Breastfeeding your baby isn’t just a matter of feeding them whenever they’re hungry. Odds are your body will produce plenty of excess milk, which can be stored in bottles for feeding your little one when you are on the go or when you can’t conveniently breastfeed them at a specific moment.
But when it comes to bottle-feeding your baby, you might find that certain bottles produce better results.
In most cases, the absolute best baby bottles, according to certified lactation consultants and doctors, have features like:
- Breast-like bottle nipples that reduce nipple confusion
- Materials that aren’t toxic. For example, glass baby bottles aren’t toxic, but they can shatter and break, so many top baby bottles are made of safe silicone or BPA-free plastic (often the same materials used to make pacifiers)
- Anti-colic bottle designs, which use anti-colic vents to reduce fussiness
- Bottle warmer markers or shapes that are sized perfectly for bottle warmers
- Leak-free designs
Above all else, however, it’s important to remember that the best bottles for your baby are those that you trust. When you try to transition your baby from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding, the process can take a little bit of time to get right. Your baby may be a little fussy and may not want to make the transition for one reason or another.
Therefore, it’s in your best interest to try a few different bottles if possible. When you feel the bottles in your hand, you’ll have a much better understanding of whether it will suit your needs and whether your baby will accept them.
Today, let’s break down the best bottles for breastfed babies and explore why they’re such good options.
Best for Multiple Bottles: Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Anti-Colic Options+ Narrow Baby Bottles
Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Anti-Colic Options+ Narrow Baby Bottles are great choices for several reasons. They feature internal vent systems to reduce colic, burping, and gas. Dr. Brown’s bottles also offer vacuum-free feeding that is very close to breastfeeding. The silicone nipples ensure a consistent flow of milk when feeding your little one.
But more importantly, this purchase comes with four different bottles instead of three or fewer. Because of this, this is a great long-term bottle set for breastfed babies. When you purchase the one set, you’ll have all the bottles you need to supplement your normal breastfeeding schedule. Consider it if you need a handful of bottles to get you through the next few months instead of just one or two.
Best for Burp Avoidance: Evenflo Balance Plus 3-Pack Wide Neck Bottles
Evenflo Balance Plus 3-Pack Wide Neck Bottles are some of the best bottles for breastfed babies because they are made with patented silicone Proflo venting technology. In a nutshell, these slow-flow nipple-like bottles will help prevent gas and burps by helping your baby not swallow a lot of extra air as they gulp down milk.
Aside from this fact, the bottles are also excellent choices since they are dishwasher safe, plus they’re free of BPA and PVC plastics and synthetic materials. Thus, they should taste fine to your little one and won’t come with a risk of allergic reactions. Even better, these materials are not at risk of shattering, cracking, or posing any other physical risk, unlike glass or other harder materials.
Best for Temperature Monitoring: NUK Simply Natural Baby Bottle with SafeTemp
Nuk’s Simply Natural Baby Bottle with SafeTemp is a unique bottle for breastfed babies. The patented SafeTemp indicator changes color when your milk is too hot. Thus, it’s a great choice for parents who want to avoid accidentally giving their baby milk that’s too warm for comfort or likely to cause burping and gas.
The bottles are high-quality for other reasons, as well. The tips come with multiple nipple holes, and each is a slow-flow design, preventing colic, spit-up, and other side effects of breastfeeding. They’re also quite large, capable of fitting five fluid ounces at once.
Best for Simulating Breastfeeding: Philips AVENT Natural Baby Bottle with Natural Response Nipple
The Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle is a fantastic gift set, particularly for parents who are looking for several bottles of different sizes. But most importantly, this set of bottles for breastfed babies simulates natural feeding better than anything else.
The soft, flexible, breast-shaped nipples make teaching your little one to accept bottle-feeding that much easier. They also come with replacement nipples that can keep up with your baby’s flow rate needs and growth spurts. Add to that a baby bottle brush head for cleaning, and it’s clear that this is a top choice for new parents or for friends of new parents (consider purchasing it for new parents as a baby shower gift, for instance).
Best for Easy Cleaning: Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle
Comotomo’s Natural Feel Baby Bottle is one of the best bottles for breastfed babies because it comes with a three-pack of 5-ounce baby bottles. They come with flexible bodies and wide mouths. The result? You don’t have to use a brush or other cleaning tools to make sure these are squeaky clean before filling them with fresh milk.
The bottle tips are designed for easy latching on the part of your little one, and they are perfect for babies up to 3 months old. Airflow nozzles at the top prevent colic and burping, adding even more value for money to this affordable set.
Best for Pump Compatibility: Munchkin Latch Anti-Colic Baby Bottle
The Munchkin Latch Anti-Colic Baby Bottle should be your go-to choice if you are looking for bottles that can also work with your preferred breast pump. That’s because they come with a pump adapter, and it’s compatible with most leading breast pumps from top brands like Evenflo and Lansinoh.
