The Best Bottles for Breastfed Babies, as Tested by Nursing Moms

If you’re trying to introduce a bottle to a breastfed baby, Nuk Simply Natural bottles are one of the first brands you should try. These bottles have a number of features that seem to help babies to switch back and forth between bottle-feeding and breastfeeding, and countless parents in the What to Expect community say they’ve been successful with this brand.

The biggest feature that seems to work well for breastfed babies is the nipple, which has multiple holes to help the flow of milk feel more like breastfeeding, as well as a flat edge. (Start with the brand’s Slow Flow nipples at first.) This is a wide-neck bottle, so the nipple is plenty big enough to feel comfortable to a breastfed baby, too.

“My daughter took to the Nuk bottle easily,” says Leah Rocketto, What to Expect’s Associate Commerce Director, who tried several other bottles before settling on Nuk. “If anything, I had a bigger learning curve, remembering to give her the bottle with the flat edge of the nipple facing down.” 

Leah particularly liked that the bottles were wide enough for easy cleaning, but not so wide that storing was a pain. The shape also made it easy for her to pack them in a diaper bag or breast milk cooler. 

Also good: These bottles have a SafeTemp indicator, which changes color when milk is too hot, and they are relatively easy to store and incredibly easy to clean, parents say. They also are a good choice for little ones who may be suffering from gas or colic, thanks to an anti-colic air vent and gently curved bottle design.

Some parents do say that the packaging on Nuk bottles doesn’t feel as high-end as other brands, but for about $6 per bottle, you can’t beat the value.

Mam Easy Start Anti-Colic bottles claim to have a 94 percent success rate in helping babies make the transition from breast to bottle. And if the countless rave reviews in our What to Expect community are any indication, those numbers may be right. 

These bottles, which are vented and made of a mix of plastic and silicone, are incredibly popular among little ones who breastfeed. Although the nipple isn’t as wide as some others on our list, many parents say their babies had no issues and latched very easily. The slightly textured base and silky soft nipple seem to really appeal to babies, who love holding Mam bottles.

Also good: There’s an anti-colic venting system to reduce the amount of air baby swallows, and the wide-neck design and removable base makes it very easy to get a bottle brush in to clean. At just $9 per bottle, they’re also one of the most affordable brands on this list.

If you’re planning on pumping, one thing to keep in mind with Mam bottles is that they’re generally not compatible with the most popular electric pumps. So you may need to invest in another set of bottles to use with your pump.

The Lansinoh Feeding bottles have a lot of features to help baby transition from breast to bottle. To start, it is designed so babies can use the same sucking motion that they would during breastfeeding. Also good: These bottles have an air ventilation system that reduces the amount of air your baby swallows, which may make them a good choice for little ones suffering from gas or colic.Parents also appreciate that Lansinoh bottles are so easy to clean, thanks to their wide neck and gently curved base.

A number of parents in the What to Expect community say Lansinoh bottles were one of just a few (if not the only brand) their breastfed babies would take. That includes Christine Mattheis, What’s to Expect’s VP, Content, whose pediatrician and lactation consultant both recommended the brand. 

“We tried every bottle known to man, and eventually our daughter took the Lansinoh bottle the day before I went back to work,” Christine says of her 10-week journey to find a bottle. “Ultimately I really liked the Lansinoh bottles not only because Rose would take them, but because they were cheap and very easy to clean.”

With a wide, breast-like silicone nipple and base that’s very easy for little fingers to grip, Tommee Tippee Advanced Anti-Colic bottles are consistently referenced as a good choice for breastfed babies. But they also boast a number of excellent features for little ones who may be suffering from gas or colic.

These bottles have a dramatic curved design, which Dr. Resnick recommends to reduce the amount of air that’s swallowed during feedings. The brand’s three-piece anti-colic venting system also helps remove air from milk, while a distinctive star valve keeps milk from traveling up the tube. Many parents say this venting system seems to have helped their babies’ gas and discomfort. Also cool: The anti-colic venting tube also has a built-in heat sensing feature to alert you if your baby’s milk is too hot.

