HiPP Versus Holle: Which European Infant Formula is Healthier?

Written by:

Maia James

01/30/2018

Updated: 02/06/2024

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Below is an email I recently sent to a private client of mine. Since the number one question I receive is “What is the safest infant formula?,” I thought some of you might be interested in my analysis of the two safest brands of baby formula, HiPP vs. Holle (both from Europe). Note that whichever formula you choose, you should always use a water filter to remove chlorine (carcinogenic) and fluoride (linked with lowered IQ). (Here’s more on why you should get a filter and which ones I like.)

Dear E.:

So the bottom line is I would recommend Holle formula as the best option, but it’s not without some problems, unfortunately (yet again it becomes clear that nothing can compare with breastmilk). HiPP is superior in a few ways, but I’ll explain why ultimately I would go with Holle below.

HIpp Combiotic Pre Infant Formula from Gimme the Good Stuff

Here’s what I considered when researching HiPP vs. Holle:

  1. Palm oil. Palm oil is an ingredient that a lot of people worry about (suspected to affect bone density), and both HiPP and Holle contain it. However, because they each contain a blend of other oils (like coconut and sunflower), I don’t think the amount is as concerning. They do both also contain rapeseed oil, otherwise known as canola oil, which is also somewhat controversial. It’s worth noting that Baby’s Only doesn’t contain palm oil–but it does contain soybean oil, which I don’t like, so not really a huge win.
  2. Aluminum issue. The HiPP ready-made formula is preferable to the HiPP powder because the latter has strangely high aluminum levels, although even the ready-man has borderline levels. (I can’t figure out why–possibly because it comes in aluminum pouches (within a cardboard box)). However, in general I actually DON’T like ready-made formulas because they contain soy lecithin (sometimes extracted with hexane…and soy is problematic anyway because of its estrogenic properties). On the other hand, the amount of lecithin is relatively small, and probably worth the trade-off. Note that the HiPP Growing Up milk in powder form actually has much lower levels of aluminum (but you can’t use that until after 12 months, and it does contain soy lecithin. Sigh). Bottom line here is go for ready-made or Growing Up milk if you do get HiPP, but with Holle you don’t have to worry about this.
  3. LCP oils. The addition of omega 3 and 6 oils in U.S. formulas is controversial because of the extraction methods (super complicated issue so I’ll spare you all the details). HiPP has these added oils, but I suspect the extraction methods are probably required to be cleaner in Europe. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to get to the bottom of this, so it’s a question mark and potentially another negative for HiPP. And studies show that the addition of the oils doesn’t improve the nutrition for babies anyway, so their absence isn’t really a negative for Holle.
  4. Organic practices. Both of these companies have been around for more than 50 years, and the dairy products from both come from grass-fed, organic cattle, certainly of a higher quality that anything you get here. Holle farms are certified organic and biodynamic–which I’ll simplify by saying is like organic-plus, with very strict standards from the processing all the way to the packaging. Another point in the Holle column.
  5. Sugars. All formula has a lot of sugar (breastmilk is naturally quite sweet), and HiPP wins in this category, as it uses lactose as a sweetener, which is the best option (and also the most expensive). Holle uses maltodextrin (a plant-based sweetener), although it seems to use less of it than most American formula brands. And here’s an update from July 2015: Lebenswert is a newish formula under the Holle umbrella. The Stage 1 Lebenswert formula contains lactose instead of maltodextrin, and Lebenswert is now available at Little World Organics!
  6. Prebiotics. This is another win for HiPP. Holle doesn’t contain these, and it’s one of the big things found in breastmilk but missing from formula.

Bottom line: Both HiPP and Holle are superior to American formulas, in my opinion. They lack many of the concerning ingredients found in most formula you get here, don’t have white sugar or corn syrup in them, and also skip some preservatives and the carrageenan found even in other organic formulas. If it were my baby, I would probably choose Holle because of the aluminum issues with HiPP–which to me is more concerning than the maltodextrin (the only major downside to Holle). The lecithin, biodynamic farming, and LCP oil issues further put Holle in the lead. And if you choose Stage 1 Lebenswert, you skip the maltodextrin as well.

In terms of where to by Holle (or HiPP): this is complicated since these formulas do not meet FDA approval. There are many online vendors (including Ebay sellers), but until I can vet that one (or several) are legit, I cannot make a recommendation on where you should purchase European formula. I hope to have this information available soon.

October 2019 update: I’ve vetted several places to purchase this formula, and am happy to have established affiliate relationships with the following sellers:

  1. BabyKind Market 
  2. Organic Start
  3. Organic Baby Food 24
  4.  Little Bundle
  5. Organic’s Best

Stay sane,

Maia, Founder & CEO

Note: This article contains affiliate links or sponsored content, which means that if you make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that meet our strict standards for non-toxicity and that we use (or want to use!) ourselves. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Good Stuff! 

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200 responses to “HiPP Versus Holle: Which European Infant Formula is Healthier?”

  1. Chandrani Avatar
    Chandrani

    Hi,

    what is the issue with aluminum?
    Does holle organic Hipp have Sodium and Chloride separately? Most of the formula milks have in it.

  2. Becky Avatar
    Becky

    Did anyone hear that Holle has launched its formula at Whole Foods Market here in the US in Jan 2021? Saw on Linkedin this news and google brought me to this homepage: https://holleusa.com/

  3. satish Avatar

    If someone in India is looking for Holle products buy them from http://orgbite.com they are the sole distributors of Holle products in India.

    1. Sabine Avatar
      Sabine

      Great to know about availability of Holle in India! Having recently moved with my husband and our 4-months old babygirl from Germany to Hyderabad (crazy I know, in these strange times!), I’m excited that I can find her formula here, too.

  4. Katherine Avatar

    I have been using HIPP for a while now and i am pretty satisfied with it. When i was about to start my baby girl on formula i was so worried like which one is better? Where do i get it from? And so i started ordering online and I am happy with it. HiPP is the best in my opinion.

  5. Jenelle Avatar
    Jenelle

    When we purchased Holle for my daughter in 2015, we called a natural food store in Scotland and they packed it up and mailed a 6 month supply over for us. It was easy, however the FDA gave us some trouble, as they thought we were going to distribute it since we bought in bulk to last 6 months.

  6. mantamom Avatar
    mantamom

    My choice is https://www.buyorganicformula.com/
    They have great prices, dedicated customer service, and free shipping

  7. Laura Avatar

    Hi everybody! thanks for the info 🙂 In spain its so dificult to found holle products! By lucky I ordered many times in this site (if someone in spain are looking for):
    https://www.ecobebes.es/holle-leche-potitos-papillas-170

    1. Kenneth Avatar
      Kenneth

      Great! I was looking for it 🙂

  8. Natalie Avatar
    Natalie

    I went through the German formulas and not satisfied at all. Why European formulas are better than organic non gmo American ones?? From your article it isn’t clear at all. Looks like you just convince yourself and others. ALL German formulas contain maltodextrin! Most of them contain fluoride! You must be kidding telling that it’s the best stuff)) .
    Plus, people, do you understand that all your orders traveling by airplane. All orders go through X-ray!
    “specialists ” telling us that it’s all safe and low level of radiation but it is still radiation! Also, it’s still on a airplane where level of radiation is huge. We all know it.
    Think twice before ordering European formulas…

    1. Paige Avatar
      Paige

      There are some companies that do not have to go through the Xray based on the product and that includes certain companies for baby formula. If you aren’t happy with a particular formula then look at the ingredients and pick the one that you like. It doesn’t have to be a huge deal.

    2. Holle Avatar
      Holle

      US formulas are not regulated and not FDA approved… xraying food isnt a problem… reality is most US foods dont actually come from the US… do some research on sugars…. lol.. and flouride isnt bad.. its contained in all tap water since the early 1900… its not in the formula… lol

  9. Alphonso Jones Avatar
    Alphonso Jones

    This is an affiliate link. Are you paid to recommend these suppliers?

  10. Ashley Avatar

    I would recommend Holle cow milk formula. Holle is one of the best formulas on the baby food market and carry one of the strictest and highest organic certifications, Demeter. I would recommend either stage pre or stage 1, as both of them are suitable for babies from birth to 6 months. The main difference between the two stages is that stage pre contains lactose and stage 1 contains maltodextrin. OrganicBabyShop carry both stages.

