Non-toxic and Eco-friendly Baby Bottle Alternatives
Let's start with baby bottle materials and things to look for when shopping for baby bottles.
It wouldn't be surprising to you by now that one material we recommend against is perhaps the most popular one - plastic. We won't go into too much detail but are including what we already shared in a different article.
Here is what it all boils down to, when it comes to kids exposure to plastics and why it's best to avoid it whenever possible. Early studies about the health effects of chemicals from plastics show that they negatively affect the following parts of our body:
- Brain
- Endocrine system (the system that controls hormones, or the chemicals that regulate metabolism)
- Immune system (the system that helps keep us from getting sick)
- Reproductive systems (the male and female systems that allow us to have babies)
- Behavior and cognitive development
These health risks are worse for babies and children.
So what are the best alternatives to plastic for baby bottles?
Food Grade Stainless Steel:
- Most highly recommended material for kids dinnerware and drinkware by the American Academy of Pediatrics
- Food-grade 304 stainless steel is free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, melamine and lead, and the rest of the nasty stuff
- Completely non-breakable, most durable out of all dinnerware materials (buy it once and it can last for generations)
- Very environmentally friendly due to high durability and recyclability
- Easy clean-up (dishwasher safe)
Our favorite stainless steel baby bottles
Thinkbaby Stainless Steel Baby Bottle - this is an excellent sustainable and chemical free choice. We love that this bottle grows with your child. As your baby grows out of baby bottles, you can simply purchase the silicone sippy tops to replace the bottle nipple, or straw cup tops with silicone straws, which little ones love. This option is definitely an excellent affordable choice for a high-quality, non-toxic and minimal waste eco-friendly option. It does contain plastic parts, but they do not come in contact with the liquids.
Pura Kiki Anti-colic 5 oz Stainless Steel Baby Bottle (also available in 11 oz size) - another excellent choice, similar to Thinkbaby. The same bottle can also be used as the baby grows, replacing the nipple with a sippy spout, a silicone straw top, a silicone sport top, or universal lid. Lots of convenient options with this one durable cup. Unlike Thinkbaby, it also doesn't contain any plastic parts. At the same time, it is a pricier option.
Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Baby Bottle - another good baby bottle, although it doesn't offer an option of replacing tops for continued use as the baby grows.
Glass Baby Bottles
Glass is another safe material for baby bottles. Glass doesn't leach chemicals at any temperature. It is also endlessly recyclable. The drawbacks of glass baby bottles are breakability and heavier weight. If you can live with these drawbacks, glass bottles are a good safe choice for feeding babies.
Our favorite glass baby bottles
Natursutten Natural Rubber Glass Baby Bottles - a great bottle for breastfeeding babies. Natural rubber nipple isn't only non-toxic, it's texture also closely resembles breastfeeding making the back-and-forth transition seamless. The glass bottle is freezer safe, making it convenient for storing breastmilk.
Lifefactory Glass Baby Bottles - we love that these glass bottles come with a silicone sleeve for easy grip and extra protection from breaking. This set also comes with sippy caps and regular caps, so these bottles can grow with your child for years to come.
Philips Avent Natural Glass Bottles - this set is good value: comes with 5 glass bottles, silicone sleeve for insulation and protection from breakage, and 2 solid piece silicone pacifiers.
Silicone Baby Bottles
High-quality food grade silicone is considered to be a much better alternative to plastic with similar benefits. We are underlining "high-quality", because low-quality silicone is likely to contain plastic fillers that can contain harmful chemicals, which defeats the purpose of using silicone in the first place. The following grades of silicone are considered high-quality and safe in descending order: medical (highest grade), platinum, and lastly food grade. The only concern identified with silicone so far is potential leaching at very high temperatures (over 350 degrees), if there is contact with fat.
Our favorite silicone baby bottles
Comotomo Silicone Baby Bottles - made from 100% medical grade silicone, these bottles are designed to closely imitate breastfeeding to help prevent rejection or nipple confusion.
Nanobebe Flexy Silicone Baby Bottles - this anti-colic, natural feel bottle is another good option for breastfed babies. These bottles have non-collapsing nipples and are also made from the highest grade silicone for safety and quality.
Tommee Tippee Silicone Baby Bottles - this popular baby bottle brand now has silicone options available in 5 oz and 9 oz sizes. These bottles also have anti-colic properties and design that works well for breastfed babies. The bottles are odor- and stain-resistant as well.
Bottom line, there are quite a few good non-toxic plastic-free baby bottle alternatives available in the marketplace. Our #1 recommended material remains to be stainless steel. The stainless steel baby bottles highlighted above aren't only most durable, they also grow with the child, given available bottle cap variations. You invest once, and these bottles would last for years and easily through multiple children.
Do you have other favorite bottles not highlighted on this list? We'd love to know!
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