Customer Reviews

Born Free - Gift Set

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I first tried these out I had my doubts that they would work out okay (I had been using Avent and have used Dr Brown in the past). They take a little more time to put together than the Avent and babies don't like to wait when they're hungry! However once I got a system down (I put the two vent pieces together and the nipple/collar/cap together in advance and store them in separate bins where I prepare the bottles) I came to really like them. I instantly got less burps than with the Avent and the Dr Brown and they don't leak like the Avent.

They've gone through the drop test onto a hardwood floor just fine and they quickly passed the most important test: my son took to them right away.

One warning: I tried out the "6 month+ Y Flow" nipples but my son vetoed them instantly. I unwisely had bought a number of nipples which (for now) he won't use. I get a little use out them with my two year old who takes the occasional bottle.

Other than that I'm sold - a better bottle than what I had been using (minus a little ramp time getting used to them) and of course they are BPA free.

After 3 months of trying to get my baby to take a bottle (to no avail), we finally achieved success when we tried the Born Free bottle. Not sure why it worked, but it did and we are very pleased. If you are having trouble getting your breastfed baby to take a bottle, you may want to try this brand. NONE of the others worked for us.

I decided to buy these bottles around 3 months ago after reading up on BPA. When my daughter was first born we had tried Avent, but they leaked. We switched to Dr. Brown's, but decided on the Born Free bottles due to BPA. I did have major issues with nipple collapse with these bottles. It didn't matter what I did, the nipples collapsed. So I read another review from a customer who said she put the Dr. Brown's vent system in these bottles. I tried that and they work PERFECTLY. I have had NO NIPPLE COLLAPSE at all now. The only thing that I do have issues with is if you decide to make a full 9 oz. bottle, they will leak when using the Dr. Brown vents...which is what happened with the Dr. Brown's bottles anyhow. But other than that, these have been the best bottles that I've had and I'm planning now and buying a few more. I highly suggest buying the Dr. Brown's wide-necked vent system to go with these. There are websites where you can actually buy individual parts to bottles.

I used Avent & Dr. Brown bottles for my first two babies (born in 2003 and 2004). For my third, I decided to go with the Born Free bottles to avoid the potential of BPA in the plastic. True, they are a bit of a pain b/c of the two-piece air valve system to minimize gas but this set up is much easier to clean & put together than Dr. Brown's. These bottles are very similar to Avent but they have never leaked (sometimes with the Avent, I would have to take of the lid, then rescrew it on b/c I would get some leaking). The bottles are dishwasher safe (top rack only) and very easy to maintain. They only cost slightly more than the Avent/Dr. Brown's but that extra $ is worth it to be BPA-free. Also, the nipples are the softest, like Dr. Brown's, which is what I had to use when baby wouldn't take bottles. These were taken with no problem.

Unlike the other reviewer, these bottles have worked just fine for us. They have stood up to multiple dishwasher runs. The nipples don't seem flimsy at all. My kid isn't unusually gassy or colicky either. My only complaint is that the colic-prevention system they have in place is annoying. They add in 2 extra pieces that have to be washed and assembled every time you want to use the bottle. But that's a small inconvenience for the BPA free aspect.

I haven't tried any other bottle, so all I can say is that I have no reason to yet. My child took to these bottle instantly. He does still need to burp, but it's never a 30 minute marathon... typically just five minutes and he'll have a sizable belch.

The first issue I've seen others complain about and I have experienced is nipple inversion. When this first occurred I was really annoyed thinking I had just wasted $50. Then I realized I had screwed the cap on really tightly, and I guess that I had cut off the side vents. So now I make sure that I don't over tighten and I haven't had a problem yet.

A second issue I've read about is it's complexity... There are two extra parts for the venting system, they can be cumbersome if you want to thoroughly clean them, but to me it's a non issue if you soak the bottles in soapy water as soon as the feeding is over. That way nothing dries and gets sticky requiring more than a quick wiping with a bottle brush.

Finally. DO NOT get the $15 BornFree bottle brush. They just deteriorate within two weeks. Get the $5 Munchkin brush with bristles instead of sponge. You have to be gentle with the nipples and silicon vent, but it's a two in one brush with a convenient suction cup. And more importantly, it has lasted two months and going fairly strong (the suction cup has fallen off... I'm thinking of getting some silicon epoxy and sticking it back together).

TLDR: Great bottles. I found simple workarounds for common complaints by previous reviewers. So I'm buying another set for a friend.

We just bought these on advice from a lactation consultant. Our son is a preemie who was bottle fed first and we are now switching him to the breast. He will take about any bottle but suffers enormous gas. From the start with the Born Free, there was an immediate difference in his comfort level. The number of parts to assemble and the price are annoying but for his comfort, its worth it.

I bought these bottles as I wanted BPA free and also something that may help in reducing the possibility of colic/gasiness in my infant.

For the last 3, we have dealt with a very gassy (and screaming) infant all while using these bottles. We are now on our 3rd formula and she the gas has been greatly reduced; however this was due to the formula not the bottles. As others have mentioned, there are more parts to clean & put together than usual (which I was fine with if they were good bottles that also helped with gas issues). Unfortunately, they have issues with nipple collapse and leaks. In addition, the newborn flow of the nipple in this set seems to be too fast for my newborn as she choked every time she ate. I thought this was "normal" until I bought another slow flow rate bottle and found she does not choke with a different bottle/nipple.

Note on the gas: We did try all the other basic remedies to reduce gas (i.e.: holding baby upright while feeding, holding her upright for 20 minutes after feeding, burping, feeding in a calm environment, etc)

I love these bottles. My baby is breast and bottle feed. He has no problem going between the two. Also, even though these bottles have additional parts to clean, they are easier to clean than the Dr. Browns. You don't need any special brushes. My son actually uses both, but I only use the Dr. Brown's when I'm too tired (and lazy) to clean the Born Free. The Dr. Brown's do leak if the disc isn't used during travel. These do not unless you have a bad vent. They are a little pricier than the normal bottles, but it's worth it if you have a baby with bad gas.

I really like this set of bottles. We use them all except for the sippy cup because my son is still too little to use it. Get the born free sterilizer as well. You won't regret it.