Customer Reviews

Dr. Brown's 3 Pack BPA Free Polypropylene Bottle, 8 oz

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

Having had a colicy first child, I chose to try the Dr. Brown's bottles in additional to several other types & brands. I've ended up storing all the others and using the Dr. Brown's exclusively.

After reading countless reviews, I've bought and tried several other types/brands. All bottles other than the Dr. Browns created suction. The nipples would collapse, resulting in leaks and a frustrated, gassy baby. I would have to remove the bottle from his mouth to get the air (and bubbles)to go back into the bottle so he could start sucking again. The gas in his belly would last hours-making him uncomfortable and disrupting his sleep. (equals tired, cranky Mommy)

The Dr. Brown's were the only bottles that I didn't have that problem with. My son is able to feed continuously and comfortably with a consistent flow and no air bubbles. Our feedings are cleaner, relaxing, and more comfortable.

Other reviews have sited a "con" as having more bottle parts to wash. I thought that would be tedious, but gave the Dr. Brown's a try anyway. Thus far, it has NOT been an issue. ANY bottle you use will have atleast 3 parts to wash (bottle, collar, nip) the Dr. Brown's have an additional 2 parts (resevoir tube, valve). I am happy to spend an extra minute at the sink, rather than countless hours with a fussy baby. The trade-off is a no brainer.

The ONLY issue that I've had with the Dr. Brown's is that the stage 1 nips still flowed too fast for my newborn. I am using the Playtex Air Vent Stage 1 nips instead. I have not tried the Br. Brown' premie nips, but suspect they'd work just as well. FYI-the Dr. Brown's are slightly taller than other bottles when they have the cap on. Keep that in mind if you're buying a bottle cooler for travel.

Skip the smaller 4oz bottles and go for all 8oz. Buy a soft bottle brush that won't scratch the plastic bottles. Again, I've tried several, but like the Avent brush with travel case. It seems soft, will last and doesn't spray me with water ever time I remove it from the bottle.

Amazon seems to have the best price on Dr. Brown's.
Happy Feeding:)

These bottles definitely help to reduce colic. The thing I love the most about them is the fact they are BPA free. It is nice to know you aren't putting unnecessary chemicals in your baby's body.
These bottles are great because my son had such bad colic he was screaming when he would eat. The vent system in these bottles virtual eliminates any air from getting to your baby's tummy. The only downfall to these bottles is they are a little more labor intensive to wash and put together. You have one or two more pieces to put together over regular bottles. However, if your baby has any amount of colic it is definitely worth the extra few minutes of assembly for their tummy's sake.
One thing to note is at one point they began making these bottles with the ounce markers marked as raised, clear numbers. This made is EXTREMELY difficult to see how full you were filling up the bottle. However, I have since bought some and the markers on them are blue, making it much easier to read the ounces you are making. It is not that big of a deal unless you're doing a 2:30 am feeding and trying to fill the bottle up without being able to see the markings.
Overall, these are the best bottles on the market. They truly do help eliminate colic and keep your baby safe and out of harmful chemicals way like BPA.

I read a review of the glass Dr. Brown bottles that complained that the painted-on ounces markings wore off in the dishwasher, so I got two glass bottles and two of these BPA-free PP ones just to see. The big drawback is that the plastic ones hold in smells. I made the mistake of washing them once with Mrs. Meyer's dish soap, and they are basically ruined because they are now permanently honeysuckle scented, which is gross. Even just running them through the dishwasher with scent-free Method dishwasher tabs caused them to retain the scent of hot, washed food. It's really not something I would ever want to make my baby smell while drinking. Get the glass--you can hand wash them (it takes TWO minutes) if you're worried about losing the paint (which hasn't happened to me after 7 months) and they rinse clean, every time.

These are probably not necessary for every baby, but for mine they were a lifesaver! My 5 week old formula fed son was having a terrible time with spit-up and gas. Actually, I think it would be more accurate to say he was vomiting up ALL of his formula pretty much every time he was fed. I was using Playtex Drop-ins and following all the advice I could get (using special formula, keeping his head elevated after feeding, feeding fewer ounces more often, burping often...) but the vomiting was getting worse. The pediatrician assured me that he was in good health, just a "spit-up baby," but after a particularly bad night where he accumulated well over a basket full of laundry I had enough. The next morning I purchased 10 of the Dr. Brown's bottles (one to try and three sets to use if I liked it). This bottle made all the difference in the world! He much prefers the nipple on this bottle so he feeds more quickly and enthusiastically, and amazingly the food actually stays in his belly. Since we started using these he has only spit up one time, and it was just a small amount. I have noticed that he rarely has to burp with these bottles...just a small one every now and then but nothing like before. The best part is that he is so content. After a night feeding he easily drifts off to sleep, with no stomach pains at all. Yes, there are a lot of parts to wash and figure out how to use. But I was willing to do anything to help with my baby's stomach issues! My advice on these would be to try the "simpler" bottles first, but keep these in mind if your baby has gas, spit-up, or colic.

