Best baby bottles suitable from birth

For older children, take a look at best water bottles for kids.

Best baby bottles suitable from birth at a glance

• Best multi-tasking anti-colic bottle: Tommee Tippee Advanced Anti-Colic Bottle, £7.99 for 1
• Best for great value: Vital Baby Nurture Breast-Like Feeding Bottle, £4.50 for 1
• Best for parents new to bottle feeding: NUK First Choice + Temperature Control Bottle, from £5.59
• Best for premature babies: Dr Brown's Options+ Anti-Colic Bottle, from £7.69
• Best for breast to bottle: Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottle, £7.49 for 1
• Best for colic: Philips Avent Anti-Colic Bottle with AirFree Vent, £22.99 for 3 bottles
• Best for easy sterilising: MAM East Start Anti-Colic Self Sterilising Bottle, £7.50 for 1
• Best for pacing bottle feeding: Haberman Suckle Feeder, £8.25 for 1
• Best for babies with reflux: Nuby Reduce Reflux Bottle with Easy Latch, SoftFlex Silicone Teat, £8 for 1
• Best glass bottle: MAM Feel Good Glass Bottle, from £8.99 for 1

What to look for when buying a baby bottle suitable from birth

Teat flow – Most bottles suitable for newborns are sold with the slowest flowing teat available but there may be other teats you can buy that are better suited to your baby. A range of teat sizes mean that your bottle can transition as your baby grows and their preferences change. Every baby is different but many babies cope best with a slow flow or vari-flow teat for 0+months, medium flow for 3+ months and fast flow for 6+ months.

Anti-colic features – Newborns under 6 months may experience colic so almost every baby bottle suitable for newborn babies has a design feature to help with this. Whether it’s a teat with valves, vents in the base of the bottle or weighted straw, these anti-colic features aim to prevent excess air entering your baby’s digestive system, where it can cause wind, reflux and colic.

Breast-feeding compatibility – If you’re planning to combination feed or want a seamless way to transition your baby from boob to bottle, bottles with teats that emulate the breast and nipple during breastfeeding can make things easier. Also look out for bottles designed to pace a feed more naturally, preventing guzzling.

Material – The majority of baby bottles are made from BPA-free plastic, which is light, easy to clean and resilient. However, they can become discoloured, are easily scratched and will ultimately contribute to landfill. Non-plastic alternatives include glass bottles, which are heavier than plastic versions but are a more sustainable option – not least because if properly looked after, they can last for years.

Ease of use – A baby bottle is no good to a sleep-deprived or distressed parent if it’s fiddly to put together or tricky to work out how the valve needs to be positioned. That said, some of the best anti-colic bottles take a bit of practice, which is worth it if it helps reduce your baby’s post-feed discomfort.

Longevity – While it might seem like it at the time, colic and reflux don’t last forever, thank goodness! So a bottle that can grow with your baby, turning from an anti-colic bottle to a regular one that will last for many months, is a good investment.

How much do baby bottles cost?

Our list covers bottles that cost from as little as £4.50 up to £20 – so a fairly wide scope. But regardless of price point, all bottles offer a safe and spill-free feeding experience for baby.

Budget buys tend to be made from BPA-free plastic rather than glass which can last for years. As you’d expect, specialist bottles with patented technology are more expensive but worth the extra money for the benefits they offer.

And while some bottles may seem expensive, if they can be converted from newborn anti-colic bottle to one that’s suitable for a much older baby who has outgrown colic, they will provide good value over time.

Regardless of material, multipacks of bottles tend to offer the best value – many of the bottles come in starter sets that include several bottles and accessories such as extra teats and even sterilisers.

Here’s our pick of the best baby bottles suitable from birth:

1. Tommee Tippee Advanced anti-colic bottle, 7.99 for 1 bottle

– Best multi-tasking anti-colic bottle

Capacity/sizes available: 150ml (£7.75), 260ml (£7.99) | Type of teats: Medium Flow (3 months+), Fast Flow (6 months+) and vari-flow (from birth) | Made from: Silicone and polypropylene | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Not recommended

This bottle has been designed with a breast-like shaped teat and anti-colic system designed to take air away from the milk. Tommee Tippee claims the one-way venting system that draws air away from the milk reduces bubbles to cut the chances of your baby getting colic. And in testing, 80% of parents said that when feeding from these bottles, their babies suffered less wind, reflux and fussing.

