Baby Bottles

Choosing a bottle is an important decision. We tell you what’s out there

There is no “best” or “worst” bottle – selecting the right one for you and your baby is a personal choice. However, because there are so many bottles out there, we’ve tried to give you as much information as possible to help you decide what kind of bottle would suit your baby and your lifestyle in terms of shape, convenience and the teat.

When it comes to bottles, the shape of the teat is key. Whether you’re combination feeding or not is a factor in this decision. So are the feel of the teat and its hardness. There’s a wide variety available and each manufacturer has its own reasons for making a teat in a specific way. Each has its own merits, so do your homework.

Which teat?

For combination feeding go for a wide neck teat. These mimic the breast better than standard teats and baby has to work hard at sucking to get milk out, just as in breastfeeding.

Be sure to choose the correct teat flow – a slow flow is for breastmilk, a medium flow is for formula and a fast flow is for thicker formula, such as anti-reflux formulas. Whatever you’re feeding your baby, the liquid should drip slowly out of the bottle when turned upside down.

Choose between latex, rubber and silicone teats. Latex is more flexible but you may find teats don’t last as long. Silicone retains its shape better.

You’ll need to replace the teat if it becomes discoloured or thin, or if the hole gets bigger and ragged. Check your teats regularly for these signs.

All the bottles we feature here have clear BPA-free markings on the packaging and can be used from birth and onwards. As your baby grows and his feeding needs change, you will have to replace the teats to suit his stage of development or move on to the next bottle in the range.


Mam Anti-Colic Bottle	Dr Brown’s Natural Flow Standard	Dr Brown’s Natural Flow Wide Neck
0+ months BPA-free 260ml R85, 160ml R75 Our panel loved this bottle’s silicone teat with a patented silk surface. The fact that the teat markings were clearly visible was also a big plus. The Mam Anti-Colic Bottle has a vented base (the Ultivent) that optimises milk flow and curbs winds. Read the instructions carefully as you cannot pour boiling water into this bottle or heat it when it is sealed. But, these bottles are selfsterilising – easily sterilised in microwave without needing a separate sterilisation unit. Overall our panel found this a good bottle that doesn’t leak when the cap is on. Available at Baby City, Baby Boom, Toys R Us, some Pick n Pays and Dis-Chem.	0+ months BPA-free 120ml R80, 240ml R89 The unique internal vent system of the Dr Brown’s bottle channels air right to the bottom of the bottle, thereby helping to prevent winds and nipple collapse. The vent system, however, adds two more parts than most bottles and the vent tube is quite thin, which our panel felt would take time to clean and assemble. However, the small bottle brush included especially for the vent is quite convenient. Available at leading baby retailers.	0+ BPA-free 120ml R85, 240ml R95 Our panel preferred the Wide Neck Dr Brown’s to its Standard counterpart. It features the same patented vent system (with bottle brush included), but they felt the wider neck made it easier to get formula in without messing any over the sides and also made combination feeding possible. The increments on the wide neck bottle are also easier to see. The panel loved the soft Dr Brown’s teats. Available at leading baby retailers.

Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature	Real Baby Wide Neck	Pigeon Peristaltic Nipple Nursing Bottle (PPSU & PP)
0+ months BPA-free 150ml R70, 260ml R80, 340ml R140 (2 pack) Our panel loved the wide teat on this bottle – it mimics the breast and so helps to avoid nipple confusion when you’re feeding with both breast and bottle, and doesn’t collapse when baby is sucking on it. The wide neck also makes it easier to put formula in the bottle without spilling. The bottle is easy to assemble with only three parts to it (excluding lid). The shape means that you’ll have to shop around for a nappy bag or container (look for the Tommee Tippee one) and you must keep the bottle upright as it leaks a bit. Get the bottle with dark grey markings, as the clear markings are a bit diffi cult to see, especially at night. Available at leading baby retailers	0+ months BPA-free 250ml R80, 120ml R68 This bottle is easy to assemble and clean as it only consists of three parts and doesn’t leak. The measurements go up in increments of 20ml each, which might make mixing formula in 30ml increments tricky. The lid snaps on very tightly and doesn’t leak. The shape of the bottle makes it easy for baby to hold when he gets to that stage and the wide neck is convenient. The bottles comes with a slow fl ow teat, but medium and fast fl ow teats are available separately. The teat has an air vent that helps curb winds, but the panel wasn’t too impressed with the shape of the teat; they felt it could collapse quite easily. Available at Pick n Pay stores.	0 to 3 months BPA-free 160ml PPSU R120, 240ml PPSU R130, 160ml PP R60, 240ml PP R70 Our panel really liked the peristaltic teat on these bottles, saying that it squashes and pulls like a breast does. The plastic teat cleaner that’s included is also really convenient and allows you to clean out the hole quite well. You can choose between a polypropylene (PP) bottle or an amber coloured polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) bottle. The bottle doesn’t leak when the lid is on but the teat size is quite diffi cult to see. Our panel was also concerned by the bulbous shape which makes it a bit bottom heavy, so hold it and feel it out when buying to make sure you’re comfortable. Available at leading baby retailers.

Nûby Printed Non-Drip Bottle	Nûby Natural Touch Softflex Silicone Nurser	Chicco Nature Well-Being
0+ months BPA-free 240ml R50 This straightforward and simple bottle will fit nicely into a nappy bag, said our panel. Its narrow shape makes it easy for baby to hold when he gets to that stage and it’s a good size bottle. However, because of the narrow teat (which is also a bit hard), our panel felt that this bottle is best suited to formula feeding only. Available at Baby City, Reggies, Toys R Us and selected pharmacies.	0+ months BPA-free 150ml R120, 210ml R130, 300ml R130 Endorsed by CANSA This bottle is made entirely of silicone, which makes it quite soft (hence its name). So you can squeeze it gently to encourage the milk flow. This encourages feeding, especially when baby is drifting off to sleep. Our panel also loved the formula holder that clips inside the screw-on lid, making travelling convenient. The teat has a wide base and the shape mimics that of the breast, making this a good bottle for combination feeding, and the massage dots on the teat are an addition that our panel liked. However, our panel felt that with the hard plastic rim that fits on the top would make the bottle tricky to assemble in a rush. The valves in the teat and base allow air to flow and minimise wind. Available at Dis-Chem, Baby City, Toys R Us, Reggies, selected pharmacies.	0+ months BPA-free Made from glass 150ml R100, 240ml R100 Because this bottle is made from glass you’re guaranteed it doesn’t contain BPA. It’s also friendlier on the environment than plastic bottles. However, our panel said that it was a lot heavier than they were used to a bottle being, which is something you’ll have to get used to. It has three parts to it, so it’s easy to sterilise, but when reassembling it you have to put the teat in just right because of the anti-colic valve – it has to match up with the hole in the screw-top so that it doesn’t leak. The teat has ribbed rings that provide elasticity and has a wide base. Our panel liked the idea of a glass bottle, but said they would only use it when baby was little for fear of it being thrown and breaking when baby is older and able to hold it. Available at Baby City, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Dis-Chem.

Chicco Evolution Well-Being	Chicco Evolution First Angled Well-Being Feeding Bottle	Avent Feeding Bottle (PP & PES)
0+ months BPA-free 150ml R100, 240ml R110 Our panel found the compact size of this bottle encouraging, saying that it would be easy to accommodate in a nappy bag or bottle holder and easy for baby to hold when he’s older. They also preferred the feel of this bottle to the glass one, but that really is a personal preference. What sets the Well-Being bottles apart are the teats. Chicco says that the physiological teats mimic the breast. This is an added bonus when combination feeding. However, the teat has the same valve as the Nature bottle, so you have to put it into the screw-top just right. Available at Baby City, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Dis-Chem.	0+ months BPA-free 250ml R130 Our panel agreed that this bottle is really suited to early feeding. The angle of the bottle makes it easier to hold your baby and feed him comfortably. Chicco also says that the angle allows you to keep baby’s neck in the correct position when feeding. It’s a very interesting concept, but the panel was concerned about how to get the last bit of milk out of the bottle without pushing the bottle too far back. You may also have trouble fitting this bottle into a steriliser, especially if you want to sterilise a number of bottles at one time. The teat is exactly the same as the other Chicco bottles mentioned. Available at Baby City, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Dis-Chem.	0+ months BPA-free 260ml from R105 The Avent bottles are available in both polypropylene (PP) and polyethersulfone (PES). PES plastic is amber coloured and is quite durable, whereas polypropylene is a go-to BPA-free material, so which you choose is up to you. Both have a unique anti-colic valve system in the screw-on top. The polypropylene bottle we reviewed had a two-piece valve that clips into the top to allow air into the bottle. The valve on the PES bottle was worked into the teat for the same function; as baby feeds the unique skirt on the teat flexes to allow air into the bottle. Our panel agreed that they preferred the one-piece anti-colic system as it meant fewer parts to put together. Available at leading baby retailers.

