Best Teethers and Rattles for Babies: Top Picks
How do you choose the best teethers or rattles for your baby when there are so many on the market?
Let us show you some of our favorites.
The best teethers for toddlers and babies
- Sophie the Giraffe is a teething toy.
- Banana toothbrush and teether
- Inesita Giraffe is a teething toy for children.
- Bright Starts first to others
- Nature Bond Baby Feeder and Teether
- Nuby IcyBite Key Teething Nuby IcyBite
- Pigeon teether for training
- Gummee glove teething mitten
Here are some of the best. We give these top marks and they are ideal if you have a very chewy baby!
1. Sophie the Giraffe is a teething toy.
Sophie the Giraffe, a brilliant squishy giraffe, has been delighting babies and soothing their gums since 1961. She is made of natural rubber and food-safe paints to stimulate the five senses.
2. Banana toothbrush and teether
This BPA-free teething toy set contains two banana tethers and two baby brushes, perfect for children under two. It is not too soft nor too hard, and it soothes gums while helping babies master their chewing skills.
3. Inesita Giraffe is a teething toy for children.
This BPA-free teether features a cute giraffe and multiple ridged surfaces. It also has massage granules that help to soothe sore gums and teeth. The perfect size and shape for little hands to grasp and hold on to.
4. Bright Starts First Teeth
This teether is the first of three designed to massage and soothe the gums of babies at each stage of teething. This teether is BPA-free and was developed in consultation with a pediatric dentist.
5. Nature Bond Baby Feeder and Teether
The bright colors will make your child want to grab on. This All-IN-1 Feeder helps soothe sore gums by chewing while stimulating a baby’s appetite and helping them taste different flavors.
6. Nuby IcyBite Key Teething Nuby IcyBite
The special surfaces of this colorful teether massage the gums. The special price ™, filling will keep it ice cold.
7. Pigeon teether for training
The unique thinness of our Step 1 teether encourages babies to chew and close their lips. The soft material, ventilation holes, and lack of detachable pieces ensure that it is safe.
8. Gummee glove teething mitten
This “undroppable” teether soothes sore gums and helps prevent rashes. This teether is packed with activities to keep your child busy and also helps boost hand-to-mouth coordination.
The Best Teething Toys For Babies To Ease Pain
It can be an exciting and painful milestone for your child. Although it is exciting to see your baby’s beautiful pearly whites coming through, they may also be in pain or fussy when teething begins.
The average baby gets their first tooth at around 6 months, but the range of age can vary by several months. Teething symptoms, such as drooling and biting, crying and coughing, refusing food, waking at night, ear pulling and cheek rubbing, and general irritation, can start a few weeks before the first tooth is visible.
What are the best ways for you to ease your baby’s pain when this milestone comes around? Teething toys. Teething toys, also known as teethers, offer babies something to chew that is safe for their sore gums. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the gumming motion can soothe and relieve pain by applying counter pressure on the baby’s new teeth.
What We Looked for When Choosing the Best Teething Toys
The experts and What to Expect members reviewed the teething options, and we selected the best ones.
Safety: When it comes to teething toys, safety is the most important factor. The teething toys in this list all meet the safety criteria below.
- Amber teething beads and necklaces are not safe, according to The AAP. They can cause choking hazards or strangulation.
- Avoid benzocaine. Beware of topical products containing the gum-numbing agent benzocaine. This ingredient can cause rare but potentially life-threatening side effects. , according to FDA, homeopathic or “natural”, teething products containing belladonna can also be unsafe.
Type While teething rings are a classic, you can find a variety of other teethers today, including teething brushes and teethers that resemble small toys. There are some you should avoid. A pediatric dental specialist in Los Angeles, and a member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board. She says that round teethers or teethers with stoppers are safer for babies. She discourages all teething toys with liquids or gels, and also teether pops. The mesh can bathe newly erupting tooth enamel, causing it to weaken.
Material: The doctor says that “material selection with teethers is essential.” She prefers toys made of silicone, wood, or natural rubber. The material should also be free from BPA and phthalates. These requirements are met by all the teething toys in this list.
Ease in cleaning: Since mold thrives in moist environments, teethers that are in your baby’s mouth constantly can be especially susceptible. Choose teething toys that are easy to clean and disinfect. Cleaning teething toys that can be cleaned in the dishwasher is a breeze. We prioritized toys that can be easily cleaned by hand if a toy cannot go in the dishwasher.
Best Teething Toys
Many of the toys for teething babies can be gummed, which is smart because in about two years a baby will have 20 teeth. It’s a good idea to gum many of the top infant toys, as a baby will cut 20 teeth in two years. It can be helpful to have additional teething toys that are specifically designed to ease a baby’s. These teethers are designed with different pressure points, temperatures, and shapes that allow a child to manipulate them in any direction.
