You’d think shopping for baby bottles would be the easiest task to cross off the ‘Before Baby Arrives To-Do List’ but there’s a little more to baby bottles than meets the eye. In fact, there’s an entire baby bottle universe. On one hand they’re simply a bottle but when you start digging a little deeper you’ll quickly learn there’s more to their persona. They come in various shapes, sizes, materials and bottle nipples (more on this below).

Our general recommendation is to not bulk buy baby bottles until your bub arrives. As there is not one size fits all when it comes to baby bottles, it’s hard to know which your baby will like best. We suggest buying two different styles and waiting to see which they prefer before buying more. 

A quick look at baby bottle materials

Generally, you’ll find baby bottles made of four key materials. Here’s a quick look at them to help you decide which is best for your family:

Glass: Glass baby bottles are generally more pricey but are longer lasting and more durable (as long as you don’t break them). Glass is free from chemicals that can sometimes be found in plastics and as glass is not porous it’s harder for bacteria to seep through it. Glass can also withstand heat more than plastic and silicone, and your baby bottles will be exposed to heat when you sterilise and clean them in-between uses.

Plastic: Always choose plastic baby bottles that are free of harmful and toxic materials (such as BPAs). Plastic baby bottles are generally more affordable but will need to be replaced more often, as the bottle material is more susceptible to getting cloudy and cracking (a crack in a bottle can lead to bacteria forming). Plastic can also withstand less heat when compared to glass baby bottles.

Silicone: Silicone is a good middle ground between glass and plastic baby bottles. Silicone baby bottles are usually made from food grade materials and should be free of harmful and toxic materials (always be sure to double check). These bottles are more inexpensive compared to glass bottles, as well as being soft to touch and relatively unbreakable. However, they do need to be replaced more often than glass bottles.

Stainless steel: These bottles are similar to glass bottles, in that they are generally more expensive but on the plus side are long lasting. Stainless steel is not porous compared to plastic and cracks are less likely to form in this material. The main drawback of stainless steel baby bottles is that they are not transparent and you can’t see how much milk is in the bottle. 

What to consider when shopping for baby bottles

Material: As mentioned above, baby bottles are made from four key materials. Choosing the right one for your budget and usage will make a big difference. Overall, always choose a baby bottle that is free from harmful and toxic materials and opt for food safe materials.

Size: Baby bottles generally come in two sizes, small (150ml) and large (250ml). Always discuss the best feeding option for your baby with a health care professional, but generally newborns will have 150ml of milk per feed. You can choose to buy both sizes but as your baby grows they will need the bigger bottle, otherwise you can skip the smaller bottle and only fill your large bottle up to 150ml.

Shape: Yes, there are multiple shapes to choose from too! There are tall and narrow baby bottles, which can sometimes be harder to clean as the opening is quite narrow. Angled baby bottles are designed to prevent bub from swallowing air but can also be tricky to clean because of the angled shape. There are also wide and short baby bottles, these are easier to clean as the opening is wider and the bottle nipple is also wider to mimic the shape of a breast.

Always shop the bottle nipple first

The bottle nipple (also known as the bottle teet) is probably the most important factor when choosing the right baby bottle for your bub. A good bottle nipple can help bub avoid nipple confusion if you are breastfeeding and bottle feeding as the bottle nipple is designed to mimic the breast.

Bottle nipples generally are made from latex and silicone.

Latex bottle nipples are softer and may feel more like the breast but a lot of babies are allergic to latex. Latex bottle nipples also need to be replaced more often compared to silicone bottle nipples.

Silicone bottle nipples are generally made from food safe materials and don’t need to be replaced as often as latex bottle nipples. However, silicone bottle nipples aren’t as soft as the latex variety.

Bottle nipples come in different sizes and different flow rates. For newborns you want a slow flow rate, when bub is a little older you can buy a faster flow bottle nipple as your baby can accommodate bigger swallows. You might find you need to test out a few types if bub isn’t responding to what you’ve purchased.

How many bottles do you need?

This depends on how often you’ll be bottle feeding your child. If you’re exclusively bottle feeding, it is recommended you’ll need 8-12 bottles as newborns feed approximately 8-12 times a day. That’s a lot of feeding and you’ll need a clean bottle for each feed.

If you’ll be bottle feeding less often, you could possibly get away with 4 or so bottles.

