Customer Reviews

Philips AVENT BPA Free Newborn Bottle Starter Set

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Philips has done a fantastic job of confusing their line of Avent baby feeding bottles. It should be a simple matter to clearly name and describe a product such as this, but the reality is Philips has done it's best to complicate it.

Why the confusion: Over the past 25 years Philips has changes the Avent product line every year. Recently changes involved removing BPA from all parts that touch baby food (note that their products aren't 100% BPA free - parts that don't touch baby food may still contain BPA). This change introduced problems with some of the products causing the Avent venting system to leak (more on this later). In addition, Philips has used different product names for the same or similar products.

ISN'T A BOTTLE JUST A BOTTLE?
Recently Philips has made Avent bottles in several plastic materials:

1. Polycarbonate: this is a very hard and very clear plastic - it's properties closely match real glass and is commonly known by the brand name Lexan. For years almost all hard/clear food containers were made of polycarbonate plastic. Unfortunately, this type of plastic contains Bisphenol A (BPA) - which has been classified as a toxic substance in Europe and Canada (with the USA having serious concerns). Since 2008 manufacturers of almost all baby products have started to replace Polycarbonate with alternatives.

2. Polyethersulfone (PES): This rigid BPA free plastic hasn't traditionally been used in baby products because of the higher cost of the raw material. In addition, PES bottles typically have a brown or "honey" colored or brown tint - which may be unattractive to some parents.

2. Polypropylene (PP): Also a BPA free plastic, Polypropylene is slightly cloudy or milky in appearance. Containers made from Polypropylene are also slightly flexible.

Avent bottles are currently available in PES and PP models. Many people still have the old Polycarbonate bottles which perform great (but contain BPA).


LEAKS LEAKS LEAKS (AND THE MYSTERY OF THE "ADAPTER RING")
Many people have reported leaking problems with the newer Avent bottles. There are a couple of factors why this is happening:

The Avent system is designed to vent or let air into the bottle as baby feeds. This is achieved by having tiny slots cut into the base of the nipple. When baby sucks the nipple, it flexes and allows air into the venting slots (and then into the bottle). The benefit of this system is there are no special parts (see the Dr. Browns system) - so it's easy to clean and maintain. The disadvantage is this system relies on the interface/connection between the bottle and nipple - any problems where these two parts meet will cause leaks.

Many people have had issues maintaining a good connection between bottle and nipple with the PES (honey colored) bottles. This may be due to the bottle changing shape over time (particularly the impact of dishwasher washing).

The polypropylene bottles have a different issue. Polypropylene is simply too flexible to maintain good contact between the nipple and bottle. Philips has solved this problem redesigning the shape of the bottle and including a ridged "Adapter Ring" with recent polypropylene bottles (I think that first generation PP kits did not have this part). The adapter ring fits onto the top of the bottle and provides a stable and strong base needed by the Avent nipples. The new bottle shape with the adapter ring installed mimics the size and shape of the old style bottle. It's a hassle, but this extra part will prevent leaks if used properly. The ring also appears to be less susceptible to warping from high heat. You can purchase spare adapter rings separately.

Important: to prevent leaks you should assemble the bottle with nipple and adapter ring in place while it is wet! (read the manual).


CLASSIC VS ADVANCED VS NATURAL FEEDING VS EXTRA DURABLE
Philips seems confused with how to market Avent bottles. They have changed the name of Avent products over time and haven't done a good job differentiating between the polypropylene and PES bottles.

Some Avent bottles are branded CLASSIC and ADVANCED. The "Classic" bottles are the milky colored, softer plastic, polypropylene (PP) bottles which use the adapter ring - these are typically sold in a BLUE/WHITE BOX. The "Advanced" bottles are the honey colored, rigid plastic, polyethersulfone (PES) bottles - these are sold in a YELLOW/WHITE BOX.

Recently all Avent bottles have been branded NATURAL FEEDING - this additional name does not indicate which type of plastic the bottles are made of.


