How To Choose Best Electric Steam Sterilizer

Whether you are formula-feeding or expressing breastmilk, it is vital to keep equipment and your baby’s bottles clean and safe. Sterilising helps to protect your baby against germs and infection. A steriliser is a unit that allows you to do that job quickly and easily.

Harmful bacteria grow quickly in milk. That’s why it is recommended that you continue to sterilise bottles, teats, dummies, breast pumps and other feeding accessories until your baby is one year old.

If you decide to start feeding solids before your baby is six months old, you will also need to sterilise your baby's spoons and bowls. However, it is best to wait until your baby is six months old before introducing first foods.
What do I need to know about sterilisers?

There are three main types of steriliser on the market:

1. Cold water
2. Microwave
3. Electric

Each option has its advantages and disadvantages: 

Cold water sterilisers: >>  Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Microwave Steam & Cold Water Steriliser

To cold water sterilise your baby's equipment, you need sterilising tablets or liquid, along with a sturdy plastic container and a lid. Items are soaked in the solution for at least 30 minutes and will remain sterile if kept submerged in the solution for up to 24 hours.

The solution can be reused as often as you wish within a 24-hour period. Items must be rinsed in recently boiled water before use. However, even after rinsing, the sterilising solution may give off a peculiar taste or smell. This may be off-putting for your baby.






Microwave sterilisers:>> Tommee Tippee Microwave Steam Sterilizer 

Microwave sterilisers require no chemicals or rinsing. Instead, they kill bacteria using the heat from steam. Depending on the model you have, microwave sterilisers can keep items sterile for up to 24 hours if the lid remains closed. Some microwave sterilisers are also designed to double up as cold water sterilisers.

Sterilising takes three minutes to eight minutes, depending on your microwave’s wattage and the unit. Remember that metal items cannot be sterilised in a microwave.

Electric steam sterilisers :>>Philips AVENT 3-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer

Electric steam sterilisers require no chemicals or rinsing, and simply plug in at the wall. They kill bacteria using the heat from steam. Sterilising takes six minutes to 15 minutes. Depending on the model you have, items can remain sterile for up to 24 hours with the lid closed.

These sterilisers are often the most convenient way of sterilising, particularly if you have a lot of items to sterilise, and you don’t have a microwave.








What size steriliser should I buy?

Sterilisers have varying capacity, ranging from two bottles to eight bottles. Bear in mind that wide-necked bottles require more space than standard bottles. If you intend to fully formula-feed your baby, you will need to use a steriliser frequently.

Babies who are fully formula-fed require at least six bottles a day, so you will need a steriliser that holds at least this many bottles. If you're planning to breastfeed, you may not need a steriliser initially. However, if you want to express your milk, you will need a steriliser for breast pumps and bottles. Sterilisers are also handy for sterilising dummies.

Some sterilisers come with extra features that you may like to look out for, such as:

• an alarm to let you know when sterilisation is complete
• automatic sterilisation of contents every few hours, or after you remove or add a bottle
• extra bottles and sippy cups
• a signal to let you know when the steriliser is hot
• a water filter to control limescale
• an accessory tray
• tongs and bottle brushes

How do I know which method of sterilising is best for me?

Each sterilising method has its pros and cons. Here are some tips from other BabyCentre parents to help you decide what’s best for you:

Electric sterilisers: >>>Philips AVENT 3-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer

"My electric steriliser can sterilise six bottles in six minutes. It then keeps the bottles sterile for six hours if the lid is kept on. There is also a cycle that keeps the contents sterile for 24 hours. This will be handy when we start to drop night feeds."
Julie

"I have always used a plug-in steam steriliser. My microwave is quite small and I’m not sure if a microwave steriliser would fit in it."
Bella

"I’ve gone for an electric steriliser, but only because some bottles, breast pumps and so on can’t be used in a microwave steriliser because they crack."
Anna

"It’s best to buy a steriliser that matches the other products you have, such as the breast pump and bottles you use. They are designed to be used together, which makes life easier."
Liz

"I mainly use an electric steriliser, but I also have a microwave one. The microwave one is great for travelling and for just sterilising a couple of bits very quickly. It also doesn't need descaling!"
Sophie

