Choosing the right bottle for your newborn can be overwhelming, with countless options promising different benefits. This review compares three popular choices – Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature, Nuk First Choice Anti-Colic, and Dr. Brown's Options+ – to help you make an informed decision. We tested each bottle with a newborn, evaluating factors like ease of use, milk flow control, and its effectiveness in minimizing gas and colic. Our assessment focuses on practical experience, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses to give you a realistic perspective on each product.This in-depth analysis covers key features, including nipple design, bottle shape, cap functionality, and cleaning ease. We detail our observations regarding milk flow rate, potential for trapped milk, and the occurrence of air bubbles. Based on our firsthand experience, we'll ultimately declare a winner, providing a clear recommendation based on performance and overall effectiveness in meeting the needs of a newborn baby. The goal is to simplify your selection process and help you find the perfect bottle for your little one's comfortable and efficient feeding.
Pros And Cons
- Wide bottle, easier to mix formula
- Cover fits nicely and doesn't touch the nipple
- Snaps together and comes off easily
- Nipple flow rate too fast for newborn, causing difficulty
- Bottle shape with grooves catches milk, requiring tilting or manipulation
- Newborns cannot easily grasp the bottle due to the grooves
- Nipple design is good and worked well
- Bottle shape prevents milk from getting caught
- Includes a temperature indicator (though not fully reliable)
- Cap doesn't seat well with the nipple attached
- Nipple deforms under strong or prolonged sucking, hindering milk flow
- Air can enter the bottle during feeding, potentially causing gas
- Cylindrical shape prevents milk from getting caught
- Good nipple flow rate for newborns, easily controlled
- Design prevents air from entering the milk, reducing gas
- Cap fits nicely and doesn't touch the nipple
- Easy to clean and assemble
- Requires more thorough cleaning due to additional parts
- Narrower bottle opening might make formula mixing slightly more challenging
Read more: 5 Best Vented Baby Bottle Nipples
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottle Review
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottle, designed for newborns, boasts a 5-ounce capacity. Its simple design includes a bottle, nipple, nipple holder, and cap. The wide neck is convenient for formula mixing. The cap fits securely, without touching the nipple.
However, despite the slow (Level 0) flow nipple, our baby still received too much milk too quickly. The bottle's grooved design, intended for grip, actually trapped milk, making feeding difficult. We frequently had to tilt the bottle aggressively or remove the nipple to release trapped milk.
Nuk First Choice Anti-Colic Bottle Review
The Nuk First Choice Anti-Colic bottle, also a 5-ounce option, features a nipple designed to mimic a mother's breast. The slow flow (Level 1) nipple worked well initially. The bottle's less curved shape prevented milk from getting trapped, unlike the Tommee Tippee.
However, the cap didn't fit well when the nipple was attached, requiring adjustments to ensure a proper seal. The large nipple size deformed with vigorous sucking, hindering milk flow. Also, we noticed air bubbles forming in the milk, potentially causing gas.
Dr. Brown's Options+ Anti-Colic Bottle Review
The Dr. Brown's Options+ bottle is a 4-ounce bottle with a more cylindrical shape, which prevented milk trapping. The slow flow (Level 1) nipple was well-received by our baby, and the design controlled milk flow effectively. The internal vent system prevented air bubbles and minimized gas.
While requiring more thorough cleaning due to the internal vent system, this was a minor drawback compared to its benefits. While the narrower neck may make formula mixing slightly less convenient, it's still manageable.
Conclusion: Our Top Pick
After evaluating three popular newborn bottles, we found Dr. Brown's Options+ to be the best overall choice. Its design minimized gas issues, prevented milk from getting trapped, and provided excellent milk flow control. The nipple is durable and the cap fits securely.
While slightly more work is required to clean the bottle thoroughly, the benefits far outweigh this minor inconvenience. The Tommee Tippee and Nuk bottles had significant flaws impacting ease of feeding and potentially causing gas, making Dr. Brown's our clear winner.