4. Silicone Baby Bottles Are Okay
My bottle-feeding friends love silicone baby bottles because they are lightweight, durable, and flexible. In terms of safety, silicone bottles are better than plastic, but probably not as safe as glass or stainless steel.
Research on silicone’s safety is relatively limited, but do know that silicone may leech at very low and very high temperatures. You might consider skipping silicone bottles for hot liquids and avoid putting them in the freezer.
Bottom line: Silicone baby bottles are a safer alternative to plastic bottles, but may leech at extreme temperatures.
5. Don’t Forget the Nipples
When possible, we prefer natural rubber nipples from a credible company like Natursutten. Food-grade silicone is also a durable and hygienic material for baby bottle nipples. Definitely skip synthetic latex nipples (like these by Gerber), which can contain a number of concerning additives.
Bottom line: Use bottle nipples made of natural rubber or medical-grade silicone.
6. Gimme-Approved Best Non Toxic Baby Bottles
It’s easy to become overwhelmed when researching the best non toxic baby bottles. Even the most inert material in the world–glass!–can be contaminated with lead when it is painted upon. And as more tests emerge, brands that you would think make super safe bottles are turning out to be the very ones you should avoid.
We hope this post has helped make baby bottle shopping easier. But if you still feel confused, don’t worry. We’ve done the research for you!
When we considered all factors and testing available, we came up with the following seven brands that we feel are the best non toxic baby bottles out there. (These are listed in alphabetical order, not order of preference!)
- Comotomo silicone bottles
- Evenflo glass bottles
- Haakaa glass bottles
- Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottles
- LifeFactory glass bottles
- Natursutten glass bottles
- Pura stainless steel bottles
Bottom Line: The Best Non Toxic Baby Bottles
If I were buying baby bottles now, I would try LifeFactory (glass), Pura (stainless steel), and/or Comotomo (silicone).
Because my babies rarely drank from bottles, I can’t recommend a favorite in terms of performance. So I need you guys to comment below on your favorites glass, stainless steel, and silicone baby bottles and nipples.
23 comments
elizabeth.phillips.pugliese
Hi Maia,
I love your advice, so thank you for all that you do! I am having a baby soon, and before I read this article I had Philips Avent glass bottles on my registry. Could you please share any reservations you have about these bottles (i.e. why they aren’t on your recommended list)? Thank you in advance! Lizsarah.jetter
Hi Maia,
I’m a midwife and recently moved from Germany to the US. I wwas shocked of most „baby products“ on the supermarket shelf and lucky I found your website to feel a little safer in buying stuff here in the US, it helps me a ton to find the „right“ brands and products and I can still learn a lot from you for my work with new parents:) For the bottles we liked the Philips Avent bottles (not that my son took any bottle until he was 13 months old and only gets one for drinking at night if he is thirsty). I like about it that its optional glass or plastic (e.g. being outside and having a baby exploring gravity) and the nipple works no matter which direction its facing (especially handy at night when you dont want to feel which was is supposed to be „up“). I also hope though that you recommend cup drinking for toddlers and any baby when they eat solids as is it teaching them a normal way of using and coordinating a cup. I’ve been surprised seeing how many kids still drink out of straw cups or sippy cups. I think its just unnecessary and in my opinion I can’t imagine those straws or sippy „openings“ are possible to clean properly every day. For on the go we use the philips avent storage cups (they are used for breastmilk storage aswell as they fit on their pump with an adapter). They are perfect for placing little snacks, babys purée if like or simply for water on the go. They have a srew on lid, so I simply unscrew it for my son and he can drink from it like a glass at home. Just have to make sure they are properly closed to be leakproof. SarahCaitlin
I have loved the life factory bottles. Daycare accepts them because of the silicone sleeve.
Maia James
You can see our response to Tamara’s concerns in this post: https://gimmethegoodstuff.com/safe-product-guides/sippy-cups/
Joy
I hope all will consider lead when choosing ANY bottle, sippy cup or feeding tool for their children. Tamara Rubin has done quite a bit of independent lead testing and Pura Kiki has tested positive many times: https://tamararubin.com/category/pura-kiki/
Always good to cross reference as many resources as one can find. Unfortunately, just because something is glass or stainless doesn’t mean it is lead or cadmium free which makes a product made from silicone or even plastic (assuming they are lead free) sometimes a better choice if they are your only options, In my opinion.As have quite a few glass bottles: https://tamararubin.com/?s=baby bottle
Suzanne Weaver-Goss
Hi Mel,
Good for you getting away from plastic. As you know we offer the Pura Bottle which is stainless steel. https://gimmethegoodstuff.com/store/pura-kiki-stainless-steel-infant-bottle-5oz/ The prices of glass bottles fluctuate so I am not sure what the cheapest one is. Perhaps sometime in the near future we will offer glass bottles.Mel
I use plastic at daycare but try to use glass at home. The avent specifically. I like to make them hot/warm tea with milk so for that reason I don’t like stainless.
