Ah, the famous colic… They can become hell, as much for the baby as for the parents and generate tensions. To alleviate them, there are anti-colic bottles, specially designed to say goodbye to nasty colic. Here are the top 8 editors and our tips.
This is a period we would have gone well! Colic usually occurs when the child is still just an infant, from around the 10th day of his life, until he is 3 months old. In 98% of cases, they occur in the evening between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m., leaving a baby who seems to be in pain, fidgets and cries. For parents, worry and helplessness are the order of the day, as their cherub is often inconsolable, even when hugged and with a pacifier.
To help parents in this trying time, the leading childcare brands (Philips Avent, NUK, MAM, Tommee Tippee, etc.) have designed baby bottles to reduce colic in children. Sometimes these are bottles with teats with patented systems that improve the feeding of the child when breastfeeding or for some, innovations proposed on the structure of the whole bottle. To help you in your choice, here is a comparison of the best anti-colic bottles.
1 – Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle
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Philips Avent is definitely THE benchmark in childcare. The Natural bottle has been specially designed for mothers who wish to alternate between breastfeeding and bottle feeding, for a smooth transition. Its pacifier mimics the shape of mom's breast and has an anti-colic valve to reduce post-meal discomfort.
Characteristics :
- Natural transition: large nipple that mimics the shape of the breast and encourages a natural suckling
- Ultra-soft pacifier designed to mimic the sensation of the breast
- Anti-colic valve
- Easy to assemble and clean
- Glass container
- Age: from birth to 18 months
+ The range of Natural bottles from the Philips Avent brand is also sold as a kit at a price of 38.90eur. This “newborn kit” consists of two 260 ml bottles, two 125 ml bottles, a pacifier, a cleaning brush and four pacifiers. It is available on Amazon.
What we like:
Philips Avent Natural bottles are a must have. Comfortable for baby but also for parents thanks to their good handling and ease of maintenance, you will never part with them! We particularly appreciate their robustness, which makes them quality bottles, reusable for future baby brothers and sisters.
What we like less:
The price is a bit high compared to other anti-colic bottles on the market, but by purchasing this product you can be sure that you are providing your baby with a quality bottle.
More info about the Philips Avent natural bottle
2 – Easy Start anti-colic bottle from MAM
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The MAM Easy Start bottle comes in second. Much loved by parents, this product has been a revelation for many. Its ventilated base has small holes and thus helps to regulate the air intake. Baby can drink comfortably. Its ventilated bottom also gives the possibility of a more relaxed diet and a reduction in colic. This bottle can be completely disassembled, practical but be careful to screw it on to avoid leaks.
Characteristics :
- Teat flow 2 – medium
- Leak-proof cap to screw on
- Soft and very flexible silicone breast shield
- Self-sterilizing function, very practical for cleaning (put in the microwave for 3 minutes)
- BPA free
- Sold in sets of 2 bottles
- Age: from birth to 6 months
+ The MAM range of Easy Start bottles also has a complete starter kit. In it: four 160ml bottle bodies with slow flow nipple, four 260ml bottle bodies, a 0-2 month Start teat, an extra soft bottle handle. It is available on Amazon for 43.82eur.
What we like:
Its practical side! The fact that it can be disassembled from both sides guarantees a complete and effortless cleaning. Its self-sterilization system offers a real time saver. Almost all babies adapt easily and quickly to the nipple of this MAM brand bottle, making feeding time pleasant and hassle-free.
What we like less:
Some moms find that taking the entire bottle apart lengthens the cleaning time. As for the pacifiers, they do not age very well and their flow is sometimes either too slow or too fast.
More info on Mam's easy-start bottle
3 – NUK First Choice Baby Bottle
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This bottle has a physiological silicone nipple, which reduces the risk of colic and hiccups. It is one of the favorite bottles of parents, because of its good grip and its ease of cleaning due to its wide opening. Its pacifier is recommended by the French Union for Oral Health.
Characteristics :
- Physiological silicone teat size 1 (0-6 months) with M piercing (infant milk) with an enlarged base so that the baby's mouth is positioned naturally in abutment like at the breast
- Bisphenol A free
- Ergonomic silhouette for a better grip
- Nestable pellet in the screw ring which allows a hermetic closure when mixing the bottle
- No risk of leakage during transport
- Age: from birth to 6 months
- Available in several colors
+ A kit of four First choice bottles from the NUK brand (2x 150ml and 2x 300ml) is available on Amazon at a price of 25.89eur.
