BABY born 515 826904 EA Bottle with Cap, Multicolor

Product Information

To help us find the best baby bottles, we started by thoroughly researching the products currently on the market. We commissioned Rachel Jeffcoat, a writer and mum of three, to research and review the top bottles out there.

Teats are made from silicone or latex. Silicone is less flexible but more durable than latex, which needs to be replaced regularly (Which? 2019). Don’t forget to throw away any leftover milk and to clean the bottle afterwards. How do I clean and sterilise a baby bottle?

BABY born Magic Girl

As well as your bottle of choice, you’ll need a way to sterilise the bottles – this is easily done with a standalone steam steriliser, a sterilising box placed in the microwave or sterilising tablets in cold water. If you’re making up a lot of formula, an automatic formula prep machine can save you a lot of time and fiddling about.

Feeding your baby is such a personal and emotional business that making sense of the vast range of baby bottle designs and functionalities can seem impossible, whether that's anti-colic bottles to help with colic and reflux or teats that aim to mimic breastfeeding - finding the best baby bottles for your child is hard. For example, you'll want to consider: Usually this means using the bottle with an alternative top – a sippy spout for a toddler and an adult bottle top for an older child, which you’ll probably need to buy separately. Bottles that can do this (Hegen, Twistshake and Pura Kiki, for example) tend to be made of tough, long-lasting materials – a fact often reflected in their price. How much do baby bottles cost?BabyCentre parents would tend to agree. Most said they try a lot of brands and bottles before finding the one that works for them. If your maternity unit is not yet on this list, you can speak to their infant feeding lead or call the NCT infant feeding support line on 0300 330 0700. What size bottle will my baby need?

You may hear that you should keep the teat full of milk to avoid swallowing air. However where the milk flow is too fast and not in your baby's control, it is more likely to cause indigestion or gas (Kellymom, 2020). Anecdotally, babies whose parents use paced feeding suffer less from gas (Herman, 2021). That easy-flow teat has one disadvantage: with the hole on the side rather than the top, it makes for more accidental leaks and splashes than other bottles. Sealing discs are provided for transit, which should avoid a damp changing bag. The volume markings are also rendered in a grey that can be difficult to read in dim light. These bottles are shorter and fatter than the basic ones but you can put the same amount of milk in them. They usually come with silicone rather than latex teats and have a self-sealing lid. Keep an eye on the silicone teats. If they degrade, get damaged or are bitten through, they’ll need replacing immediately so as not to present a choking hazard.NHS (2019b) Sterilising Baby Bottles, Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/sterilising-baby-bottles/ [Accessed 3 December 2021] Since 2011, the European Commission has banned the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles. This was due to concerns that the chemical could leach out of the plastic and be absorbed by babies. None of the bottles for sale in the UK should have BPA (NCT, 2011). She analysed instructions and online resources, and noted down information about materials and safety standards. Our support line offers practical and emotional support in many areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood: 0300 330 0700. Any parent who bottle-fed their baby will tell you that not every bottle is the same. Even the size of the bottle can help – or hinder – your baby accepting it for feeding.

Volume markings: Are they clear and easy to read? This will become much more important at 4am – trust us.

How we tested

NHS (2019a) How to make up baby formula, Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/making-up-baby-formula/ [Accessed 3 December 2021] With an orthodontically-shaped teat, plenty of Mumsnet users will attest that they're easier than other bottles for breastfed babies to latch on to. Milk flows with minimal effort from the baby - which is why they're often used in NICU wards - and there's an anti-colic valve to prevent air bubbles. Beloved by parents far and wide, this clever little bottle is self-sterilising, leak-proof and surprisingly budget-friendly. The super-soft silicone teat has been designed with a flat shape intended to mimic the nipple when breastfeeding, but it's the faff-free sterilising that sets them apart and earns MAM the top spot in our round-up.