  11. Sheila Avatar
    Sheila

    Hi,

    Thank you for this thorough review. I see that your bottom line recommends Holle over HiPP bc of the Aluminum issue and then the Lebenswert Stage 1 bc it eliminates the maltodextrin issue.
    But, what about Pre-biotics? Is the Lebenswert Stage 1 sufficient if we don’t supplement with pre-biotics? Do you have a suggested pre-biotic supplement?

    Thank you,
    Sheila

  12. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    Hi there! Just wondering if anyone knows where I can order Liebensweet in Canada?

    Many thanks,
    Anna

  13. Seemab Avatar
    Seemab

    Holle and Lebenswert also come in pouches , do you know why those dont have high Aluminum? Has these two been tested for Aluminum? What is the difference between stage 2 Holle and stage 2 Lebeswert? Thanks

  14. natasha s. Avatar
    natasha s.

    Lebenswert stage 1 has skimmed milk. I have read this is not a good idea for formula. Do you have any advice?

  15. Kerstin Avatar
    Kerstin

    Hello,

    your Page is great and i am so happy that i found here. I am looking for a better Formula instead of we are using right now. We are from Germany so my first thinking was buying some German Formular. I can´t breastfeed because of a medical issue so we have decide between Hipp Bio Pre Cobiotika or Lebenswert. My favorite was Hipp but than i read your Page. Your Page Hipp vs. Holle tells that there was Aluminium inside the Powder. I have read this a few times online but all of these Informations are older. Did you check the last few months if the Point with Aluminium still exists? We liked Hipp because it has DHA & ARA not with Hexane and just Lactose but the thing with Aluminium scares me!

    You wrote your Point 1 is Hipp (better the Dutch Version) or Holle Lebenwert. Why do you prefer the Dutch Version of Hipp. I just found the difference that the Dutch Version did not use Starch is that right or are there more differences? Is starch such a Problem in Formula, i thougt it just makes the Milk a Little bit thicker but not worser or?

  16. Leslie Crevar Avatar

    Just a quick question. Since you posted this recommendation have you seen any of the articles written up by Hipp explaining that the aluminum levels publication was faulty? Just asking because I really have no other choice but to use their Hipp HA as our little guys stomach is so sensitive he can’t even handle my breastmilk (dairy, grain,soy, and caffeine free) 🙁 I was just wondering if since you wrote the article you felt more comfortable with any research you had seen.

    1. Mom Mom Avatar
      Mom Mom

      You can google to find the aluminum study and the levels in the study aren’t higher than what the UK mandates is acceptable. Aluminum naturally occurs in cow’s milk so it will be available to a certain extent. Here is some more information and a statement that is purported to be from Hipp: http://hippformulausa.com/hipp-formula-aluminum-study/ Also note that I looked at the study and Holle wasn’t one of the formulas tested so it is unknown what the concentration of aluminum is in that formula – could be higher or lower than Hipp.

  17. David N Avatar
    David N

    Hi Maia,
    Not sure if this has already been asked and answered but regarding the companies that you have vetted: Little World Organics and Organic Munchkin. I was hoping to buy from Organic Munchkin however it appears that the company may have changed ?ownership (not sure), as the name changed to Organic Start. To your knowledge, can we still safely buy from Organic Start? I would get from LWO but they ran out of the formula I usually get.

    Looking forwarding to hearing from you!

    dave

  18. Heather Avatar

    Advising all mothers and fathers. Lebenswert (plus shipping)
    1.Organicbaby15—$25
    2.Organic munchkin-$30
    3. Formuland—– $39
    4. Beyond organic bby-$30
    List can going on but you already see the point.
    Plus with Organicbaby15 price can drop to $20 if you buy in bulks.

  19. Louise Avatar

    Come check our selection of Holle, Hipp, Lebenswert & Nanny Care formulas at Udderly Organics. We offer free shipping, bulk discounts & point program. We have been in business since 2013 & we pride ourselves on fast shipping & excellent customer service.

  20. Carolyn Avatar
    Carolyn

    Hi Laura,

    yes, I made great experience with your shop. Thank you so much for making this good organic formula available in the US. You are the best;)

  21. Laura from maluma green Avatar
    Laura from maluma green

    Hi All,

    we from http://www.maluma-green.com believe in the importance of providing fast and comprehensive support. Our service team typically answers your e-mails within a couple hours.

    We are a team of young parents who believes babies and families around the world have a right to safe and healthy organic formula. It’s our mission to make all those healthy organic European formula available for other like minded parents at affordable cost, with free and fast shipping.

    http://www.maluma-green.com has everything you are looking for. From Holle, Lebenswert, HiPP and more. We are a established German organic food company with a big warehouse and a perfect network of formula manufacturers. As a result, we are immediately informed of any recalls or potential issues with the formula and we always ship the freshest batch available on marked. We are right at the source of supply so we can offer prices up to 60% cheaper than anywhere else on the web.

    Come and try us today and use coupon code 10ALL for 10% off your order today!

    All the best,
    Laura

  22. Jenny Avatar
    Jenny

    Hi. Has the concern over using Baby’s Only for infants been resolved? Looks like the FDA letter to them was in 2012 and they haven’t changed their label, as far as I can tell. So, can it be used for infants, according to Baby’s Only? (Of course, we will ask the pediatrician as well, but we just ran out of formula and I can’t get the kind I usually order in time, or speak with our Dr. about it in time). I need to purchase some emergency formula from the store. Really do NOT want to use Similac, Earth’s Best or Honest Formula, even for a few days! Thanks!!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      As you said, the pediatrician will be the best person to ask, but technically Baby’s Only is a toddler formula, which just means they haven’t gone through the steps to be approved by the FDA as an infant formula (this involves doing clinical trials, etc.). I do know plenty of people who use it for infants.

  23. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    Hello,
    I love this site! Thank you for all of the great info and hard work in researching. My 6 mo has been on Holle 1 for at least the last 3 months. It has been great. We order from Beyondorganicbaby.com and have had a great experience so far. Within 1-3 days I get a text from DHL asking for my signature release and the formula is on our doorstep that day or the next. Sometimes my husband is able to buy in Europe (usually France) when he is there for work. He pays about 7 or 8 euro per box in Lyon. The website charges 26 USD per box but the shipping is free. The mail order and French formulas (German formulation) appear to be exactly the same and our little girl doesn’t seem to notice a difference.

    My question is this; we just switched her to the Holle 2 on Saturday and she has been spitting up and constipated since. My pediatrician is not cool with me using this formula in the first place so she won’t give me any advice about this. I was wondering if the difference in formulations is significant enough that it would be a health concern to keep her on level one at least for a month or two when we will try again.

    Thank You!

    1. Emily Avatar
      Emily

      Maybe I phrased that wrong. What is the difference between stage 1 and 2 of Holle?

      1. Sarah Avatar
        Sarah

        I think stage 1 doesn’t contain any iron and stage 2 does.

      2. Maia James Avatar
        Maia James

        Yes, the big difference is that Stage 2 has more iron.

  24. Farah Deeba Avatar
    Farah Deeba

    Hi all,
    I am having my 2nd baby in a few weeks and actively researching on european formulas. I did earth’s best sensitive formula for my 1st and went through hell the first months until we figured out the ‘sensitive’ formula was easier on my little one’s tummy. Regardless, the sensitive still made him gassy and severely constipated on most days. (solid intro at 4.5 months helped).
    I am leaning towards Holle goat milk formula and dont want to go that route if constipation is common. Any moms/dads currently using it have an opinion when comparing the goat’s milk to Holle organic cow’s milk infant formula?
    Also, this is the pdf version posted on the Holle website about their ingredients and i do not see Iron or Eisen listed on it. Not sure if its my pregnancy brain! http://www.holle.ch/data/catalog/documents/packshots/milchen/ZM1/web_HOL-41880_Pck_Relaunch_Ziegenmilch_D_F_RZ_AM1.pdf

    1. An Nguyen Avatar
      An Nguyen

      I am thinking about using the Holle Goat formula to make oatmeal for my 8 month old baby..I am still pumping for him but I think my supply is drying up. But I’ve read that goal milk should not be given to baby…I am not sure about goat formula? Some said it is better some said the opposite so I am getting confused. Is there a reason why you want to give your baby goat formula instead of the cow one? Mine is allergic to cow milk.