What’s more, to encourage a baby to take the bottle and to get a good latch (and reduce colic-causing air intake), the extra wide teats have been designed with the breast in mind, flexing and stretching to mimic a breastfeed, in a similar way to those made by MAM and Philips Avent. (It’s worth noting that these bottles can only be used with the Advanced Anti-Colic Teats – they won’t work with Tommee Tippee’s Closer to Nature Teats.)

With these bottles you make the feed slightly differently – stirring in the formula powder, rather than shaking the bottle to combine, for instance - otherwise they can be prone to leaking. As well as being anti-colic, the bottle has a clever temperature feature – a built-in, heat-sensing strip that turns pink within seconds if the feed is too hot to give to your baby. MFM tester and mum of 2 Kathryn described this feature as “reassuring”.

Another MFM home tester, Kerry, praised the feel and shape of the bottle. “I love the quality of this product – it’s obviously well-made and it feels great to use,” she said. Meanwhile, MFM home tester and mum of 2, Lyndsay tried the bottle with her daughter who’s also breastfed. She reported, “My daughter took to them really easily and seemed less windy and colicky when using the bottles.”

Pros: Extra wide teats, heat sensor, ergonomic
Cons: Can only be used with Advanced Anti-Colic Teats

Available from: Amazon and Boots

2. Vital Baby Nurture Breast-Like Feeding Bottle, £4.50 for 1

– Best for great value

Capacity/sizes available: 150ml (£8.99 2 pack), 240ml (£9.99 2 pack) | Type of teats: Medium Flow and Fast Flow | Made from: Polypropylene and silicone | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Awards: Gold – Baby bottle, MadeForMums Awards 2021

Vital Baby’s small range of bottles includes the Nurture, with its flexible teat that’s easy to latch onto and also flattened to mimic the shape of your nipple when your baby feeds. Vital Baby says this makes a baby much more likely to accept the bottle, and our home testers agreed. “My baby took to these bottles straight away and I believe it’s down to the teat,” exclaimed Jade, who was impressed by how well the flexible and flat silicone simulates a breast during feeding.

MFM home tester Krisztina tried several bottles with her baby daughter and found Vital Baby Nurture was the only one she would accept, when moving her onto combined feeding. She said, “It's a massive win for us as I know if I ever leave the house, she'll accept a bottle from daddy.”

Both testers praised the bottle’s design and remarked how easy it was to clean and how well-made it seemed for a good price. Though it’s worth noting that if your baby’s suck is strong, MFM judges, Midwife Marley and maternity nurse Jade, found the teats can sometimes invert.

Like many bottles suitable for newborns, this one has colic-reducing features. Here, the triple anti-colic valves aim to reduce the risk of baby ingesting air during a feed and again our home testers were impressed. “The three valve system really worked wonders for my little one’s colic-like symptoms,” revealed Jade, while Krisztina said her baby seemed less colicky than after a feed from a regular bottle.

Pros: Flexible teat, teat designed to mimic nipple, easy to clean
Cons: Caps can be difficult to remove from bottle tops, teat sometimes inverts if baby’s suck is strong

Available from: Vital Baby and John Lewis

3. Nuk First Choice+ Temperature Control bottle, from £5.59

– Best for parents new to bottle feeding

Sizes available: 150ml, 300ml | Type of teats: Silicone and latex available in Size 1 (0-6 months) and Size 2 (6-18 months) in S, M and L flow sizes | Made from: Polyamide | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: No | Microwave safe: No | Awards: Silver – Baby bottle, MadeForMums Awards 2021

Getting the bottle temperature right can be nerve wracking, especially if you’re new to bottle feeding. These NUK Temperature Control bottles help by indicating when the temperature of the formula or expressed breastmilk in the bottle is safe for your baby to drink. It changes from blue to white when the contents are too hot (above 37°C) then back to blue once the milk inside has cooled down.

The indicator looks like a thermometer and is on the outside of the bottle within the graduation marks, making it easy to spot and read. It’s not intended to replace manual checking but is useful to reassure nervous bottle feeders. MFM tester and mum of a 4-month-old, Nikki, commented, "This was the element that I liked the most about this bottle. It was especially useful useful out and about and having to make a bottle up using boiling water from a flask."

