The 4 Best Baby Bottles | Tested & Rated

Whether you plan to nurse or bottle feed, you'll likely need a baby bottle at some point in your feeding journey. Finding a baby bottle your baby will use successfully can make feeding your little one so much easier.

We've purchased over 32 bottles since 2013 for testing, including the 14 in this review. Each bottle is assessed for ease of assembly and usability, nipple shape, leakage, anti-colic features, ease of cleaning, material, and more to find the best for each goal and budget.

The best silicone bottle is the Comotomo. This non-plastic bottle is lightweight, easy for babies to grasp, and has a wider nipple that resembles a boob. It helps you avoid plastic without the weight or concerns of breaking involved with glass.

Our favorite glass baby bottle is the NUK Simply Natural Glass. This glass bottle has easy-to-view markings, a more breast-like nipple, and a reasonable price.

Feeding your baby is a full-time job, especially when they are younger. We've hands-on tested a range of feeding gear and can help guide you to what you need for mealtime. Our nursing gear list provides a one-stop look at all the best products that make the feeding process easier. We also suggest equipping your kitchen with a bottle brush and drying rack to help you get through the messy parts and back to holding your baby.

We like the advantages of silicone over plastic, but there are some downsides. The pliable structure doesn't create a stiff bottle body. Because the bottle's base is much narrower than the top, in our experience, it can tip over. Our tester reports, “I had trouble getting the bottle to stay upright when I set it down.” The Boon Nursh is a similar silicone, but it is less prone to tipping in our tests. Also, silicone's soft and squeezable nature (something babies love) may spray a small stream of milk from the nipple when slight pressure is applied (just like mom). Despite these minor drawbacks, the Comotomo is one of our favorites, and we would use or recommend it to a friend.

Read more: Comotomo review

Glass is more likely to break if it falls or is dropped, and the NUK does not offer a protective sleeve (even as an accessory). Our tester reports, “Regular accidental drops on carpet or in the crib didn't cause breakage, but I'd be worried about throwing or it falling on a harder surface like ceramic tile.” While we love the nipple, it requires a bit more attentiveness from the caregiver because you must correctly position the asymmetrical shape in the mouth to prevent awkward placement. The nipple vent must be placed directly under the baby's nose for the pressure release to work correctly. The Evenflo Vented + Glass is another glass option specifically designed to vent excess air for gassy or colicky babies. However, the Nuk is easy to work around these peculiarities with extra care, and our testers loved using the NUK Simply Natural.

Read more: NUK Simply Natural Glass review

While we love plastic alternatives, you must take extra care with glass bottles. Evenflo does not offer a protective sleeve, and tempered glass is one of the least durable materials we encountered during testing. Our tester says, “I really wish this was borosilicate glass so it was more durable.” The narrow nipple base is less breast-like, and breastfed babies may have more difficulty with this style. If a wider nipple mound works better for your little one, the NUK Simply Natural Glass has a wider mound and an adaptable nipple that might be easier for some babies to use. The narrow neck opening in the Evenflo 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 more: Evenflo Vented + Glass review

We appreciate a bottle that provides a boob-like experience for babies, and the hard plastic shell keeps babies from feeling the breast-like, squishy silicone body. Also, the nipple is a bit stiff, and our baby testers didn't seem to like it as much as others. However, we think this stiffness prevents nipple collapse, as the anti-colic method relies on a vacuum that prevents any air from entering the bottle. The Comotomo has a better nipple, in our opinion, though every baby is different. The volume markings on the Boon are on the plastic shell and correspond with stripes on the silicone liner. Even in a brightly lit room, the markings are difficult to distinguish, and even more difficult in a dim nursery. Our mom tester says, “I think the hard-to-read volume markings could be a deal breaker if you need to track your baby's consumption.” However, we loved using the Boon Nursh and think the collapsible liner may work for super burpy babies.

Read more: Boon Nursh review

We purchased each product in this review for hands-on testing. Our extensive testing took place in-house at BabyGearLab, which includes side-by-side comparisons to evaluate critical metrics like leakage, ease of cleaning, eco-health, and more to determine the best. Feedback from infant testers and their caregivers who participated in the testing process also influenced our final analysis and rank of products.