Our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Parenting and Toys Lab test and evaluate all types of baby products including teething toys. Many of these are tested as part of our annual Parenting Award. Here are some of our favorite products that parents have tested.
Nuby Nananubs banana
This teething toy is shaped like a banana that has been half-peeled. It comes with handles built in so your baby can handle it. The white “banana part ” has a surface with a textured surface. This will massage and relieve your baby’s gums. This can be sterilized either in a steamer or boiling water, unlike some other products.
Parents give the Nuby Teethe-Eez Teether With Bristles a solid 4.8-star rating on Amazon. It looks less playful but is more orthodontic.
Material: Silicone Sterilizes safely.
Nuby Ice Gel Teether keys
The gel inside the key rings will cool down when you put them in the refrigerator. Then they’ll feel like heaven on your baby’s gums. You don’t need to sterilize or wash a teether with a cooling gel. Just rinse it with soapy, warm water.
This teether is a real bargain, and it has over 87,000 5-star Amazon reviews. This teether toy is available in CVS and many other pharmacies if you cannot get it from Amazon or Walmart.
Material: BPA-free plastic Do not sterilize.
Munchkin Twisty 8-Figure Teether
This multitasking toy is a teether that also helps develop motor skills for babies from 6 months up to one year of age. Parents have said that even though their babies didn’t bite on it, they still enjoyed playing with it. It has four different surfaces for teething, so any teething baby will find something they enjoy.
This teething toy also rattles when it is shaken. You can also choose the Munchkin Sili Bendable Baby Teether, which is made from silicone and has a wooden rattle. It costs more but is suitable for babies aged 3 months.
Material: BPA-free plastic Do not sterilize.
Itzy Ritzy Silicone Toothing Mitt
The dexterity of a newborn or infant is not enough to grasp a teething tool, but some babies begin teething as early as 3 months. Itzy Ritzy Silicone teething mitt is a wearable glove toy. Your baby can simply move their entire fist towards their mouth and find relief from the silicone teether.
The pineapple mitt is shown in our picture, but there are ten other variations such as a llama or unicorn.
Material: Polyester, silicone. Do not sterilize.
Nuby Nananubs Banana
This teething toy is shaped like a banana with a peel on it. It has handles that your baby can use.
Along with our pick for the best value, Nuby also makes a Teetheeez Teether With Bristles, which looks less playful and is more orthodontic but gets a solid 4.8-star rating on Amazon. Like the banana, parents love it.
Material: Silicone
Nuby Ice Gel Teether keys
Put this toy in the refrigerator and the cooling gel will feel wonderful on your baby’s gums. Just remember that you shouldn’t sterilize or wash a teether with cooling gel.
You can find this teether at Walmart or Amazon, but it is also available in some pharmacies like CVS.
Material: BPA-free plastic
Itzy Ritzy Silicone Teething Mitt
Itzy Ritzy Silicone teething mitt is a wearable gloves toy, so your baby will be able to move their entire fist up to their mouth and find relief.
The pineapple mitt is shown in the picture, but 10 variations include a llama and a dinosaur.
Material: Polyester, silicone
ezpz Tiny Pops
This set of two popsicle molds is a winner of one of our Parenting Awards. It allows you to freeze half an ounce of formula, breast milk, or puree. They are great as a treat but our testers found that the cold treats were great teethers. Cold treats numb a baby’s gums and provide pain relief.
One tester said that the teethers were easy to use, and she could easily grip them and chew them. Since freezing takes between two and four hours, you should prepare these teethers in advance. Although the popsicle molds are dishwasher safe they do not state whether or not they can be sterilized by the brand.
Material: Silicone
Mushie Silicone Teether Toy
Mushie’s silicone teethers are the most adorable and highly rated by parents. These make wonderful gifts or toppers for presents.
Another option that is safe to sterilize is mushy teethers.
Material: Silicone
Mombella Dancing Elephant
The Mombella teether can be kept in the freezer to keep your baby cool. It has a clip that will attach it to the outfit of your baby, so they won’t drop it while in a stroller or a car seat.
The bristles on the one side of this “elephant”, (it is a stretch for us to call it an elephant) are designed to help clean your baby’s tongue and gums. Another chew toy you can safely sterilize.
Material: Silicone
When shopping for teething toys, consider the following factors
As shown, babies will chew any toy. Toys that are specifically designed for teething will provide more relief to teething babies. Consider these factors when shopping for the best teether:
Age Grading: Teethers will be marked with a birth+, 3-month+, 4-month+, or 6-month+. Do not buy a teether for a baby older than you. A teether marked for older children is likely to be difficult for a child younger than that age to manipulate or hold.
Materials and their relationship to cleaning: The teether’s chewing part will either be made of BPA-free silicone, rubber, or wood. Each has its pros and cons.
