Best Overall Baby Bottle
Comotomo
-
Leakage 9.0
-
Nipple 9.0
-
Ease-of-Cleaning 8.0
-
Eco-Health 7.0
-
Ease-of-Use 8.0
Body material: Silicone and Plastic |
Bottle mouth: Wide
Healthier materials
Breast-like nipple
Easy to clean
Tips easily
Slow warm time
The Comotomo bottle impresses with its eco-friendly silicone, breastlike nipple, and overall simplicity. It offers uncomplicated assembly with only three parts, and the silicone body and nipple ensure that the formula/milk has minimal contact with plastic. The silicone also provides a soft, breastlike surface for babies to grasp when feeding. The nipple is softer than average and has a vent on either side to help your baby swallow less air with each swallow. This silicone is durable, and thanks to its wide-neck design, cleaning is simple even without a bottle brush. However, you'll likely want a small brush to ensure that the nipple valves are clear of residue to keep the milk flowing freely and prevent the growth of bacteria.
We like the advantages of silicone over plastic for the body, but there are some downsides. The pliable structure doesn't create a stiff bottle body, and because the bottle's base is much narrower than the top, it can tip over. Also, silicone's soft and squeezable nature may spray a small stream of milk from the nipple when slight pressure is applied. These are relatively minor drawbacks, which is why the Comotomo is one of our favorites and one we would use or recommend to a friend.
Read review: Comotomo
Best Budget-Friendly Bottle
NUK Simply Natural Glass
-
Leakage 9.0
-
Nipple 7.0
-
Ease-of-Cleaning 7.0
-
Eco-Health 8.0
-
Ease-of-Use 8.0
Body material: Glass |
Bottle mouth: Wide
Glass body
Breast-like nipple
Easy to read volume markings
Asymmetrical nipple
No sleeve
The NUK Simply Natural Glass is a top-scoring glass bottle with a below-average price tag. The borosilicate glass is relatively durable, and the simple design of the bottle makes it easy to use, fill, and clean. One of the best parts about this bottle is the nipple. It is very soft silicone, has a unique flattened tip and a wide nipple mound, all of which make it one of the most breastlike nipples we've encountered. This nipple is ideal for babies who regularly switch back and forth between bottle and breast.
Unfortunately, glass bottles are more likely to break if bumped or dropped, and NUK does not offer a protective sleeve. While we love the nipple, the very things that make it easy for a baby to latch onto require a bit more attentiveness from the caregiver. You must properly position the asymmetrical shape in the mouth, or it may feel awkward for the infant. Likewise, the nipple vent should be placed directly under the baby's nose; otherwise, it will not correctly release pressure. However, it is easy to work around these peculiarities with extra care, and our testers loved using the NUK Simply Natural.
Read review: NUK Simply Natural Glass
Best Bang for Your Buck
Evenflo Vented + Glass
-
Leakage 7.0
-
Nipple 5.0
-
Ease-of-Cleaning 5.0
-
Eco-Health 7.0
-
Ease-of-Use 6.0
Body material: Glass |
Bottle mouth: Narrow
Healthier material
Affordable
No leaks
Difficult to read volume markings
Breakable
Evenflo Vented + Glass bottles are tempered glass that is not as strong as borosilicate but still somewhat resistant to bumps and temperature changes thanks to special chemical treatment. We love that Evenflo offers a bottle that has a price on par with budget plastic bottles while still being made with eco-friendly materials. We did not have any problems with this bottle leaking during testing, and the nipple is soft enough that most babies can latch right on. This bottle is easy to assemble and clean with only three parts, although the small vent on the bottom of the nipple may require a tiny brush to properly clean.
While we love plastic alternatives, you will have to take extra care with these bottles. Evenflo does not offer a protective sleeve, and tempered glass is one of the least durable materials we encountered. The narrow nipple base is less breast-like, and breastfed babies may have more difficulty with this style. The narrow neck opening also makes it a bit more challenging to clean and fill, and you will need to purchase a special bottle brush. However, compared to similarly priced bottles, it is hard to find one with this many perks. If you are on a tight budget but want a glass bottle for health or eco reasons, Evenflo is your best bet.