Aside from this, these are great bottles for breastfed babies overall. They are BPA-free and very easy to clean, and the nipple tips stretch, flex, and pump just like breast nipples to ensure a correct latch. Each bottle further comes with an anti-colic valve at the bottom to reduce fussiness and gassiness.
Best for Allergy Avoidance: Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Baby Bottles
Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Baby Bottles are great choices for parents who want to avoid allergic reactions. These babies are made from soft silicone and hypoallergenic materials, minimizing the likelihood of irritation, inflammation, or other uncomfortable side effects.
They’re standout bottles for breastfed babies besides that, as well. They feature anticolic valves, stretchy, soft silicone nipples, and 100% leakproof designs. Attach the screw rings to the nipples and caps, and your baby bottle will be mess-free, even if it shakes or you turn it upside down.
Best for Reduced Spit Up: Lansinoh Baby Bottles for Breastfeeding Babies
If you’re looking for a bottle for breastfed babies that will prevent them from spitting up as often, the Lansinoh Baby Bottles are ideal choices. That’s because they come with proprietary NaturalWave Nipples, which are clinically proven to reduce confusion among breastfed little ones.
More importantly, they come with a specially designed air ventilation system to help reduce spit-up and colic when your baby is bottle-feeding. Of course, they are also BPA and BPS-free, and the 100% silicone tips are designed to mimic the flow of natural nipple tips. Even better, you get special slow-flow silicone nipples with these bottles, so they’re good for young infants who are still learning how to feed in general.
Best for Bottles & Bottle Covers: Kiinde Twist Squeeze Natural Baby Breast Milk Feeding Bottle
The Kiinde Twist Squeeze Natural Baby Breast Milk Feeding Bottle is a two-pack with active latch nipple designs. These are very good for seamlessly transitioning your baby from breast to bottle and back, minimizing any potential confusion.
Furthermore, these bottles have a special twist feeding system to remove air from your baby’s meal without the use of complicated venting systems. This can help to relieve colic in breastfed infants. If you are looking for bottle covers, this purchase can also help; the reusable nipple cases can double as bottle covers for whatever bottles you already have in your house.
Best for No-Drip Feeding: Medela Calma Feeding Set
Medela’s Calma Feeding Set is a single 5-ounce bottle, so it’s not the most affordable on the market. However, it’s noteworthy because it facilitates no drip feeding, removing the possibility of messes and leaks while feeding your baby.
The vented no-drip nipple is designed to work perfectly every time, and it’s made without BPA or other harmful materials. It’s also dishwasher safe, so cleaning it is quick and simple. The purchase does come with two different lids. Consider this if you’re looking for a bottle for your breastfed baby that will help you avoid messes in the future.
Best for Portable Feeding: Nanobebe Breastmilk Baby Bottle
Nanobebe’s Breastmilk Baby Bottle is the go-to choice for parents looking for portable feeding solutions. That’s because these small, easy-to-store baby bottles can fit in the palm of your hand and are very easy to use when feeding your little one.
Since they are shaped somewhat like natural breasts, babies can easily transition from breast to bottle-feeding and back. The bottles come with 360° anticolic caps, which should help reduce gas and spit-ups over time. They don’t carry a lot of milk, but since you get a set of three, you should be able to fill them with enough milk for any given day or feeding session.
Best for Self-Cleaning:MAM Easy Start Anti Colic Baby Bottle
The MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic Baby Bottle is another popular choice among parents. But it’s one of the best bottles for breastfed babies because it is self-cleaning. This bottle self-sterilizes in the microwave in just three minutes, so you don’t have to take extra baby bottle-cleaning items with you when traveling.
More importantly, you can always rest assured that the bottles will be free of germs or other harmful compounds that your baby might otherwise swallow by accident. The bottles are well-designed aside from this element, featuring elongated nipple shapes, vented base designs that help to release liquid slowly, and firm grips to make feeding your baby much easier. Each bottle in this three-pack can hold 5 ounces of fluid.
The Bottom Line
It’s easy to see that there are lots of great bottles for breastfed babies. But you should think about the feeding habits of your little one, plus any problems you encounter with your feeding sessions, to find the best set of bottles for your unique needs.
For instance, the Munchkin Latch Anti-Colic Baby Bottle is a standout and possibly obvious choice if you need a baby bottle that works with your breast pump. Alternatively, the Philips AVENT Natural Baby Bottle with Natural Response Nipple is a popular choice for parents with fussy babies who have difficulty transitioning to bottle feeding.
When in doubt, consider asking your pediatrician or doctor about which bottles they might recommend. And don’t forget to rely on your instincts as a parent — you know what your baby needs better than anyone else!
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