The best bottles for breastfed babies–and when you should introduce one

With the Chicco DUO Baby Bottle, your baby’s milk only touches pure Invinci-Glass™ glass while the exterior is made with unbreakable plastic. In other words? It’s the best of both worlds for parents who appreciate the purity of glass and the convenience of plastic. With that much attention paid to the bottle’s materials, you better believe the DUO’s design is similarly brilliant: With the unique Intui-Latch™️ Nipple, anti-colic valve and breast-like flow, the DUO is a perfect option for breastfed babies.

Reviewers say: “I just recently had my third child. I’ve always used Dr. Brown’s bottles with my other children, so naturally I figured I’d do the same this time. Instead, one day I ventured out and tried the Chicco DUO bottles and thank goodness I did. They are very lightweight and super easy to clean. They only have a few pieces. As far as anti-colic, they worked great for my daughter and I even think she likes these bottles way better due to the shape of the nipple. I also want to mention that the inside of these bottles are glass, so formula/milk will never touch plastic, which is a huge plus. I was worried that since the bottles were glass they would break easily—but they don’t. (I dropped mine a few times!) I’m assuming this is due to the outer layer being plastic. I think this is a great bottle and I’m happy Chicco expanded into the bottle world!” -Pen Name

The Philips Avent Natural bottle got the top pick from our lactation consultant because of the specially designed slow-flow nipple. The unique petal design is soft and flexible, but won’t collapse, and the bottle features a built-in anti-colic venting system that’s easy to clean and reduces air intake. (Price is for their starter set.)

Reviewers say: “This is an excellent newborn/starter set, complete with everything required for growing with your infant’s feeding needs. The extras are also a bonus: bottle brush for cleaning, pacifiers, and travel caps. The bottles are made with BPA-free plastic, and the “natural” style nipples seem to more closely resemble the shape and contour of a breast, which should help with the transitioning between breast and bottle feeding. Even better, there’s a built-in colic reducing feature, making this a truly well-balanced bottle style.” – Christine Reyes

It stands to reason that a bottle shaped like the real thing would make our list of best bottles for breastfed babies, eh? The innovative re-design from Nanobébe boasts a few key details that set them apart from more traditional styles. For one thing, the wide, concave base allows milk to thoroughly spread out and heat faster and more evenly. (They can be warmed right in the their non-electric warming bowl or really any bowl for that matter.)  It also is much easier for tiny hands to grip on their way to learning how to self-feed. And because the bottom is concave, they can actually stack for storage. The nipples feature three vents to help keep gas to a minimum and are suitable for colicky babes as well. Each bottle set also comes with an adapter suitable for standard neck pumps allowing you to pump directly into the bottles. (If you have a wide-neck pump like the Medela or Spectra, adapters can be purchased separately.)

Reviewers say: “LOVE. I love the shape of those bottles. They gave a very similar and smooth transition from breast to bottle.” Veronica

Based on 50+ years of breastfeeding research and designed by a company that’s supported mamas + babies for 35 years, it’s no surprise Lansinoh makes the cut. The magic is in the NaturalWave Nipple, a soft and flexible nipple that is specifically designed to reduce confusion by ergonomically mimicking a natural breast. Little ones can use the same sucking method to expel milk whether they’re nursing or using the bottle which is key for making a smooth transition.

Reviewers say: “People do not understand how hard it is when your breastfed baby will. not. take. a. bottle. As you can see in the picture, we tried about 20 bottles/sippy cups. She refused, and I mean knockdown drag out refused ALL of them until this magical bottle. What used to be an hour-long endeavor to get even 2oz of breast milk or formula into this bottle-hating baby has turned into 6+oz in 8 minutes or less. It is astounding. ASTOUNDING. I nearly died of shock. Seriously, if this is you, try this bottle.”—j.m.g.

There are so many things to love about the Comotomo bottle. It’s made from silicone so it’s soft and squishy, mimicking mom’s breast and making it easy for little ones to grab and hold. The super-wide neck design means it’s simple and easy to clean—no bottle brush needed, you can just stick your hand right in there!

It’s microwave, dishwasher, and sterilizer-safe, and it’s got two built-in anti-colic vents with no extra parts. (Another win in the “easy to clean” department.) Win, win and win.

Reviewers say: “Oh where do I start! First, these saved my life. My daughter was exclusively BF for 6 weeks, when I had to go back to work I attempted to give her a bottle and to my shock, she did not want it. I bought and tried eight different bottles and no luck! I was mortified! I spent many hours and a lot of money hoping to find the perfect bottle for her and nothing. I made a post on a Facebook breastfeeding moms group and one of the moms recommended this Comotomo bottle, so i gave it a try and voila! It worked!!!! She successfully transitioned into a bottle and I was able to go back to work without thinking my daughter was starving at daycare! The only downside was that I had to practically tip it up the whole way so she could drink all the milk! Other than that I highly recommend them!”–Jazmin L.

