Best Bottles For Breastfed Babies – 8 Top Bottles Ranked & Reviewed

A Review Of 8 Baby Bottles For Breastfed Babies (Who Can Commonly Refuse The Bottle)

This review of bottles for breastfeeding babies who can suddenly refuse the bottle (or not even take it at all to begin with) includes a tested summary of the pros and cons of Nuk bottles, Comotomo bottles, Mimijumi bottles, Tommee Tippee bottles, Dr Browns bottles, Platex Nursers bottles, Avent bottles, and Playtex Ventaire bottles.

One thing I learned very early on as a brand new mom was that baby bottles are not one size fits all. For a nursing mom, it can be a painful art to figure out which are the best bottles for breastfed babies. In fact you can have a baby suddenly refusing the bottle even if you had one that was working or did extensive research. (It happened to me!)

If your baby won’t take the bottle, don’t stop researching! I’ve had two experiences with a baby suddenly refusing the bottle now and I can say that, with the second one, researching the best bottles for breastfed babies eventually paid off with success! If your baby won’t take the bottle, my encouragement is to keep reading the experience of others. Keep trying different bottles and tactics. You may actually find something that works!

My first daughter started refusing the bottle after I neglected to offer her one for over a month from 3-4 months old. Even with extensive research on the best bottles for breastfed babies and A LOT of trial and error, we never got her to take a bottle again. We ended up weaning her to a straw cup at 7 months instead. (You can read about our experience with her here.)

With our second baby I was determined to make sure that she didn’t end up refusing the bottle. We offered her a baby bottle from about 3 weeks old. She had trouble taking one from the start even though we made sure to use anti colic bottles and a slow flow nipple. However, we eventually got her to take Comotomo bottles. After we got her to take it, we made sure to continue offering the baby bottle at least once a week. However, despite all of our best and very diligent efforts, at 2 and a half months old we still had a baby suddenly refusing the bottle. Instead of consuming a baby bottle’s contents she would simply cry and gag.

(Note: This post contains affiliate links which means that if you purchase a product through one of my links I make a commission on your purchase – at no additional expense to you! Read my full disclosure here.)

I once again began the process of researching the best bottles for breastfed babies and the trial and error of testing seemingly endless types of baby bottles. We tried different flows of baby bottle nipples, anti colic bottles, cheap esteemed options, and pricey baby bottles that even had money-back guarantees if they didn’t work. Each baby bottle we tried resulted in a screaming, angry, and hungry baby.

I had just resigned myself to the fact that we had a second bottle refusing baby but decided to research one more time to see if I had missed any of the best bottles for breastfed babies. We had missed Nuk bottles and I decided to order one without much hope.

When the Nuk bottle (Simply Natural) came and my husband offered it to our baby girl in the other room I waited to hear the piercing cries – but they never came! Instead she gulped down the milk as if she was happily breastfeeding! My eyes teared up.

The baby bottle battle was over.

Not every baby is the same. (In fact, my sister-in-law’s baby suddenly refusing the bottle took to a different one than ours.) However, below is my review of 8 top baby bottle brands rated from best bottles for breastfed babies to the worst based on my experience trying each bottle with one or both of my breastfed babies.

If you are an expectant mother trying to decide which bottles to stock up on before your baby arrives, I advise you not to buy too many! It may take some trial and error of several baby bottles to determine which one is best for your baby. If you have a breastfed baby who is refusing the bottle, then I advise you to at least try some of these different types before you give up! It made all the difference for me.

This review includes Nuk bottles, Comotomo bottles, Mimijumi bottles, Tommee Tippee bottles, Dr Browns bottles, Platex Nursers bottles, Avent bottles, and Playtex Ventaire bottles. I’ve included pros and cons of each baby bottle type as well as a summary of our experience with it.

The Best Breastfeeding Bottles – 8 Top Baby Bottles Ranked

1. Nuk Simply Natural Bottles

• Pros: 
  • Uniquely shaped nipple with multiple holes for a feeding experience similar to breastfeeding
  • Anti colic bottles with vent built into the nipple for only 3 easy parts to wash (without lid)
  • Available as glass baby bottles
  • Very affordably priced
  • BPA free
  • Glass baby bottles from Nuk Simply Natural available
• Cons: 
  • Milk spills out of anti-colic vent in the nipple if the baby bottle is tipped too far
• Summary: This one takes the top spot in my ranking of best bottles for breastfed babies because it is the only bottle that our exclusively breastfed (ebf) baby would take after her month of refusal! The unique shape of the slow flow nipple worked for her when no other baby bottle nipples would. I like that it is an easy to wash baby bottle and that it has anti-colic features, but I would still rate this baby bottle highest even without those things since it is the only bottle that allowed us to bottle feed our baby at all. If you’re dealing with a baby suddenly refusing bottles then I HIGHLY recommend giving this Nuk bottle a try!

