Best Baby Teether Toy
If your little one is cutting teeth, struggling with teething pain, or your baby tends to chew their fingers for relief, the Comotomo Silicone Teether may be a fitting solution. This teether has finger-like prongs that sport some texture at the tip to massage gums. The prongs angle in a way to reach various areas in babies' mouths, including back molars, and our little tester (6-months-old) could maneuver this teether with ease by either gripping the loop or finger-like prongs.
We prefer silicone; however, it can easily attract hair and lint, which we observed during testing. We believe this drawback is manageable by frequently cleaning and inspecting the teether before giving it to your baby. We genuinely think highly of this product and recommend it for babies who want to soothe sore gums in the front and back or for babies who tend to chew their fingers for relief. We are sure those cute little fingers could use a break.
The Mombella Elephant Teether quickly became a tester favorite. It is easy for little hands to hold, maneuver, and fits comfortably inside a baby's mouth. The textured tip is an ideal length for reaching teething aches and pains in the front and back, and the circular disc keeps baby from putting the teether too far inside their mouth. The teether comes with a removable leash to clip onto clothing, preventing the teether from falling onto a germy floor. We appreciate this bonus accessory, especially for little ones who have yet to master the skill of holding objects. This product is our little tester's favorite, and he found the legs to be useful biting points, too.
Silicone can attract dust and hair, and we noticed small fibers sticking to the silicone during testing. However, we prefer silicone and think this drawback is minimal, considering the material's benefits. Cleaning the teether before and after each use can help reduce particles, plus this is a hygiene habit we encourage. Despite this drawback, we think this teether is a winner and recommend it to family and friends with teething babies, plus those who appreciate the leash accessory.
On a budget? Consider the Nuby Teethe-eez Teether. This product features a handle and a mouthpiece with several small, soft bristles (like a toothbrush) for babies to gnaw and massage sensitive gums. We think this silicone teether is soft, flexible, and easy to grip for baby. This product comes with a plastic case, which helps carry and protect the teether in a diaper bag.
In our opinion, the teether's mouthpiece is too wide to fit our little tester's mouth; instead, she chewed the sides. We believe the teether's performance is adequate as it can help soothe sore gums, but we prefer teethers with nubs and prongs to give baby the option to reach multiple areas around their mouth. During testing, we experienced the silicone bristles occasionally trapping loose fibers; therefore, we encourage caregivers to inspect the teether and thoroughly wash it before and after each use. If you're able to overlook these downsides, we think this product can help soothe babies' teething discomfort, plus at a budget-friendly price.
The Ashtonbee Baby Fruit Feeder and Teether is an innovative alternative to traditional teethers, providing teething relief and a dose of flavor to babies who are old enough to enjoy solids. This product holds fresh or frozen food for baby to gnaw, and the nipple allows the tiniest of food pieces to pass through. One package includes a set of two feeders, plus four silicone nipples ranging from small to large. Our little tester could hold the handle with ease and enjoyed chewing colder food items, like frozen banana. Also, in our opinion, the silicone nipples are easier to clean than feeders with mesh bags.
From our experience during testing, some foods, particularly ones that are orange, like carrots, sweet potato, etc., may discolor the silicone nipple. However, do not fret; discoloration doesn't harm the teether's performance. If your baby is ready or already eating solid foods, or perhaps they have lost interest in other teething toys, we recommend this product. We are confident this feeder will be fun and exciting for your little one to explore, plus satisfy their desire to chew for teething comfort.
The Mombella Mushroom Teether stands out among the competition for its breast-like shape. We think the silicone is incredibly soft and pliable, and it features two knobs for baby to chew. The mushroom turns inside out and becomes a small snack cup. The product also comes with a removable leash to keep the teether from falling out of the baby's reach and onto a dirty floor, which we appreciate.
In our opinion, the silicone is thin, and we wonder about its long-term durability. Although it can also transform into a snack cup, we believe its size and lack of structure hinder this purpose. Nonetheless, we think this teether appeals to babies who tend to chew their fingers or those who like to massage the material when chewing as they will enjoy the tactile part of this product.
The Baby Banana Infant Toothbrush is a toothbrush-teether combo with bristles that are more nub-like and thicker than a traditional toothbrush. The banana is moderately flexible, and the "peel" handles are comfortable for little hands to grasp. It is 100% food-grade silicone, free of BPA, latex, phthalate, and manufactured in the USA. From our experience, most babies accept and gnaw on this teether.
While testing, we noticed that the silicone surface tends to attract dust and hair; even the bristles can trap hair. Therefore, we suggest inspecting the teether before giving it to your baby. With that said, if you like the idea of a toothbrush-teether combo, perhaps to introduce the concept and sensation of brushing while your little one bites for teething relief, we think this product is fitting.
The Baby Elefun Teether is compact, made of soft silicone, yet more firm than other contenders, making it great for little chompers who tend to bite hard for teething relief. It features five surfaces of various texture, such as small bumps, nubs, and ridges for your baby to gnaw. The hollow center makes it easy for babies to hold, and we noticed that the elephant's trunk and feet reach gums in front of a baby's mouth.
