Introduction
Babies are cool, cute, and a sight to behold, but when they get fussy, you mostly do not know what to do since you do not speak their language.
You only try to figure out the problem causing the baby to get agitated by trial and error. One of the first things that get tried is giving the baby a pacifier, which works out the problem most of the time.
According to the experts, parents should not use pacifiers lightly but use them as a last resort to soothe the baby. However, if you get the baby accustomed to the pacifier, it may become uphill from that point because the baby won’t stop without it.
You started giving the baby a pacifier because they were either not hungry or full for breastfeeding, but getting used to it may result in a habit you won’t like.
The baby pacifiers aren’t the root of evil but are necessary equipment to walk you through the baby’s suckling years, which is why in today’s list, we’ve prepared the 8 best baby pacifiers and a little guideline on pacifiers.
How to Choose the Best Baby Pacifiers
The variety of the pacifiers is an ocean, which makes the selection process difficult. In addition, they may all look the same to an unobserving eye or newly-become parents. Nevertheless, there are simple rules to follow, but remember that the pacifiers are divided into orthodontic and nonorthodontic.
You can think of orthodontic ones as the newer, upgraded versions of the old-school bulb-headed ones called nonorthodontic pacifiers. Orthodontic pacifiers are designed to imitate the nipple, which makes the babies suck it like they are sucking a real nipple.
The last thing to note about baby pacifiers is the build material. They are generally made of latex, silicone rubber, or plastic. The best baby pacifiers are made of silicone, which is the best choice because they are less likely to carry germs.
1- Philips AVENT Soothie Pacifier
The first contestant on our list of best baby pacifiers comes Philips Avent series’ Soothie Pacifier and hits number #1 in the ranking as the winner since it checks all the boxes that are medically advised for a pacifier to have.
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Philips AVENT Soothie Pacifier Review
It is made out of silicone and is orthodontic and BPA-free. On top of the fundamental necessities, it brings more to it by imitating a nipple so perfect that newborns are given this specific pacifier before leaving the hospital.
It’s trusted so much that it’s distributed in hospitals nationwide. Although this one is for the 0-6 months, you can swap it with the other Philips pacifiers as the baby grows.
According to the manufacturer, Philips, the technology giant, 98% of mothers said their babies accepted the pacifier by Philips. With the technology they developed for this pacifier, Philips won an award for the pacifier. The silicone nipple is collapsible, which is made symmetrical so that it can fit superbly to the baby’s palate.
2- BIBS Pacifiers | Natural Rubber Baby Pacifier
The BIBS comes next as another reliable baby products manufacturer. With more than 40 years of history, the Danish firm BIBS presents high-quality, colorful pacifiers that are tested and passed the EN 1400 regulations and in many a list of best baby pacifiers.
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BIBS Pacifiers | Natural Rubber Baby Pacifier Review
The most tempting side to BIBS could be its classic, timeless look. This very shape comes to our mind when we say pacifier and when we say pacifier, we mean this traditional look. Although it’s not necessarily the look when the topic of best baby pacifiers is brought up, it’s the appearance of the trust we associate with it.
What’s interesting is that BIBS preserves the look, but at the same time, it improves upon it with the newer technology. So you get the look of the past and the present technology.
The vents in the shield are another detailed design that makes it distinctive among other pacifiers from other brands. Its purpose is to keep the airflow circulating so that the skin around the mouth won’t get irritated.
Although it’s not a medical expert’s favorite, the nipple part is made out of rubber latex. The manufacturer assures the customer that it’s nothing to worry about by saying that it’s a natural product with properties such as durability against the bite, softness like a physical nipple, and tensile strength. In addition, we should not forget that the material built is 100% free from BPA, PVC, and phthalates.
3- Itzy Ritzy Sweetie Soother Pacifier
Another one of the best baby pacifiers comes from Itzy Ritzy. The reasonable price and bow accents on the shield handle make it a tempting buy for this pacifier. Also, the air vent details in the shield are something to admire for the thoughtful addition.
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Itzy Ritzy Sweetie Soother Pacifier Review
Unlike the pacifier from BIBS which is made of rubber latex, Itzy Ritzy is made out of latex-free silicone. However, it still is BPA and PVC-free so you can think of its durability as a guaranteed feature of Itzy Ritzy.
Another feature the parents should look for is whether the pacifier is a one-piece or not. Itzy Ritzy passes the prioritized safety feature by being a one-piece pacifier. This way, the pacifier doesn’t risk choking hazards for your precious little one. For the cleaning part, you can wash the pacifier in the dishwasher as it’s dishwasher safe.
4- Philips AVENT Soothie Snuggle Pacifier
Philips, which entered the list in the first place, comes on the stage again with something more fun for the babies. Soothie snuggle is a pacifier attached to a plush toy in animals such as giraffes, elephants, koalas, and sloths.