  25. Robert Avatar
    Robert

    Hi All,

    For anyone in Los Angeles using organic formula (Holle, Hipp, etc.) and dealing with the hassle and stress of when to re-order to make sure you won’t run out before your shipment arrives, etc. (since Holle and Hipp are not available anywhere nearby) . . . look no further. I stumbled upon MY ORGANIC FORMULA, and they are awesome! Without exaggeration, I placed my order and the same day (30 mins later) my shipment arrived! I was totally blown away. I believe they offer free shipping, but if you want it the same day they offer expedited service for a nominal cost, and you can even watch the delivery truck online on it’s way to you in real-time! They also provide you with the driver’s cell number in case you need to get in touch.

  26. Ari Avatar
    Ari

    Has anyone tried mixing the Hipp hypoallergenic formula with the Holle Lebenswert forumula? I’m thinking that might help alleviate some of my baby’s has issues

  27. Ashley Avatar
    Ashley

    So many sketchy retailers it seems. I have a girlfriend in Germany who buys everything from a German supplier, and so do I. I get the Lebenswert 1. Shipping is about €32, and each box is €7.99 I think. In the end it cost me $13 a box when I buy 15. The website is http://www.naturkost.com
    It’s in German, and the site will translate some but not everything! I ordered late July and it should be here soon. If anyone uses this site let me know (ladamrell@msn.com). Maybe I can order some stuff with you. I forgot to get some banana cereal ?

  28. Organicbaby15 Avatar

    Get the lowest price and free shipping on all orders nationwide. You can save more on bulk orders on top of our already reduced prices. Organicbaby15.com

  29. Jillian Avatar
    Jillian

    Topfer Organic Infant Formula Lacatant Bio Stage Pre doesn’t contain maltodextrin. Would you recommend it over Lebenswert Stage 1? I’ve been supplementing with Lebenswert Stage 1 since my son was 3 months (he’s 8 months now), but I’m wondering if I should switch to Topfer for the next 4 months? Your input would be appreciated!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I haven’t done a full review of Topfer, but the two look similar overall (outside of the maltodextrin). If it’s a health concern, I would ask your pedi for advice.

  30. Robert Navarro Avatar
    Robert Navarro

    Hi all,
    Our daughter is 10 months old, and we’ve been giving her Holle Infant Milk (and the Honest DHA supplement) since nearly the beginning. We started on stage 1, moved to stage 2 and will be giving her stage 3 till she’s one year old.
    While I have been a huge advocate of Holle (and still feel it’s one of the best out there), our Doctor told us at the last appointment that our daughter is low on iron and we would have to give her an iron supplement. When we compared the iron content of Holle to most other formula brands we found that Holle is about 37% less than the others – and this most likely is why she is iron deficient.
    We are going to try Baby’s Only Organic with the next baby and hope it doesn’t constipate.

    Best,

    -Robert

    1. An Nguyen Avatar
      An Nguyen

      Can you give her some oatmeal to make up for the iron deficiency? Oatmeal does contain iron forfeit doesn’t it?

  31. Briana Avatar
    Briana

    Do you have any experience with hipp’s hypoallergenic formula? I see it still has lactose in it, so does that mean that my baby will have a reaction if he has a dairy sensitivity, or is it broken down enough where he should tolerate it? Strange it’s labeled hypoallergenic if dairy allergies can’t drink it. Thanks!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      This would be a good question for your pediatrician; I don’t want to make a recommendation for a dairy-sensitive baby.

  32. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    What do you think of Topfer? I emailed Organic Munchkin and told him about my baby’s personal situation (underweight, picky eater, and gas) and he recommended that along with the Holle. Thank you!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I haven’t done a thorough review of Topfer, but it generally looks comparable to Holle (maltodextrin being the only not-so-great ingredient).

  33. Shab Avatar
    Shab

    Third time is a charm.. (or sign of habitual postpartum forgetfulness) but Cassie, yes, 0,6=0.6.

    Maia
    6) w regards to the DHA, if the research says that the omegas added to formula have not shown any difference for babies but that it is more of a marketing ploy, should this factor play a role in our decision on which brand to purchase or to search for a supplement?

  34. Shab Avatar
    Shab

    Casse, iron is Eisen and there is 0.7mg in 100ml in Lebenswert 1.

  35. Shab Avatar
    Shab

    Hi. I have a few questions.
    1) in thethe comments above, it has been said that Holle does not contain Lactose vs. Hipp which does. However, the box of Lebenswert 1 that I have DOES contain Lactose. Are we looking at different packaging?
    2) The fat content difference in 100ml is:
    Lebenswert : sat fat 1.1, unsat 1.4, polysat 0.6, total 3.1g
    Holle : sat fat 1.2, unsat 1.3, polysat 0.8, total 3.3g
    Hipp: sat fat 1.2, unsat 0.6, polysat 0.7g, total 3.5
    So for a baby drinking 1L a day, that’s a 4g total difference between the highest n lowest. Is that considered a big difference for babies below 6 months nutritionally?
    3) someone above had said the goat’s formula (which sadly contains maltodex but Lactose too) resulted in constipation. We had the same experience. My question is, can we mix the cow n goat formula to get a better balance? Or is that not good for baby? My pedi said we shouldn’tshouldn’t give goat’s formula period! I am confused abt that bec I had read goat’s milk is closest to mothers milk, so why the fuss abt the formula?

    4)the Holle formula also comes in aluminium packets, so I imagine their alum content will be similar to Hipp’s but has anyone got new info on that?

    5) we order ours from Organicbabyfood24.com and they have good n fast service and give coupons too.

    1. Sue Bernard Avatar
      Sue Bernard

      I’m just now seeing this comment, but any idea as to why organicbabyfood24 is so much cheaper? I’m looking at Holle Lebesnwert. I’m assuming the box is the same size as the the boxes sold on other sites, correct? I’m definitely intrigued by the lower price, but I’m almost scared to buy because it seems to good to be true! I don’t want to get scammed.

  36. Cassie Avatar
    Cassie

    How come iron is not listed in the Lebenswert nutrition facts? Is it listed as something else/has a different name?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      You should have your pediatrician check the label and make sure the nutrition is appropriate for your baby.

    2. Johannes Avatar

      Hey Cassie,

      in German iron means “Eisen” so look for Eisen when checking for iron values.

      Regards
      Johannes

      – organicbabyfoodshop.com

  37. candi burkhart Avatar
    candi burkhart

    HI,
    Thank you so much for the amount of time you put into reseacrhing these formulas for us, I have read endless blogs and I keep coming back to you!!!
    I have a question, my little one os 7 weeks old, I just transitioned her from enfamil to Holle 1, she was so gassy and uncomfortable on enfamil, the first three days while chaning the formula she took to Holle like a dream, burping pooping and sleeping. then day 4 came and massive constipation!!! after inserting a thermometer in her poor tiny bum, she released her BM, it was wasn’t a pellet but it was more dense and intestinal shaped than she’s had before, after the first part came out the rest was soft. I’m wondering if this has something to do with there not being prebiotics in the Holle.
    If something like this was happening with your child, would you think switching to Hipp would be beneficial or would you think that she needed a few more days for her body to get adjusted? thank you in advance

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I would recommend you ask your pediatrician. Unfortunately I’m not qualified to give direct advice about your child’s health. Your pediatrician would be able to provide the best direction.

  38. candi burkhart Avatar
    candi burkhart

    hi,
    i hoe you ca answer a question for me, I recently started using Holle 1 with my 7 week old, she had horrible acid reflux as well as gas, a lot of that does seem better but she is spitting up more than usual, do you know if the Holle formula is considered a thinner formula? any suggestions?

    1. Johannes Avatar

      Try to use HiPP Lebenswert as it is usually even better digestible than Holle.

      Best regards
      Johannes

      PS: Just in case: You can choose between HiPP, Holle and Lebenswert Bio in our new online store at http://organicbabyfoodshop.com

  39. Cassie Avatar
    Cassie

    Hi, what does the comma in the nutrition facts on Holle mean? Is it equal to the “point” in US formula? i.e. per 100 ml prepared bottle it states there is iron 0,6 mg. Does this equal to 0.6 mg?

    Also, since DHA is not in Holle Stage 1 – are there DHA supplements that can be given to a 6 month old?

    Thank you!

