Baby Bottle Buying Guide: How to Choose

Every baby is different when it comes to bottles. Some will take anything. Others are very picky about nipple shape and flow. So don’t stock up on one brand until you know what your baby likes. Start with one or two bottles of a few different kinds, then buy more once you find a winner.

I learned this the hard way. My first daughter drank out of any bottle. My son flat-out refused every bottle we tried. It took about a dozen before we found one (and eventually two) that he would drink from.

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When you compare baby bottles, the big differences come down to four things: bottle material, nipple shape, vents and valves, and nipple flow. Here’s what to know about each.

1. Bottle Material: Glass vs. Plastic vs. Silicone vs. Stainless Steel

Material	Pros	Cons
Plastic	Lightweight, inexpensive	Can leach chemicals, especially when heated, even if BPA-free
Silicone (like Comotomo, Nanobébé)	Plastic-free, lighter than glass, won’t break	Can hold onto smells and attract lint
Glass (like Pigeon, Philips Avent Glass)	Won’t leach chemicals, easy to clean, long-lasting, recyclable	Heavier, breakable, more expensive
Stainless steel (like Pura Kiki)	Plastic-free, lighter than glass, very durable	Expensive, can’t see how much milk baby has taken

The best option may be a combination. Personally, I love glass bottles at home but skip them when we’re out, since they’re heavier and you’re already carrying a lot. At home, I also love silicone bottles. That said, my second child would only take two bottles, and neither came in silicone. So we used glass and plastic with him.

2. Nipple Shape: Narrow or Wide?

Many people say a wide nipple is better for breastfed babies because the shape looks more like mom’s breast. But lactation consultants often recommend narrow nipples, or nipples with a gradual slope, because they allow a deeper latch that’s closer to how far mom’s nipple stretches into baby’s mouth.

The “shoulders” on many wide-neck nipples (the transition from tip to base) are steep, which doesn’t allow as deep of a latch. Look for a gentle, gradual slope instead. Lansinoh, Dr. Brown’s Options+ Narrow, Pigeon and Evenflo Balance+ all have that more gradual shape.

I’m not a lactation consultant, but I’ve known several breastfed, bottle-refusing babies (including my son) who preferred Lansinoh and Joovy Boob bottles. The texture and gentle slope allow for a good, wide-open latch. Then again, none of this may matter for your baby. Often a baby just has a strong preference one way or the other.

3. Vents and Valves

Many bottles have vents or valves that claim to reduce how much air baby swallows, which can mean less gas and fussiness. Some vents are built into the nipple (Lansinoh, Evenflo Balance+). Others are extra pieces (Dr. Brown’s, MAM, Philips Avent Anti-Colic).

Keep in mind you’ll be taking apart, washing, drying and putting these bottles back together several times a day for months. Almost every bottle has at least four parts: bottle, collar, nipple and lid. Bottles with more complicated venting have more. More parts means more to wash and more chances for leaks.

How often will your baby use a bottle?

If your baby will only have the occasional bottle, a more complicated setup may not bother you. But if your baby drinks from a bottle all day, you’ll get tired of washing half a dozen pieces per bottle fast.

4. Nipple Flow: Start Slow

Once you’ve picked a bottle, you’ll need to choose a nipple flow. Many brands label flow by age (for example, Stage 1 for newborns and Stage 2 for 3 to 6 months), and a lot of parents start slow and move up as baby gets older.

But many people, me included, think you can start with a slow-flow nipple and stay there. Every lactation consultant I’ve worked with has recommended the same. If you use a thicker formula, you may need a slightly faster flow so baby can get it out. Otherwise there’s no real need to move up, especially if you’re breastfeeding. My son used the slowest flow nipple until he was over a year old.

Also know that “slow flow” isn’t the same across brands. One brand’s slowest nipple can be noticeably faster than another’s. If your baby gulps, sputters or leaks milk out the sides, try a slower nipple.

Why slow flow matters for breastfed babies

The best bottles for breastfed babies have slow-flow nipples. Baby has to work to get milk from the breast, and that work helps develop facial muscles and the palate. If baby gets used to a fast-flow nipple, they may start resisting the breast. According to Pediatric Feeding News, a fast-flow nipple doesn’t exercise the muscles needed for long-term bottle and breastfeeding, or for later eating and language skills.

Will you switch back and forth between bottle and breast?

If so, you want to avoid nipple and flow confusion. That means your baby needs a good latch on the bottle nipple, and the flow should be close to the breast.

Best Baby Bottles Compared

Here are the bottles I’d look at first. Remember, buy one or two of a couple kinds and see what your baby likes before you stock up.

Stainless Steel Baby Bottles

There still aren’t many stainless steel bottles, so I didn’t add them to the table. If you want stainless steel, one to look into is Pura Kiki. It’s lighter than glass and plastic-free, but you can’t see how much milk baby has taken.

How Many Baby Bottles Do You Need?

Start with one or two bottles of a couple different kinds. Wait to buy more until you know whether your baby will take anything or is super picky. After that, it depends on how often your baby will use a bottle.

• Formula feeding or exclusively pumping: plan on 10 to 12 bottles.
• Breastfeeding and mostly home with baby: 3 or 4 bottles is usually plenty for the occasional errand or night out.
• Going back to work and pumping: about 10 bottles. That covers a full day at daycare, another set in the wash at home, and a couple of spares.

At first, babies don’t drink much at a time, so many parents start with 4-5 ounce bottles and move up to 8 or 9 ounces later. If you want fewer bottles in the house, use the larger size from the start and just fill it part way.

Which baby bottles should you register for?

A variety. Register for one or two bottles from a few different brands instead of a full set of one kind. Some babies will take anything, but some are picky, and you won’t know which kind you have until baby is here. Once you find a winner, buy more (your registry completion discount helps). For the rest of what I’d put on a registry, see my sample Amazon baby registry.

Can you put baby bottles in the dishwasher?

The CDC says dishwasher-safe bottles can go in the dishwasher on a hot cycle. But I still hand wash plastic bottles. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping plastics out of the dishwasher, because heat can cause chemicals to leach into the milk your baby drinks. If you want to use the dishwasher, glass and stainless steel are the easier choice.

Tips for Bottle Feeding a Breastfed Baby

When to introduce a bottle

Many lactation experts suggest waiting until breastfeeding is going well, usually around 3 to 4 weeks, before offering a bottle (KellyMom). In my experience, around 4 weeks is the sweet spot. Wait much longer and some babies refuse the bottle altogether. Once you start, keep it up and offer a bottle a few times a week so baby stays used to it.

Paced bottle feeding

Paced feeding is a way of bottle feeding that mimics breastfeeding. At the breast, baby takes frequent breaks and has to work to get milk out. Many parents of breastfed babies want bottle feeding to feel the same. Kellymom has great information on how to bottle feed a breastfed baby.

Baby Bottle FAQ

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