This bottle is compatible with all NUK First Choice Plus teats, which come in both silicone and latex in a range of flow sizes with an anti-colic air vent as standard. This design works to minimise the amount of air swallowed during feeding. Plus, the orthodontic teat shape has a soft zone modelled on a mother’s nipple as she breastfeeds, leaving enough room for baby’s tongue and jaw to make natural sucking movements. This makes it particularly suitable for combination feeding. “My daughter took to the teat shape easily and enjoyed drinking from it,” commented tester Caroline, mum of a 6-month-old baby.

Pros: Option of silicone and latex teats, easy-to-read temperature indicator
Cons: Not dishwasher safe

Available from: Boots and Amazon

4. Dr Brown’s Options+ Anti-Colic bottle, from £7.69

– Best for premature babies

Sizes available: 60ml, 150ml, 270ml | Type of teats: Preemie Wide Neck (0+ months), Level 1 (newborn), Level 2 (3+ months), Level 3 (6+ months) and Level 4 (9+ months) | Made from: Polypropylene or glass | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Yes (for sterilising, not for heating milk)

Dr Brown has long been the trusted, go-to bottle brand if your baby has colic. Now they have changed their bottle so it can be used without the special, anti-colic vent when your baby has outgrown the colic phase.

Dr Brown’s Options bottle has a venting tube, which prevents a vacuum developing in the bottle and stops your baby taking in air while feeding – similar other anti-colic bottles. Unlike some brands, the Options bottle can also be used without the vent as your baby grows out of colic. Without the vent, the soft, silicone Options teat vents the air through the bottle.

The bottle is also available in a 60ml size which, when combined with the Preemie teat which flows 47% slower than a level 1 teat, is ideal for premature babies who have poor sucking reflex and problems competing with the vacuum in unvented bottles.

MFM tester Amanda said, "I had to switch my youngest son (who had colic) to Dr Brown's bottles and I found they really helped after trying lots of other options." Though some reviews report the Options bottles are prone to leaking, so this is worth keeping in mind.

Pros: Also available in glass, wide range of teat sizes, smaller 60ml bottle ideal for premature babies, can remove anti-colic vent
Cons: Limited choice of colours (just 2) and 1 design, bottles prone to leaking

Available from: Uber Kids and Amazon

5. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottle, £7.49 for 1

– Best for breast to bottle

Sizes available: 150ml, 260ml, 340ml | Type of teats: Slow flow (from birth), Vari-flow (from birth), Medium flow (3m+), Fast flow (6m+) | Made from: Polypropylene but same design available in glass and silicone | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Awards: Silver – Baby bottle, MadeForMums Awards 2021

Finding a feeding bottle your baby likes can be an expensive process of trial and error, and if changing from breast to bottle or combination feeding, it can be even harder. But with 92% of babies accepting the Closer to Nature Bottle within the first 3 attempts, according to Tommee Tippee, it aims to get rid of the guesswork. The bottle’s teat is shaped to feel more like a breast and is made with silicone that feels soft and silky like skin. Along with the teat’s flex, this is designed to encourage a natural latch.

Although these are not specifically designed to be anti-colic like the brand’s Anti-Colic Bottle (more on this below), the teats have an anti-colic valve to cut down the amount of air your baby takes in when feeding. The bottles also come in various attractive colours and designs, and the same Closer To Nature design is available in non-plastic materials - both silicone and glass.

“This is excellent value for money for a well-designed product which is simple yet effective,” reported MFM home tester Becky, who also praised the “comfortable, easy-hold shape.”

Pros: Ergonomic bottle, well-accepted teat, range of designs, glass and silicone options
Cons: Milk can be left behind in the bottle

Available from: Tommee Tippee, Amazon and John Lewis

6. Philips Avent Anti-Colic Bottle with AirFree Vent, £22.99 for 3 bottles

– Best for colic

Sizes available: 125 ml, 260ml | Type of teats: Teat 1 (from birth), Teat 2 (1m+), Teat 3 (3m+) | Made from: Polypropylene and silicone | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Yes (bottle only, not teat, cap or screw ring) | Awards: Bronze – Baby bottle, MadeForMums Awards 2021

The AirFree vent is the latest innovation from trusted baby feeding brand Philips Avent and is designed to help your baby swallow less air during bottle feeds, which should help with colic. It works by ensuring the teat stays full of milk even when horizontal, making it ideal for upright feeds.

