Well, it’s been nearly a week since I’ve started using glass bottles, and I must say the transition has been easier than anticipated. Sure I’ve broken one bottle, but that’s probably because I’ve been so used to not having to think about the plastic ones and needed a bit of retraining.

The glass bottles are about 5 dollars for three - with silicone nipples that are supposed to adjust flow automatically with babies’ sucking ability *. Compare that to 20 dollars for two plastic BPA-free bottles, or about four dollars for one Avent bottle and you’ll see just how affordable they really are.

Other than how affordable these bottles are, they also have the advantage of being just so beautiful when they’re clean - they sparkle! In all the years I’ve used Avent, though I knew my bottles were clean, they didn’t sparkle in the same way.

These bottles are also easy to clean - they can be cleaned in the dishwasher or boiled on the stovetop for five minutes. My pediatrician even told me I don’t need to worry about sterilizing anymore, though I will continue this practice until my son starts putting things in his mouth - call me overly cautious, but it is milk in those bottles (and I would suggest consulting your doctor if you’re thinking of abandoning sterilization as a result of this post!).

Before purchasing these bottles I had read the bottles and nipples didn’t vent properly and resulted in the baby taking in too much air. I must say that I haven’t noticed this in the Evenflo bottles with the silicone nipples ** and they appear to vent in the exact same way as the Avent bottles I had been using previously. Also I had read that if you warm the bottle without loosening the cap, they will leak: this is true! Just don’t forget to tighten the caps back up before feeding your baby!

Should you have problems with the nipples and bottles not venting, I’ve read that the Medela nipples fit on these bottles perfectly, and also the Dr. Brown’s without the venting tube. I purchased the Medela nipples, and returned them upon seeing how well the silicone Evenflo nipples worked.

Now one big problem I can foresee will be when my son is old enough to hold his own bottle. I am hesitant to use any plastic bottles at the moment - though Evenflo does sell a BPA-free plastic bottle. Truthfully my first son never held his own bottle without being on our lap, and was transitioned to sippy cups for independent drinking. We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

Traveling might also be a bit difficult - I have to come up with a plan, whether it be a drop-in liner bottle system or BPA-free plastic for airplanes. For road trips, I just fill the glass bottle with water and carry the formula separate. That way I can mix when he’s ready to eat and don’t have to worry about warming the bottle. I further wrap the bottle in his bib to give it a buffer in case I throw my bag into the car or drop it on the ground (as I often do). So far, I haven’t had a broken bottle to deal with while on the road.

One other thing to note is that the nipples are small - not large like the Avent nipples. I’m not sure if this would lead to nipple confusion if you’re supplementing bottles while you breastfeed. I know my son had a hard time even with Avent in transitioning between bottle and breast, but in time he learned just fine. As I’ve stated before, these nipples are the exact same size as the Medela silicone nipples.

The biggest plus for me with glass bottles is that I know my son will not have any chemical leaching into his formula. Sure I could buy BPA-free bottles, but what assurance do I have their aren’t other chemicals leaching instead? It’s just not a risk I’m willing to take.

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* I can’t speak as to whether or not these nipples actually do what they claim. I will say that silicone nipples are supposed to be replaced every three months anyway, so I’m not sure it’s a feature I need to worry about. At this point, my son can drain his bottle in a timely fashion and doesn’t appear to be getting the milk to slow nor too fast.

** The Evenflo bottles can be purchased with the rubber nipples - and this may be where people have been having trouble. Rubber doesn’t hold its shape like the silicone and perhaps also may not vent as well. I stuck with silicone.