Unfortunately, this teether is tricky for babies to maneuver and reach sore gums in the back. Besides that, it has no significant drawbacks. We believe this teether is worthy of being included in your baby's teething toy arsenal, and we recommend this slender elephant to teething tots with a powerful bite who yearn to soothe sore gums in the front.
The Bonbino Teether Rings are a classic. We think the ring design is natural and comfortable for babies to grasp, and each ring features multiple textures for baby to chew and bite. While testing, our little tester enjoyed holding the rings, but, in our opinion, the rings are large, and baby could soothe front gums, but reaching back molars was a struggle.
We feel the product's cost is a factor to consider, but, keep in mind, the package contains four rings. We recommend this ring-style teether with oodles of texture to families who dig having multiple teethers to stash in the diaper bag, changing pad, high chair, and more.
The Bumkins Teether Ball is easy for little fingers to grasp thanks to multiple openings and soft and pliable material. Give it a squish, and it will pop back into shape. The dual-color is attractive, and the ball has four different textures for your baby to explore and chew.
The teether's ball-like design is excellent for holding, but it can roll away and out of your baby's reach. Also, the silicone material attracts hair and lint, which isn't ideal. However, frequent cleaning and inspecting can minimize this issue. We recommend this teething toy for babies around the six-month-old mark who would enjoy the ball shape that is easy to hold and multiple textures to chew.
The Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether is a maze of colorful, soft plastic tubes for baby to chew and bite. It has a square cube center that rattles, offering extra fun and sensory experience. Thanks to its multiple loops, this product is easy for our little tester to grasp and hold.
We think this product is better as a toy and rattle than a teether because the loops can be challenging to maneuver and reach areas in their mouth for teething relief. With other contenders in our lineup that perform better, we would use other products before this one. Also, this product is not dishwasher or sterilizer safe. The manufacturer suggests surface washing with warm soapy water before air drying. We prefer products that are easy to clean and sterilizer safe since they will be in a baby's mouth. Despite this drawback, we believe this product is more of a toy than a teether and suggest others in our lineup before this one. However, if you're keen on having a rattle and teether option, you may be satisfied with this option.
Why You Should Trust Us
BabyGearLab has been testing gear over the past decade, and each product we review is purchased, tested, and experiences side-by-side comparison to allow us to determine the best in the category. This review is led by Molly Bradac, Senior Review Editor, and nanny with over 14 years of experience. Also contributing to our review are some adorable teething tots that provide feedback by simply gumming and chewing the teething toys. Each product in this review was purchased for hands-on testing.
Analysis and Test Results
Each product in our review experienced lots of gumming, chewing, and drool for our experts to compare performance and rank competition.
Material
Most of the competition uses silicone, like the Comotomo Silicone Teether, Mombella Elephant Teether, and the Baby Elefun Teether. Considering the benefits of silicone, this isn't surprising. This material can withstand the high heat of boiling water to sterilize, as well as dishwashers. However, it easily attracts hair and lint, and since babies put teethers in their mouth, this is not ideal. On the flip side, other products in our review use only plastic, like the Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether, or a hybrid of plastic and silicone, and the Ashtonbee Baby Fruit Feeder and Teether. Unlike silicone, plastic can't endure high heat as it will melt, plus we don't advise heating plastic due to the potential leaching of chemicals. Before purchasing a teething toy, consider what material you are comfortable with your baby putting in their mouth.
Ease of Cleaning
We suggest purchasing a teething toy that is easy to clean and can withstand the high heat of sterilization. Since you will be washing it often, don't let the task be a hassle. All of the silicone teethers fit this "easy to clean" profile, including the Comotomo Silicone Teether, Mombella Elephant Teether, and Bonbino Teether Rings. These products are easy to wash by hand, easy to inspect for hair and lint, and have no significant nooks and crannies to clean. Alternatively, the Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether lack this ability as it is surface wash only. For all the teethers, it is important to sanitize them initially, then wash before and after each use. We suggest keeping teethers clean and allowing them to fully air dry because mold loves wet environments, and with teething comes a lot of drool.
Texture
A mixture of textures and biting points can help babies massage tender gums, and it will keep them interested and distracted from teething pain. The Mombella Elephant Teether, the Bonbino Teether Rings, and the Baby Elefun Teether have some of the most prominent textures and varieties. However, the Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether has multiple smooth loops with no texture. Although we appreciate variety, it may take a few attempts to find the right teether for your baby.
Conclusion
Teething can be troublesome for babies, and we fully understand. Emerging teeth can put pressure on baby's gums, leaving them feeling sensitive, tender, and swollen (ouch!). Thankfully, a teething toy can be the perfect solution and distraction to help your baby cope with teething aches and pains. We are confident that the information and recommendations in our review will help your decision-making.
— Molly Bradac