What we like:
The M-shaped nipple mimics the shape of mother's breast and promotes natural breastfeeding. Glass maintenance: incomparable!
What we like less:
It is a bit heavy to handle.
More info about the Nuk first choice bottle
4 – Tommee Tippee bottle
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The shape of this bottle is atypical and its patented system is original. Inside the bottle is a tube to remove bubbles, so baby does not swallow air. It also has a principle of triple ventilation and a star valve, further reinforcing baby's comfort during breastfeeding.
Characteristics :
- Patented teat flexible like the mother's breast
- Bottle with a heat-sensitive tube
- Star-shaped anti-leak valve that prevents milk from rising into the tube
- BPA free
+ A birth kit is available on La Redoute at a price of 26.21 eur. It consists of four bottles (2x150ml and 2x260ml) with slow flow nipples, two Closer to Nature teats with patented Easi-Vent medium flow valve, two pacifiers and a brush for cleaning.
What we like:
Its thermosensitive tube lets you know if the milk is too hot by turning pink, which is very practical. We particularly appreciate its original and ergonomic design, which offers a good grip. Its price is affordable and the price / quality ratio attractive.
What we like less:
The complexity of the interior of the bottle makes cleaning a bit long.
More info on the Tommee Tipee bottle
5 – Anti-colic bottle DBB Remond
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This bottle made in France has a patented teat. This prevents the baby from swallowing air during the feeding and considerably reduces the risk of colic. The pacifier is made of silicone and consists of 4 holes, dividing the flow of milk into 4 small separate jets, to give baby time to swallow properly.
Characteristics :
- Soft pacifier
- Made of borosilicate glass (pure and resistant natural material)
- BPA free
- Phthalates free
- Age: from birth to 4 months
What we like:
Its quality / price ratio is unbeatable! This is the cheapest bottle of this selection. Its robustness is also very appreciable.
What we like less:
The pacifiers wear out quickly and their holes enlarge quickly.
More info on the DBB Remond bottle
6 – Anti-colic bottle S Natural Difrax
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This S-shaped bottle provides the child with a continuous supply of milk. Difrax designed this bottle so that air and milk do not mix during feeding. This gives baby more comfort and milk can retain all of its nutritional properties.
Characteristics :
- Made in polypropylene guaranteed without Bisphenol A
- Age: from birth to 6 months
- BPA free
What we like:
This bottle unscrews on both sides and is therefore easy to clean. Its S-shape ensures better eye contact between child and parent.
What we like less:
Its S shape and narrow opening make it more complicated to fill, especially with powdered milk.
More info about the S Natural Difrax bottle
How do we choose the selected products?
- The brands we select serve as benchmarks in childcare and have a real guarantee of quality / confidence. Among them: Philips Avent, Tommee Tippee, NUK, Mam…
- Our advice and opinions are based on feedback from parents and expert professionals.
- The “what we like” and “what we like less” sections result from a careful comparison made on the models of the different merchant sites.
- No question of lying to you! Our selection is made independently of any influence from one or more brands.
Colic: what you need to know
We do not know precisely their origin, even if several tracks have been put forward: immaturity of the digestive and neurological system, digestion difficulties … These are characterized by intense crying and cries of the infant and can also be accompanied by agitation, pallor, redness and emission of intestinal gas.
As teeth grow, we often tend to blame it all on colic, sometimes wrongly. Indeed, they are very common at the beginning of a baby's life, but are not necessarily responsible for all of its ailments.
At birth, a baby's body is far from developed, and many parts of its system are still immature. Also, in case of repeated crying and agitation, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician, who can rule out all other organic causes, such as oesophageal reflux, a food allergy, intussusception …
Currently, there are no quick fixes to make colic in infants go away. However, several factors combined together can help to relieve and soothe it.
Mealtime is often a feared moment by parents whose babies are suffering from colic, since it usually follows a long period of varying degrees of pain, screaming and posturing.
For bottle-fed children, anti-colic models exist and are regularly proven. No quick fixes again, but there can be a real difference, so why not give it a try?