Cold water sterilisation:  >>>Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Microwave Steam & Cold Water Steriliser

"I use cold water sterilisation. You add a steriliser tablet to the water and leave your bottles, cups, dummies and teethers in it until needed. You only need to change the water once a day. It takes 15 minutes to sterilise once you’ve changed the water, but then everything is sterile for 24 hours. You can just take out what you need, without waiting for things to cool down as you would for a microwave or steam steriliser."
Sue

"I use steriliser liquid. It is easier than tablets when you want to use it with different volumes of water. I found myself having to chop tablets in halves or thirds, depending on the volume of water I was using. Some sterilising liquids need to be rinsed off with cooled, boiled water, so we chose one that didn’t need rinsing off."
Danielle

"With my first baby we used cold water sterilisation, but she didn’t like the taste it left behind, and it also discoloured the teats. This time we’ve got a steam steriliser. It's much quicker than waiting for the cold water one to do its job!"
Shelly

"I like cold water sterilising because it’s simple and cheap. I just use a big plastic tub with a lid. You don’t need any fancy equipment."
Jen

Microwave sterilisation: >>>Tommee Tippee Microwave Steam Sterilizer

"We had a cold water steriliser with our first baby. It is simple but takes about 30 minutes. I bought a microwave steriliser for this time round as it only takes four minutes. I was so tired and disorganised with my first baby that many times when I got up to do the 2am feed, I found we had no bottles sterilised. Cue a very noisy and stressful 30-plus minutes!"
Heather

"I’m expecting my second baby and I plan to breastfeed again. I will still get an electric pump, a couple of bottles and steam steriliser, though."
Sam

"I have a microwave steriliser. It’s great as you can also use it as a cold water steriliser if you travel away somewhere and don’t have the use of a microwave. They are quick and easy to use and can be stored neatly in the microwave to save worktop space!"
Catriona

"I use self-sterilising bottles. You just put the bottle in the microwave for three minutes and you’re ready to go. No need for any other sterilising equipment."
Rachel

BPA-Free Baby Bottles: Medela, Philips AVENT and More

In recent months polycarbonate bottles have been under attack because they contain the harmful chemical Bisphenol-A, also known as BPA. With so many baby bottles on the market it is difficult to know which of the major brands are safe, and which you should avoid. Here is a rundown on some of the top brand baby bottle companies so that you can find out which offer bottles that are BPA-free and which you should stay away from.

Avent

All Avent bottles are made of polycarbonate plastic with the exception of the Via System, which is made of polypropylene plastic. Avent is a major competitor in the baby bottle market, and it is quite a surprise that only one system in its large product line is BPA-free.

Born Free

All of the bottles in the Born Free line are BPA-free as the plastic bottles in the Born Free line are made from polyamide and glass bottles are also offered. They are comparable in price and use to Dr. Brown's bottles as they have a venting system that helps reduce colic symptoms and middle ear infections.

Dr. Brown's

Dr. Brown's has been a longtime favorite among many parents, as they were among the first to distribute bottles to help reduce colic and middle ear infections. Unfortunately, their high-end bottles are all made of polycarbonate plastic. Fortunately on the Dr. Brown's website the company has addressed the issue of the polycarbonate plastic bottles, and states that "We are extending our product line to include other materials over the next year in order to offer moms and dads a choice."

Evenflo

Evenflo has offered a line of glass bottles for several years now, even before BPA became an issue. While the glass bottles from Evenflo are safe, the plastic bottles made by Evenflo are made of polycarbonate plastic.

The First Years

Unfortunately, there are no BPA-free bottles in The First Years product line.

Gerber

As far as major baby bottle manufacturers go Gerber seems to be ahead of the curve with a large number of BPA-free baby bottle offerings. They offer three lines that are BPA free, Clear View, Fashion Tints, and GentleFlow. Although they still have three lines that are made of polycarbonate plastics, NUK/1st Choice, Preemie, and Comfort Hold. This means that while Gerber offers PBA free bottles in some of their lines, parents really need to pay attention to which lines they are buying from in order to avoid the polycarbonate plastics.

Medela

Medela is another line that is completely BPA-free as all of the bottles in their line are made from polypropylene.