Read review: Evenflo Vented + Glass
Best Innovative Design
Boon Nursh
-
Leakage 8.0
-
Nipple 7.0
-
Ease-of-Cleaning 7.0
-
Eco-Health 5.0
-
Ease-of-Use 7.0
Body material: Silicone and Plastic |
Bottle mouth: Wide
Easy to clean
Healthy materials
Solid base
Still uses plastic
Hard to read volume markings
The Boon Nursh is a bottle with a silicone drop-in liner and a plastic shell. This ventless design is the only one of its kind in our review, and we are impressed with its performance. The wide neck opening is easy to fill and creates a large base for the wide nipple mound. The silicone liner is flexible enough to be turned inside out and cleaned with a regular sponge, although we still recommend using a small brush to reach the inside of the nipple. One of the perks of having a solid plastic shell is that it creates an excellent level of stability that isn't typical of silicone bottles.
The nipple is a bit stiff for our liking. We think this stiffness prevents nipple collapse, as the venting method relies on a vacuum that prevents any air from entering the bottle. The volume markings are numbers found on the plastic outer and correspond with stipes on the silicone liner; even in a brightly lit room, these markings are difficult to distinguish and even more difficult in a dim nursery. Aside from this drawback, we think the Boon Nursh is an excellent option if your baby likes the nipple. Earning top marks in almost every metric, we loved using the Nursh.
Read review: Boon Nursh
Compare Products
Our baby tester was almost able to hold onto the Boon Nursh on her own.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Why You Should Trust Us
The BabyGearLab Team is exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate about baby bottles. Overseeing this review is BabyGearLab founder, Dr. Juliet Spurrier, a board-certified pediatrician and mother of two. Relying on her experience as a mother, plus medical training and practice as a physician, Dr. Spurrier selects top products to put through extensive testing. Product testing took place in-house at BabyGearLab by Senior Review Editor, Abriah Wofford, a leading member of BabyGearLab's Review Team since 2015. Also contributing with hands-on, real-world testing is MaryAnn Wofford. MaryAnn is a mother to 6 children and has over ten years of professional nanny experience.
We purchased each product in this review for hands-on testing. Each contender experienced extensive testing and a side-by-side comparison to evaluate critical metrics like leakage, ease of cleaning, eco-health, and more to determine the best. Also influencing our final analysis and rank of products is feedback from infant testers and their caregivers about baby preference and ease of use.
Analysis and Test Results
With so many baby bottles to choose from, it may be hard to tell the difference between manufacturers' features and claims to be the "best." Honestly, it may be tempting to close your eyes, point your finger, and let fate decide. However, we think some specific qualities can make your baby bottle days much easier or more complex, depending on your choice. We suggest pre-determining how you plan to feed your baby and what features are important to you before investing in a bottle for your little one.
Depending on your lifestyle, investing in a high quality bottle may be a good choice.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Value
When purchasing a baby bottle, you should consider how much you plan to use it. Are you planning to bottle-feed exclusively? If so, you will want a durable bottle that stands the test of time. Suppose you plan to breastfeed and occasionally supplement your baby's diet with formula, then a bottle's functionality may be less critical. Another consideration is the cost of healthier materials. A plastic bottle, like the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature, is a lightweight and economical option with a well-liked nipple with an easy to use and clean design. However, the lower price of plastic may not be as high a priority to you as the value of using healthier materials like silicone. If so, we think the Comotmo is a great value that is easy to use and should last for the duration of your baby's bottle-feeding years, making it a good value for longevity.
