Thinkbaby Baby Bottles

The founder of Thinkbaby launched the company after working in a lab studying chemicals found in consumer products. So it’s no surprise that Thinkbaby’s plastic baby bottles are not only BPA-free, but are also free of several other “biologically toxic chemicals,” according to the company. If you worry about plastics but don’t think you have the hand-eye coordination for glass bottles (who wants broken glass with a baby around?), Thinkbaby Baby Bottles might be a good choice for you.

Ease of use

Thinkbaby’s bottle design is uncomplicated, so it’s quick to put together and take apart. The volume markings are easy to read, and the neck of the bottle is wide enough to scoop in formula without spilling too much of that precious powder on the counter. We didn’t see any leaks while preparing a bottle, and our parent testers noticed only the smallest bit of leaking while feeding. They also felt it was comfortable to hold during a feeding.

Thinkbaby’s nipples come in two stages and are made from extra-soft, medical-grade silicone. Generally, soft things and babies go great together, but one of our parent testers said the nipples inverted too frequently, frustrating her son. Our testers also had to do research online to figure out the recommended age ranges for the nipples included in the starter set. (We’ll save you the work: Stage A nipples are recommended for babies 0 - 6 months, Stage B for 6 - 12 months.)

The nipple has a unique cross-cut design, which absolutely minimizes spillage. We held every bottle we tested upside down for 30 seconds, and it was the only one that didn’t lose a single drop of prepared formula. This means your little one will have to do most of the work to start the flow when feeding, as she would with breastfeeding. Depending on your baby’s preferences and how much bottle-feeding you've done, that might be a good thing or cause for frustration.

Thinkbaby’s venting system is unlike any we’ve seen—one narrow tube attached to the underside of the nipple. But this tubular structure means milk or formula can get trapped inside, and two of our hands-on parent testers did report that it took some extra attention to clear it out. That said, none said there was any increase in their baby’s gassiness or spitting up during or after feedings, so it did the job.

With only four pieces, we love how quickly and easily Thinkbaby bottles clean up—because who wants to spend the one golden hour you get to yourself at night scrubbing itty-bitty pieces of plastic? A long soak in a sink full of soapy water and a bit of spaghetti sauce didn’t stain any of the bottle’s plastics, and even the smell was gone after we boiled the bottle parts for five minutes.

The bottle also travels well. The cap snaps on easily, and it was one of the few that stayed on the bottle every time we knocked it over from counter height in our drop test. So you can toss it in a diaper bag and not worry about having to deal with a messy leak.

Final word

Our parent testers felt the Thinkbaby Starter Set offered very good to average quality and ease of use, and good value. We like Thinkbaby's commitment to using safe plastics and reducing plastic waste. Their bottle is well-made, easy to use and should cross a few things off your worry list.