Review: Medela Breastmilk Bottle Set

Medela polypropylene breastmilk bottles are made without BPA, designed to retain breast milk's beneficial properties. Compatible with all Medela breastpumps, so you can pump, store and feed with one container. Great for long term storage. Dishwasher safe. Measure the exact amount of milk you're pumping with the colorful ounce and millimeter markers. Screw on lids for leak proof storage, travel and freezing. Travel cap keeps nipple clean.

• Silicone, Polypropylene
• Compatible with all Medela breastpumps, so you can pump, store and feed with one container
• Great for long term storage
• Dishwasher safe
• Measure the exact amount of milk you're pumping with the colorful ounce and millimeter markers
• Available in 5oz and 8oz bottles.

Customer Reviews:

I do not typically write reviews, but my recent experience warranted for one. My first son was exclusively bottle fed (breasmilk) since he was a lazy nurser and didn't gain weight. My second one who is one month old now is great on the breast but takes his time so if I ever wanted to get out of the house to run an errand I wanted to pump milk and have my nanny feed him. I bought the wide neck Dr. Browns for him, but they made him choke and gag, I think because they are too fast flow. He was also not able to latch onto the nipple which made him swallow a huge amount of air making him gassy and miserable during and after the feeding. Then I tried Tomme Tippee bottles as they were supposed to be closer to the shape of the breast, but maybe not mine as they were even worse than the browns. See, I believe the trick is in the right nipple, because if the nipple is not right for your baby, no matter how advanced venting system is installed in the bottle (dr. brown's) baby will suck in air due to incorrect latching. This is what happened to my baby at least. Desperate, I went to target and bought one of all of the main brands of bottles to try. I found the new medela bottles with the WIDE BASE nipple and since they can be attached to my medela pump I gave them a try first. It was amazing. My LO latched on right away and slowly and comfortably drank the whole bottle without choking or coughing up milk a single time and was happy and content afterwards drifting into sleep like he would on the breast. They work wonderfully.

Here is the summary:

- BPA FREE, FYI... Medela stuff has always been bpa free, just now they make sure it's written on all of their stuff just like other companies do, who have just switched to bpa free plastic. Don't believe me? Check their website.

-In addition to being great bottles the ring and nipple attaches to all other (older) pumping bottles too so I didn't have to buy any more. (all medela stuff has ALWAYS BEEN BPA FREE) This saves money and time too as you don't have to wash as many bottles; you use the same ones for pumping and feeding. Just buy more nipples and rings. Great idea!

- Simple construction, only 3 pieces plus a cap vs. 6 pc for dr browns.

- There is no venting system, but I believe it is overrated and mostly used for justifying the high price. My LO was very gassy from the dr browns even with the complex venting system.

- The nipple is just the right size, not too wide which can be hard to latch onto (tommee tippee) and not too narrow (dr. brown's standard) which can cause nipple confusion.

- The slow flow nipple could be a bit slower, although it didn't cause a choking problem. I'm hoping LO will not refuse the breast in hope for the convenient bottle. Will give an update later on this.

- Cannot comment on durability as we have just started using them. Will update on this too. My older bottles are very durable, hoping these would be too.

Finally... Breast and babies come in different shapes and sizes so what works for me may not work for you. I hope this review helps you to choose, but ultimately it will your baby who makes the final decision. : )

By J. Lukashevich

Since I started working again I had to pump my milk. I have used the Lansinoh bags so far (and those work great by the way!) but the idea of transferring the milk for the bottles to the bags and then back to the bottle for feeding my baby was something I started thinking was taking too much time (wash the bottles every time, danger of lose the milk with all these transfers, and more risks of contamination) and producing too much waist.

I just got these bottles. I LOVE the fact they have NUMBERS WRITTEN IN DARK characters so that while you pump you can see where the level of the milk is. Also they come with a cute cap each and with a slow flow nipple and its own cap...each. So you have three complete sets of bottle+cap+slow flow nipple+nipple cap.

They come in a nice box so you can also give them as a present to a future working mom. She might not realize it now but she will use them a lot.

