. These bottles with the vent were like magic for her. They significantly reduced the amount she spit up and she was much less fussy after eating.
There were a few times when I didn't make sure the vent was completely flat before I fastened the nipple on the bottle. If you do this, the bottle will leak, so be sure the vent is inserted correctly before you feed your baby.
Dr. Brown's bottles are quite affordable and sturdy. I have not had a single one of these bottles break, wear down, or show any signs of damage through multiple dishwashing cycles and microwave sanitizing.
The bottles also have add-on accessories, like silicone sleeves and handles that make holding the bottles easier for you or your baby. Like the nipples, the accessories are also interchangeable, so it doesn't matter what size you're using. I also really appreciate that the wider-neck glass bottles easily fit in a diaper bag bottle pouch.
Pros: Affordable, glass, versatile, removable vent system, anti-colic, durable, nipples interchangeable, easy to clean, easy to use, 4- and 8-ounce options, fits in standard diaper bag pouches, dishwasher safe
Cons: Vent system can leak if not used correctly, warming time is longer than plastic bottles
Comotomo baby bottles are made of 100% silicone, so they're a great option if you're looking for something other than plastic for your baby. The bottles are offered in both 5- and 8-ounce sizes and the shape is wider at the top than the bottom, with squeezable silicone to mimic the feel of a breast.
The Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle is designed with a wide neck, which makes cleaning very easy. With some other types of bottles, it can be easy for debris from the dishwasher to get trapped in the crevices of bottle tops, but the Comotomo's wide mouth prevents that. The top of the bottle also has a really convenient "tab" that makes putting the bottle together or dissembling it for cleaning super easy.
The nipples have two anti-colic vents, and I did notice significantly less air being "gulped" by my baby when using this bottle. You can also change the nipple type and flow as your baby grows, from one hole for slow flow for newborns, up to variable flow for infants over 6 months old — all without buying a new bottle.
For a silicone bottle, these bottles are reasonably priced. They can withstand wear and tear and are incredibly durable, so you don't have to worry about them breaking. They don't crack, and you can toss them in the dishwasher or sterilizer without worry.
Lastly, while the shape is designed to be helpful for breastfed babies, this bottle worked well for my baby who has been bottle-fed from the start.
Pros: 100% silicone, easy to use and clean, various nipple flow options, affordable, warms quickly, natural feel for breastfed babies, dishwasher safe
Cons: May not fit easily in standard diaper bag bottle pouches
The PopYum 9-ounce Anti-Colic Formula Bottle is made of polypropylene while the nipple itself is composed of medical-grade silicone. It comes in 5- and 9-ounce sizes, but the for purpose of this review, I tested the larger bottle.
The bottle is designed so you can carry everything you need — both the water and the exact amount of formula — in just one bottle while on the go. You premeasure the formula in the top and fill the water in the bottom. A seal separates the two until you hit the button to allow the formula down into the water. It's not your standard bottle, however, and I admit that it took me several "trial runs" before I felt confident in setting up the bottle properly.
Made for on-the-go convenience, the bottle has thoughtful design elements, including a wider-neck mouth and a nipple shape that mimics the breast. The wide neck makes it easy to clean. This is especially important for a bottle that uses formula, which can clump and get stuck inside bottles.
PopYum offers three different nipple types: slow, medium, and fast flow. The Stage 1 bottle (5 ounces) comes with three slow flow nipples, and Stage 2 (9 ounces) comes with three medium flow nipples. You can also purchase a two-pack of the slow, medium, or fast flow nipples. Although every baby has different needs, mine was not ready for the medium flow nipple until she was over 6 months old.
The price of approximately $12 per bottle is very reasonable, but the main draw of this bottle is that it's convenient for use away from home. Because there are five components, it takes some time to clean. It also needs to be completely dry to avoid formula clumping, so it's not ideal for use as an everyday bottle.
