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You never really know the struggle of finding the right bottle until you’re awake at 3 a.m., covered in beige vomit, and holding a baby who does not give a hoot about any of the liquid they just upchucked all over you and that brand new couch.
Then again, it’s your fault for buying a sofa that stains so easily, but still. Deciding on the right bottle for your baby isn’t as easy as you’d think and choosing between Tommee Tippee vs Avent bottles brings a whole other level of difficulty to the table. But if nothing else, it helps you narrow it down just a little.
Save a Bundle: In case you missed it, you can pick up the Avent Natural newborn baby bottles are available in a bundle set here. That’s a much better deal that buying individually or even in the 2-packs.
Even if you have a year’s supply worth of bottles that you received at your baby shower, the deciding vote for which bottles you end up with has nothing to do with what you want, but more so with what your baby decides works for them.
At least, where most aspects of the bottle are concerned. Because yes, the nipples vary greatly, as do the different levels of flow through them and the shapes of the bottles themselves.
If you’re a well-seasoned parent, you’re no stranger to this kind of weird plight. But if you’re new at this whole parenting thing, then feel free to shake your head in wonder at needing to literally make lists to figure out which bottles are best for you and your baby.
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Main Differences Between Tommee Tippee vs Avent Bottles
The main differences between Tommee Tippee vs Avent are:
- Philips Avent natural bottles are easier to clean, whereas Tommee Tippee has more pieces to clean
- Philips Avent bottles offer a more natural human-like nipple, whereas Tommee Tippee uses a more traditional nipple
- Tommee Tippee is cheaper per bottle at about $5, whereas Avent averages about $7 per bottle
- Tommee Tippee slows down liquid flow more to reduce colic, whereas Avent has a faster flow
They are very similar, but the Avent bottles offer the same anti-colic features but with fewer pieces that are EASIER TO CLEAN. This means less bacteria build-up (a serious issue for multiple part bottles like Tommee TIppee).
What Makes Both Bottle Brands Special
Tommee Tippee
- The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Anti-Colic bottles are designed, just as their name suggests, to reduce the effects of colic and acid reflux in a baby. Often, air bubbles get sucked through the nipples of bottles, causing gas and discomfort for babies and resulting in sleepless nights (more than usual) and stomach aches for newborns.
- The Tommee Tippee Anti Colic bottles claim to prevent that with the tube and valve system in place, enabling air to get in the bottle, but unable to get out along with the milk or formula.
- The nipple design of the Closer to Nature bottles is made especially for babies to be able to latch better instead of taking the nipple in and out of their mouth during feedings, thereby sucking in air and getting those uncomfortable bubbles in their stomachs (better for breast milk fed babies supplementing with bottles)
Breast-like nipple shape for an easy and natural latch—acceptance guaranteed* and 97% mom recommended. Super-sensitive slow flow nipple flexes like mom for a comfortable feed, smooth silicone feels closer to skin.
Philips Avent Bottles
- The Avent Natural Polypropylene bottles are designed much like the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature ones, in that the nipples are made to be as close to the real thing as possible, making the baby more likely to latch on and stay with it rather than reject it because it’s not the real deal.
- The Avent natural bottles also boast flexible nipples, without being too soft that they concave or bend too easily while still ensuring optimal milk flow.
- The twin valve system makes it so any air inside of the bottle doesn’t escape the nipple into your baby’s stomach, along with their milk or formula.
What They Do For Your Baby
Tommee Tippee Bottles
- Reduce the effects of colic: Although there is more to colic in babies than just air bubbles making their way into their tummies, getting that out of the way if half the battle. This is one of the aspects I really liked in my original review of the Tommee Tippee bottles.
- Provide a realistic nipple alternative: Anyone can grab a random bottle from Target and stick in your baby’s mouth and hope for the best, but there’s a reason why some nipples are made differently than others, and that’s because the goal is to find the one that is most life-like for babies to naturally latch onto.
- They’re small enough to small hands to grasp: And small enough to hold in one hand while cradling your baby with the other. Or, you know, playing Candy Crush on your phone.
- The nipple is soft and not too long to fit in a newborn’s mouth to feed: Have you ever tried to bottle feed your newborn, only to realize that the nipple on top of the bottle was too long? Yeah, it’s not fun for anyone.
- An easy transition from breastfeeding: If breastfeeding isn’t working for you or you’re ready for your baby to transition to bottle only, then the nipple and the round top of the bottle make it that much easier.