NUK First Choice Anti Colic Wide Neck	NUK Anti Colic Standard	Clicks Easy Grip feeding bottle
0+ months BPA-free 150ml & 300ml silicone teat R110, 150ml latex teat R93, 300ml latex teat R100, 120ml & 240ml glass & silicone teat R116 All NUK bottles use the orthodontically shaped NUK teats, which are available in both latex and silicone. NUK says that this unique shape simulates breastfeeding and helps to preserve enough space for erupting teeth. Our panel really liked that these bottles and the accessories are widely available, so if you go away and need a replacement teat in a hurry you will be able to find one easily. The wide neck was also a plus point for the panel. The anti-colic system compensates for an air pressure difference and prevents the teat from collapsing. Available at leading baby retailers.	0+ months BPA-free 110ml & 240ml 125ml silicone/ latex teat R77 250ml silicone teat R90 250 ml latex teat R77 Just as with the First Choice bottle from NUK, the panel liked the teat on this bottle. However, they said that they would stick to formula feeding only on the Standard as its narrowness may make combination feeding tricky. The anti-colic system (the same as in First Choice) regulates the flow of milk and helps prevents winds. Available at leading baby retailers.	0+ months BPA-free 250ml R19 As with the Snookums bottles below, our panel felt that the Clicks Easy Grip is a cost-effective solution for formula feeding. Be sure to use the right size teat; as we said in the beginning, different sized teats are used for different purposes so it’s really something to look out for. Exclusive to Clicks.

Snookums Value Pack Silicone Cross Teats	Yoomi Baby Bottle	Medela Calma
0+ months BPA-free (Set of 3) 250ml R65 Our panel really liked the teats on these bottles and were keen on the fact that when you pop the lids on, the nipple is squashed closed so there’s no leaking. Because of their shape, these bottles will fit into your nappy bag or bottle container easily. However, because they are so narrow, our panel said that they would only use these bottles for formula feeding as wider teats are better suited to combining breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, because they’re more “breast-like” and because of the cross-cut teats. Replacement teats are available. Available at leading baby retailers.	0+ BPA-free 140ml R89, 140ml bottle with warmer R277 Our panel really liked the soft teat on this bottle and the overall shape, as it is suited to combination feeding. The lid squishes the teat down and into a sealed compartment to prevent leaking. What’s interesting is that you can use the bottle with the Yoomi Warmer, a device that you pop into the top of the bottle that warms the milk up to breastmilk temperature in 60 seconds. To prepare the honeycomb device you boil it in water for 25 mins before each use. When you’re ready to use it you press the orange button in and the device becomes warm. As baby sucks, the milk flows over the warmer. Available online www.yoomi.co.za or at Kids Emporium and Pharma-Value pharmacies.	0+ BPA-free 150ml R240 Medela has developed this bottle for breastmilk only, so if you’re really focused on breastfeeding and will be using a bottle for expressed breastmilk, this is something to consider. The teat system has been designed in such a way that the milk flows only when your baby applies vacuum pressure (through sucking) to it. This is exactly how your breast works when baby feeds from it. If you decide to start feeding your baby formula at any point you’ll have to get new teats, but this is definitely worth a look. Available at baby stores and leading pharmacies nationwide.