MFM home tester Joanne was keen to try it with her 3-month-old daughter who had suffered with colic and reflux symptoms since birth despite trying several medicines prescribed by a doctor. She saw a “massive improvement” in her daughter’s symptoms after using the bottle for just over 2 weeks. Joanne explained, “although it hasn’t completely eliminated the colic, she has fewer and shorter distressed periods after a feed and winding her has become a lot easier.”

The only drawback? “At first, assembling the bottle was a little confusing because the vent has to be in a certain position to help reduce air bubbles,” Joanna explained. The bottles can be used without the AirFree vent, meaning as the baby grows and no longer shows signs of colic you can remove this feature without having to buy new bottles, which is always a win.

Our home testers also praised the shape of the bottle, which was described as compact, comfortable to use and easy for an older baby to hold, as well as the clear measuring scales and lack of leakage. Plus, the single-piece valve and dishwasher-safe bottles mean there are fewer messy bits to fiddle with and it’s all easy to clean.

Pros: Ergonomic bottle shape, offers longevity (can use without AirFree vent)
Cons: AirFree vent tricky to assemble, higher price point

Available from: Argos and Amazon

7. MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic Self-Sterilising Bottle, £7.50 for 1

– Best for easy sterilising

Sizes available: 160ml, 260ml | Type of teats: Teat 0 (newborn), Teat 1 (from birth), teat 2 (2m+), Teat 3 (4m+), Teat X (6m+) | Made from: Polypropylene | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes

The Easy Start bottles from MAM pack a punch as they offer an anti-colic vented system, plus can be self-sterilised in the microwave and transformed into a toddler cup as the child grows. They use a vented base to reduce air bubbles in milk, rather than a tube like Tommee Tippee or Dr Brown. MFM home tester Stevie found this feature helpful and said, “I love these bottles! They have really helped with my baby’s wind and reflux and I’ve found them easy to use, clean and sterilise.”

The MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic teats are made with a silicone that’s designed to feel like skin, with MAM claiming 94% of babies tested in its market research accepted the Easy Start Anti Colic teat and bottle. Unlike some other anti-colic bottles, this one can’t be converted to a regular bottle but that doesn’t impact on the bottle’s appeal. MFM Awards judge Jade Powell, who is an experienced maternity nurse, confirmed that she has yet to meet a baby who doesn’t like these bottles.

What’s more, this bottle offers a unique self-sterilising feature that means as long as you have access to a microwave and some water, the bottle can be sterilised in just 3 minutes. As well as convenience, the bottle gets top marks for looks, with lots of sweet designs, and is reasonably priced.

Pros: Teat widely accepted, practical self-sterilising function, appealing colours and designs
Cons: Cannot be converted into a regular bottle

Available from: Asda, Amazon and Boots

8. Haberman Suckle Feeder, £8.25 for 1

– Best for pacing bottle feeding

Capacity/sizes available: 260ml | Type of teats: Teat and filter from 0 months | Made from: Plastic and silicone | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: No | Awards: MadeForMums Awards 2020, Baby bottle – Bronze

The Suckle Feeder features patented valve technology that means the teat remains full at any angle so a baby can feed in their most natural and comfortable position. Milk only flows when the baby sucks with pressure, and is designed to require the same level of effort as breastfeeding.

It had a glowing response from our home testers, including mum, Leonna, who praised its ability to control her daughter’s feeding pace. She said, “Luna is a very fast drinker and the suckle aspect allowed her to pace her feed which without a doubt eliminated the guzzling she’s had problems with in the past.”

MFM judge and maternity nurse Jade Powell believes this bottle is great for breastfeeding mums as it allows them to establish consistency between bottle and breast. Our testers also liked that the bottle was so easy to assemble – you can click all elements together with one hand.

When testing the Haberman Suckle Feeder, MFM tester Sophie found it was the calmest she had seen her breastfed baby with a bottle. She described it as “worth every penny for getting my baby to take a bottle more easily and – more importantly – happily.” She added, “She was even drifting off to sleep like she does when breastfeeding and had a lot less wind than when we’ve used other bottles.”