Philips Avent Baby Bottle
- Minimal Leakage: Because of the baby bottle design of the nipple and the few pieces it takes to connect the top of the bottle together, there is much less of a chance for leakage while exclusively bottle feeding or carrying the bottle in your diaper bag.
- No nipple confusion: The whole point of the Avent Natural is to have a nipple that is as close to the real thing as possible, and as such, there is much less of a chance for your baby to have nipple confusion when going to the bottle, then back to Mom, and vice versa.
- Smaller baby bottles for easy grasping: Just like the Tommee Tippee bottles, the Avent offers a small size bottle with inverted sides that make it easier for not only you to hold the bottle with one hand, but for your baby to get used to holding it sooner.
- The nipple design is unique: Avent describes their nipple design as having “comfort petals” that make the nipple flexible, but also reinforce its shape so the nipple doesn’t bend inside of itself.
- Reduces Colic: Since the bottle comes apart in just three pieces, there is less room for error when taking it apart to clean and putting it back together, meaning less airflow going out of the bottle. It also has two valves with the rim of the nipple that take in air but don’t let it come out with the milk or formula.
How The Prices Stack Up
- Tommee Tippee: You can find the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Anti-Colic baby bottles on Amazon, at Target, and at Walmart.
- Avent: Most Avent bottles aren’t hard to find, and these are no different. In addition to Amazon, you can find them at Target and Kmart. Their prices might sound like a lot to a parent who spends that much on a whole box of baby bottles, but you get what you pay for and in this situation, you’re paying for a non-gassy baby who might sleep through the night for once.
The Best Claims Of Both Of Them (Pros)
Tommee Tippee Bottles
- The whole anti-colic thing
- The realistic nipples
- The smaller size
- The availability of this particular bottle
- Short nipples
Avent Bottles
- The shape and size of the nipples
- The shape of the smaller baby bottles
- Easy to clean
- Easy to assemble
- Close to the real thing all around
And Then The Not So Great (Cons)
Tommee Tippee
- Too many parts to take apart and clean
- The flow is too fast
- The vent system still lets out air with milk or formula
- They tend to leak easily
- The nipple collapses too much
- The bottle shape is not as user-friendly as described
Avent
- The flow is too fast
- The nipples are too fragile and tear easily
- Milk that gets trapped in the lid makes it harder to clean thoroughly
- The nipples tend to collapse easily
- The size is too small if you want to use them for longer
The Final Decision: Philips Avent or Tommee Tippee?
Obviously, the similarities between the Tommee Tippee and Philips Avent baby bottles are super evident, but when you look at what they both lack or how they both hold up when actually used, it makes it at least a little bit easier to choose the best one for your baby.
On the one hand, you have the Tommee Tippee baby bottles, which are slightly cheaper and seem to offer colic relief above all else, which is always a Godsend. But on the other hand, you have Avent bottles, which come in literally three pieces and are able to be cleaned without each of them taking up an entire square foot on the drying rack.
But when it’s all said and done, when you think about the best thing for you and your baby, the best bet is going to be the Avent bottles.
They offer the anti-colic aspect, but they also don’t come in several parts, that all need each other, so if you lose one, you’re kind of screwed. It’s also super hard to clean every nook and cranny when you have tons of pieces of a bottle to clean, which can lead to a bacteria build-up which present a whole other kind of stomach issue for your baby.
And aside from that, you also get to supply your baby with a realistic nipple to feed them when you’ve moved past breastfeeding or when it just isn’t working for either of you anymore.
They are very similar, but the Avent bottles offer the same anti-colic features but with fewer pieces that are EASIER TO CLEAN. This means less bacteria build-up (a serious issue for multiple part bottles like Tommee TIppee).
Choosing the right bottle for your baby is a very real struggle, as silly as it sounds, and if you can get through it and come out on the other side as someone with a kid who sleeps through the night and doesn’t throw up on you at every feeding, then you’re golden.
Further Reading on Bottle Feeding
- Comotomo Baby Bottle Review
- Nanobebe Bottle Review
- Beso Vida Mobi Bottle Review
- Munchkin Latch Bottle Review
- Baby Brezza Bottle Review
- Baby Brezza Bottle Sterilizer (Steriliser) Review
- Best Baby Bottle Drying Racks [Guide]
- Best Portable Bottle Warmer Options [Guide]
- Best Sippy Cups to Transition From Bottles [Sippy Cup Transition]
- How Many Baby Bottles Do You Actually Need?
- Lifefactory Glass Baby Bottles Review
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