  40. Cornel Avatar
    Cornel

    Hi All. After reading all these articles on gimmethegoodstuff, I went ahead and purchased a variety of the formulas from my country (Romania). My daughter just started on formula and it seems she took to HIPP. But I purchased a bunch of other formula. I’m in South Florida area, and I have extra boxes of formula if anyone is interested.
    I have 2-500gr boxes of Anfangs-Milch 1 Lebenswert bio. Exp Feb 2017
    I have 4-400gr boxes of Holle 1. Exp Dec 2016
    I have 2-800gr boxes of Aptamil Pronutra 1. Exp June 2017
    I’m not here to make money off of it, just need to sell it to someone that will use it. I cannot use it, as my little one took to HIPP more than the others. All boxes are sealed. I purchased them for $30 each, and $40 for the Aptamil. I will ship it to anyone in the US if anyone is interested for $25 plus shipping. If you buy them all, ill discount it even more.
    Again, I just need to sell them because my little one took to HIPP, and instead of just sitting around, might as well have another baby use it. Please email me at cornelp at Hotmail dot com.
    cornelp@hotmail.com
    Only serious people folks. Thanks…

  41. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    Hello, do you know of http://www.formuland.com is a legitimate website to order from? Thanks!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Sorry, but I haven’t been able to verify anything–good or bad–about this vendor.

  42. SaniaWth2kids Avatar
    SaniaWth2kids

    I also prefer to trust the Holle formula over the Hipp. I used them for my 2 sons and It’s fair to say I never had any issue. They are now as healthy as they can get. They just grow too fast.. I’m in SF and I usually got my formulas from here http://bit.ly/21Aay7D

  43. Leighann Worthen Avatar
    Leighann Worthen

    Have you done any research on Aptamil or Milupa formulas from Germany?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I did look into Aptamil and don’t consider it Good Stuff. I’ll add Milupa to the list! Thanks for the suggestion!

  44. kris Avatar
    kris

    Hi Maia,

    I love your website and recommendations and am a faithful customer – your products are fantastic. Just wanted to let you know that there appears to be a problem with the supplier Organic Baby that you mention in this post – they appear to be having some problems and do not respond to voicemail or email. They took a very substantial $$ order from me via PayPal and never sent the Holle formula. And have not responded to me over the past 3 weeks or refunded my money. Their voicemail appears to be full, as well. PayPal is investigating, I just thought you should know in case another of your customers has a similar problem with them.

    1. Nancy Avatar
      Nancy

      Hi Kris,

      I’m sorry to hear about your situation, I’m looking to purchase Holle formula and don’t know where to buy it from. I don’t want the same situation to happen to me. Which site are you exactly talking about ?

      1. Roberta Avatar
        Roberta

        Hi Kris,

        I really recommend to buy the formula directly from Germany. Its much cheaper than in the US. We get our formula from http://www.organicbabyfood24.de/

        Great service and neat packaging, organic baby food respond in a short time period and always get things taking care of. Best, Roberta

    2. Maia Avatar
      Maia

      Sorry, which website are you trying to purchase from?

  45. ellen Avatar
    ellen

    sooooo, i’ve read this and all the comments like 3 times. can someone just tell me where to order from? at this point i’m cool with either hipp or hole. some of the websites seem shady. where should i order from? organicbaby15 maybe seems most legit? someone please just tell me where to order. thanks guys!

    desperate and tired momma of 4 here, who just cannot do anymore research here.

    thanks!

  46. Alisa Avatar
    Alisa

    Hi Maia,

    Do you have any info on the differences between the UK and German formulations of HiPP?

    Also, thanks for your website. It’s truly a godsend.

  47. kylie Avatar
    kylie

    Hi Im hoping someone can possible help me with my question… Ive been giving my 5 month old holle goats milk formula stage 1 which she loves and I love giving to her however Ive been having to mix it with either the old crap formula or some all organic corn syrup (both of which I HATE doing) other wise she ends up having incredible hard poops which seem to hurt her coming out….. Anyone else have this issue or know why it’s happening / what I can do?
    thanks

  48. Organicbaby15 Avatar

    Limited time only.
    Buy 15 or more boxes of Lebenswert and price can get as low as $20 a box. With free 2-3 day shipping nationwide.
    Reg price $25 with free shipping

  49. Alin Andrade Avatar
    Alin Andrade

    Hi Maia, so my daughter is now 9 months old and the Holle Lebenswert Infant Formula 1 says it is up to 6 months but I have continued to give it to her since Formula 2 and up all have other ingredients I would prefer her not to have. Do you know if it is ok to continue her on the Formula 1 up to her 12 month birthday?

    1. Maia Avatar
      Maia

      Many people do continue with Stage 1 passed the 6-month mark, but that would be a question for your pediatrician:).

  50. Sari Avatar
    Sari

    Does Holle stage 1 from the UK contain high aluminum levels? Can’t seem to easily access Lebenswert at this time.

  51. Leslie Tang Avatar
    Leslie Tang

    Hi! Do you have any feedback on the website British corner shop? They ship hipp to the US and wanted to see if they would be a trusted source to get my baby formula. Thank you in advance!

  52. kelley elton Avatar
    kelley elton

    what is the difference in iron between holle stage 1 and stage 2

  53. Cornel Avatar
    Cornel

    I got a question for anyone that has been going thru at least 2 of these formulas:
    I have the ability to get Aptamil, Holle and HiPP.
    What would you recommend more than the other? I been researching for weeks now to see whats better. They are pretty close, price wise, but a bit different in the ingredients.
    Thanks…

  54. Ami Avatar
    Ami

    Hi Maia,

    Ahh ok. Lol re:enfamil :). In that case, since we have the option of Holle and Lebenswert which uses lactose, it seems to me to go with Lebenswert. Is there any reason/benefit you found in any of your research that Holle has over Lebenswert? Or are they identical except for the sugar ingredient.. Thanks so much for all your research.

  55. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    Please respond to Merediths post, made February 10th, concerning LittleWorldOrganics taking advantage of the consumer. I think she is exactly right, and I think your readers deserve to know why you endorse such a money hungry company. Thank you!

  56. Merry Avatar
    Merry

    After I read this article I was a little concerned about the aluminium content of Hipp formula, as I actually would prefer Hipp for my baby boy. So I decided to email the company direct, and here’s their reply to me.

    “Dear Merry Alfred,

    Thank you for your email and interest in the products of HiPP.
    There has been an official statement from HiPP in August 2014 on Aluminium in Milk formulas.

    The British journal BMC Pediatrics published an article by Chuhu et al. on excess levels of aluminium in infant milk formulas. The article is an update of a study written in 2010 which was conducted by the same group of researchers.

    HiPP Organic milks are carefully formulated for use from birth, and, of course, meet all legal requirements, as well as satisfying the most stringent quality controls. The levels of aluminium in the products are well within the defined levels set by the European Food Safey Authority (EFSA).

    Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust and can be found in almost all foods. Consequently, minimal amounts are naturally contained in the raw dairy products which are used to make infant formulas.

    The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has defined a tolerable intake level for aluminium. The value for our infant formula, which was criticised in the English study, is well below this tolerance level.

    The analysis results published in the study do however indicate that some HiPP products are in the lower range of all tested reference formulas. Compared with the levels in the 2010 study, we have been able to lower the aluminium levels,

    We assure you that we are working hard on reducing contamination from aluminium in our products.

    The recent study confirms that our efforts to reduce aluminium levels are already showing the first signs of success. Naturally, we are working on lowering the levels further.

    We would like to assure you that HiPP Organic milks are carefully formulated to provide balanced nutrition for your baby: you can rely on our extremely high safety and quality controls.

    I hope this information has been useful to you.

    Kind Regards,
    Petra
    HiPP Klantenservice”

    …And I would like to add that I have been using Hipp formula for my baby and it’s great!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Thanks so much for sharing, Merry!

  57. Meredith Avatar
    Meredith

    I personally wouldn’t recommend Little World Organics for the simple fact they’re taking advantage of parents. Requiring membership fees that can exceed $150/month just to have access to products that you then have to pay high prices for anyways. It’s immoral, in my opinion, to profit off parents trying to do the right thing for their children by feeding them higher quality formula. In addition it creates an elitist culture. Perhaps that parent only has the money for X amount of formula for the month. Now they are forced into feeding their child inferior USA made formula due to these absurd fees. Wow!

    1. Organicbaby15 Avatar

      That’s why there’s organicbaby15, no membership required, no tax, no shipping fee. The more you buy, the cheaper it gets.

    2. Evelyn Velez Avatar
      Evelyn Velez

      I agree, I discovered LWO from this page as well and began ordering thru them for a few months until I discovered that I was being charged almost $10 more for each box than other legitimate websites and her order form always seemed to be taken down after just an hour, so the majority of the time I would stress that I wouldn’t wake up in time to place my order. After being fed up I began buying thru my cousins friend’s site http://www.naturalbabyorganics.com because she offered free pick-up from her house if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and her prices were lower.

