How To Choose The Best Baby Bottle – 5 Things To Consider

As a parent, it’s easy to get caught up in all the latest baby products, but sometimes it’s best just to stick with what works. When you’re looking for the best baby bottle, there are a few features that should be high on your list of priorities.

If you’re trying to pick out baby bottles, the first thing you need to decide is what type of nipple your baby prefers. You also need to decide if you want your baby’s bottle to have a handle or not. If you have a newborn, they may not be able to hold the bottle themselves yet so a nipple that flows easily is best.

Nipple Types In Baby Bottle

When you are choosing the best baby bottle for your baby, there are several things that you need to consider. One of the most important things is the nipple type. Some nipples are designed for newborns while others are best suited for older babies. A nipple with a slow flow will help a newborn drink from their bottle while one with a faster flow will be better suited for older babies who can hold their own bottle and drink from it without assistance.

Nipple Material

There are three main types of nipples that you’ll find when looking for a baby bottle: latex, silicone and soft plastic. Each one has its benefits and drawbacks so here is some more information about each type of nipple.

• Latex nipples have been popular in Europe for decades but weren’t introduced to the United States until recently. The main advantage of latex is that it’s soft and flexible, which makes them great for babies who are just learning to drink from a bottle. They also tend to be very easy on the teeth and gums of your little one. The downside is that they can get chewed up over time, especially if your baby has an oral aversion or sensory processing disorder.
• Silicone is also gaining popularity because it doesn’t impart any taste onto milk like latex can. Silicone nipples are made from a medical-grade silicone called Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This material is hypoallergenic and doesn’t have any BPA or phthalate content. They are used for breastfed babies because they’re more flexible and can mimic the movement of a mother’s breast. Because silicone is more flexible than other materials, it may be less durable if you’re using your bottle often or if you want to use it as an overnight option.
• Soft-plastic nipples are more common than they once were due to their affordability and relative lack of odor compared with latex or silicone—but they may not be your best bet if you’re worried about BPA exposure. “It’s true that some plastics contain leachable BPA (bisphenol A), which is an endocrine disruptor that may affect how hormones work in babies’ bodies,” says Dr. Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP (American Academy of Pediatrics). “However, most companies now use polypropylene plastic instead.”

Nipple Shape

Many moms are surprised to learn that there’s more than one kind of nipple shape. The two most common are flat and cone-shaped, but you may also see some bottles with a second ridge coming out from the top of the nipple (think PacMan). Flat nipples tend to be easier for babies to latch onto at first, because they don’t have any ridges or bumps that might get in their way. But as your little one gets older and becomes more adept at breastfeeding, she’ll probably prefer the added suction provided by a cone-shaped nipple.

Nipple Size

There are several different nipple sizes available for baby bottles, and it’s important to find one that fits your little one’s mouth properly. If you have a newborn who is still learning how to suckle, then the most important thing is finding an appropriate nipple size.

Nipple Texture

The more textured your nipple is, the more likely it will be to stay on baby’s mouth. “A good nipple has a flat bottom and some texture to it so that it stays in place without slippage,” says Dr. Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP (American Academy of Pediatrics). If you’re looking for a bottle that mimics breastfeeding as closely as possible, opt for one with a wide variety of nipple shapes and sizes. Some nipples are designed like tiny teats; others are shaped like pacifiers or anatomical ones that mimic the natural shape of mom’s breast—which can help prevent soreness in her nipples caused by suckling too hard.

Nipple Flow

The amount of flow you want to be expressed from the bottle. This can range from slow, medium and fast. Slow is great for when your baby is a newborn and needs smaller amounts of liquid at a time. Fast is best for older babies who will take in large amounts at one time.

There are a few different options, but these are the most common:

• Slow flow nipples have small holes and allow milk to drip out slowly. These work well for newborns who haven’t learned how to suck yet.
• Medium flow nipples have larger holes that let more milk out at once and work well for babies who can start sucking on their own.

Nipple Slits

Nipples with slits allow air to enter the bottle when feeding, which helps prevent gas bubbles in your baby’s tummy and gives him or her more comfort during feeding time. The slits also make it easier for your baby to drink from the bottle.

Bottle Shape

The shape of the bottle is an important factor to consider when choosing a bottle. The shape will affect how easy it is for your baby to hold, and also how comfortable they feel drinking from the bottle.

