Choices, Choices: Bottle Choices! Plastic, Stainless Steel or Glass

Parents are inundated with choices when it comes to their children from clothes to food to toys and everything in between. In fact I don't think there is a product out there that doesn't require parents to make at least a small choice on what to use for their children. Some of these choices we aren't even conscious of, and some of them cause parents to want to pull out their hair. Because of all these decisions to be made I've decided to start a series called "Choices, Choices!" So without further ado, let's dive into bottles.

While "breast is best" and I'm a big supporter of breastfeeding, there are many reasons why bottles become necessary. Whether you are using bottles in conjunction with pumping or as a delivery method for formula, there are many reasons families choose bottles. No parent should ever be vilified for choosing for formula feed her baby especially by someone who does not know the unique reasons and circumstances surrounding that choice.

So what are my choices?
I'm glad you asked! While most parents are aware of the existence of plastic bottles and have heard of the dangers of BPA, but hit snooze on your alarm button because the FDA banned the use of BPA in all baby bottles and sippy cups in 2012. Many parents are still wary of the use of plastic baby bottles because of this scare (and who can blame them) and because of this many alternatives have popped up on the market. Your grandmother may have used glass baby bottles and I'll tell you they're back with a vengeance and better than ever. In addition to glass and plastic though, stainless steel baby bottles are available from a few retailers and have their own list of benefits.

So onto the specifics

In the spirit of full disclosure I have not received financial incentive for inclusion of any brands. I have received free bottles from Dr. Browns and Mam for use in my doula and newborn education services, but have given them no preferential treatment because of this. All opinions expressed are my own and are drawn from personal and professional experience as well as the experiences of clients. Oh, I also have a Lifefactory bottle for my own personal use which I payed full retail price for.

Plastic Bottles
All plastic baby bottles and sippy cups sold in the United States are required to be BPA free as of July 2012, so bottles plastered with "100% BPA free!" advertisement are just trying to pull you in! In case you are in the market for used baby bottles (always a valid, money-saving option) be sure to look for a #7 symbol denoting the use of plastic #7 which contains BPA, a chemical known to leach into liquids when heated and linked to brain development and reproductive problems in rats.

The benefits of plastic bottles are quickly obvious: they are lightweight, hard to break, and tend to be the cheapest and most prolific option in bottles. They also do not sweat as much as glass bottles and are easy to see through making measuring a breeze.

The drawbacks are less so: plastic bottles are more difficult to clean as they have a tendency to scratch which can harbor bacteria if not properly cleaned. In my experience, plastic bottles are also the first to break in one form or another as they are easier to pierce or develop holes without parents noticing (which in one instance lead to a loss of precious breast milk for one client of mine).

The brands of plastic bottles available are too many to list here, but can be found though a quick Google search easily. I will address more plastic bottle brands in a later post, but I will list here the brands that I personally recommend and that are popular among my clients.

Dr Brown's Natural Flow bottles are very popular and are touted for their colic-reducing properties. Many of the parents I have worked with use Dr. Browns and they are available in both glass and plastic options. The internal parts only come in plastic, however (probably for the best as they are small), so be aware. The primary drawback with these bottles is that cleaning requires you to meticulously clean all parts with a tiny little pipe cleaner (included) and can be time consuming. I recommend the wide-neck version of Dr. Browns as they accommodate a nipple with a wider base that can be better for breastfed babies and helps them to maintain a wide-lip flange.

Philips-Avent Natural is another popular bottle that is advertised as being easier (at least easier than the same company's classic version) for breastfeeding babies. This bottle is also available in both glass and plastic versions and includes a wide nipple base that transitions smoothly to the bottle lid encouraging effective sucking that is less likely to lead to nipple-confusion with breast feeding. The primary complaint I receive about these bottles is that they are not as durable as other brands. Specifically the numbers on the bottle that show how many ounces are in the bottle wear off quickly and I have experienced some leaking issues.

Mam Anti-Colic bottles are also advertised as being good for transitioning from breastfeeding to bottlefeeding easily. These bottles are only available in plastic and are able to be both top and bottom filled by coming apart at both ends which also makes the body a cinch to clean. The bottom includes a vent that helps with air flow in order to reduce colic. Uniquely this bottle also includes a "self-sterilizing" function where all the bottle parts fit inside the bottle so that it can be steam-cleaned when microwaved with water inside. My mother would like me to include that I used a Mam pacifier as a child.