2. Comotomo Bottles

• Pros: 
  • Soft silicone body to mimic the natural feel of the breast
  • Very slow flow nipple to help baby work harder for the milk like breastfeeding (prevents gagging)
  • Anti colic bottles feature a vent in the nipple for easy washing of only 3 parts (without lid)
  • BPA and PVC free
• Cons: 
  • These are a pricier baby bottle
  • Because of the soft wider body of the bottle, they could be difficult to slide into bottle holding pockets on diaper bags, etc.
• Summary: Comotomo bottles are number two on my list of best bottles for breastfed babies because they are the only bottle that my second baby would take when we first tried to introduce it at about 3 weeks old. (This was before trying the Nuk bottles.) She took to this one better than any other at that point. I believe it was due to the very slow flow nipples that didn’t immediately drip milk down her throat. She gagged on every other kind, but these she was able to latch and pull the milk from. Unfortunately she was a baby suddenly refusing the bottle by 2 and half months old, but prior to that point Comotomo bottles were hugely successful with her.

3. Mimijumi Bottles

• Pros: 
  • Baby bottle nipples look very similar to the breast to help baby have a familiar experience to breastfeeding
  • Very soft nipple material feels different than other silicone baby bottles
  • Anti colic bottles include a vent in the nipple for easy washing of only 3 parts (without lid)
  • BPA, BPS, and latex free
  • Mimijumi offers a full money-back guarantee if you purchase the bottles directly from their website and they end up not working for your breastfed baby
• Cons: 
  • Nipple is rated as a slow flow nipple but flows a little bit faster than some others rated similarly
  • Fat bottle design may be difficult to fit into standard bottle pockets on diaper bags, etc.
  • Baby bottle lid does not snap on which could lead to leaking if the bottle falls over
  • These bottles are VERY pricey
• Summary: Mimijumi bottles are rated number three in my ranking of best bottles for breastfed babies because they were the only bottle that worked for my sister-in-law! Therefore, I know that for some babies these bottles are the answer to a baby suddenly refusing bottles. My daughter seemed to struggle with how fast the milk flowed out of the baby bottle nipples on these despite the fact that so many breastfeeding moms claim to have success with them. We were optimistic when my sister-in-law said her bottle refusing baby gulped her milk down with a Mimijumi bottle on the first try, but in the end they were not the bottle that worked for us.

4. Tommee Tippee Bottles – Anti Colic

• Pros: 
  • Wide nipple base makes these feel similar to breastfeeding
  • Anti colic bottles feature advanced filter for air-free feeding
  • Slow flow nipples are generally pretty slow (not quite as slow as Nuk bottles or Comotomo bottles)
  • BPA free
  • Newer versions have straws that change color if the formula or breastmilk is too hot
• Cons: 
  • As anti-colic bottles with an advanced filter system these bottles have 6 parts to wash (not including cap). This becomes a bit cumbersome with regular use.
  • Tommee Tippee bottles feature a slow flow nipple that is a little bit faster flow than some other types (Nuk bottles and Comotomo bottles). However, the slow flow nipple is slower than some others that are rated the same. (It’s mid-level for slow flow rated nipples I would say.)
• Summary: Tommee Tippee bottles are rated number 4 in my ranking of best bottles for breastfed babies because they are the bottle that my oldest daughter took to best as a breastfed baby. She became a baby suddenly refusing bottles after I neglected to give her one for a month straight, but prior to that she did really well with Tommee Tippee anti-colic bottles. They were a slow enough flow that she didn’t gag and the anti-colic system seemed to serve it’s purpose as we didn’t have any major issues with gas when we used them. We had registered for Avent bottles before she was born but when we tried to give them to her she wouldn’t take them. She did great once we tried Tommee Tippee bottles. They are not higher in my ranking because my second daughter absolutely would not take them and my oldest daughter stopped taking them at about 3 months old. (Both of my daughters were ebf babies.)

5. Dr Brown’s Bottles

• Pros: 
  • Anti-colic bottles feature advanced filter system
  • BPA free
  • Relatively affordable compared to other brands
• Cons: 
  • Because the anti-colic bottles feature an advanced system they have 5 parts to wash (without cap) which can be cumbersome with daily use.
  • Slow flow nipple on bottles is very fast
  • Narrow base of baby bottle nipples creates a latch less similar to that of breastfeeding
• Summary: Dr browns bottles are number 5 on my list of best bottles for breastfed babies because, though I did not have success with them, I know several other moms who love them. For me the slow flow nipple flow was WAY too fast. It made my daughter gag before she even got a chance to try to latch. (I did not try preemie flow nipples with them though which may have worked better.) The narrower baby bottle nipples on the Dr Browns bottles also did not seem to facilitate a good latch for my breastfed baby. In general she seemed to do much better with baby bottles featuring a wider nipple base.