By Pao

>>See all 314 customer reviews

Review: The First Years 3 Pack Breastflow Bottle

Breastflow's patented 2-in-1 nipple lets your baby control the flow of breast milk or formula as naturally as breastfeeding. By using, both suction and compression motions, your baby is able to regulate the flow of milk unlike any other bottle. Plus, Breastflow is designed to help prevent colic. Moms who participated in an independent in-home bottle feeding research study said their babies experienced reduced colic symptoms such as less gas, spit-up or fussiness when using Breastflow. Whether you choose to feed your baby breast milk or formula, Breastflow provides a unique bottle feeding experience unlike any other for a satisfied baby and happy mom.

• Perfect for breast milk and formula
• 88% of moms surveyed in an independent in home bottle feeding research study said their babies experienced less gas or less spit up or less fussiness
• Breastflow is the only feeding system that requires both suction and compression, just like breast feeding
• Soft outer nipple mimics the feel of the breast, allowing babys tongue to stay in the same position as breastfeeding
• Patented inner nipple allows your baby to control the flow naturally like breastfeeding whether you use breast milk or formula.

Customer Reviews:

The 2 most important things for me were reducing air swallowed and easy transition between breast and bottle. I tried Adiri and Avent bottles, but the both, even with slowest flow nipples, choked my son with too much milk. With the Breast flow he controls how much or how little he gets in his mouth. Also my son would grasp the tip of my nipple instead of my whole areola following use of either the Avent or the Adiri...ouch, which he does not do with the Breast flow bottles! The Avent would be my second choice, they are a slower flow than the Adiri and because the Adiri bottles have no lip around the nipple so when my son released the nipple milk spills all over the bottle and you have a sticky mess! plus if you don't get the bottom on just right it ends up everywhere and the valve doesn't work correctly...there are 3 pieces but it really is not that much trouble...and we don't have a dish washer...

By Katy E

I have been very happy with the performance of the BreastFlow bottles. I too had started out using Avent bottles after hearing rave reviews of them when I was still pregnant. However, I found that the Avent nipples basically poured and dumped the milk into my daughter's mouth; she would go through 4 ounces in 4 minutes, wearing about half an ounce on her bib. Then when she returned to breastfeed later, she'd have a very disorganized suck from nipple confusion.

These BreastFlow bottles and their unique (though uncomplicated) nipples mimic breastfeeding so much better that she'll even take a bottle from me. We have no more problems alternating between breast and bottle. It now takes her about 10-12 minutes to finish a 4 oz bottle, sometimes up to 15 minutes, which is about the same duration she spends breastfeeding. She doesn't end up wearing most of her meal, either.

Overall, I would recommend this to any breastfeeding mother who has to offer her baby a bottle. Even the caregivers at my daughter's daycare were impressed with the performance of the BreastFlow system.

By Amy Sidamy

>>See all 312 customer reviews

Review: Evenflo 6 Pack Classic Glass Bottle

Evenflo's iconic Classic Glass bottle offers superior sanitization, recycling, and sustainability. The tempered glass bottle includes a Classic slow flow soft silicone nipple with Micro Air Vents to help prevent nipple collapse as well as reduce gas.Before using, boil all parts for 3 minutes to sterilize. Push shoulder of nipple up through cap ring. After each use, wash all parts thoroughly in warm, soapy water. Rinse thoroughly. Snap on nipple cover to keep nipple clean. Dishwasher safe.

• BPA-Free
• Tempered glass bottle offers superior sanitization, recycling, and sustainability
• Silicone nipple with Micro Air Vents helps prevent nipple collapse as well as reduce gas
• Includes 8oz Classic Glass Bottle, Classic Slow Flow Nipple, and cap ring & hood
• 6 pack

Customer Reviews:

This is one of those products that you just love to write a review for: It's top quality and a huge value. My wife, daughter, and I used these and the 4 oz. models through countless cycles and they rock...

Pros

+ It's just glass - no BPA, no odors, no clouding, no scratches.

+ Easy to clean - they won't melt and they won't scratch with frequent cleaning. (don't use steel wool, of course)

+ They come with nipples, rings, and caps. Nice!

+ The threads match Medela breast pump valve threads. This is a really nice bonus, we think.