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Philips AVENT Soothie Snuggle Pacifier Review
As we have said above, Philips’s proven itself as a reliable, high-quality manufacturer in the field of baby products, but the snuggle toy makes it a cute inclusion to the pack.
This soft cuddly toy will accompany your little one while sucking on the pacifier while awake and asleep. It is soft and lightweight, which makes babies feel secure. Also, you can wash it in the washing machine without worries.
Another advantage is that it’s detachable and attachable to any other Philips pacifier or brand’s pacifier as long as they have pacifier handles in the shield. With this, you can play with the combinations of toys and pacifiers.
5- Tommee Tippee Ultra-Light Silicone Pacifier
Since the brand Tommee Tippee’s motto is “weight off your mind,” they apply the same rule to the pacifiers they make. They proudly present this pacifier as “our lightest ever pacifier,” made of silicone whose hygienic and anti-static properties don’t enable the dust to stay on the pacifier.
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Tommee Tippee Ultra-Light Silicone Pacifier Review
To keep the pacifiers in the baby’s mouth, the company set out to produce light pacifiers because they believed it would be enough to keep the pacifier where it belongs: in the baby’s mouth. What they think, statistically speaking, works as well. The company guarantees the acceptance of the pacifiers by the babies, which is around a 97% success rate.
Its symmetrical design also ensures the pacifier has no wrong side, thus always finding its place in the baby’s mouth.
The design of the handle is also noted because of the ventilation system and the shape of the handle, which we’ve seen in major brands. The holes in each side of the handle let in air to prevent skin irritation, and the shape ensures a comfortable fit.
6- MAM Original Start Newborn Baby Pacifier
What differentiates MAM from other brands’ pacifiers is that they developed a unique technology named “SkinSoft.” The company developed SkinSoft technology to make the nipple of the pacifier resemble the actual nipple of a mother.
This makes babies more comfortable with the pacifier, accepting it more easily. Not to forget that it’s BPA/BPS-free, and silicone makes up the build material.
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MAM Original Start Newborn Baby Pacifier Review
MAM baby pacifiers are designed to develop and maintain a healthy oral structure. The manufacturer, MAM Baby, works with dentists to ensure the pacifiers are newer versions of the old-school nonorthodontic pacifiers: orthodontic.
All the pacifiers by MAM are tested and tried to be soft, flexible, small, and lightweight so as not to interfere with the breastfeeding period while fulfilling the baby’s need for sucking.
The Start pacifier edition of the company is designed smaller than others with a symmetrical nipple shape to suit the baby’s mouth and perfectly mimic the nature of the teat.
The company also doesn’t forget the sterility and hygiene of the pacifier. They put a sterilizer case in the package for you to make the pacifier cleaner and sterilized.
7- Philips AVENT Ultra Air Pacifier
Philips doesn’t stop surprising with the award-winning pacifiers they meticulously make. This one is produced under the name of “Ultra Air” with extra-large ventilation holes in the shield.
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Philips AVENT Ultra Air Pacifier Review
Unlike the other pacifiers by Philips, this baby pacifier’s shield is a bit different with its rounded edge. The rounded-edge shield makes holding the pacifier while sucking more comfortable as it’s not edged but smooth-rounded.
The silk-reminiscent nipple may be why 98% of babies accept the pacifier without a fuss. As expected from an established company, this specific pacifier also prioritizes oral development. They manage through the collapsible nipple of the pacifier that is symmetrical-shaped like the flesh nipple of a woman.
Now, let’s get to the critical feature, the name of the pacifier, “Ultra Air.” More-than-normal number of air holes are beneficial for your baby’s delicate skin.
If there aren’t holes or holes big enough, it might irritate skin akin to the nappy rashes in the bottoms of babies. To prevent this, Philips put 4 large holes around the shield to maintain constant air ventilation.
Regarding hygiene, Philips thought of some things to make the baby pacifier cleaner. One of them is the sterilizer/carrying case which you can wash in the machine according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer Philips.
8- MAM Original Baby Pacifier
The last one on our list of best baby pacifiers is brought to you by MAM again. In the field of baby products as essential and fundamental as pacifiers, there aren’t many to come forward with safe and durable products. MAM’s this pacifier is addressed to babies around 16 months and upwards.
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MAM Original Baby Pacifier Review
The first feature, SkinSoft technology, is a newer development even in orthodontic pacifiers. We’ve seen it in the pacifiers made by Philips, although they didn’t give a specific name to their pacifiers of silky texture.
SkinSoft is, at its core, a nipple with a different texture, mimicking the organic touch of a mother’s teat. This way, the babies don’t have trouble accepting the pacifier, resulting in a higher acceptance ratio.