For my next kid I will be more strict about no plastic as I know a little better. But I still use a plastic sippy cup for my oldest and her Warm (chamomile) tea with milk in the morning and I do need to figure out a switch she will tolerate. For now I make the tea in a cup and pour half a cup of cold milk in the sippy then add the hot liquid. For my next one coming soon I’ll stock up on glass. What’s the cheapest bottle that’s glass?Sonia
Excellent, thanks!
Danielle
Hi there, if you are using a Medela pump, the lifefactory bottles fit it!! What a lifesaver. I pumped into those and stored it right in there or dumped into larger 16oz mason jars. Hope this helps!
Jen
I love my Joovy Boob glass bottles. The come with silicone nipples and a silicone sleeve which can be removed if need be. I’ve dropped them several times and they did not break.
For the people who can’t use glass because of day care, I would suggest using stainless steel.Erika
Thankyou for this. You don’t say why silicone teats are better than rubber. What are the health and environmental benefits and risks of the two? Thankyou!
Robin J.
I’m using Evenflo glass bottles currently and used them with my first as well, about half way in once I learned of the dangers of plastic. They are the cheapest out there! And do not break easily. Only 2 broke through 2 babies. And you can pump directly into them as they fit with medela pump parts. For storage, I’ve frozen bottles themselves, using the stopper plastic cap (no contact w the milk)…and I’ve also had great success with Anchor or pirex glass containers. They fit 5oz comfortably with room for expansion…and are reusable for many food needs.
Maia you mention silicone having dangers in the freezer…does this deem silicone food pods unsafe? We’ve always used them for freezing homemade baby food, what a true bummer. Even food grade silicone is unsafe for this purpose?
Stacy
I do not know that you can avoid plastic with pumping unfortunately but I stored my milk in 4 oz mason jars. I did pump into the plastic medela bottles but transferred when I got home.
Jessica
Do you have a guide on safe pumping and breastmilk storage? I’m using comotomo bottles, but I’ve been concerned about storage since my son was born.
Maia James
They are made of silicone….which means they are safe;)
Aga
Does anyone know what are Philips Avent natural nipples made of? I can’t find that information anywhere. I have a set of glass bottles on my baby registry list because I know I want to use glass bottles only. Same question goes for Dr Brown’s nipples. They all say BPA free. But what is the material they’re made of? Thank you :)
Maia James
Hey! I personally feel that stainless steel is entirely safe, but there is some concern that with heated or acidic liquids, small amounts of nickel might leach. You can learn more about stainless steel here: https://gimmethegoodstuff.com/safe-product-guides/cookware/
Sonia
Question! You don’t explain why stainless steel is a close second to glass and I am curious to know where stainless steel lags. I am mostly curious because I would be so afraid of the glass breaking and also since it is so heavy the baby, I assume, wouldn’t be able to begin to hold it as early as they would be able to because it is so heavy.
Thanks!Anne
Maia, I’m in the same daycare situation—we have to use plastic—and am also needed by to store that milk in the freezer. What do you recommend?
Maia James
what a great idea!
Crystal
A previous discussion on this topic referenced Mason Bottles. You use a regular mason jar and buy the silicone nipples. They are fantastic. Can go in the freezer. Most other glass bottles use plastic nipples.
Amy
I love the Evenflo classic glass bottles….well I should say my 6 month old loves them…lol. We have them in both 4oz and 8 oz size and they work great. Very affordable! and their slim profile makes it easier to stack in the cabinet. I also love the life factory ones with the silicone sleeves for daycare.
Kristin
I really wanted to do glass bottles with baby #2, but daycare said it was against DHS policy to have glass bottles, so we went with the silicone Comotomo. They work great for breastfed babies. My son didn’t get a bottle until he was 4 months old, and it took him a week at daycare before he would take one. We borrowed several different kinds from friends, and Comotomo was the only one he would take. He pretty much never gets a bottle at home, but if he did, I would use the glass Mason bottle (basically a mason jar with a nipple on top).
For the nipples, just keep in mind that a breastfed baby does not necessarily need a faster flow nipple as he gets older. Mom’s nipples don’t change, so no need to change the bottle nipple!