Baby bottles are tested across 5 performance metrics in our review.

The bottles each undergo real-world testing with tiny testers, and we combine that feedback with more than 9 in-house tests to influence scoring and awards. Tests include leak testing, including upside down in a diaper bag, nipple feel, pliability, flow, and latch-ability, as well as eco-health research, ease of cleaning, and ease of use.

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, medical training, and practice as a physician, Dr. Spurrier selects top products to put through extensive testing. Also contributing to our review with hands-on, real-world testing is MaryAnn Wofford, a mother to 6 children and has over ten years of professional nanny experience.

With so many baby bottles to choose from, it may be dizzying to tell the difference. We tested ease of use, cleaning, leakage, and more to provide the details to help you determine what features are important to you before investing in a bottle.

When purchasing a bottle for your baby, how often you plan to use it could impact your decision and how much you want to spend. Frequent use will necessitate a durable bottle that withstands regular cleaning, getting tossed about, and journeys away from home. Alternatively, if you plan to mainly breastfeed and occasionally supplement your baby's diet with formula, then a bottle's functionality or durability may be less critical. We think the Comotomo is a well-rounded option that offers excellent value. This silicone bottle has an easy-to-clean design, a breast-like nipple, and babies adored it during testing. With one of the lower prices per bottle, it is a good deal, especially for a non-plastic choice. The Evenflo Vented + Glass could be a great everyday bottle that is budget-friendly if you prefer glass or a different kind of nipple.

The last thing you want to worry about is leaking. Plus, once your baby's hunger strikes, you will want to whip up a bottle, screw on the top, and soothe your hungry baby ASAP.

Top performers in this metric are the Comotomo and Nuk Simply Natural. You are more likely to experience leaks from a poor latch than from these bottles.

There isn't a single nipple type that works for all babies, and it can be challenging to know which one your baby will prefer. We recommend narrowing the options to a few brands and purchasing one bottle from each to test for a few weeks before investing in multiple bottles and nipples from one company.

Almost all nipples are silicone, but they vary in shape and pliability. Some are stiff and some are soft, some are narrow and some are more mound-shaped. There are a few common characteristics that babies typically like.

In general, the more breast-like the nipple is, the more likely a baby will get a good latch. A nipple with a broad base is typically well-liked in our experience by the majority of babies. The NUK Simply Natural Glass has a flattened nipple tip and soft silicone, which closely imitates the breast.

Most manufacturers offer various flow rates, ranging from slow to fast. Selecting the right level for your child can depend on a few factors, such as the child's age and whether they're transitioning between breast and bottle. You will want to select a nipple flow rate with the same effort as breastfeeding to avoid your baby developing a preference for one or the other. You can locate the nipple's flow rate on the packaging or the nipple itself.

Swallowing air during feeds is one of the most common ways for babies to trap gas bubbles in their digestive tract, which can cause discomfort and fussiness. Every baby bottle in our lineup has an anti-colic system or claims to limit the amount of ingested air.

The Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Original has a more complex anti-colic vent system using multiple parts, and some parents of colicky babies often swear by this bottle. Other contenders use 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 Glass Bottle has ridges on the nipple's base that serve the same purpose. Others have additional components that allow air in and out of the bottle.

Alternatively, as we witnessed in the Boon Nursh, having no vent can be an effective anti-colic strategy. 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.

All the bottles in our test group claim to be “dishwasher safe” by the manufacturer. However, we strongly recommend handwashing, especially for plastic parts, to reduce the potential for chemicals to leach and to prolong the product's life.

The Comotomo and mimijumi are the simplest bottles to clean and assemble in our test group. These bottles have fewer parts and wide neck openings that can be effectively cleaned without a bottle brush if needed. Our least favorite bottle to wash is the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Original. Its anti-colic system has several parts with nooks and crannies, requiring a special brush to thoroughly clean smaller crevices. However, if this bubble-reducing bottle works for your little one, it may be worth the extra effort to avoid the discomfort that often leads to crying and spit-up.

We highly recommend using a top-ranking baby bottle brush for handwashing and even a special straw brush, which can help clean smaller bottles that are more challenging to clean. 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 can be turned inside out and cleaned with a regular sponge.