I also wanted to add some tips on using these that I learned from trial and error.

1. I prefer the Munchkin Deluxe dishwasher basket to the Dr. Brown's one. It takes up much less space because you only put the parts in it, not the bottle itself. I put the vent reservoirs in the straw holders, the vent inserts and nipples in the top section, and the collars, caps, and discs in the bottom section. Then we just make sure to put the basket on the top rack. I have 10 bottles so I got two of these baskets to hold parts for 8 bottles at a time (4 bottles per basket). You could probably fit more but I like to give everything enough space to get clean! We have a two story house so I bring one basket and cleaning brush upstairs each night. That way I can rinse the parts right after they are used and put them right in the basket. I fill up the second basket the next day and then run the dishwasher that afternoon/evening.

2. I think it would be a good idea to hand wash all the parts with the brush every few days or so, even if you use the dishwasher.

3. I see no need for most of the "accessories" you can buy to go with these bottles. The exception is the formula mixing pitcher! It makes it much easier to make bottles ahead of time without shaking them and introducing more air.

4. These will fit in most bottle warmers. Just make sure you remove the disc first (oops...). Mine is The First Years BabyPro Nursery Warmer. I do have to take the nipple and cap off to make them fit in the cooler section, though. This is not really a big deal because I have the discs to seal the top.

5. If you assemble everything as the directions say and screw the collar on tight, these should not leak. So far I haven't had one leak yet.

We first used these bottles when our seven year old was born. He had severe colic (crying for seven to nine hours at a time with no break). We bought every single product on the market that claimed to help ease colic. We were absolutely desperate to find something, ANYTHING, that would help. I'm sorry to say that these bottles did not make a bit of difference.

However, they WILL help babies with gas and spit ups. (Some parents think this is colic. Trust me, crying for an hour isn't colic, kids!) That's why I recommend these bottles. We currently have a four month old who spits up prolifically, so we brought out the old bottles (buying new nipples and other parts, of course), and it has helped tremendously with her fussiness and vomiting.

Some important points so you don't have the same experiences as those who posted negative reviews:

-- It's important to hold the bottle at enough of an angle so the bottom of the tube is above the formula, so air can escape and not be reingested by your infant.

-- I highly recommend purchasing the Dr. Brown's dishwasher racks (made specifically for these bottles.. watch your sizes though, there are wide bottles and racks and standard bottles and racks) as well as the drying rack. These purchases will make your life so much easier and prevent mold build up. With our first born, we didn't buy the racks and and had to replace parts due to mold. However, this time around, we spent the extra $25 up front and will not need to spend more than that later in replacement parts.

-- When filling the bottle for a feeding, do not go above the fill line. Otherwise, the bottle will leak. It's also important to make sure the rubber stopper is tightly inserted for the same reason.

-- When taking a bottle on the go, be sure to insert the travel disk below the nipple, or the bottle will leak if tipped over in your diaper bag.

While this sounds like a lot of work, these bottles are no more cumbersome than any other bottle, especially if you puchase the racks as I recommended.

They do not help ease severe colic and quite frankly, nothing will. Nothing. If you're dealing with a severely colicky baby, save your money on the CDs, books, expensive formulas and other "magic cures" for easing colic and just ride it out as best you can. Many children overcome it within three months (which can sound like a lifetime, I know).

However, I recommend these bottles (and the racks!) for parents of gassy babies and babies who can't seem to keep their formula down. (Enfamil Lipil AR is also a great help with spit up issues.)

After our son was born we used the inexpensive bottles without all the parts to clean because we were going through so many bottles every day. Our son was a very easy baby, but he was a bit fussy every evening for a few hours no matter what we tried. I thought we would give these bottles a try since people told me that babies who are fussy only in the evenings may have gas. After 24 hours of using these bottles he was never fussy in the evenings again! It was amazing! We immediately went out and bought another dozen of these bottles and we'll never use anything else! Our baby is so happy now. Also, these bottles are not hard to clean. I simply put all of the parts in the dishwasher in a little plastic box for bottle parts (Munchkin brand, $3 at Target) and place the inner chamber of the bottle on the dishwasher 'posts'. I did not buy the Dr. Brown's dishwasher piece for the parts.
Try these bottles - you will not be disappointed!

Yes, easy to use and clean. I know it has several parts but if you wash it right after the baby finished her bottle, you simply can rinse it in a warm/hot water and it's clean! If you don't wash it right away it's ok, use some warm/hot water, soap (I buy Planet or other mild soaps) and there are 3 holes in the vent part, brush them with a small brush 1-2 times.. is really easy especially after you do it a couple of times.

The bottle is pretty thick but light. It seems strong and durable.

