Bottles, warmers and sterilisers (view report contents)
Bottle buying guide
We found feeding bottles were sold singly (around £1.50 to £3 for a full-sized bottle) and in packs of up to six (£9 to £11.50). Many of the bottle sterilisers can be bought as starter packs which include the same make of feeding bottles. Check the bottles suit you as well as the steriliser before you buy.
Choosing between broad types of bottles is fairly straightforward. Wide necked bottles which are shaped were much easier to fill and clean than the narrow necked ones and some were more comfortable to hold. The full- sized bottles were usually easier to use than their smaller versions.
The larger version of the Avent, Maws, Superdrug Newborn and Tesco Standard were all wide necked and comfortable to hold.
Bottles with handles can be helpful for people with limited grip and you can buy handles separately. The Mothercare wide necked Winnie the Pooh and the ToysRus wide necked feeding system both had detachable handles.
Of the standard bottles, the Boots, Mothercare and Superdrug and the shaped Bambino bottle were all comfortable to hold, but they were not so easy to fill.
The best way to find out if a bottle is right for you is to first buy the smallest pack. Check how comfortable it is to hold and how easily you can take it apart for cleaning and putting it back together again.
If you have sight difficulties go for bottles with contrasting coloured caps and rings so the bottles can be easily seen. Latex teats are easier to see than silicone ones. Check you can read the volume markings. We didn’t find any bottles with good raised markings to help if you have severely impaired sight.
If you have limited grip, can use only one hand or have learning difficulties, it’s best to avoid bottles with disposable liners or bottles with too many parts or stages.
The following sections provide more detail about feeding bottles, including the pros and cons of different types. Click on the list below to see the section you are interested in
Standard: straight and shaped
Wide necked: straight and shaped
Disposable bottles and bottle liners
Steriliser bottles
Feeding systems
Unusually shaped bottles
Bottles with a valve to reduce colic
Heat sensor bottles
Volume markings
Assembling, taking apart and cleaning
Feeding
Bottle buying guide
Report Contents
About this guide
Feeding bottles
Bottle Buying guide
Bottle Warmers
Bottle warmer buying guide
Preparing baby milk
Sterilisers
Steriliser buying guide
Steriliser summaries
Helpful Organisations
Suppliers list