Glass Bottles
Glass bottles have been around even longer than plastic bottles and have made a strong comeback in the past few years because of the BPA controversy around plastic bottles. I mentioned two brands of bottles above that are available in both plastic and glass, Dr. Brown's and Avent Natural.

The benefits of glass bottles are that they most certainly easier to clean as glass is smooth and less likely to scratch meaning that most of the milk or formula is washed out with a simple rinse, but should still be given a good swipe with a bottle brush to be sure. They are also a much simpler material so there is less cause to be concerned about chemical contamination of formula or milk.

The drawbacks include that glass can break, though, and because of that many brands now offer silicone bottle sleeves that reduce breaking risk and aid in grip. Glass bottles also sweat significantly more, just one more reason to invest in silicone sleeves. Strangely, though glass is a cheaper material than plastic, glass bottles tend to be more expensive. Some brands have found a smart way to offset this additional cost, however, by making bottles than can be converted into sippy cups and child water bottles later on by simply switching out the lid.

The brands of glass bottles are growing every day, but aside from the bottles available in both plastic and glass, these are mine and my clients' favorite brands.

Lifefactory bottles are truly versatile. The company makes bottles in a variety of sizes from 4 oz baby bottles to 22 oz adult bottles and they all come with a silicone sleeve attached. The measurements are actually on the sleeve itself so there is no fading issue or problems with the numbers being covered up because of the sleeve. What makes them a great option is the versatility of the bottle itself and their ability to grow with your child. By switching out the lids the same bottle can become a sippy cup, straw cup or water bottle. These bottles can use any standard size nipple (not wide-neck) and are not vented so they may not be the best option for the newest of babies, but can be a great choice for older babies who may be switching to sippy cups in a few months.


5phases bottles are a unique take on glass bottles as they are actually a hybrid. The part that touches the milk or formula itself is glass, but is inserted into a plastic bottle so that there is less of a chance of breakage. The glass inserts can be used for storage of homemade baby food after your child has graduated from bottles and in theory, one plastic bottle can be used with multiple glass inserts cutting down on costs. 5phases bottles are not "guaranteed compatible" with any other nipples, however, and we all know how picky babies can be.




Stainless Steel Bottles
Stainless steel is a relative newcomer to the baby bottle market, but has been around for adult water bottles for a while. While it can be difficult to find stainless steel bottles in stores, they are readily available online and have their own set of benefits.

The benefits of steel bottles are unique to them, most notably that some have insulating properties allowing them to keep milk warm or cold for hours. Not all brands have this feature though and those that don't have the alternative benefit of being able to very effectively feel the temperature of the liquid inside. Stainless steel is easy to clean and very durable-even unbreakable- and resisting most scratches. Stainless steel is also recyclable, making them a green option when they are not re-purposed into sippy cups and water bottles for older children. Stainless steel bottles also warm up much faster than other bottles, some in even 1/8th of the time.

The drawbacks are that they are more difficult to measure because they are not transparent at all. While most brands include measurement indents visible on both the inside and outside of the bottle and others provide a measuring cup as part of the lid, it can still be a pain to measure. Additionally, they can sweat with cold liquids, though not as bad as glass.

The brands are still somewhat limited, but the most popular brands I have listed here. They are all very similar, though, with the main selling point being the very existence of stainless steel baby bottles. Because of this I'm going to group them together for a rapid-fire summary.

 


From left to right: Organickidz, Kid Kanteen, and Pura Kiki are all single-wall bottles so they are not insulated, but the heat from the liquid inside can be felt on the outsize. Organikidz and Pura Kiki can be altered to be used as sippy cups and water bottles and Pura Kiki are compatible with quite a few nipples.

So as you can see...
There are a lot of choices in baby bottles and that's just where your choices start. Remember, though, that no matter how much time you spend researching bottles and carefully choosing your favorites, babies are still notoriously finicky and can ruin your best plans in less than a second. Be sure to purchase just one or two of a bottle before you invest in a full set because just because you like it does not mean your baby will.

Tags: Baby Bottles, Stainless Steel Baby Bottles, Glass Baby Bottles, Plastic vs glass vs stainless steel baby bottles, Pros and Cons, Glass vs Plastic baby bottles, baby bottle choices