Bonus tip: If you are expressing milk, we recommend buying a bottle that fits on your breast pump so you can express milk directly into the bottle that you will later use to feed your bub.

Now that you know what to look for when shopping for baby bottles, we rounded up the best baby bottles in Australia in 2023. We compiled this list after surveying our TBE community of parents to find out which ones they used, loved and would recommend. Here are the results:

 

1: Pigeon SofTouch™ Bottle PP 160ml 

Score: 9.3/10
Price: $18.95 each
Purchase here

Pigeon’s SofTouch™ bottles are a great newborn choice for your bub as they are BPA and BPS free. Each bottle teat has also been designed to replicate a breast to avoid confusion for your little one, especially if they’re feeding from both the breast and the bottle. The wide neck shape of each bottle also makes them easier to clean.

Key takeaways from surveyed parents

• Easy to use and comfortable to hold

• Wide neck makes for easy cleaning

• Some parents felt these bottles were good for slow feeding which help minimise reflux

• Easy to transition between breast and bottle

• A bit pricey per bottle

• You can also purchase these bottles in varied sizes and also in glass but parents note that glass bottles are heavier to hold

2: Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle

Score: 9.3/10
Price: From $23.95 each
Purchase here

Philips Avent’s Natural Baby Bottles have been designed to encourage a natural latch due to the wide breast shaped teat. The teat is also super soft to mimic the feeling of the breast. This range of bottles is available in various sizes and can be purchased in both plastic and glass.

Key takeaways from surveyed parents

• Good quality and good value for money

• Easy for feeding and comfortable to hold

• Parents felt the teat had a likeness to the breast which made it easy for bub to feed between the two

• Some parents felt the teat didn’t free flow and the baby had to suckle for milk to come out

• Parents felt the bottle eventually stained after continuous use

3: Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature PPSU Bottle  

Score: 9.2/10
Price: From $19.95 each 
Purchase here

These bottles are also designed to make switching from breast to bottle feeding easy for bub. Made from PPSU, these bottles are also super heat resistant and minimise stains. The slow flow teat on this bottle also helps minimise colic by helping bub ingest more milk and less air. The slow flow teat is also designed for newborns but as bub gets older you can switch between the teat flow.

Key takeaways from surveyed parents

• Parents felt the teats were easy for bub to latch onto

• The wide neck shape of these bottles made for easy cleaning

• Parents felt this bottle was nice to hold when cleaning

• Parents felt these bottles were on the pricier side

• Some parents felt cleaning the teat was a bit tricky so they had to buy a Tommee Tippee specific bottle teat cleaner

4: Medela 150ml bottle   

Score: 8.6/10
Price: $23.95 for a three pack
Purchase here

These bottles are designed to be compatible with all Medela breast pumps, which means you can express straight into the bottle that you’ll then feed bub with (it’s a win win!). These bottles are BPA free and the bottle teat is also designed to replicate a breast so bub can easily transition between breast and bottle feeding.

Key takeaways from surveyed parents

• Parents loved that this bottle was compatible with Medela breast pumps

• Parents would recommend if you are using a breast pump to try and purchase one that comes with bottles that you can express milk straight into

• The bottle teat was easy for bub to latch onto

• Easy and comfortable for parent and child (once bub was a bit older) to carry

• Some parents found the bottle would leak if you didn’t close the lid too tightly

• Some parents found the length of the teat was a bit too long for their child

5: Dr Brown Anti Colic Wide Neck

Score: 8.4/10
Price: From $13.95 each 
Purchase here

Colic is not fun for anyone, so if you have an unsettled bub, it might be worth trying Dr Brown Anti Colic Wide Neck bottles. Designed to make it an easy transition between breast and bottle feeding. The teat has been designed to replicate a breast-like shape to help bub find a good latch. It comes with a vent system that has been designed to reduce colic and decrease vomiting, burping and gas.  

Key takeaways from surveyed parents: 

• Some parents felt this bottle really did help alleviate colic symptoms 

• Parents liked the natural teat finding the transition between bottle and breast easy

• Easy to clean due to wide neck

• Some parents felt this bottle occasionally leaked

• Some parents found that the taller version of this bottle didn’t fit their steriliser

 

This is general information only. If you need personal, health, medical or technical advice when it comes to your growing family, please seek out a professional.

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