Of course, the downside of any venting system is that there are more pieces to clean. Some parents also find it a little frustrating that the nipples on these bottles can’t be used with the Tommee Tippee’s standard Closer to Nature bottle nipples — so keep in mind while shopping that you can’t mix-and-match the pieces on the brand’s bottles.

This newborn feeding set comes with everything you’d need to get started with your bottle-feeding journey: two 5-oz. and three 9-oz. bottles with slow flow nipples, a travel bottle warmer, a bottle brush, two medium-flow nipples, two formula dispensers, a set of removable handles, two pacifiers and two valve cleaning brushes. If you know your little one likes the Tommee Tippee nipple, you’ll be all set with this kit. (If you’re not sure, start out with just the bottle set.)

If your little one is having trouble latching on a bottle nipple, Pigeon Nursing bottles may be worth a try. This brand — which is made in Japan but now readily available from U.S. retailers like Amazon — has an innovative nipple that’s designed to make it easier for breastfed babies to feed comfortably. Made from supersoft and flexible silicone, it has a latch-on line to help you guide your baby into a good latching position. In fact, a number of What to Expect parents report that they originally heard about these bottles from their lactation consultants.

The bottle is made from borosilicate glass, which is highly durable and heat-resistant. Reviewers say that it holds up well over time and feels very substantial. It has a wide neck and gently curved body, which makes it easy for babies to hold and even easier for caregivers to clean. The nipple also has an anti-colic venting system.

Pigeon bottles are a little on the pricey side, although the brand’s plastic bottles are more affordable. Something else to keep in mind is that the measurement scale on the side of the bottle reflects U.K. ounces — which doesn’t matter too much if you’re offering baby pumped breast milk, but if you use these bottles to formula-feed, too, you’ll need to convert the ounces to make sure you’re measuring out the correct amount of formula.

There’s just something about Comotomo bottles that’s comforting to babies. Made of soft, squishy silicone, older babies in particular love touching these bottles during feedings.

The nipple on Comotomo bottles is also very well-designed for breastfed babies. It’s soft and wide, and countless What to Expect parents say their breastfed baby has done very well on it. "I think my son liked the shape of the nipple — it's more similar to a breast than on most other bottles," says Robin Hillmantel, Senior Director of Editorial Strategy & Growth at What to Expect. The dual anti-colic vents at the top of the nipples also help release air outside instead of going into your little one’s belly.

I used these bottles with my second baby, and my favorite thing about them was how easy they were to clean. They have a wide mouth and collapsible sides, there are only three parts to disassemble and clean, and all parts are microwave-, dishwasher- and sterilizer-safe. The bottles themselves are also easy to put together and take apart, so you're spending less time making baby's bottle.

At $14 each, Comotomo bottles are definitely on the pricier side. But many parents report that since they’re so easy to clean, you actually need fewer of them. That’s especially true if you’re planning on bottle-feeding occasionally while also continuing to breastfeed.

Comotomo bottles don’t have many downsides, but they’re not the easiest to store, thanks to their very wide neck and round design. 

Lifefactory simply makes excellent bottles. They are incredibly well-made, highly durable despite being glass (many What to Expect parents said these bottles have managed to withstand lots of wear and tear) and the silicone cover helps protect the glass while also making the bottle easier for little ones to grip. Parents also love how long-lasting Lifefactory bottles are, especially since you can change the top and continue to use the bottle as a sippy or straw cup when your baby is older.

And if you plan on pumping during your breastfeeding journey, you'll be happy to know that Lifefactory Glass bottles are one of the best breast pump-compatible bottles on the market. Although the brand doesn’t have their own pump, Lifefactory bottles can be used with Medela, Ameda and Evenflo pumps as well as with Spectra pumps with an affordable adapter. What’s more, the glass bottle can go right in the freezer with the flat storage cap— so if you wanted to, you could pump and store your breast milk without having to transfer it to another vessel.

Unlike most nipples on this list, the Lifefactory nipple isn’t vented or flat-topped, and there’s no anti-colic vents. But plenty of What to Expect parents say their breastfed babies took to these nipples without any issues, so if your little one isn’t fussy about nipple design, it could still be a good fit.