SO PES OR PP?
After trying both, I think I'll be using the Polypropylene (PP). At first I thought the adapter ring was a step backward - why do I want to deal with the extra part? But in practice it isn't much of a hassle at all. In addition, many people have reported leaks with the PES bottles. In addition, the PES bottles were less expensive (when I bought them).

Remember to assemble your bottles properly (wet) and do not over tighten them.


SHOPPING ON AMAZON
Make sure you know which type of bottle you are getting. Unfortunately, the Amazon product descriptions for Avent bottles don't always indicate which type of bottle you are getting. Philips makes most sizes of the Avent bottle in both types of plastic. Read the product description carefully before buying. Be cautious with reviews as some reviewers have written reviews for the other plastic type.


UPDATE 1
It is becoming harder to get anything but the "classic" (blue box) polypropylene (pp) bottles as it appears Phillips has recently withdrawn available inventories of all other bottles (i was talking to the manager of a local baby store who indicated they had to remove all Avent PES bottles and return them to Phillips). Still check to make sure you are getting the type of bottles you expect.


UPDATE 2 - June 2011
I still see old PES bottles for sale but they are almost completely gone. The "classic" polypropylene (pp) bottles are now available in blue and pink tints. Another recent change - recently manufactured bottles have a slightly wider mouth - you can tell if you have this new generation of bottles if the adapter ring does not fit snuggly (and will not stay in the bottle if held upside down).

Some people have ask what size nipples are included in the sets. 9 ounce bottle sets come with #2 nipples. 4 ounce bottle sets come with #1 nipples.

These bottles are beautiful. They have an aesthetically pleasing design that appeals to me. Even though I used them with my first child and had some problems with them then, I thought "Oh they are just so nice-looking that I have to try them again, maybe they have been improved." Don't make the same mistake! These beautiful, clean-lined bottles are fraught with problems.

First off, I have it from FOUR lactation consultants that Avent nipples are horrid for inducing nipple confusion in newborn babies. If that doesn't sway you, take the word of the frustrated mother of a newborn who now only opens his mouth wide enough for an Avent nipple (think the diameter of a nickel). My first son didn't get nipple confusion, but my second ... trying to breastfeed him now is like trying to stuff a bed pillow down a garden hose.

Secondly, these bottles are sneaky-leaky. They don't do it all the time, which is why I say they're sneaky. It is an inconsistent leak, a sort of just-when-you-think-you've-mastered-not-making-them-leak-they-gush-on-the-baby-at-3AM kind of leak. Not nice for sleep-deprived parents to deal with in the wee hours. When they do leak, it isn't a small amount, either. I've tried lining up the anti-colic vents with the plastic "fins" in the collar, as I've been told this would stop the bottle from leaking. It worked the first two tries, but now my little guy has a wet front thanks to the third time that wasn't "the charm" and leaked all over him. Some folks say over-tightening the bottles makes them leak. I am as gentle as you can get when it comes to "snug, but not too tight." I've tried every permutation known to man of screwing on those collars, from barely screwed on all the way up to screwed down so tight it will take an Act of God to get the darned things unscrewed. And Yes, they leaked in all stages of screwed-on-ness. Or maybe I should say screwed-up-ed-ness.

I really wanted to like these bottles, really did. Their design and white collars look so clean and "fresh" to my eye. But alas, I can't deal with the inconsistent performance. If you're going to bottle-feed, do yourself a favor and get the old-fashioned tall glass bottles our Moms used when raising us. No BPA, no proprietary design and best, NO LEAKS!!

Stop! Do not buy these "old" Avent BPA-free bottles. These are the honey-colored Polyether Sulphone (PES) bottles that, for whatever reason, leaks for many people. They come in yellow-colored boxes. Instead, buy the newer Avent BPA-free bottles made from the Polypropylene (PPE), which has a cloudy appearance. These newer PPE bottles don't leak. These newer PPE bottles come in blue-colored boxes.

We are currently using formula. I add water, add powder, and shake. 1 out of every four times I shake the bottle it leaks. It has been so frustrating.