  58. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    Any thought about Iron level in Lebenswert? It is lower than American iron fortified formula but maybe it is better that way? I know American formula may put too much iron in but not sure if Lebenswert has too much or too little of Iron

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi there-
      I can only advise you to speak to a pediatrician you trust to get advice on the right amount of iron for your baby.

  59. Jack Avatar
    Jack

    According to the following article, ‘The European Union banned sugar-sweetened infant formula in 2009’.
    HIPP does contain sugar. Isn’t it bad?

    http://foodbabe.com/2013/05/28/how-to-find-the-safest-organic-infant-formula/

    HIPP ingredients chart:
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/HiPP-Organic-months-Onwards-Follow/dp/B003Y6OO5Y

    thanks.

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Jack-
      HiPP does not contain white sugar. It is sweetened with lactose. Hope that helps.

  60. krishna Avatar
    krishna

    does anyone know if biologisch24 is legit?

    1. sumit Avatar
      sumit

      Hi order 4 times from this site like 12 box, all good till now.

  61. Annie Avatar
    Annie

    Do you know why HiPP’s feed preparation instructions says do not use repeatedly boiled water? I have a Japanese hot water boiler that boils the water and then keeps the water at a constant temperature. Is that water safe to use?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I am sorry, but I don’t know why they say not to repeatedly boiled water. I would ask your pediatrician.

  62. Ami Avatar
    Ami

    Hi Maia,

    I just read the article (very informative) as well as all the comments (also informative). Out of curiousity, as I could not tell, for your baby you used original Holle or Lebenswert stage 1? I ordered one of each including the Hipp powder. I saw some back and forth on whether the aluminum levels were high, I plan to do further research because I like the fact that Hipp has prebiotics. It seems to me that you used Holle, could you please let me know why over Lebenswert? Is it due to where the milk comes from?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Ami-
      I didn’t use any formula for my kids (with the exception of some Enfamil for my oldest when he was a newborn–yikes!). Sorry if this was confusing!

      1. Ami Avatar
        Ami

        Ahh ok. Lol re:enfamil :). In that case, since we have the option of Holle and Lebenswert which uses lactose, it seems to me to go with Lebenswert. Is there any reason/benefit you found in any of your research that Holle has over Lebenswert? Or are they identical except for the sugar ingredient.. Thanks so much for all your research.

  63. Susie Avatar
    Susie

    Hi,

    What are the differences between Holle 2 and Lebenswert 2?

    Which one would you recommend be for a baby over 6 months who needs a little bit of supplementation in addition to exclusive breastmilk (maybe just a bottle a day)?

    Also, I know you mentioned you’d prefer Levenswert 1 because it does not contain maltodextrin. What are the differences between Lebenswert 1 and 2 besides maltodextrin and iron levels?

    Thanks!!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Susie-
      If it were my baby, I would probably stick with Lebenswert stage 1, but this is a question you should take up with your pediatrician! One thing about Holle that’s better than Lebensert is that the milk comes from cows on a biodynamic farm (as opposed to simply organic). Ultimately, this is a personal decision, but as I said, I would recommend asking a pediatrician you trust to take a look at the ingredients and nutrition on whichever formulas you are considering.

  64. Kassidy Avatar
    Kassidy

    My son has been on holle lebenswert for over a month now and is still really gassy, is there one you would recommend to help with that? I use Dr. Browns bottles and am burping in the middle of feeds… But still and I don’t want to have to give my kid gripe water every single day a couple times 🙁

  65. Beth Avatar
    Beth

    I have a question – with my first, after I stopped EBF at 7 months, I supplemented with Holle formula until 17 months. While I think the lactose/maltodextrin switch is a great thing, my concern is the milk itself. The Lebenswert formula states the milk is from organic farming, but the Holle formula states biodynamic farming. I love the thought of the biodynamic farming since “organic” can be misused Do you have any clarification on the issue? Thanks!

    1. maia Avatar

      Hi Beth-
      My understanding that Europe’s version of “organic” is actually much more meaningful than ours is. Still, I agree that milk from cows living on a biodynamic farm is even better! It’s a weighing of the pluses and minuses, and ultimately a personal decision. I guess for me, I would favor the lack of maltodextrin over the lack of biodynamic milk, but an argument could definitely be made for the opposite!

  66. Dee Avatar
    Dee

    Hi Maia,

    I’ve been ordering quite a bit from Beyond Organic Baby but I don’t see them listed on your site anymore as a good place to buy from. Am I just not seeing it, or have you removed them for some reason? I’m nervous that maybe there is a problem with them that I’m not aware of. Thanks in advance!!!

    1. maia Avatar

      Hi Dee-
      I had some additional questions about BOB’s supply chain and was unable to get a clear answer from them. I think it’s probably still fine, but I don’t want to recommend anyone that I am not 100% confident about.

      1. Dee Avatar
        Dee

        Oh no! Makes me nervous because I have a large supply from them right now (I buy in bulk). 🙁 Do you think it’s safe to continue using the formula? My baby seems to being doing fine on it so I’m assuming it’s at least safe, but do you think there could be something wrong with BOB’s supply (such as being counterfeit or something)? Thanks again!!

        1. Maia James Avatar
          Maia James

          Hi Dee-
          I honestly doubt it’s counterfeit, but I didn’t like the lack of response I got from them.

  67. Jenia Avatar
    Jenia

    What’s the main difference between stage 1 and stage 2? Do you think it’s ok to go on with Lebenswert stage 1 after 6 months?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      The downside to the stage 2 is that it contains maltodextrin. I know a lot of parents who choose to continue feeding their baby stage 1 after 6 months–just check with your pediatrician!

  68. Allison Avatar
    Allison

    I’m just wondering what you think about Hipp Ha? My son is 3 months old and has a milk protein allergy that we found at 2 weeks old (blood in his diaper). I am now on a dairy-free diet and he is breastfed 4 out of 7 days per week, but on the 3 days I work he ends up needing a little formula once my pumped milk runs out. I’m using Similac alimentum although I do not want to! I just came across the hypoallergenic Hipp tonight (although it is sold out everywhere)…I’m excited to know there’s a healthier option!

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi! Yes, I would recommend HiPP HA over Similac Alimentum…but of course check with your pediatrician!

    2. Lina Avatar
      Lina

      Hi- did you end up trying HIPP HA? If so would you mind sharing your experience?

  69. Melanie Avatar
    Melanie

    Can anyone help me? I really want to switch to one of these formulas but I don’t know which one. I tried The Honest Company formula with my daughter because it was affordable. At 3 weeks she became so constipated she had bloody stool. My pediatrician recommended we go back to Enfamil Gentlease. She deals with gas a lot. I’ve got her on organic probiotic drops. She is almost 4 months old and I want to get her back on something organic and healthy, but I’m afraid it will be too much for her tummy. I need something with partially digested proteins. That is what my pediatrician is recommending. Does anyone have similar experience? Recommendations?

    1. Kara Avatar
      Kara

      My daughter had the same issue. We used the Honest Co and our daughter was so constipated that she started to have blood in her stool. We switched to Baby’s Only (sensitive) but she still has bad gas.

  70. Delanie Avatar
    Delanie

    If using Holle only as a supplement to BM (probably 60-40 BM), which Holle formula would you choose for an 8 mo? I like that the lebenswert bio stage 1 doesn’t have maltodextrin, but is it an issue since it is labeled for 0-6 mo.

    1. Maia Avatar
      Maia

      I personally would do Lebenswert stage 1 even for that age, but you should of course ask your pediatrician!

  71. Melissa Avatar

    I keep hearing that the products sold in the uk are different and of a lower grade than the ones sold directly out of Germany ? Any truth to this??

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      I have never heard that and I can’t imagine that the quality would be different between countries. I asked my contacts who import these formula and they had also never heard of this.

      1. Esther Avatar
        Esther

        Hello!
        Is there a UK online store you would recommend to buy HIPP? I did notice it is cheaper than the US sites that sell it. Just want to be sure I would be buying from a reputable site.
        Also my son EBF will be 6 mo in March and I will need to start supplementing. Which HIPP brand would you suggest?
        Thank you!

  72. Tabatha Avatar
    Tabatha

    Have you done any research on purely loved organics? Just wondering if it is legit.

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Tabatha-
      No, I’m sorry but I am not familiar with that one!