Baby drinks with no interrupts. I like the natural flow feature of this bottle. If you use just nipple and bottle of other brand with no vent, it creates vacuum and your baby often stops many many times. I did not like that as she got tired faster and never finished her bottle and had to snack more often...

The nipple is soft and it is standard. I like that it is soft breast like (so many other nipple seem so thick). We talked to 3 lactation consultants and they recommended Playtex Drop Ins (wide neck bottles) or in our case, our baby would only drink from Standard nipple/bottle, they always recommended Dr. Browns. So if these are the only 2 bottles I will buy for my children.

I tried every bottle and nipple out there except Avent and Born Free (our lactation consultants really did not recommend them); mixed different bottles with nipples, inserted vent from Dr. Browns into different bottle when they didn't have the safe bottles yet and I was very happy to see these new Dr. browns bottles that are safe for my child.

And one more thing. When we used OTHER bottles they were somewhat hard to wash. Bottles inside would be sticky and we had to brush them for a long time and rinse really well before they felt clean. I never had this problem with Dr. Browns bottles.

My wife and I have been using these bottles exclusively. We have had no problems with them at all. That being said, there are a few things that could be better.

1) Washing them is a little chore due to the extra parts that most bottles don't have. This is not a big deal at all given the benefit of the ventilation system.

2) The raised ounce markers and numbers aren't always that visible. I wish they could be a different color or something. We like the clear plastic ones that came as a starter set because the numbers and markings were blue and easy to see. But you can only get additional 4 and 8oz ones in just polypropylene and glass. We aren't interested in the glass because they are significantly heavier. Also my wife might be a little clumsy, and I can just see those shattering all over our kitchen floor.

Really, this is a positive review. As I said, we love these bottles, but there is a little room for improvement. Hopefully this not only helps you, but maybe the manufacturer will read this and make an even more superior product.

my husband and i tried a few bpa-free bottles: gerber nuk, avent (omg the price!), playtex ventaire, etc. Dr. Brown's really helped with not swallowing air. one thing I do recommend is if you were to buy many of the dr. brown's, to buy all the same type, i.e. purchase all bpa-free ones, or all bpa & pthalate free ones. I recommend only doing the 8oz bottles. My husband and I noticed though the straws and collars/various pieces were "the same", it seemed the tolerances between the pieces (even between the 4oz and 8oz bottles) would occasionally cause it to slightly leak or not vent air properly. It's hard not to mix and match when washing when the pieces look the same. we still recommend these bottles to friends and love them as they do work and the little one is happier.

We have both the Dr. Browns and Avent bottles. We started our baby on Avents when he was born but switched to Dr. Browns as he has some gas issues. I'm not so sure that the Dr. Browns bottles made any difference, or if there is it might just be psychological. I'd recommend starting with the Avents or another brand if you can and if your baby does fine with those use them. If they get gassy try these. Because even though I don't love the Dr. Browns, all their cons are worth it if they help your baby not be gassy. But from a use perspective.

Pros:
1. I'm assuming they reduce gas but have no proof.
2. They have been fairly durable, as long as we follow instructions (see cons) they do not leak and we have not had them break or become moldy. On a note, we put our used bottles in a tub of warm soap water within a few hours of ever use and this may not be convenient for everyone.

Cons:
1. Since the measurements indicators are clear you can't see them in the dark, we ended up marking the spots we needed with a sharpie. I find it hard to believe they couldn't have colored these as the logo seems to be holding up to repeated rinsing just fine.
2. There are way too many parts (and they're oddly shaped) to clean. With Avents, there are five parts (including the cap). With Dr. Browns there are seven (including cap and that annoying stopper circle). I was able to fit all the parts of six Avent bottles on our munchkin sprouts drying rack (which I highly recommend). With the Dr. Browns it's like playing tetris (not the fun part) with all the parts. You also need a special brush to clean certain parts, which they provide but doesn't last long so you have to buy they're replacement ones.
3. They'll leak. When you transport them the only way to keep them from leaking is to insert a circular piece of plastic between the vent portion and the nipple. It also means when its time to feed you have to open the bottle to remove it. This has led to several times when I have either forgotten to put it in leading to a leaks, or forgotten to take it out, which has led to baby sucking on air until I realized what was happening. Again, it's in the instructions, but in the real world, it's easy to forget. Again the Avents don't need that, just put the cap on and you're good to go.
4. Narrow bottles. Ok so this is clearly a preference thing, but the narrow necks make it harder to clean them. We use an oxo bottle brush (also highly recommend). The brush fits you just have to be careful putting it in and pulling it out or you're going to get yourself wet. Also being narrow tends to make the 8oz size taller than most bottle cooler bags I've seen which makes storing them on the go difficult.

Also, formula and breast milk stink. It's sticky and messy and a pain if it gets all over you or anything. So imagine all the above with that in mind.