6. Platex Nursers

• Pros: 
  • Platex nurser baby bottles are very cheap!
  • Liners that contain the milk inside the bottles are disposable for very easy cleaning
  • Anti-colic bottles use the disposable internal liners to squeeze air out before baby feeds to prevent gas
• Cons: 
  • Internal liners on the baby bottles can lead to easy milk spills
  • Narrow base of slow flow nipples creates a latch less similar to that of breastfeeding
  • Due to disposable liners it is very hard to measure out milk quantities in the bottle
  • Bottles cannot be used without liners – which need to be continually repurchased
  •  Angled body of the baby bottle can make it difficult to determine the correct feeding angle
• Summary: I read a lot of positive things about breastfed babies taking Platex nursers very well which is why I decided to give them a try when I had a breastfed baby suddenly refusing the bottle on my hands. I was very disappointed with them. I ended up having milk spill everywhere because the liner slipped as I was readying the baby bottle and I found it very difficult to measure appropriately with the liners as well as to squeeze the air out in the manner that was recommend on the product box. I also found the angled body of the baby bottle somewhat confusing. The slow flow nipple speed didn’t seem too bad and nipple did have a softer feel to it than some others. Also, as I mentioned, in online research it seemed that many breastfeeding mothers had great success with these which is why they are rated as number 6 in my ranking of the best bottles for breastfed babies.

7. Playtex Ventaire Bottles

• Pros: 
  • Very affordable baby bottle option
  • BPA free
  • Anti colic bottles feature in nipple vent for easier washing and assembly
• Cons:
  • Narrow base of baby bottle nipples creates a latch less similar to that of breastfeeding
  •  Angled body of the baby bottle can make it difficult to determine the correct feeding angle
• Summary: I’m not sure if I ever tried my Playtex Ventaire baby bottles because they are so similar to the Playtex Nursers. I found the angled body of the Playtex Nursers confusing for me to use and the Playtex Ventaire baby bottles feature the same angled body. I found that with the similarly angled Nursers that I kept shifting it to try to get the angle correct since the position it looks like you are holding it at isn’t the position that the baby is receiving the feeding. I just found it somewhat confusing. This bottle is rated seventh on my list of best bottles for breastfed babies simply because it was not promising enough for me to even make much effort to try it. The Playtex Ventaire is so similar to the Playtex nursers which I gave more effort to and which more of my online research seemed to favor.

8. Avent Bottles

• Pros: 
  • An affordable baby bottle option
  • Anti colic bottles feature vent built into the nipple for easy washing of just 3 parts (without cap)
  • Baby bottles are BPA free
• Cons: 
  • Slow flow nipples are very fast
  • Narrow base of baby bottle nipples creates a latch less similar to that of breastfeeding
• Summary: These Avent bottles are what we originally placed on our baby registry to use with out first baby. Though they are advertised as the number 1 brand recommended by moms we were very disappointed with them. If we were not trying to use them with breastfed babies they may have been great, but they are at the bottom of my ranking of best bottles for breastfed babies because they have a very fast slow flow nipple speed and our breastfed babies just did not latch well to the narrow nipple bases.

In addition to the above ranked best bottles for breastfed babies, we also tried the ready-to-feed formula and disposable baby bottle nipples with my second daughter. She didn’t take to them, but if your baby does they are extremely handy for quick on-the-go feeding. They easily screw right on to 2 ounce ready-to-feed formula canisters and are cheap so you can easily dispose of them after use. They’re probably not a great option for every day feeding, but if your baby takes them could be very convenient to stash in the diaper bag!

Whether you are expecting a baby and searching for the best bottles for breastfed babies or have a baby suddenly refusing bottles, I hope that this information was helpful to you! In general both of my breastfed babies did better with wider bases to the baby bottle nipples and the slowest options for slow flow nipples. I’m sure every baby has different preferences, but the presence of these features seemed to generally make for a better bottle feeding experience for each of my breastfed babies.

Comment below if you have experience to share with any of these baby bottles. It just might be what helps someone else with baby bottle success!

Read Also:

Baby Registry Checklist – Must Haves & Nice To Haves

Diaper Bag Essentials – By Baby’s Age From Birth Through 1 Year

9 Ways To Ease The Stress Of Bringing Baby Home

 

If you are introducing the bottle to a breastfed baby or facing a breastfed baby refusing the bottle, you can also read some tips from La Leche League HERE on bottle feeding for breastfed babies.

 

A Review Of 8 Baby Bottles For Breastfed Babies (Who Can Commonly Refuse The Bottle)