Best Baby Bottle Overall: Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle

After talking to lactation consultants, surveying more than a thousand Baby Bargains readers and researching dozens of baby bottles, we’ve chosen the Avent as the Best Baby Bottle.

Avent gets the nod for its well-designed nipple, which is clinically proven to reduce colic (uncontrollable, extended crying that starts in some babies around one month of age). Avent bottles are perhaps the most popular baby bottles on the market today. Many parents swear by them for being easy to clean (easier than the multi-piece Dr. Brown’s bottles). Feedback from readers is excellent.

Avent bottles: What We Like—and What We Don’t

Avent makes two types of baby bottles: Anti Colic with AirFree Vent and Natural. The big difference between the bottles is their nipples. The Natural is breast-shaped plus it has “Comfort Petals,” which are supposed to make the nipple softer and more flexible. The Anti Colic version has a one piece vent to keep air out. FYI: you can’t use the Natural nipples on the Anti Colic bottles or visa versa.

Lest you think the Natural bottles aren’t “anti colic,” never fear. The nipple itself has a twin valve, anti-colic system to keep baby from ingesting too much air. Regardless, both types are compatible with Avent’s breast pump, the Comfort Double. While the Anti Colic and the Natural are available in BPA-free plastic, only the Natural comes in a glass version.

Prices vary depending on the number of bottles, size and type (but generally they are priced in the middle of the pack). If you find them pricey, there is some good news: they go on sale frequently.

You can get a starter set (put it on your registry) like this one, if you don’t know which sizes to buy. They even offer one that includes a microwave sterilizer.

Avent bottles are perhaps the most popular baby bottles on the market today, along with Dr. Brown’s. Many parents swear by them for reducing colic and gas and being easy to clean (easier than the multi-piece Dr. Brown’s bottles). Feedback from readers is excellent.

The biggest complaint about Avent: the measurement markings on the side rub off after a few months of use. This understandably frustrates parents who’ve shelled out this much for a bottle, only to discover it’s now hard to measure out formula and water.

Some readers report trouble with leaking, although this may be because some folks over-tighten the top. (Avent addresses this issue with graphics on how much to tighten). Leaks can also occur with the Anti Colic bottle if the gasket ring is incorrectly installed. Make sure the blue side is always facing down. And while there is no separate gasket for the Natural bottles, the nipple has to be set into the bottle correctly or it too can leak.

Overall, these complaints are minor compared to the effusive praise the bottles receive from readers. We highly recommend them.

Best Baby Bottle For Fussy Babies: Dr. Brown’s Original Bottle

Dr. Brown’s baby bottles are neck and neck with Avent when it comes to popularity. Dr. Brown’s big selling point is its two-piece vent system which keeps air out of the milk or formula ensuring the nipple never collapses. They claim this type of venting (called “positive-pressure flow”) reduces colic, spit-up and gas.

Dr. Brown’s makes four types of bottles: the Original (the flagship), a wide-neck version, the Options polycarbonate bottles and Options glass bottles. Their most recent bottle, Options is so named because the bottle gives parents the (wait for it) “option to use it with or without the internal vent.” Since colic starts around three weeks of age and ends around three months, we guess Dr. Brown’s wanted to give parents of older babies the option of using the bottle without the vent.

Overall feedback from parents is excellent and prices are similar to Avent and other quality bottles. They aren’t perfect though. The biggest complaint: cleaning all those parts. Of course, if it soothes a fussy baby, they are worth it!

Best Silicone Bottle: Comotomo Baby Bottle

Silicone is a relative newcomer to the baby bottle market. 

Imported from South Korea, Comotomo was among the first baby bottle brands to jump on the silicone bandwagon. 

Why silicone? These bottles have a soft feel, which some folks think makes the transition from breast to bottle (and back) easier. And from a practical view, silicone can be boiled to sterilize or washed in a dishwasher.

Readers tell us they like the wide opening of these bottles and the nipples are excellent. Comotomo bottles are easy to clean.

What’s not to like? Well, these bottles come with a slow flow nipple that is designed for newborns to three months of age. That’s not as ideal if you have a six month old, of course.

The small base of these bottles makes them somewhat tippy. It’s also harder to read the markings on these bottles than those of competitors we tried, in our opinion.

Best Baby Bottle Gift Set: Tommee Tippee Advanced Anti-Colic Newborn Baby Bottle Feeding Gift Set

Bottle gift sets are popular shower gifts—and this set tops our list of recommendations. Why? Considering everything that is included, we thought it was quite budget-friendly. Tommee Tippee bottles are a parent favorite, thanks to their wide mouths and easy-to-clean design. This seat includes a portable bottle warmer, bottle brush, bottles, pacifiers and more.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing baby bottles since 1994. In addition to hands on inspections of each bottle/nipple system, we have also consulted with lactation consultants and dentists as well as pediatricians.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Baby Bargains is your independent and unbiased source for expert baby gear reviews. We’ve been writing and reviewing baby gear since 1994. Yes, that long!

How we picked a winner

We evaluate baby bottles and nipple carefully with the assistance of lactation consultants (who help determine which bottles are closest to breastfeeding); pediatricians and dentists. It’s important to us to recommend bottles that will not only supply your baby with good nutrition (whether you breast or formula feed), but also won’t cause issues with colic or, later in life, teeth. We also check bottles for overall quality, cleanability and ease of use—for example, do they have a venting system to avoid swallowing too much air?

We also gather significant reader feedback (our book, Baby Bargains has over 1 million copies in print), tracking bottle quality and durability. Besides interviewing parents, we also regularly talk with retailers  to see which brands are most trustworthy and other key quality metrics. Since we’ve been doing this since 1994, we have developed detailed profiles of major bottle brands that help guide our recommendations.