+ Value - have you seen the prices that some glass bottles are going for?! These aren't from a company that got into the business of glass bottles because of the BPA scare. Evenflo has been making glass bottles for a long, long time and the value to quality ratio is huge.

+ Quality - The nipples that came with these bottles have been great - tough and long-lasting. One thing I really like about the bottles is that they are clear, with gradations molded into the glass itself. This means no printed markings to obscure your view into the bottle, nothing to wear off, and no worries about what chemicals or heavy metals may be in the paint. Also, we've never broken one in nearly two years of constant use and cleanings.

Cons

- For those who are terrified of broken glass, well, these will probably break if you drop them on a hard surface.

Our experience

Our daughter used these through many, many cycles, first with the four ounce models and then with these as her appetite grew. She was breastfed and transitioned to pumped milk when mommy went back to work. We also used these for formula on occasion. Our daughter had no issues with the nipples whatsoever, even when breast and bottle both were in the picture. The silicone nipples are vented via a shallow groove at their base - twist the ring on too tight and the venting isn't effective, causing the nipple to collapse; too loose and it will leak. They worked well and baby had no issues with gas or fussiness.

The bottles worked equally well with formula, while on the breast pump apparatus, and moving from the fridge to the bottle warmer. You can tell when they are clean, unlike many - if not most - plastic bottles that are either printed on or colored, and that scratch or cloud over time; When we packed them away after our first child stopped using them, they looked like new! In thousands of feedings and cleanings, we never broke a single one. We'll be using the same ones for our next little one and we wouldn't use anything else. Highly recommended!!

By M. Ross

I was nervous buying non-medela bottles because I wanted to have a seamless fit between the bottle and the pump. These seem like they'll be fantastic for breast milk storage AND they fit the threads on the pump replacement parts. Super price! No chemicals. Easy to boil and disinfect without worrying about melting. I'm one happy momma. (would be nice if evenflo created rubber grips and sold them SEPERATELY intead of only in pre packaged form)

By comparison shoppin' momma

>>See all 274 customer reviews

Review: Born Free 9 oz. BPA-Free Glass Bottle

The Born Free Glass Bottle features patented ActiveFlow Venting Technology that reduces air pressure and vacuum buildup, resulting in reduced gas and colic symptoms. The leak-free vent allows your baby to control the flow of milk, and helps to prevent nipple confusion. Because Born Free provides an experience closer to breastfeeding, your baby can easily switch between breast and bottle-feeding, allowing you to breastfeed longer. The easy-to-use bottles are top rack dishwasher safe, and naturally free from BPA and PVC.

• Natural milk flow for an experience similar to breastfeeding, allows baby to control the flow and helps prevent nipple confusion; Naturally fuss free, clinically designed to reduce colic and gas with the leak-free ActiveFlow venting technology and preferred by moms with colicky babies; Naturally safe, durable bottles are free from BPA and PVC
• Nipples, collars, valves, and sippy cup spouts and handles are interchangeable on all Born Free bottles and transition cups
• Bottle is top-rack dishwasher safe and can be boiled for 5 minutes to sterilize
• Included silicone bottle sleeve protects bottle and provides a no-slip grip
• Bottles available in 5 oz. (includes level 1, slow flow, nipple) or 9 oz. (includes level 2, medium flow, nipple)

Customer Reviews:

These bottles are great! Durable, easy to clean and vented. We love the glass option, no plastic or BPA to deal with, and much nicer for baby, and they hold up very nicely to washing. No fading of the printing, or old scratchy look like you get with plastic bottles. The other reviewer should have looked more carefully at the picture. It clearly shows one silicone sleeve in the picture (and says bonus sleeve, not sleeves....) I do agree, they should include three sleeves with the bottle set or at least sell the sleeves separately so you could have one for each bottle (who wants to remove it with washing!). But considering these bottles used to come without any silicone sleeves at all for the same price, it's still an improvement. As far as I have found, no one sells the sleeves separately, unfortunately. That aside, the bottles are great. For the record, the Dr Brown's wide mouth travel caps fit these bottles with the vent removed, if you want a screw on cap option for storing in the diaper bag (which I do). That leaks less than the little plastic insert and makes it nice for fridge or diaper bag storage. You can also easily convert these into a wonderful sippy cup by adding the green to grow sippy trainer spouts ([...]). It's hard to find non-plastic sippys, and have tried them all, all the different spouts, cups etc. This combo was one of the only ones that didn't leak and actually worked!