As with all things, there are pros and cons to each type of bottle. Here’s what you need to know:

• Flask-shaped bottles – These are great for newborns because they resemble a mom’s breast. The narrow neck makes it easier for your baby to latch on while simultaneously helping prevent colic (burping). However, once your little one reaches six months old or so and starts eating solid foods (and has more teeth), he or she may find this type of nipple difficult because the hole seems too large. If you choose this style of nipple but want something with more flow control options available than just level 1/2 flow nipples that come standard on flasks, consider purchasing wide necked versions such as the [Avent Natural Wide Neck Bottle].

• Teat-style (with shields) – These are good choices if your baby is exclusively breastfed or mostly breastfed but still likes a bit of milk from time-to-time! These bottles have a teat-style nipple that mimics your breast, but with a shield to protect it from babies who might bite on them. The downside of this type of bottle is that they sometimes leak because the teat sits above the bottom of the bottle and pushes against air bubbles when squeezed.

• Wide necked – These are good if your baby prefers to drink from a bottle but you want to avoid the nipple confusion that can occur with teat-style bottles. They also have the benefit of being easier to clean than traditional bottles because there are no nooks and crannies for moisture or food particles to hide in.

The Size Of Best Baby Bottle

You want to make sure your baby bottles are the right size for both you and your child. For example, if the bottle is too big, it will be harder for your baby to hold on their own without spilling it everywhere. If the bottle is too small, then it won’t be easy for them to use once they get older—and by then it’s likely that you’ll need two hands for something else!

Also make sure that the neck of your bottle fits comfortably in their mouth, as this will make drinking from all kinds of positions possible without having any problems with choking or spilling. If there’s no way that they could fit into some areas due to being too large (or too small), then consider getting a different brand of feeder instead so that everything works together nicely instead of trying something out randomly just because someone else told them about how great these particular brands were supposed

Self-Feeding Baby Bottles

They are designed so that babies can use them on their own, which is great for when they’re old enough to start feeding themselves and don’t need you to hold the bottle anymore. This is especially useful if you have a lot of things going on in your life, as it means that they won’t be dependent on others to feed themselves or get fed while they’re at home with you. Babies will also learn how to hold onto something properly if it’s put into their hands at an early age, which will help them out with dexterity later in life.

The reason why this is an important feature is that it’s so much easier for parents to be able to feed their babies when they’re doing things around the house or taking care of other kids. If you have more than one child, then this can be especially useful as you won’t have to constantly be going back and forth between them when they need something.

• Read Also: Best Facts From History of Baby Bottles

Choose The Best Baby Bottle

There are lots of options when it comes to baby bottles, and many work well, but certain factors depending on your baby may require different types of bottles.

Bottle type: The type of bottle is often determined by the shape and size of bottle. Some babies prefer the feel and design of wide-bottomed bottles (called “wide neck”), while others prefer narrow-necked or shaped bottles. Wide-necked bottles tend to be easier for babies with reflux because they don’t cause so much pressure on their tummies as regular shaped ones do.

However, wide-necked bottles are only really necessary if your baby has reflux or colic—otherwise, a standard shaped bottle will work just fine. If you have multiple children in your family who use different types of nipples (for example one child uses a wide neck while another uses a standard), then make sure you buy enough supplies that fit each child’s needs!

Shape: Baby bottles come in a variety of shapes, and some are better suited for certain situations than others. If you’re looking for the best bottle for breastfed babies, then you’ll want to consider purchasing either a wide-necked or standard shaped bottle. These types of bottles are easy to fill with breastmilk without spilling and can be cleaned easily with soap and water (as opposed to those that must be put through the dishwasher).

If you’re looking for the best bottle for formula-fed babies, then you’ll want to consider purchasing a standard shaped bottle. This type of bottle has been designed specifically for babies who use formula and can easily be cleaned in the dishwasher.

The best bottle for breastfed babies is one that has a wide neck, while the best bottle for formula-fed babies is one that has a standard shape. This will make it easier to fill and clean baby’s bottles without spilling any milk or formula in the process.

Conclusion

Hopefully, we’ve given you a few ideas on how to select the best baby bottles. There are many things to consider when choosing what will work best for your child, and these tips should help narrow down your options. If you still have questions about any of these items, feel free to ask us in the comments section below; we’ll be happy to answer them!