Though there are a million options, choosing the best bottles for breastfeeding babies may be easier than you think. Letting your baby breastfeed exclusively for the first three weeks may help, as can trial and error. “Bottles are a funny thing. There isn’t a one-brand-fits-all for every baby. Some babies take to the first bottle they try, while others go through 15 different brands before they find one they like,” says Andrea Traynor, a breastfeeding mom and the founder of review site Mommy Gearest.
NEED A BREAK? Find affordable nannies and babysitters in your neighborhood.
Lactation specialists agree. “To make things easier, establish breastfeeding first before trying out different bottles so your baby can continue to build those muscles and skills,” says Leigh Anne O’Connor, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who also recommends using paced bottle feeding to ease the transition and choosing a slow-flow nipple, which will be most like breastfeeding. When you’re ready, these are some of the best bottles for breastfeeding currently on the market for you and your baby to try.
- Medela Calma
Designed specifically for breast milk feeding and featuring a unique nipple design, the Medela Calma lets babies use the natural feeding behavior they learn at the breast to seamlessly transition to bottle feeding.
- Dr. Brown’s BPA-Free Natural Flow Wide Neck Bottle
The silicone nipple on Dr. Brown’s Wide Neck Bottle features a broad base, liked by many breastfeeding moms. The bottle design is fully vented, creating vacuum-free feeding, comparable to baby’s breastfeeding experience.
- The First Years Breast Flow Bottle
Using a suction and compression feeding system that mimics breastfeeding, the First Years Breast Flow Bottle has a patented inner nipple to help your baby control milk flow and a soft outer nipple that emulates the feel of mom’s breast.
- Adiri NxGen Stage 1 Nurser Slow Flow Baby Bottle
Touted by moms for its nipple shape and size, the Adiri NxGen is readily accepted by babies and considered one of the best breastfeeding bottles for easy latching.
- Yoomi Feeding System
The naturally shaped slow-flow nipple of the Yoomi Feeding System helps your baby latch on readily, and an internal heating element warms the milk to exact body temperature.
- Playtex Drop-Ins Original Nurser
Low-cost and old-school, the Playtex Drop-Ins with collapsing bottle liners are now BPA-free and continue to be a favorite of generations of breastfeeding moms and one of the best bottles for breastfeeding on the market.
- BPA-Free Playtex Ventaire Bottle
Another winner from Playtex, the Ventaire was designed specifically for switching back-and-forth from breast to bottle or transitioning off the breast completely.
- Philips Avent BPA-Free Bottle
A favorite bottle of many moms, the petal designed nipple and wider shape of the Philips Avent require your little one to open wide, emulating the experience of breastfeeding and eliminating nipple collapse.
- Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle
The Comotomo’s natural, squeezy feel and shape along with a large slow-flow nipple make this an easy bottle for most breastfeeding babies to latch onto and transition back and forth from.
- Lansinoh mOmma Feeding Bottle
A natural nipple shape and good venting system make the Lansinoh mOmma super popular with fussy babies who have trouble latching on. The design also helps to eliminate spit-up.
- Mimijumi Bottles
These bottles feature the tag line “The next breast thing,” and many moms agree. Mimijumi bottles come in Not So Hungry and Very Hungry sizes, both of which have a flow rate which emulates the breast and allows your baby to control milk flow through a natural latch.
- Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature First Feed Bottle
An extra slow-flow nipple featuring flex and stretch design mimic natural breast movement and shape, plus a super-sensitive valve provides excellent venting and easy feeding on the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottle.
- MAM BPA-Free Bottle
An orthodontic nipple and wide mouth system make the MAM bottle an easy-to-use choice for many breastfeeding babies.
- Mixie Baby
For moms who wish to supplement breast milk with formula, Mixie Baby is an easy-to-use choice that provides ease to the feeding experience for moms and caregivers by mixing powdered formula and water right in the bottle. It works well with a variety of nipples such as Avent and Dr. Brown’s, helping your baby avoid nipple confusion.
Corey Whelan is a freelance writer specializing in anything mom, who lives in New York City.