Update: The green to grow sippy tops seem to be hard to find these days. The think baby ones also work with these bottles.

By HMRT

I don't care to use plastics because of all the disgusting chemicals that go into them so the born free glass bottles are an amazing option for me.. my breastfed baby takes them pretty easily and I have the replacement trainer spouts so the I can convert them into a sippy cup for my 2 year old.. they have been dropped and thrown across the kitchen floor and are still good as new so its safe to say these are pretty durable bottles! I would recomend these as a bottle and sippy to everyone!

By btunny

>>See all 227 customer reviews

Review: Philips AVENT 8 Ounce Natural Glass Bottle

The New Philips AVENT 4 ounce natural glass bottle is the most natural way to bottle feed. The wide, breast shaped nipple promotes natural latch on so you can easily combine breast and bottle feeding and the unique comfort petals provides an extra soft, flexible nipple without nipple collapse. In addition, the anti-colic newborn-flow nipple helps newborns feed comfortably and easily and the ergonomic shape makes it comfortable for parents to hold and easy for small fingers to grasp. Assembly is simple with only a few parts and the wide bottle neck makes filling and cleaning easy. This AVENT Natural bottle is made from glass, a BPA-free material and works with all nipples, rings, and caps from the Natural line .

• Nipple is soft and breast-shaped to promote comfortable latch-on
• Twin valves prevent babies from swallowing air to reduce colic
• Ergonomic bottle is easy for parents and babies to grasp
• Wide neck makes filling and cleaning easier
• BPA-free glass is easy to sterilize

Customer Reviews:

First off I wanted to say how glad I am to see that Avent finally decided to produce a bottle in glass. I am about to have baby number three, and I loved Avent bottles with my other two kids. After my first son was diagnosed with childhood cancer however, I decided that we needed to make some changes for our second son. Maybe this is overkill -- probably it is -- but making a few changes helped me to feel better about the amount of chemicals we were exposing out kids to.

That said, we decided after I quit nursing that we'd devote ourselves to using glass bottles since it was the one thing our son's food would constantly be in contact with. We tried Evenflo, Munchkin, BornFree, and Dr. Brown's glass bottles. The Evenflo and Munchkin bottles would frustrate our son because the nipples constantly collapsed, the BornFree and the Dr. Brown's each had five(!) parts to hand wash (who has time for that when you have two toddlers), and sometimes with the Dr. Brown, no matter how well we cleaned them, we'd occasionally find mold growing on the inner yellow piece, not to mention the venting funnel apparatus was plastic (kind of defeating my avoiding plastics purpose there). I had a few Avent bottles that I loved and would occasionally use when I would get so frustrated with the glass, but then I would feel guilty for using the plastic. I always hoped that they would eventually make them in glass, but they never did while my other two were still bottle feeding.

When I saw that they were finally making a glass Avent bottle, I excitedly pre-ordered one for our newest addition. I got only one four-ounce bottle because I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my long awaited expectations. I'm pleased to say that upon initial inspection it's everything I hoped it would be. It's three simple parts, and most importantly, the nipple itself is vented so that it won't collapse during feeding. In comparison to the current Avent polypropylene bottles, it stands the same exact height, but the bottle itself is wider by at least a good centimeter. It has a more pronounced curve and is obviously wider to accommodate the thicker glass. The glass itself is substantial enough that I don't worry about breakage, however it does add some weight to the bottle. I guess it's about as thick as a canning jar, maybe a little bit thicker actually. The lip on the inside of the mouth of the bottle has been somewhat rounded and I appreciate that little detail because on some bottles it's almost sharp to the touch when washing.