  73. Elaine Avatar
    Elaine

    I am wondering what the iron pyrophosphate and copper sulfate are in the Holle Lebenswert stage 2 formula and if this is safe for my baby.

  74. Imola Avatar

    About the DHA in Hipp I found this source:

    Since 2010, LCP’s (AA & DHA) and prebiotic oligossacharides (GOS) have been added to our formula range, so that bottle-fed babies can benefit. These are key ingredients which are also found in breastmilk. It is the addition of these compounds which means that HiPP milks are no longer vegetarian
    The LCP’s which are added to our infant and hungry baby powdered formulas are from a fish source, although the ready-to-feed versions contain an algae source. The prebiotics which are included in the ready-to-feeds and the follow-on-milks are made from lactose, and the extraction method used to separate this lactose from the milk involves animal rennet. Similarly, the lactose and whey powder used in our Growing up milk (both powder and ready to feed) and Good night milks use the same extraction method.
    Unfortunately, sources of non-animal rennet are scarce, and this is an industry-wide problem. As a result, most of the standard first infant formula milks currently available in the UK are not vegetarian. We believe strongly in the benefits of having prebiotics and LCPs in our formulas to help soften stools and aid digestion for babies so we believe the inclusion, and decisions made as a result, are the right ones in order to provide babies with ‘the next breast thing’.

  75. Hannah Avatar
    Hannah

    I have 3 boxes of HiPP Organic 1 from Birth onwards First Infant Milk 800GM for sale at $25 per box. We bought it in the UK and would no longer be needing it. Email me at fumi210@gmail.com if your interested.

  76. Annie Walker Avatar
    Annie Walker

    And – there are no memberships or limited stocking! I think there is a 12 box per order limit, but that is reasonable. Cheers.

  77. Annie Walker Avatar
    Annie Walker

    I buy HIPP straight from the UK. I used to use Artisana, thank goodness I paid with PayPal and was able to get my last $200 back after they shut down their site. I now use http://www.britsuperstore.com/

    Super fast! I ordered on Saturday and received on Thursday! The cost (incl shipping) was almost the same price than the same quantity of Enfamil or Similac.
    I got 4 boxes of 800g (3200g total) for $140.00. That is $35 per box of 800g or $0.04375 per gram. Compare to $26 for 629g of Enfamil Newborn which is $0.04133 per gram. Totally worth the extra $0.00242 per gram for a far superior product! And customer service was very responsive, helpful, and quick as well.

  78. Amir Simkhai Avatar
    Amir Simkhai

    Hey, I hope you dont mind but I really have this strong urge to recommend a British website that i used to order 15 NEW boxes of Hipp and 12 Ready to feed.
    British Online Supermarket – http://www.britishonlinesupermarket.com/
    It was Quick, with no NO Daily Quotas and no NO Membership Fees. No nonsense in short.
    The best part is that it is literally half the price of the American website that are selling it. Some of these American website give you a feeling that they are doing you a favor that they are selling it to you. I didnt like that and I am so happy I found this site.
    Apparently you make an order and then the folks in the UK go out and shop for the items.
    I made the order on Oct 13 , on Oct 16 I got a confirmation email that the order was shipped and today (the 20th) I got all the sealed boxes. 7 Days.
    They said it will take about 2-3 weeks.
    Below is the order i made so you can compare the costs: (works out to about $22-$23 per 800 g box!!)
    DESCRIPTION QUANTITY PRICE COST
    Hipp Organic Infant Milk 800g 15 £10.49 £157.35
    No. Shipped 15
    Hipp Organic First Infant – 12 £1.19 £14.28
    Milk 200ml
    No. Shipped 12
    Subtotal: £171.63
    Shipping & Handling: £77.99
    Total: £249.62

    I swear i have no affiliation to the website, just one very very happy customer! My name is Amir Simkhai, you can check me on Facebook.

    1. Esther Avatar
      Esther

      Hello, have you been happy with the products you received from this website?? I just went to the site and you are right, the prices are definitely the cheapest I’ve seen.

  79. Mary Avatar

    Hi all! I wanted to provide another resource for mommies looking to order Holle products here in the US. We sell Lebenswert Bio 1 and other Holle products at http://www.purelylovedorganics.com. Hope this helps!

    1. Melissa Avatar
      Melissa

      How do you still have this in stock ? I thought there was a worldwide shortage?

      1. Melissa Avatar
        Melissa

        Hi, there was a worldwide shortage because I was trying for the longest to get this, then I finally found that organicbaby15 are now stocked with it.

  80. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    I was looking at the nutrition facts of Holle and there is fluoride in it. Is this safe for babies?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      My understanding is that the fluoride found in Holle (and other) formulas is the naturally-occurring variety—from the milk used to make their formulas.

  81. Robert Navarro Avatar
    Robert Navarro

    Hi Maia,

    Since our daughter is only about 8 lbs 11 oz, (and the minimum dosage for the Premium Organic DHA supplement is 1.0 ml for a 10 lb baby) my Pediatrician suggested 0.5 ml. However, we stopped the Premium Organic and went to Hipp Organic First Infant (stage 1) while we are waiting for our shipment of Holle Organic Goat Milk (Formula 1) to arrive. We first tried Baby’s Only Organic (with Hexane-free DHA and ARA) but it really constipated our baby. Then we went to the Premium Organic which did the same. Our Pediatrician suggested Enfamil Newborn (which we tried just to see if her constipation would improve) + mineral oil . . . but after a lot of research I bought the Holle Organic Goat which I am really looking forward to getting a hold of. Unfortunately the Hipp Organic has the high aluminum issue or we would stick with it. Our baby seems to love it, and her poop has returned to something resembling what you get with breast milk. For what it’s worth, I agree with you. Holle all the way, and from what I can tell the “Goat Milk” formula is even better!

  82. Robert Navarro Avatar
    Robert Navarro

    Hi Maia,
    We just started using the Premium Organic Infant Formula from the Honest company while we’re waiting for Hipp to be back in stock so we can order. I know it does not contain DHA, but they make a supplement you can add to the formula. However, the dosage goes by weight, and it starts at 10 lbs. Our newborn only weighs just over 7 lbs, so I’m not sure how much to give her or if it’s even safe for infants. Do you have any advice?

    Best,

    -Robert

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Congrats on your newborn! This is a question that I think is best answered by a pediatrician. Would love to hear the advice you receive if you would be willing to share. Thanks!

  83. Ginger Avatar
    Ginger

    Has anyone actually asked your child’s pediatrician about using HiPP/Holle? If so, what was the response? I want to start using one of these for my baby, but my pediatrician has me fill out info about what we’re feeding her at every visit and I just don’t want a lecture about how it isn’t FDA approved.

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Ginger, if it’s at all helpful–It’s my understanding that Euro formulas are only not FDA approved because they haven’t sought approval, not because they wouldn’t meet it.

    2. Lili Avatar
      Lili

      Ginger.
      When i told my doctor about Giving my Baby Holle FOrmula he had no clue . My doc just gave me the stink eye. At the end of the day its your baby and you know best. My little one just turned 9 months, hasnt gotten sick once and is super healthy. I dont know if its because of the formula or not but i would like to think so since its costing me a pretty penny to get her the best .

  84. Maia Avatar

    I was under the impression that you no longer needed to boil the water when making formula…but I look forward to hearing from some formula feeders on this thread!

    1. Melissa Avatar
      Melissa

      Is this store a safe store. Another blog about these formulas said to order from bristore.co.uk. Also I got the UK version of hippvthis time and not the German and she’s been 24hrs since the change in formula and she’s been spitting up a lot more than usual. Guess that’s from the switch. She didn’t spit up at all on the German one though

  85. Dené Avatar
    Dené

    Thank you for the in depth evaluation of these products. Using holle stage 1 and own a three step water filter (thanks gimmethegoodstuff). What is the deal with the instructions for boiling the water? Does this have to be done? and why or why not?

    1. Dené Avatar
      Dené

      Correction heating the water to 50 degrees Celsius then cooling to 37 degrees Celsius.

  86. brenna ferwerda Avatar
    brenna ferwerda

    I just received my Hipp infant formula in the mail and read the ingredients and nutrition facts and was shocked to see that it contains FLUORIDE!!! Beware…..
    I am so disappointed?