A leaky bottle is the last thing you want to worry about when feeding baby. Luckily we had no problems with leaks from the Nursh.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Leakage
The last thing you want to worry about is leaking. Plus, when hunger hits, you will want to whip up a bottle, screw on the top, and soothe your hungry baby ASAP. None of the bottles leaked when correctly assembled during testing, so the key to our testing was which bottles could easily be incorrectly assembled. In our opinion, bottles with fewer parts, such as the Evenflo Vented + Glass or the Comotomo, are less likely to trip you up, therefore resulting in fewer leaks. Our tests show that when used in conjunction with the aLoo (now known as "ALu"), any bottle may leak if left on its side too long.
Top performers in this metric are the Comotomo and Nuk Simply Natural, both earning 9's. You are more likely to experience leaks from a poor latch than from the cap of these bottles.
The wide nipple mound of the Comotomo vs. the narrow nipple mound of the Lifefactory.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Nipple Type
It can be challenging to know which nipple type your baby will prefer. We recommend narrowing down the options to a few brands and purchasing one bottle from each to test for the first few weeks. Almost all nipples are silicone and vary in shape. Also, some are stiffer, whereas others are softer. However, there are a few common characteristics that babies typically like. In general, the more breast-like the nipple is, the more likely the baby is to get a good latch. A nipple with a broad base is usually best. Most manufacturers offer various flow rates, and selecting the correct one for your baby's age is a must. The NUK Simply Natural Glass has a flattened nipple tip and soft silicone, which closely imitates the breast.
Anti-Colic Features
Every baby bottle in this review has an anti-colic system or claim. Most of the competition uses a vented nipple, which allows a small amount of air to pass through a hole in the nipple base to prevent a vacuum. The Lifefactory has ridges on the base of the nipple that serve the same purpose.
Others have an additional component that allows air in and out of the bottle. The Joovy Boob Diamond has a collar that fits the bottle's rim and leaves a bit of space without milk release. Dr. Brown's is perhaps the most complicated anti-colic venting system using multiple parts that require special cleaning tools. However, parents of colicky babies often swear by this bottle.
The squishy silicone drop in collapses as baby drinks from the Boon Nursh.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Last, as seen in the Boon Nursh, having no vent can also be an effective anti-colic system. This bottle features a silicone liner that seals tightly with the nipple and creates a vacuum. As your baby drinks, the liner collapses to relieve the pressure without the need for added air.
Ease of Cleaning
All of the bottles in our roundup claim to be "dishwasher safe" by the manufacturer. However, as a general rule, we strongly recommend handwashing plastic parts to reduce leaching chemicals' potential and prolong a product's life. The Comotomo and mimijumi earned 8 of 10 because they are the most simple bottles in the group. These bottles are a cinch to clean with just two parts and a nice wide opening. Our least favorite bottle to wash is the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Original. There are so many parts to this bottle, and you need a special brush to reach all the tiny crevices.
We recommend using a bottle brush for handwashing all things bottle or sippy-related. But, even with a special brush, some parts can be more challenging to clean than others. A baby bottle with a narrow mouth opening can spray as you pull the brush out, but wide-neck options are less likely to create a messy spray. The Boon Nursh has only two parts that need actual scrubbing, both of which can be turned inside out and cleaned with a regular sponge.
Here we have three different bottles made from three different materials. The Nuk Simply Natural is glass, the Comotomo is silicone, and the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature is plastic.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Eco-Health
Eco-health is very important to us. Keeping this in mind, most of the bottles we tested are glass or silicone, which are generally considered safer for babies and the environment than plastic.
Glass options Lifefactory Glass Bottle, Joovy Boob Diamond, and NUK Simply Natural Glass come out on top for eco-health, all earning an 8 out of 10. The PopYum earned a 2, which is the low score for the group. Not only is the entire bottle made of plastic, it has pieces and more plastic mass overall than other bottles.
The PopYum, Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature, and Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Original are some of the plastic bottles we looked at.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
There are three main types of plastic used in bottles: Polypropylene (PP), Polyethersulphone (PES), and polyphenylsulfone (PPSU).