The nipples on this the new "natural" line have been changed. The inside of the nipple no longer has two lips (which I think was how they originally achieved nipple only venting), and you no longer have to insert the external ring to keep the bottle from leaking (classic polypropylene version only). I tried to interchange the nipple from the four ounce classic polypropylene bottle to the new natural bottle and it doesn't fit. The older nipples are now about 5mms smaller, therefore they just fall out of the new ring. It appears that the mouths of the bottles are still the same size, so you might be able to put both rings on both bottles if you have the correct nipple in the correct ring and switched only the body. I will say though, that when I tried to switch the two, I would occasionally get leakage from the older bottle/new nipple combination. The instructions that came with the bottle state "only use Philips Avent Natural nipples with Philips Avent Natural feeding bottles" and "do not mix classic bottle parts and nipples with parts of the Natural bottle, they may not fit and could cause leakage."

When filled with liquid, I've tried every thing I can think of to try to make it leak, but it doesn't leak at all. This bottle came with a stage 1 nipple for newborn up and when held upside downward it doesn't drip liquid at all. For comparison, I have a brand new classic Avent polypropylene bottle with stage 1 nipple that I just tested and it dripped considerably when held upside down.

The only reservation I have at all about this bottle is that the measuring marks on the side of the bottle are painted on to the glass. I would have liked the markings to have been molded into the glass like the Evenflo bottles are. From past experience with painted on measurements (BornFree glass), they usually will wash away over time. I don't know if this will be the case with these bottles as only time and frequent washing will tell, but my suspicions are that they will.

As a side note, the instructions bring up the point that these bottles may not fit in a standard warmer. As well, they make special note to say that if you are using an older Avent sterilizer, you need to go to their website and get special instructions on how to place new Natural bottles. Another point they mention is that the glass bottles are only compatible with Avent breast pumps and sealing discs, but for safety reasons, not for use with the trainer spouts and handles.

Overall I really like these, and I have already ordered more. When our newest addition arrives in a few weeks, I will update more with extended user experience.

By LifeWithThreeBoys

I love and an am avid use of the Philips Avent Natural Line for so many reasons. 1) High quality materials/construction. 2) Wide opening is easy to fill and wash. 3) Shape of bottle is ergonomic to hold . 4) No nipple confusion. I was 100% bottle feeding and was able to go back to breast feeding even after 4 months of bottle only. 5) Dramatically helped with baby's reflux problems. 6) Widely available.

I wanted to breastfeed my baby but I had too much milk and the flow from my breasts was too fast. My baby developed reflux and would projectile vomit or scream in pain after every feeding. So I had to pump and feed her with a bottle using the slowest flow nipples. At first I was considering either buying the Como Tomo bottles or the Avent Natural. I went with Avent Natural because it is more widely available. If there was an emergency, I can run to the nearest Rite-Aid, Babies R’ Us, Target…and pick up an Avent bottle. I have never seen Como Tomo in stores, only Amazon so far. So that’s what help me decide on Avent and I’m so glad I did. She's been using these bottles since my milk came in and I realized I could not breast feed.

I started with the glass version of these Avent Natural bottles which are costly at $10 per bottle. I got four of the glass bottles and have been using them 7-8 times a day since I notice my baby had problems with reflux (about 4 months now). The special venting nipples have helped so much with the reflux. Baby still spits up but not anything like before. Now it's just a little bit of dribbling.

Now that my baby is 4 and half months old and is using the medium flow (no. 3) nipples, I've started to breastfeed her again. I usually do it at night to bond with her since I have to work during the day. She had no problems going from 100% bottle-fed to breast at all. It just happened one night when I was too tired to go to the kitchen to warm up a bottle for her. I decided to see if she would latch and she had no problem latching at all. I was amazed. So now she gets both bottle and breast.

I couldn't be happier with the Avent Natural Bottles. These bottles also are holding up great with repeated washing and steaming in my sterilizer.

I recently purchased the plastic BPA versions of these bottles recently because my baby is getting older and is starting to want to hold her own bottle. These glass ones are way too heavy for her to hold. The plastic ones are just as great and very light weight. I was afraid plastic would melt or warp when I steamed them. But they have not at all. I've even boiled the bottles when I was at my parents’ house and couldn't use my sterilizer. They came out fine. Also, the collar, nipples, and lids are all interchangeable between the glass and plastic bottles. I highly recommend these bottles--glass or plastic. I have given them to friends whose babies have reflux, too. I highly recommend to others and would use again for my future children.

By molu

>>See all 215 customer reviews