Pros: One-hand assembly, allows for natural feeding pace
Cons: Only available in one size

Available from: Oliver's Baby Care

9. Nuby Reduce Reflux Bottle with Easy Latch, SoftFlex silicone teat, £8 for 1

– Best for babies with reflux

Capacity/sizes available: 240ml, 270ml | Type of teats: Slow Flow Teat and straw from 0 months | Made from: Plastic and silicone | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes

The Reduce Reflux bottle promises to help reflux-prone babies by promoting a more upright feeding position and encouraging a slower suckling action – and our MFM home testers did report improvement in reflux symptoms. Rather than using gravity to direct milk into the teat, this bottle uses a weighted straw that allows a sitting baby to suck the milk up through a teat with 3 anti-colic valves that further help prevent air ingestion.

The Night Time version of this innovative bottle features a glow-in-the dark ring that emits a gentle green light, making it easy to use your bottle in the dark without disturbing your sleepy baby by turning on the light.

It would suit any baby suffering with colic or reflux but MFM home tester Rebecca found it was good for her combination-fed baby. “The increased effort to drink the milk helps to stop my baby becoming too used to the easy, fast flow of a conventional bottle and keeps them accepting boob and bottle.” Another bonus is the bottle can be fitted directly onto the Nuby Digital Electric Breast Pump, allowing you to pump directly into the bottle.

Although some testers found the bottle and parts to be fiddly to clean, MFM home tester Fiona, mum of 1, didn’t encounter this issue and found “the straw brush provided really help to keep it clean thoroughly.” We also liked the fact that once your little one is over reflux, you can remove the weighted straw that regulates the flow to turn it into a standard bottle.

Pros: Some evidence it helps to reduce reflux, bottles can be used post-colic, bottle fits directly onto Nuby Digital Electric Breast Pump
Cons: Fiddly to clean, sterilise and put back together

Available from: Nuby and Amazon

10. MAM Feel Good Glass Bottle, from £8.99 for 1

– Best glass bottle

Sizes available: 90ml, 170ml, 260ml | Type of teats: Slow flow (0+) and medium flow (2 months+) | Made from: Glass | BPA free: Yes | Dishwasher safe: Yes | Microwave safe: Yes | Award: Gold – Sustainable/eco-friendly product for babies, MadeForMums Awards 2021

Offering a non-plastic option, MAM's glass bottles are made from BPA-free, temperature resistant glass meaning they can be can be heated in the microwave or bottle warmer, cleaned in the dishwasher and sterilised at high temperatures.

MFM tester Nimah found them easy to use thanks to their simple design. "They don’t have any other separate parts other than the teat, screw, lid and the bottle," she explained. "It’s so much easier to take apart and clean/sterilise and much quicker – especially when you’ve got several bottles on the go at once."

As they're made from glass they will be slightly heavier than plastic bottles, so they won't be as easy for your baby to learn how to hold. However if you're looking for a reliable and sustainable option, these make a brilliant plastic alternative.

Pros: sustainable, temperature resistant glass, eye-catching design
Cons: heavy

Available from: Amazon, Boots and MAM

Baby bottle safety

Regardless of whether you’re feeding your baby expressed breast milk or formula, you’ll need to clean and sterilise your baby’s bottles and teats between each use. You can’t sterilise bottles that aren’t properly clean of all bits of milk residue, so you’ll need to clean them first, ideally with a bottle brush.

How to clean a baby bottle?

Wash all parts of the bottle as soon as possible after a feed using fresh hot water and washing up liquid (rather than washing bottles after your dishes).

Turn the teats inside out to clean thoroughly and rinse the bottles, rings and any vents plus teats well.

Then you’re ready to give them the full sterilising treatment…

How to sterilise baby bottles?

Sterilising baby bottles is vital to get rid of harmful bacteria. There are 3 main methods of sterilising: using boiling water, chemical sterilisers, such as Milton tablets, and steam sterilisers.

For more details, check out our article on sterilising baby bottles for feeds and our guide to the best steam, microwave, water and electric sterilisers.

Can you sterilise baby bottles in the dishwasher?

Your dishwasher may have a hot enough cycle to sterilise bottles (though they should still be washed first) but you’ll need to make up the bottles straight away after the end of the cycle.

Check your manufacturer’s information to see whether your dishwasher will do. We’ve also got a detailed guide on using the dishwasher versus a steriliser

When can you stop sterilising baby bottles?

On or after your baby’s 1st birthday. Bottle parts including teats need sterilising throughout your baby’s first year, until their immune system is more resistant to germs. You may wonder why you should bother if your baby routinely puts toys, shoes and bits of fluff into her mouth, but even the tiniest residue of milk can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Here’s our full list of what to sterilise and when.

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