Dr. Brown’s wide-neck design has long been a favorite of breastfed babies and championed for their efficacy in aiding digestion and preventing colic + gas. The multi-part venting system is admittedly less than a dream to clean (so. many.parts.), but you take the good with the annoying, right?

Luckily, the Options series can be used with or without the vent. Use the vent during the newborn months when baby’s digestive system isn’t as mature, then remove it as baby gets older and their feeding is more developed.

Reviewers say: “I like that these bottles don’t cause any nipple confusion. They don’t make my baby fussy since I use the vent system. They are very easy to clean. The only problem I have is when they leak sometimes and all of the pieces are put together properly. And the bottle isn’t full over the line. But that only happens once in a while.”—Tashika

If there were awards for the most beautiful bottle, this one might take the cake—but the best part is that it’s beautiful and functional. The GentleBottle is fairly similar to the Comotomo in terms of look, feel, and material, but also boasts an off-centered nipple that mimics the breast and some claim offers a better + easier angle for feeding. And have we mentioned the gorgeous colors? Love.

Reviewers say: “This is my new favorite bottle! Oh and my baby loves it too. 😉 I love the placement of the nipple. To me, this bottle is better than the Comotomo bottles because of the nipple being on one side, which obviously helps assist baby in getting every drop without having to lay baby completely flat on his/her back. I do own both brands and They are very similar in feel. But this one wins in my book. BTW… My baby is exclusively on breast milk and is breastfed 97% of the time and she has no problem with either bottle.”—CrysHaz8

Designed exclusively for breastfed baby, the Calma has several great features that make it an ideal choice for a baby who is both breast and bottle-fed. Similar to the Philips Avent, you can flip the Calma upside-down and the milk won’t drip out—meaning that your baby needs to apply a certain level of vacuum suction in order to get milk out, just like during breastfeeding. This allows baby to feed, pause, and breathe, as well as to better self-regulate milk intake, which are all also part of the breastfeeding experience.

Reviewers say: “This bottle nipple was a lifesaver for our family. I went back to work and my 7-month-old was refusing a bottle at daycare and for my husband. We tried a few different kinds (Avent, Tommee Tippee, Dr Brown’s) and had pretty much given up until I saw a blog post recommending the Calma for babies who let the milk leak out of their mouth while trying to drink. This was the problem my baby had and apparently it has to do with a vacuum being created when they suck so they get flooded with milk. My other two kids never had a problem but the bottle just wasn’t similar enough to the breast for him. I ordered this and after a few tries he liked it and now willingly and happily drinks his bottle. I highly recommend to anyone who is having issues with a breastfeeding baby resisting normal bottles.”—Jinna

One of the most affordable bottles on our list, the NUK Simply Natural’s claim to fame is the multiple nipple holes that disperse milk similarly to a mother’s breast. Depending on flow speed, nipples come with between three to nine holes, but you’ll want to use the three-hole choice for most breastfed little ones.

The wide neck and flexible nipple both promote a good latch, and there aren’t a ton of parts to clean here so bottle washing isn’t too tedious.

Reviewers say: “I’ve been using these for about a month now and I absolutely love them. I had twin girls and They were in the NICU. One of my girls had nipple confusion and I could not get her to latch! She would do fine on the other bottle I was using, but I couldn’t get her to breastfeed. It was frustrating for both of us. I switched to these and we love them! After using them for less than a week she was able to latch properly again! I breastfeed/pump/ and supplement with some formula and I don’t have any latch problems with either one of my girls. I sterilize after every use and they do so well. Very durable, easy to clean, easy to put together and have ready when we need them. They don’t leak and I’ve noticed my girls actually burp less and have less gas when using these. I can’t say enough good things about this bottle. I have 15 of these bottles and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy more!”—Samantha K.

With a super-sensitive bottle nipple that feels like Mom’s, the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottles have earned a 5-star review from hundreds parents on Amazon. Designed to foster an easy transition from the breast to bottle and back again, the bottles also have anti-colic venting and wide necks that make them a breeze to clean. Easily swap out the nipples to give your baby the optimal milk flow.

Reviewers say: “They really pay attention to detail at this company. The bottles are well made and designed with babies and parents in mind. The small features help to make the newborn stage that much easier, such as the colic control, anti gas air hole, and the ergonomic design that helps to keep a parent comfortable while feeding. The bottle and parts are easy to clean and long lasting.” — Holly Lee