Pros: High quality, affordable, fits in diaper bag bottle pouches, anti-colic, convenient for formula feeding, dishwasher safe
Cons: Many parts to clean, not user-friendly out of the box, all parts must be completely dry to use, slower to warm than standard plastic bottle
The Perry Mackin Natural Feel, Anti-Colic Silicone Baby Bottle is made of 100% food-grade silicone, has a wide-mouth design with a slimmer silhouette, and comes in both 6- and 9-ounce versions. It provides a realistic "latch" for breastfed babies and is soft for them to grab onto.
The bottle is easy to clean and you can sterilize it with a dishwasher, microwave, boiling water, or any baby bottle sterilizer. Both the mouth and the bottle itself are slimmer than the Comotomo silicone bottle, so it has a smaller profile.
I attribute Perry Mackin's wider top and longer nipple design to really mimicking what a breastfed experience is like for a baby. The nipple shape on this bottle is longer than some of the others I tested for breastfed babies. Because it mimics an actual nipple, I found that my bottle-fed baby had a harder time using it since she has never nursed at the breast.
Perry Mackin offers four different nipple steps, starting with a one-hole nipple for newborns that has a slower flow and going up to a full-flow nipple at around 9 months. All the nipples feature a one-way colic vent to reduce air bubbles and fight colic.
I like the design of this bottle, especially because it has a special joint-locking system that makes it easier to secure the top and prevent leaks. Plus, it has several add-ons, including straws and handles for older babies.
But it's also pricey, and for me, the biggest drawback was that my strictly bottle-fed baby had a hard time using it since it so closely mimics the breast. All things considered, it's good for breastfed babies and may be a consideration for those who are strictly bottle-fed.
Pros: 100% silicone, easy to use and clean, natural feel for breastfed babies, anti-colic, fits in most diaper bag bottle pouches, warms quickly, dishwasher safe
Depending on which size bottle you purchase, the three-pack comes with one of its many nipple flow options, from the specially designed preemie nipple for the 2-ounce bottle to the standard slow flow for the 4-ounce bottle. But as with all Dr. Brown bottles, all the nipple tops are interchangeable, so it's easy to switch to the one your baby needs.
All of the bottles come with a removable anti-colic vent (the insert part).
You definitely can't beat the price of this bottle, and it is extremely durable, as well as dishwasher safe on the top rack. The only drawback I've found with these plastic bottles is if you wash them with them any tomato-based residue — such as pasta sauce — the bottles tend to take on an orangish hue that doesn't fade after subsequent washings.
I first used this bottle on the recommendation of the NICU when my daughter was born five weeks early for its preemie flow nipple. Now that my daughter is 8 months old, we are still using the bottle — it has stood the test of time and met all of our different bottle-feeding needs. Although I prefer the glass option for everyday use, I stick to the standard plastic Dr. Brown's Original Bottle for stashing in the diaper bag because of its slim profile.
Pros: Affordable, easy to use and assemble, dishwasher safe, removable vent system, three sizes, fits in diaper bag bottle pouch, warms quickly, interchangeable nipple flow sizes
Cons: Can discolor in dishwasher
What else we considered
In my testing, I also considered a few other options that didn't quite meet my standards for the best of the best.
nanobebe ($10.99): This bottle designed to mimic the breast does have some admirable features like fast warming and breast pump adaptability, but I found it wasn't as practical as the other bottles I tested. It doesn't fit in diaper bag bottle pouches, transporting it in a cooler was cumbersome, and even holding it to feed my baby felt awkward.
Lifefactory 4-ounce BPA-Free Glass Baby Bottle With Protective Silicone Sleeve ($14.99): This bottle gets an honorable mention as a glass option, and I really liked the sleeve, which makes it easy to hold. It was sturdy to transport without the risk of it breaking. However, the nipple on this bottle was the deal-breaker for me — my daughter could not get the hang of it. It seemed to have a longer shape than she was used to in most other bottles, so it didn't work for us.
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