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Choosing a bottle for a baby is one of those things that you might not put much thought into until you need to buy one or you realize that the bottle you're currently using isn't working. Then you notice that the baby bottle market is, well, busy. 

Today, there are bottles with venting systems and glass bottles and dishwasher-safe bottles and futuristic-looking bottles and bottles that you can pump into and more. And there are marketing messages that are telling you that this is the bottle that you need.

Pediatricians tend to agree that there are a few key ingredients to a good bottle. We also know that every baby is different — and the bottle that works best for one baby might not work best for another. So, to make our picks for the best baby bottles, we went straight to bottle-feeding parents and spoke to two pediatricians. Read more about how we chose bottles at the end of this guide. Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches products here.

Best baby bottle for ease of use: Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle, $9.99 on Amazon Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle makes for an easy transfer of breast milk or formula, has few parts for easy cleaning, and encourages a deep latch.

Best baby bottle for newborns: Evenflo Balance+ Bottle, $11.74 on Walmart The simple Evenflo Balance+ bottle has a nipple shape that mimics the breastfeeding experience and includes slow-flow nipple options for tiny babies.

Best baby bottle for gas and reflux: Dr. Brown's Options+ Bottle, $6.99 on Buy Buy Baby The venting system on the Dr. Brown's Options+ bottle may allow your baby to swallow less air, making it a top pick for babies with gas or reflux.

Best baby bottle for breastfed babies: Lansinoh Baby Bottle, $17.99 on Amazon A smaller size and breast-like nipple that helps babies switch back and forth between bottle and breast make these Lansinoh bottles our top pick.

Best baby bottle for pumping: Medela Breast Milk Bottle, $12.37 on Amazon Medela Breast Milk Bottles, made by a popular breast pump brand, blend convenience and functionality.

Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle makes for an easy transfer of breast milk or formula, has few parts for easy cleaning, and encourages a deep latch.

Pros: Wide bottle allows easy transfer of thawed breast milk or formula; easy to clean

Cons: Nipple can bend, which can take a little getting used to

One of the things you realize about bottles when you have to make them and wash them all day is that a simple one is everything. Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottles have only three parts, and after using them for months, I've never noticed a leak. 

While some parents might favor the packability of a slimmer bottle, I appreciate a wide one. It means an easier transfer of liquid, which is important not just for mess control but also investment: time if you're pumping, money if you're buying formula. 

Moms we spoke to love the wide breast-shaped nipple, saying that it encouraged a wide latch. We also found it's easy for babies to grip. If plastic gets to you, they come in glass too.

The simple Evenflo Balance+ bottle has a nipple shape that mimics the breastfeeding experience and includes slow-flow nipple options for tiny babies.

Sometimes, marketing and fancy designs can get in the way of choosing a bottle, covering up what matters most: that a bottle does its job seamlessly and doesn't break the bank. Parents and doctors agree that Evenflo's Balance+ bottles are a standout, and there are "slow flow" nipple options for tiny babies.

"These bottles all have more gradual, sloping nipple shapes which more closely resemble a human nipple," explained Dr. Krupa Playforth, a pediatrician in Virginia. "This makes it so that the latch is more physiologically consistent rather than an abrupt transition, which is true of many other bottles." 

"I felt that this protected my breastfeeding experience with my baby, which was something I had poured my heart and soul into," said Christy H., a mom from Boston, Massachusetts.

The venting system on the Dr. Brown's Options+ bottle may allow your baby to swallow less air, making it a top pick for babies with gas or reflux.

Pros: Venting system may help ease reflux and gassiness

Cons: Many parts, difficult to clean, some leaking

Among the parents we polled, Dr. Brown's Options+ bottles are the pick for gassy babies, in part because of a removable venting system that is said to help reduce gassiness and reflux by separating air from milk.  "When I used the bottle without the vent, I could see the difference," Areen M., a mom in Los Angeles, California, told us.

There's very little evidence to verify that this insert is the reason behind thousands of parents' experience, said Dr. Kelly Fradin, a New York City-based pediatrician. But a preemie nipple — a flow rate that's hard to find in other brands — and a smaller-sized nipple with a gradual slope could actually be what's helping babies who are struggling with reflux or colic, said Playforth. 

I found the Dr. Brown's Options+ worked well for my daughter, who struggled to switch to a bottle, and I liked that I could use the bottle with or without the venting system, which isn't the case with the Dr. Brown's Original bottles. Options+ come in a glass version, too.

A smaller size and breast-like nipple that helps babies switch back and forth between bottle and breast make these Lansinoh bottles our top pick.

Pros: Gradually sloped nipple encourages deep latch, affordable

Another bottle that tends to get overlooked in lieu of buzzier competitors is the Lansinoh Breast Milk Feeding Bottle. "The nipples on these bottles are more gradually sloped, which can be easier for babies going between bottle and breast," said Playforth. 

The shape of the nipple also makes it easier for a baby to get more than just the tip of the nipple into their mouth. That means feeding with a Lansinoh bottle is a bit closer to the physiological experience that a baby would get at the breast — where they get both the areola and tip of the nipple in their mouth, Playforth explained. 

Plus, with just a few parts, these bottles are easy to clean. Moms also told us they liked the more compact size that easily fit into a diaper bag or a purse.

Medela Breast Milk Bottles, made by a popular breast pump brand, blend convenience and functionality.

Pros: Incredibly convenient to feed out of what you pump into

Cons: A bit of a faster flow, narrow top

Pumping moms don't want to clean more parts than they need to, which is why, especially if you're exclusively pumping, it's good to know about bottles that you can both pump into and feed out of. Medela's Breast Milk Bottles fit the bill and come with storage caps.

Medela is a leading maker of breast pumps, which are often covered by health insurance. "I chose Medela because I already pumped directly into them and just bought some nipples to pop on top and my baby took them fine," said Stephanie Weidner, a mom in Centennial, Colorado. "Magically, I cut my bottle/pump clean in half," 

Medela's bottles are compatible with all of the brand's breast pumps, which means you won't need new bottles just because a new version of your pump comes out. The bottles have a narrower top than others on the market, but if you're pumping into them, you likely won't need to transfer milk. Fradin also told us that they tend to be faster flow than other bottles.

We chose our top picks by consulting two pediatricians, speaking with 11 breastfeeding and bottle feeding parents of young babies, and looking into existing research on baby bottles. Our writer, a mom to two children under 2 years old, has also used many different bottles on her quest to find the ones that work. 

We evaluated baby bottles according to the following criteria:

As a parent, you may not have a problem with plastic bottles, or you may only want a glass or silicone non plastic bottle. Silicone and glass bottles eliminate the risk of microplastics, says Fradin. However, glass is heavier and there's a risk of breaking, while silicone bottles are less common. 

The CDC recommends taking additional sanitizing precautions for babies younger than 3 months, those born prematurely, or with a weakened immune system.

A gradually sloped nipple is best, according to our experts. Round nipples that abruptly transition to the tip of the nipple may be a little more challenging for some babies to feed from, especially if they go between bottle and breast, Playforth told us.

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