I called Avent and they told me that if I am using formula I need to stir the mixture. The lady that provided instuctions was not friendly. She also said if the bottle continues to leak you can purchase some extra piece? A gasket or something. I am very unsatisfied with this product and I will not purchase it again, and I will not recommend it to a friend.

Anthony
Maple, NC

never had a leaking problem with the bottles and the baby seems to be drinking out of them just fine. if the bottle does leak then either it is not tightened enough or tightened wrong.

Watch out...they leak! But for some reason, I still love them... To combat the leakiness, you have to but the nipple on the ring while they are still wet.

A friend of mine asked for these for her baby shower and she was very pleased to get it. It's working well from the reports she's given me. It's great that there's a brush included. I know she had looked at several other sets but they didn't include one.

These bottles leaked from day one and pretty much everyone who has had them in our church nursery has experienced the same problem. I ended up using the cheap 3 pack bottles (Gerber, Evenflo) from Walmart and they worked great. I will use them for our next child as well!

I did a lot of research and wound up purchasing everything from Avent:

Bottles
- Purchased the PP bottles but love the PES bottles (see the definition for PP and PES in the excellent review by S. Kane titled Avent Bottles: Different Models and Leaking Explained, January 16, 2011)
- The PES bottles seem more durable, thicker, and less likely for plastic to "rub off" into the milk.
- The PES bottles are great for using with the pumps (vs. the PP bottles may leak with the pumps but this issue only occurred when we forgot to put the blue and white ring in the bottles)
- The PES bottles require one less step for assembly as they don't require the blue and white ring.
- Assembling the bottles and nipples wet or dry didn't make a difference as they do not leak if assembled correctly (i.e. put the blue and white ring in the PP bottles...note that the PES bottles do not require this ring)
- Twisting the bottles really tight or loose did not make a difference and we haven't experience leaks.
- After reading S. Kane's review, we may have gotten lucky and purchased our bottles from Jun 2010 through Nov 2010 (after Avent corrected the past issues with the leaky bottles?)
- The only time the PP (cloudy plastic with blue lettering) bottles leak is when one of us forgets to put in the blue and white ring or if one doesn't hear the "plick" sound when putting in the blue and white ring (wet or dry), this may cause leaking.
- When we needed more bottles, my husband wanted to purchase the PES bottles (not the PP bottles), so we did.

Breast Pumps
- Avent breast pumps are wonderful and mimic the feel of my baby feeding (didn't try Medela, but research showed that the Medela pumps are hard on the breast and that Avent is the most comfortable...I REALLY like my duo electric pump as well as my backup manual single pump)

Sterilizer
- At first, I bought the microwave sterilizer, but to minimize EMFs/radiation from constant microwaving, I wound up exchanging it for the standalone unit...It's great...Done in 6 mins!

Food and Bottle warmer
- This is also a wonderful product, but I wish there was a way to throw the water out without it getting under the blue plastic (I see mold/mildew building up but this is not exposed so it should be ok, right?)
- At first, my husband didn't know why I purchased this, but when he started feeding the baby, he decided to purchase another one for the nursery (for late night feedings so that we didn't have to go up/down the stairs!)

Overall, we have really been impressed with Avent products manufactured from June 2010 thru Nov 2010 and give them 5 stars. Our baby has not had any colic. We have not had any bottles leak (unless due to our own negligence).

MY GOODNESS THIS BOTTLE FRUSTRATES ME TO HIGH HEAVEN AND BACK!! I BOUGHT THESE BOTTLES THINKING THEY WERE THE BEST BUT LET ME TELL YOU HOW VERY FRUSTRATING IT IS TO HAVE A CRYING BABY WANTING HER MILK AND WHEN YOU GIVE THEM THE BOTTLE IT DRIPS RIGHT ON THEM, AND A FEW TIMES THEY LEAK AFTER A WHILE!! TALK ABOUT FRUSTRATING! PICK ANOTHER BOTTLE !!!!