Glass & Stainless Steel Baby Bottles and Food Storage

• Bottles
• Cups
• Food Storage
• Spoons

When it comes to baby items, like bottles, cups, food storage, spoons, and the like, a lot of people are trying to make the transition away from plastics to glass, stainless steel, and other “non-plastic” materials.

This is for good reason. Not only is it better for the environment, but there’s a question about whether plastics are leaching chemicals that mimic estrogen into what we consume. Even BPA-free plastics have been called into question. Due to some recent studies (and here’s another) on the link between plastics and early puberty in girls, we’re bringing you our take on plastic-free food and drink storage.

These alternatives are more expensive than throw-away Tupperware and such, but they’re not going to melt in the dishwasher. Or give you cancer…

Making the switch is a good investment, despite your mother’s attempts to talk you out of it. Politely tell her that exposure to certain toxins is a cumulative effect. The whole “well you guys turned out alright” argument that we always hear actually doesn’t apply here because we won’t know what damage has been done until we look at our grandchildren, so let’s give them a fair chance by doing our best.

A couple caveats that we must address, however. First off, glass and stainless steel are HEAVY. Tiny tots may not be able to easily hold or carry these types of bottles and cups. And secondly, glass is easily breakable. Especially for little (and perhaps slightly clumsy!) hands. So if you choose to swap your plastics for glass and/or stainless steel, just keep these things in mind.

Without further ado, here is a curated collection of our faves. Enjoy!

Bottles

Lifefactory Glass Baby Bottles ~$16

Any glass bottle will do, but Sausalito-based Lifefactory does a great job with these silicone-wrapped bottles for the whole family. The silicone sleeve stays ON in the dishwasher and bottles are both microwave- and freezer-safe. These also attach to most pumps, giving mom the ability to pump, store, and serve all with one bottle.

Evenflo Glass Proflo Vented Plus Bottles ~ $20 (6-pack)

These have a cool twist design which make it easier to grip while feeding (good thing, since they’re glass… ), and a unique nipple with tiny air vents to prevent the nipple from collapsing while baby is sucking. Bottles and parts are top-rack dishwasher safe.

Boon NURSH Reusable Silicone Baby Bottles with Collapsible Pouch ~ $22

These are so darn clever AND cute to boot! Simply slip the silicone pouch into the bottle, and it collapses as baby drinks. Not only does this eliminate the need for a ton of bottle parts, but it helps reduce the amount of air baby takes in while feeding. The silicone pouches are reusable, and everything is dishwasher safe.

Comotomo Silicone Baby Bottle ~ $24 (2-pack)

Several of our readers have told us how much they love these Comotomo Silicone bottles. These ultra wide necked 8-oz baby bottles are free of BPS, phthalates, BPA, nitrosamines and lead so you can feel extra safe using them with your precious littles. Comotomo is also known for its wide breast-like design meant to help breastfed babies transition more easily to the bottle, and the anti-colic vents help to reduce babies’ intake of excess air. Bonus: you can throw these bottles in the dishwasher. Yes!

NUK Simply Natural Glass Bottles (3-pack) ~ $32

These glass bottles come in 4 ounces (~ $29 for 3-pk) and 8 ounces (~ $32). They have multiple nipple holes so each baby can find the latch and flow that works best for them. Plus, they bottles tout an anti-colic system to help decrease colic, gas, and messy spit up situations. These are made of glass, however, so just… don’t drop them. 😉

Cups

Munchkin Cool Cat Stainless Steel Toddler Straw Cup ~ $15

Cat-loving kids, unite! This 8oz insulated stainless steel straw cup has the cutest cat ear design. Aside from just being darling, the Munchkin cup keeps liquids cold for 15 hours and is totally leak-proof (ah-MAZ-ing!). Plus — dishwasher-safe. Yay!