  87. Alder Avatar
    Alder

    I used hipp with my 14 month old, but because of aluminum concern, I’m thinking of trying the lebenswert. I’ve read that it has less fat content though. Should this be cause for concern?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Alder-
      That would be a question for your pediatrician, but if it were my baby and he/she were a healthy weight, I wouldn’t be concerned.

  88. Mommy Maria Avatar
    Mommy Maria

    I’m sorry but there is a lot of confusion on this site about Holle and HiPP. Both of these formulas are excellent, both sourced from organic European farms and both of these EU certified organic companies know exactly where their raw materials are derived. In fact, HiPP contracts with a very large network of European farmers, for example, that are all required to abide by the same EU organic standards.

    Regarding the aluminum issue, this need to be corrected for parents. Aluminum in infant milk (and it is in ALL infant milk, aluminum is in almost all of our processed foods in small traces) is derived from the actual soil on which cows feed. It’s found in the earth’s crust and depends on the age of soil. This study only measured certain brands, did not measure Holle, and is only a single snapshot of one particular box from one particular cow. It doesn’t mean that all the formula contains the same levels. It certainly doesn’t mean that one brand of baby formula has more aluminum than another because of this. There is a very good and extensive review of the study that parents should have access to: http://hippformulausa.com/hipp-formula-aluminum-study/

    Both of these formulas are excellent substitutes to US national brands? Why? Because they don’t contain artificial additives. It’s really that simple. We’ve had our baby on HiPP for over a year. When we switched from Enfamil (which I thought was the best found here) to HiPP, she changed completely. No more colic, no more digestive problems. Her poop turned yellow again.

    All I can tell parents is, don’t get caught up in the banter. Try it and see for yourself!

  89. Chad Avatar
    Chad

    Hi,

    All of the vitamins and some of the minerals are synthetic in the Holle and HiPP formulas. Same case for all USA baby formula. Has anyone asked these companies if these vitamins and minerals are NOT coming from China? This is critical as most vitamins and minerals for any supplement come from China which is a quality concern.

    I also saw some concerns with Martek’s DHA/ARA ingredient. YES! Do not purchase products with that ingredient. The company is not transparent on the entire manufacturing process. Cornucopia Institutes review on this ingredient is accurate and a good read if interested.

    -Chad (supplement insider)

    1. Jenny Avatar
      Jenny

      I’d also love to know the source of the vitamins and minerals. If only the makers who claim to make their formulas because they “care” would look into using food-based ones or high quality synthetic. Sammy’s is the only kind I’ve seen that at least tried to use more natural forms, e.g. their folate, but they didn’t meet FDA requirements for safety testing and are off market for now.

  90. Steph Avatar
    Steph

    If you read the aluminum studies closely it specifies that the high aluminum levels are for the HIPP soy based formula and that the powdered milk based formula actually had one of the lowest aluminum levels. We are using it to supplement our breastfed twins and are very happy with HIPP. It’s a wonderful product.

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Steph! Thanks for pointing this out! Can I ask where you are buying the HiPP you use?

    2. Tiffany Avatar
      Tiffany

      Steph, could you please provide a link to the article that speaks to that point? (i.e. it specifies that the high aluminum levels are for the HIPP soy based formula and that the powdered milk based formula actually had one of the lowest aluminum levels)

      I just bought a lot of Hipp formula before coming across the aluminum issue.

      Thanks.

  91. Amanda Avatar
    Amanda

    What would be the concern with purchasing these formulas in EBay?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Amanda-
      The only concern is that you can’t be 100% what you’re getting with Ebay, although I honestly doubt people are taking Holle formula packaging and filling it with Similac.

  92. stacyg Avatar
    stacyg

    To anyone interested, I’m not a seller or distributor of this formula but I just have some left over that I didn’t end up needing.I wanted to let anyone interested know that I have a few boxes of Holle formula stage 1 for sale on eBay. This formula is pricey and I would rather sell it at a lower price then just toss it! I am selling it because I ordered too much and now I no longer need it. Thank you!
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Holle-Infant-Formula-Stage-1-2-Boxes-/261887774419?ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

  93. Nate Avatar
    Nate

    Well the bad news is that the Artisana.co.uk site has been taken offline. I have been ordering the HIPP stage 1 for my son since January. First Amazon was forced to take it off the list and now this site has been taken down. I ordered 6 boxes on April 5th and have not seen the shipment yet. There are other sites that sell it from overseas however their prices are much higher than Artisana. I am really disappointed.
    Nate

    1. anika Avatar
      anika

      Yes I have noticed this also- I am very upset as I spent $250 in HIPP order that never arrived and now I cannot get a hold of anybody! Do you happen to have a contact number for their customer service? I have emailed several times and now nobody is getting back to me. :/

      1. Maia James Avatar
        Maia James

        I don’t have any contact info beyond what you guys have for Artisana. Sorry!

  94. Keren Avatar
    Keren

    This may go against what makes Holle the most natural option, but do you know if its formula is iron-fortified or contains any of the eye/brain development benefits?

    1. Maia James Avatar
      Maia James

      Hi Keren-
      No, Holle does not contain LCP oils (the ones advertised to boost eye and brain development, although studies haven’t really shown them to be effective in doing so). Yes, it does contain iron.

      1. Keren Avatar
        Keren

        That’s very helpful, thanks so much! Just two follow-up questions:
        – If using Holle, would you recommend giving baby a non-hexane extracted DHA supplement (such as Honest brand) or do you believe there’s no proven benefit so no need? (As a side note, I’m supplementing breastfeeding with formula, about 50/50 currently.)
        – Could you explain what the benefits of prebiotics are? Since Holle is missing this, is there a supplement you’d recommend?
        Thanks again!

        1. Maia Avatar
          Maia

          Hi Keren-
          I don’t feel qualified to answer questions about nutrition for infants who aren’t eating solid foods, and would encourage you to ask your pediatrician. I like this on prebiotics: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/prebiotics/#axzz3ZgMdnhB8

  95. Maia Avatar
    Maia

    My research has led me to believe that no, there is not a risk from the radiation.
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/01/12/145107755/why-x-rayed-food-isnt-radioactive-and-other-puzzles

  96. Zara Avatar
    Zara

    I heard the shipment of these European brands go through X-rays.Do you have any insight and whether it’s harmful or not?

    1. Steve Avatar

      To start with, anything you import into a country might go through x-ray.
      The other question, is it harmfull or negligible ?

      X-Ray of mailpieces is totally harmless, here are some facts:
      Radiation dose of mail x-ray-scanner : 0.01 mrem
      One day of natural background radiation : 1 mrem
      One day of man-made radiation : 1 mrem
      Average commercial airplane flight (4 hours) = 4 mrem

      http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/bio-effects-radiation.html
      http://www.radiationanswers.org/radiation-blog/Airport_xray_scanners.html

      So if you take your kid on a day at the beach, the exposed radiation will be 20 times higher (natural and man-made radiation together), than a mailpiece will take from a scan.

      Best Regards
      Steve – Milkbutler.com – Your reliable source for organic babyfood

  97. Emi Avatar
    Emi

    I’ve been supplementing breastfeeding with Hipp since my son turned 6 months and we are very satisfied with it. I order mine from Artisana.co.uk. They ship free to the US and always send me coupon codes. The package usually arrives in 10 days but I make sure to always order ahead of the time. We chose Hipp because of various reviews but most importantly because it uses lactose. We also used the ready made Hipp a few times when traveling and my son liked it just fine.

    1. anika Avatar
      anika

      Artisana’s website is offline. I am very upset as I spent $250 in HIPP order that never arrived and now I cannot get a hold of anybody! Do you happen to have a contact number for their customer service? I have emailed several times and now nobody is getting back to me. :/
      Thank You!

      1. Johannes Avatar

        Hello Anika,

        here is Johannes from OrganicBabyFoodShop.com.

        We are aware that there is some trouble with the shipping sometimes. Thats also why we created a new shipping (and warehousing system) that ships only the freshest batch directly form Hamburg, Germany to you!

        Check it out if you’re still serious about getting the best organic baby formula.
        http://www.organicbabyfoodshop.com

  98. Maia James Avatar
    Maia James

    I’m sure someone will take them off your hands, Joann! Congrats on the breastfeeding success!

  99. Joann Avatar
    Joann

    I ordered a lot of boxes of Holle from Europe as my baby wouldn’t latch but six weeks in and we are now exclusively breastfeeding. Sucks they are going to waste! since it’s not available in the US, I don’t think I could donate the boxes 🙁

    1. Nancy Avatar
      Nancy

      When do they expire? I might be interested 🙂

      1. Johannes Avatar

        Hey Nancy,

        Are you still interested in more Holle Infant Formula?