Eco-health is very important to us, so most of the bottles we tested were glass or silicone, which are generally considered safer than plastic for babies and the environment.

Plastic baby bottles are widely available, and we understand why they remain popular. Plastic is more affordable, more durable, lightweight, and can be more convenient to use. However, given the potential risk of chemicals leaching and exposure to microplastics, it's not our preferred material for feeding. Therefore, plastic contenders tend to rank low in this metric, especially the PopYum. Not only is the entire bottle made of plastic, but it also has more pieces and plastic mass overall than other bottles.

Some evidence suggests that high temperatures and shaking from the bottle preparation process can potentially increase and release microplastics into a baby's bottle. Here are some tips when using plastic bottles:

Baby bottles that use borosilicate glass rank higher than the competition. 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 typically handle daily usage. The Lifefactory Glass Bottle scores highly. The way they use this type of glass creates an environment where liquid has little to no contact with plastic, and it comes with a silicone sleeve for added protection and grip for little hands. The NUK Simply Natural Glass is a close runner-up. While it doesn't offer a silicone sleeve, it uses borosilicate glass.

Comparatively, tempered glass, which is what the Evenflo Vented + Glass uses, 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 glass.

Silicone is an excellent compromise among the material options. It is much healthier than plastic, more durable, and lighter than glass. Silicone bottles used to be a rarity, but today, the market is bursting with them. Silicone products in our lineup include the Comotomo, Boon Nursh, and Nanobebe Flexy.

Interestingly, the Chicco Duo is a hybrid bottle, unlike any other contender in the lineup. The interior uses a very thin layer of glass called INVINCI-GLASS, which adheres to a plastic exterior. Essentially, it seems to combine the best of both worlds; your baby's milk touches the glass, and the plastic makes it durable and lightweight. Being a newer concept, we began researching this material but ended up empty-handed. Therefore, we had a few questions for Chicco: How do you know if the glass interior experiences breakage or damage? Here's what Chicco shared with us:

Chicco did not share as much information as we would have hoped or what we think parents deserve. Their answer to our inquiries lacked the kind of details that would have increased our confidence in recommending this new technology. While we aren't saying anything is wrong with it or the hybrid bottle, we are hesitant, given the vagueness. In addition, we discovered evidence from other users of bottle rims melting during the sterilization process and concerns about potentially broken glass going undetected inside the bottle (reported by users online). Other products in the review use materials that we feel are more familiar and bring peace of mind regarding eco-health, without the remaining questions we had with the Chicco.

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. Our favorite bottles have very few parts and are foolproof to assemble.

The Comotomo ties with the mimijumi and the NUK Simply Natural Glass for the easiest bottles to use. All three earned matching high scores. Bottles with a wide neck opening are much easier to mix formula or pour breastmilk into, reducing waste and eliminating the mess.

Those with narrow neck openings, like the Evenflo Vented + Glass and Lifefactory, can result in liquid loss or mess. The most complicated bottle in our testing is the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow, as it has many parts and pieces to assemble, disassemble, wash, and dry, taking more time than any other bottle.

or Lifefactory are heavier and more challenging for a younger 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.

Babies can be particular and fussy when it comes to drinking from baby bottles. It can take some trial and error to find the bottle your baby uses without frustration or refusal. So, give yourself and your baby some grace by realizing that no matter how much you research or consider, the best option is often up to your little one and can require buying more than one type.

Perhaps one of the most important considerations, and the quickest way to narrow the options, is to choose what kind of materials you'd like to use. We aren't huge fans of plastic and are drawn to silicone and glass bottles. However, plastic is less expensive than glass or silicone, and glass can be heavy. Silicon seems to ride the line of budget-friendly, lightweight, and healthier than plastics.

Because your bottles will be used frequently, they should be easy to assemble, use, and clean. Fewer parts are better; simplicity is key, in our opinion. However, if your little one is colicky, you might need a more convoluted bottle. No one wants to waste time with a complicated bottle, so finding a system you can stick with is key.

We recommend buying a single version of one or two different models to see what your baby likes best before you buy a multi-pack or specific system. While the bottle you end up not using might be a waste of money, it will save you money, time, and frustration in the long run if your little one hates and refuses to feed (and they do this).