Kid Basix Stainless Steel Sippy Cup ~$16

The newest edition of this cup now easily converts from a sippy to a strawed cup. Great for travel with a no-spill valve and holds 11 oz. All parts are dishwasher safe!

Simple Modern Kids Water Bottle with Straw Lid ~ $17

This stainless steel water bottle is another fan favorite among our readers. Keeps drinks cold for hours due to its double wall insulation, and is also top-rack dishwasher safe. Note: make sure the nozzle is in the closed position to avoid leaks! Bonus: Comes in TONS of fun colors and designs!

Green Sprouts Glass Sip and Straw Cup ~ $22

Charlene used this cup with her boys and highly recommends it. Made out of silicone and glass, it’s perfect for little hands and mouths; it can hold up to 4 oz of liquid and its design is meant to help with the transition from from breastfeeding to drinking from a cup. Plus, the handles make it easy for tots to hold independently. Also dishwasher safe — yay!

Elk & Friends Stainless Steel Cups ~ $27

These 10oz stainless steel drinking cups are perfect for water, milk, smoothies and more. Each set comes with two stainless steel jars, two silicone sleeves, four lids (two straw lids and two airtight, leak-proof storage lids), a straw cleaning brush and two silicone straws with stoppers. The stoppers are genius as they prevent kids from constantly pulling the straws out, and the silicone sleeves make cups easy for kids to grip and hold. Bonus: they’re dishwasher safe!

Lifefactory Beverage Glasses ~$39 (4-pack)

Because moms like wine, that’s why.

With its silicone-wrapped, stemless design, your monsters can’t grab the stem of your wine glass, break it, throw it, and otherwise ruin your moment of peace.

Lucky enough to have access to outdoor space? These glasses are great for your patio, hot tub, etc, as the silicone provides a non-skid bonus. Oh, and kids? Older toddlers will love having a go at “mommy’s juice glass”… Just be sure it’s full of water. Not booze. Because, awkward.

Food Storage

Munchkin Stainless Steel Snack Catcher ~$11

This snack trap is Munchkin’s version of the plastic snack trap we all had, but made of silicone and stainless steel. If you don’t want Cheerios all over your minivan…

Wean Green Glass Containers ~$17/4

If you’re making your own baby food (no pressure), you want to store it in glass and/or silicone in the freezer. Wean Green is a favorite for storing, freezing and serving baby’s first purees. Glass is freezer safe, dishwasher safe, microwave safe, tempered, leak proof, and this set comes in four cute colors. Various sizes available, and you guessed it! Great for your lunch as well.

WeeSprout Stainless Steel Containers ~$19/3

WeeSprout’s nesting stainless steel containers make snack-packing easy. Lighter than glass and ideal for dry or goopy goods alike, these silicone lids are leak proof (!). They are, however, a bit tricky to get on/off, so that’s something to keep in mind if you’re sending them off to school/day care. (Or maybe it’s a plus, hah!)

Zoli Dine Stainless Steel Insulated Food Jar ~$25

The Dine food jar is for your preschooler (and up) who can serve themselves at lunch time. Can’t microwave these, obviously, but they’re designed to keep food hot (or cold) for up to six hours. Comes in bright pink (below), mint green and a few other fun colors!

Spoons

BEABA Silicone Spoons ~$22/4

These 1st stage silicone spoons are designed to be kind to baby’s gums while learning to eat first foods. They are hygienic, BPA, lead and phthalate free.

OXO Tot Training Fork and Spoon ~$8

This fork and spoon set is perfect for when your tot is ready to feed themselves. The handles are soft and have a non slip grip. They won’t roll off the tray table or slide around on plates and are BPA, phthalate and PVC free.

Spuni Spoons ~$19/2

The Spuni spoons are the only ones whose shape lends itself to ergonomically work with baby’s suckling reflexes. The design comes from extensive research on starting solids and the transition from breast/bottle feeding. Custom made in the USA and perfect for four months and up.

If you have any non-plastic favorites, let us know in the comments!

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