        Regards
        Johannes

        1. Kayla Avatar
          Kayla

          I am interested

    2. Miriam Avatar
      Miriam

      I would be very interested in them. Are they still available??? Please let me know. Ecuabella1 at gmail.com

  100. Maia James Avatar
    Maia James

    Hi Lynne-
    In theory that would be great, but I have not yet found a brand to recommend. Hopefully at some point we will find one! Thanks for reading:).

    1. Alison Avatar
      Alison

      I like Genestra’s infant probiotics. Natogen for breast fed and Baby F for formula fed. Main difference is pre and probiotics in the formula version.

  101. Lynne Avatar
    Lynne

    Thank you so much for the comprehensive research! If one were to use Holle, is there a supplemental way to replace the prebiotics?

  102. john Avatar
    john

    The goat milk formula is a good bet, Veronica, although only as an “add on,” as you can see on their website.
    Celia, we cannot guarantee any of the vendors listed–these are just places that sell the formula and many people have purchased with them with no issues.

  103. Veronica Avatar
    Veronica

    What about the Holle goat milk formula? How does it stack up?

  104. Celia Avatar
    Celia

    Hi, can I trust formuland.com to buy Holle?

    1. Bee Avatar
      Bee

      I’m curious about why you ask this question. I am looking for a place to buy Holle products in the U.S. and came across a similar question elsewhere. Is there a problem with this company?

      1. Maia James Avatar
        Maia James

        Hi ladies-
        I am removing the recommendations of where to buy Holle formula until I am able to vet some of these online retailers. Stay tuned.

        1. Jeane Avatar
          Jeane

          I saw that you removed some of your website recommendations on where to buy these formulas. I purchased through Tora foods as well as Formuland via paypal. Both had minimal shipping costs but were over $30/box. It seemed safe especially with the paypal option but I saw that bioBaby24 does not have that option but is definitely the cheapest I’ve seen for Holle (around $20) (I would purchase Hipp because it is a better deal except my baby seems to be more gassy on it). Looking forward to seeing what you can find out about these sites.

          1. Maia James Avatar
            Maia James

            Thank you so much for the feedback, Jeane! Yes, I don’t want to officially recommend any vendor until I have thoroughly vetted them. I have been having phone calls with many of them and will be coming out with an official recommendation soon!

    2. Morgan Avatar
      Morgan

      I’ve ordered from http://www.biobaby24.com a few times. Located in NY (thats where they shipped from) and they definitely are the cheapest. Too bad they only sell Holle.

      1. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        I’ve ordered from http://www.organicbabyfood24.com 🙂 My twins love Holle, very good packing, on time delivery, need some more. Will highly ecommend!

    3. chen Avatar
      chen

      My aunt has been ordering from them with no complains. They are really quick and have most of the time Holle formula in stock. Because of the really high prices I would reccomend the shop http://www.neogno.com, which ships Holle formula directly from Germany. I always had newest batches comparing to those my aunt received. The only dissadvantage is the ammount of time it takes to receive the parcels. So I had to order 1,5 weeks in advance and before I went out of formula.
      Chen NY

  105. Lindsay Avatar
    Lindsay

    Do Hipp or Holle contain any added DHA? If so do we know their extraction method? Curious if they are using the non GMO method that Baby’s Only uses.

    Also, what’s the best oatmeal for an infant? Preferably one sold in the US that is a true GMO-free oatmeal? Earth’s Best used hexane extraction in their DHA formulas but curious if their oatmeal is the same. I can’t seem to find this info anywhere!

  106. john Avatar
    john

    Hi Vidhya-
    It’s true that there is no guarantee about the aluminum levels of Holle–and the company has been unresponsive to my requests for more information because they say they are not allowed to sell their products in the US market. We continue to try to get additional information on all infant formulas and will post updates as we do! In the meantime, the best that parents can do is choose the safest formulas based on current research. This is part of what makes this issue so complicated!

  107. Vidhya Avatar
    Vidhya

    Hello.
    I just found the aluminium study on biomedcentral.com and holle was not one of the products included in the test. Who know how much is in that formula? Several other European formulas were. I’m not sure of a study like this with u.s formula either.

  108. Vidhya Avatar
    Vidhya

    Hello
    Do you know if the study about aluminium in baby food formula included holle? It is a lot in the hipp formula. But I wonder which products were included.
    Thanks.

  109. Jennifer Obert Avatar
    Jennifer Obert

    Hello,

    So these brands are thought to be safer/better than Baby’s Only DHA/ARA?

    1. john Avatar
      john

      Hi! Yes, it is our opinion that these European brands are probably superior to Baby’s Only, although Baby’s Only is still a good choice for formula-feeders.

      1. Laura Avatar
        Laura

        Holle is the best, closest to natural milk formula I’ve tried. No chalky, artificial smell, great formulation. All other major brand formulas we tried literally smelled like rotten eggs, or extremely chalky. I cringed at the smells. I had the hardest time giving those disgusting smelling formulas to my new born. But until I found Holle on http://www.organicbabyfood24.com I had no choice. 🙂

        1. Laura Avatar
          Laura

          Actually that organic site is in Germany so I now buy Holle from bIobaby24 which is in NYC, USA! Unfortunately they don’t have HiPP.

          1. Sarah Avatar
            Sarah

            Hi, can you tell me where “blobaby24” is? I’m trying to find it but don’t see anything on it. Thanks!

          2. Maia James Avatar
            Maia James

            Sarah-I don’t think biobaby24 is legit. I wouldn’t order from them.

    2. Rob Avatar
      Rob

      It’s terrible that we can’t buy safe infant formula in the U.S.

      The ingredients in the U.S. brands are addictive poison. It’s no wonder half our kids are obese in America when we feed babies corn sugar.

      The FDA should be shut down and replaced for failing to protect the American people. The fact that they actively prevent the sale of safe infant formula brands from Europe is disgusting.

      The price of doner milk in the U.S. is also disgusting. I can’t believe they declared it a prescription drug so they can control it. Doner milk should be available free from people who wish to donate it so we wouldn’t need to poison our babies with this filth. America really sucks sometimes…

    3. Chen Avatar
      Chen

      Though the comment is really old I would like to comment because I had some bad experience with ordering Holle from various stores. This way other parents can spare a lot of trouble stress and sleepless nights.
      Our little one suffered in constipation issue previously. After doing lots of research with my husband we found out that in many cases the formula caused the issue. Holle and Hipp were 2 of the most recommended to switch to by other moms who had similar issues, all over the web. I first wanted to try Holle because they seem to have better organic production practices and because there was an article about aluminium in Hipp formula some time ago.
      We finally ordered 2 boxes from ebay to give the Holle formula a try. It was a life saver. Our lo just loved Holle. No digestion problems anymore. No pooping problems. No more tummy upset. Finally a happy baby at home. In my opinion the formula smells fresh and clean almost smells like breastmilk and not cheesy like US formulas. Taste is really good too.
      Due to financial constraints we had to find a cheaper source to feed our lo. We tried all 3 German stores that sell and ship Holle to the US. All 3 have prices that are really good compared to the overpriced US vendors. The main issue when ordering abroad is the time it takes for the parcel to arrive. So we had to contact the support and ask them how to proceed. Not all of them are competitive and do care about the customers. We had the best experience with http://www.neogno.com where the support is great. We had been waiting for 3 weeks for a parcel to arrive and wrote them an email that our formula was running out and explained that we couldn´t afford to order new at this moment. Supprisingly we had to pay just half of the cost and we got an expess shippment with 3 Holle formula boxes for our baby until the big order arrived. We have ordered 5 times in total and everything was well packed including free gifts in the parcel. Thank you again neogno.com for your customer oriented The main reason for taking so much time to write this review, besides the health of my baby, is that I dislike profit-oriented companies. A shop from Germany tried to sell to my husband Holle together with Aptamil which they recommended as organic and much better than Holle. The reason was Holle not being in stock. After writing Aptamil an email we found out that they don´t even produce an organic formula.

      To all parents out there, have faith and raise your lo with ❤❤❤
      Chen NY

    4. Jean Avatar
      Jean

      Hi there. I was reading on Kellymom that if buying formula (as in our case, as a backup “just in case”) we should be looking for a hydrolszed forumula so that the milk proteins are less prone to create allergies. Do you know if either of these are hydrolysed? Thanks, Jean