By: Yara Elhemaily

When you’re a new mother, the task you will carry out more often than any is feeding the baby, and whether you decide to breastfeed or formula-feed, a baby bottle is indispensable. In the past, the only type available was the glass bottles, and as soon as the plastic bottles were introduced to the market, people started buying it solely and mostly considered the glass ones outdated. However, they started talking about the pros and cons of the glass bottles again recently, and parents even got more confused: are glass bottles really safer and better or not?

Because we don’t want you to be confused, and we are aware that you have a million things on your mind, Yaoota did all the research on your behalf and is ready to give you the bottom line. In this article, we will present you with a comparison between plastic and glass bottles in terms of pros and cons, along with the most popular models for each. If you like any product and wish to know its best prices, order it through us and it will be delivered to your doorstep in the shortest time possible.

*Prices listed in this article are the ones provided at the time of its publication, and are subject to change according to the supply and demand of the market.

Mothers’ Experiences with Plastic & Glass Bottles

Nadia Gamal, a mother to two children, 5 years-old and 18 months-old, uses the Avent Plastic bottles, as they are BPA-free. She says, “Although I know that glass bottles are healthier, they are impractical, and I cannot accept the idea of using glass around my baby.”

Menna Yehia, a mother to an 18-month-old, also uses the Avent bottles, in addition to the Tommee Tippie. She says, “I like the plastic bottles; glass could be dangerous.” Reham Medhat, a mother of a 2.5-year-old girl, said the same: “Glass bottles are healthier, but can be broken anytime.”

On the other hand, Hala Taher, a mother of an 18-months-old, thinks that glass bottles are the best choice: “Glass bottles are cleaner and you will not need to be changed every once in a while. I prefer Dr. Brown’s.” Nermin Ali, a mother of two (4 years-old and 5 months-old), agrees to Hala’s opinion and adds, “Glass bottles are better, but take care, they are also heavier, and can be easily broken if they fell.”

Aya Samy, the mother of one-year-old twins, also says, “For me, glass bottles are much cleaner than plastic bottles; the color of the plastic bottles changes with time.”

A Comparison Between Glass & Plastic Bottles 

Read Guide for Buying Feeding Bottles.

Now that we know the pros and cons, how do we choose?

Your choice will vary according to your need. This is why it’s necessary to define your needs first. Yaoota will help you with the purchase decision through a series of questions you can ask yourself:

• How often will you need to heat the bottle?
  If you are formula-feeding, you will need to heat bottles more frequently, and thus will need glass bottles. However, if your use for the bottle is restricted to offering the pumped mother milk in it, you won’t actually need to heat it, and thus plastic bottles are more suitable for you.

• What do you intend to use the bottle for?
  If you’re going to use it to feed the baby directly, it may be better to get a glass bottle. However, if most of your usage will be to store breast milk — especially in the deep freezer, which means you will repeatedly get the bottles in and out of the deep freezer, making them more prone to falls — it is better to use plastic bottles.

• How old is your baby?
  If your baby is younger than one year-old, you will probably hold  the bottle for them as they drink, so you can safely use the glass bottles. However, if your baby is older, it is recommended that you use the plastic ones, which are both lighter and less prone to breaking in case of falls. 

• Do you need a cheap or expensive type?
  If you are willing to purchase expensive bottles, but you worry that they may be broken, then it’s better to use the plastic type.

Now that we knew the pros and cons of each type and how to define our needs, Yaoota will tell you more about the most popular brands for each type.

Learn more about the most important tools for feeding your baby.

Glass Bottles

Chicco WellBeing Feeding Bottle

User Experience:

• You will need to change the teat approximately every two months.
• This product is awesome, but the problem is that the teat is too weak and cannot tolerate heat.
• The glass bottle is safe for the baby, especially that it will not decompose like plastic bottles, whose materials may be ingested by the baby.
• The glass helps reduce colic pain.
• The opening of the teat is very small, and the baby may be fed up because of the slow milk flow.
• Chicco brand always offers high-quality products that are very easy to clean.
• The teat may cause leakage of milk to the cap.
• It looks cute and elegant.
• It is not very expensive for its capabilities.

Check out Chicco WellBeing Glass Feeding Bottle here.

And you can check out a collection of glass bottles here.

Plastic Bottles

Philips Avent Airflex Bottles

User Experience:

• The bottles sometimes leak milk.
• These bottles are really good; the baby can easily and quickly feed through them.
• They are among the best types in the market; they are very easy to disassemble and reassemble, and very easy to sterilize.
• Their price is really reasonable for their capabilities.
• When you warm up or heat the bottle, the heat is not applied evenly, which makes some places hotter than others.

You can check out Philips Avent Airflex Bottles here.

And you can check out a collection of plastic bottles here.

Side Note: It is very important to sterilize feeding tools. Read Your Guide to Sterilizing Your Baby’s Tools in their First Year.

Pros, Cons & Specifications of the Most Popular Bottles

Now that you know the main differences between glass and plastic bottles, we hope it’s now easier to buy the right bottle for your baby’s needs.

You have an experience with bottles? Tell us about it in a comment.

*Some products may be currently out of stock, but they will be available again soon. If you encounter any similar problem, please comment on the article, or contact us through our Facebook page.