The second feature is also associated with the first one too. The anti-slip feature makes the pacifier challenging to be dropped because it is light, soft, and smooth. Of course, if babies don’t like the pacifier, they will drop it anyway, but the company ensures that it doesn’t happen. So in every respect, your baby will accept the pacifier without any design-related issues.
Q&A
Q1: Are baby pacifiers evil?
A1:
Babies in their first months develop sucking reflexes that they associate with their mothers’ breasts. In addition, the pacifiers don’t have nutrients that are necessary for them but have a soothing effect, which makes the mothers’ job a lot easier.
Q2: What are the pros & cons of baby pacifiers?
A2:
The baby pacifiers may come in handy when you’re busy and need just a little time to prepare the bottle for the baby or do some other work that may require a few minutes. During these times, a pacifier is just a savior. But growing dependent on pacifiers isn’t considered a completely healthy pedagogic development. What you should be conscious of is listed below:
Pros:
Soothing effect: Sucking reflexes kick in when babies aren’t feeding on something. Pacifiers help remove those reflexes.
Distraction: Pacifiers distract babies after injections, tests, or other hurtful activities.
Help baby sleep: Since sucking becomes a reflex quickly and one can’t breastfeed a baby all the time, including nights, pacifiers fill in the shoes of breasts in that respect.
Disposability: Instead of your baby sucking their thumb, using pacifiers makes more sense because breaking the former habit is way more complex than the latter. You can throw away the pacifier any time, but you can’t do the same with the finger.
Cons:
Over-dependence: Although a pacifier is preferable to finger-sucking, dependence on a pacifier might get tricky as well. If the pacifier falls off at night, the baby might wake up, missing something to suck on.
Extended use-related dental problems: After the first couple of years, using a pacifier might cause the teeth to misalign.
Q3: What are the dos & don’ts of baby pacifiers?
A3:
As long as you’re an attentive and considerate parent, it would help if you were careful with a couple of factors when using the pacifier. First, there will come times when you better not put the pacifier in your baby’s mouth. These are the little tips to note:
Last resort: Rather than using a pacifier the first thing, after everything’s tried out, one should use them.
Single piece: If pacifiers are made of more than a single piece, they carry choking hazards, so pick one that is a dishwasher-safe and single piece.
Go with the flow: If your baby doesn’t like to suck a pacifier, don’t make them do.
Please keep it clean, keep it safe: Babies’ immune system doesn’t correctly form until 6 months old. Until then, you should wash the pacifier in the dishwasher or handwash it and avoid cleaning it in your mouth. Putting it in your mouth and cleaning it with your tongue only spreads the germs faster, so you’re forewarned.
For safety, as the baby grows up, change the pacifier that is more suited to their age. Apart from that, replacing the pacifier in 3-month period is advised as well because it may crack, be torn apart, or be slightly damaged. If you keep using a damaged pacifier, babies may likely hurt themselves.
Also, the one commonly made mistake with the pacifiers is attaching them to a string. You probably know why it should be avoided. Unfortunately, some companies, when they put a string in the package, they aren’t reckless to make it long enough to wrangle around the neck of the baby, which may result in terrible consequences.
Q4: Am I using the baby pacifier wrong?
A4:
While using a pacifier, there are some things you should be aware of for the health and healthy oral development of your baby. There aren’t many things to pay attention to, though, so you can relax about it:
- It should be a single-piece pacifier.
- Pick pacifiers with shut-bases rather than open ones, which are generally two-piece pacifiers.
- Avoid attaching it to a string long enough to pose a choking hazard.
- Don’t put the pacifier in any sweetener.
● Clean it properly, for boiling is medically advised if the baby is under 6 months old.
Final Verdict
If you look at them pacifiers in a looking-down manner, you’ll probably get mistaken. They almost look the same to an uneducated eye if you don’t know what you’re looking for in a pacifier. For that reason, we’ve prepared not only the 8 best baby pacifiers but also some tips and the development of pacifiers.
They are divided among themselves, such as orthodontic and nonorthodontic. Each of them is categorized too by their build material, such as latex, silicone rubber, or plastic. You need to know to get around the vastness of the pacifier sea.
On our list of 8 best baby pacifiers, Philips AVENT Soothie Pacifier stands atop the rest of them. It has what the best baby pacifiers should have. Its build material is orthodontic, which means the nipple part of the pacifier is designed in the likeness of a real teat.
Pacifiers by Philips are given so much credit that doctors nationwide provide these pacifiers with to newborns to calm them. Babies acceptance ratio is around an unbelievable percentage, like 98%. When it comes to pacifiers, the trusted company is something to behold, so your worries get lessened immediately after learning the pacifier’s in-depth details by Philips.