- PP plastic is the cheapest and least durable of the three types. It can quickly degrade in boiling water and can only withstand max temperatures up to 120° C. If you have a bottle that uses this plastic, experts recommend replacing it every six months.
- PES is the middle-of-the-road option. It will start to degrade when placed in boiling water and can handle temps up to 180° C, making it more durable for daily use. Experts recommend that you change PES bottles every six months as well.
- PPSU is the highest performing, most notably for durability and heat tolerance. It is frequently used in aerospace and medical devices. You can repeatedly sterilize it in boiling water thanks to its high melting point of 208° C. It is naturally BPA-free and does not absorb color or odor. Experts recommend you replace PPSU bottles yearly.
If the manufacturer does not state the plastic used in the bottle, we assume it is PP.
Related: Are Plastics Safe for Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups?
Some of the glass options in our review: the Lifefactory, the Joovy Boob Diamond, the Evenflo Vented + Glass, and the NUK Simply Natural Glass.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
When it comes to glass, there are two types to consider: borosilicate glass and tempered glass. Borosilicate glass has an entirely different chemical makeup that is highly durable and helps bottles endure significant and sudden temperature changes without breaking. These bottles generally last a long time and can be trusted to withstand daily use with ease. Tempered glass is created by treating regular glass with a chemical or thermal process to increase durability and lessen the likelihood of breakage from drops and bumps. It is more resistant to heat, but it is still not a good idea to go straight from the freezer to the bottle warmer with tempered.
The Comotomo and the Boon Nursh both have bodies made primarily from silicone.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Silicone is an excellent compromise among the various material options. It is much healthier than plastic, plus more durable and lighter than glass. Silicone bottles used to be a rarity, but today, the market is bursting with new options. Silicone products in our lineup include the Comotomo and the Boon Nursh.
The buttons on either side of the PopYum bottle can be squeezed with one hand so you can still keep track of baby with the other.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
Newborns can eat as frequently as every 2 hours, and if you're bottle-feeding, chances are you'll be handling (and cleaning) baby bottles upwards of 8 times a day for the first few months. We suggest selecting a product that is effortless to use. You should ask yourself questions like, how many pieces will I have to assemble and clean? How tricky is a liquid transfer? Is it comfortable to hold? Our favorite bottles have very few parts and are fool-proof to assemble.
The Comotomo ties with the mimijumi and the NUK Simply Natural Glass for the easiest bottles to use. All three earned an 8 out of 10. Bottles with a wide neck opening are much easier to mix formula or pour breastmilk into, reducing waste and eliminating the mess. However, narrow openings like the Evenflo Vented + Glass can result in liquid loss or mess. The most complicated bottle in our testing is the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow. The multitude of parts and pieces to assemble, disassemble, wash, and dry takes more time than any other bottle we have used.
If you want to monitor how much your baby is drinking, we suggest selecting a bottle with distinct volume markings. Also, ask yourself, is it comfortable to hold? What about for your baby? Glass bottles like the Lifefactory or the NUK Simply Natural Glass are heavier and more challenging for a baby to hold. Alternatively, plastic and silicone options are generally lighter and more comfortable for small hands to manage, and the Comotomo is lightweight and pliable for easy gripping.
All the bottle in this review brought something different to the table, but only a few came out on top.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
Many babies use bottles multiple times a day for more than a year. Even breastfed babies often use bottles when their mom is away or sleeping. This reality means selecting a baby bottle that you and your baby are happy with is critical for successful feedings. It helps to consider parent-driven factors such as leaks, ease of cleaning, and convenience in your decision-making process. However, on the baby end, nipple type is equally important, because not every nipple will work for every baby. Luckily, we've completed extensive testing to bring you the details you'll require to make an informed decision. While we can't say what features your specific baby may prefer, we feel confident there is something for every baby in our lineup and we hope that our findings help you make a good choice for your family.
