Most of my mommy friends have used Avent and other brands for their babies so I decided to write a review of the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow and the Playtex Ventaire Bottles for mommies interested in buying them for their little one.
We've been using our baby bottles for about 2 years now and so far, we've only had to replace their slow flow nipples for fast flow ones. Both brands are supposed to prevent colic and minimize air ingestion.
Let's start with the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottles.
We have the standard natural flow bottles and each one comes with a vent insert, a vent reservoir, collar, disc and cap. They come in various sizes. What makes the Dr. Brown's bottles special are the vent insert and reservoir. These basically take care of the air and vacuum problem that cause the air ingestion problem and colic. Without these 2 parts, the bottle is basically just an ordinary bottle without any special features.
Pros
1. Prevents/Reduces air ingestion and colic
2. Dispenses milk faster than playtex slow flow nipples, faster feeding time
3. Slim bottle body makes it easy for baby to hold the bottle
4. Attachments are replaceable and easy to find.
5. Engraved measurements
Cons
1. Extra parts are hard to clean
2. Vent insert is prone to mold growth and discoloration
3. Fast flow will sometimes cause infant to take in too much milk than intended causing spit ups
4. Messy when discs are not used, as shaking the bottle, causes molk to flow into the cap.
The Playtex Ventaire Bottles
Like the Dr. Brown's Natural flow Bottles, they also prevent and reduce air intake and colic. We have been using the standard and the wide variety. What makes it special from the other bottles is the fact that its bottom part can be removed, making it easier to clean and it has the ventaire disc that fits into the bottom lid with holes that basically take away the air from the bottle. It is important to take care of the disc because without it, the bottle becomes totally useless and will leak out milk from the bottom end. Another special feature is the curved shape of the bottle. This design helps keep milk leveled at the nipple while the baby is using it, further preventing air ingestion.
Pros
1. Prevents/Reduces air ingestion and colic
2. Easy to clean
3. Slower milk release; allowing gradual flow matching baby's sucking motion
4.Wide nipples mimic breast shape, minmizing nipple confusion and better for moms that breastfeed
5. Nipples touch the cap, ensuring no leaks while mixing formula or whenshaking the bottle
6. Curved design ensures only milk, without space for air, goes to the nipple even when toddler is drinking while sitting up or standing.
Cons
1. Wide variety is harder for baby to hold than standard bottles
2. Printed bottle measurement/calibration has been reported to be prone to fading but ours still seem brand new.
3. Standard bottle nipples seem longer and sometimes cause baby to gag.
4. Slow flow sometimes causes baby not to finish feeding and the little one starts tiring before consuming all the milk
Our verdict
We love them both and have learned to work around the pros and cons. We started really using the bottles at about 5-6 months. Depending on how hungry your baby is, you may choose the Dr. Brown's for when you know they are up for a lot of milk like breakfast feedings or late night ones. The Playtex for leisurely feeding and for times when they aren't too hungry. For example, we would give a 10 pm feeding with Dr. Brown's if our daughter had dinner at 6pm but did not have a snack in between. We woild use the Playtex bottle for when she has had snacks. These were adjustments we had to make when she was much smaller but as she turned 2, she finishes her milk the same way with the 2 bottles, having learned how to adjust her rhythm to the flow of both brands.
We like using Dr. Brown's at home so we don't have to keep using the discs that prevent leaking and we prefer our Playtex Ventaire for travelling. We totally recommend both brands to those looking to purchase baby bottles. Both are good brands and so far, my baby hasn't had any problem with colic while using them.
We've been using our baby bottles for about 2 years now and so far, we've only had to replace their slow flow nipples for fast flow ones. Both brands are supposed to prevent colic and minimize air ingestion.
Let's start with the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottles.
We have the standard natural flow bottles and each one comes with a vent insert, a vent reservoir, collar, disc and cap. They come in various sizes. What makes the Dr. Brown's bottles special are the vent insert and reservoir. These basically take care of the air and vacuum problem that cause the air ingestion problem and colic. Without these 2 parts, the bottle is basically just an ordinary bottle without any special features.
Pros
1. Prevents/Reduces air ingestion and colic
2. Dispenses milk faster than playtex slow flow nipples, faster feeding time
3. Slim bottle body makes it easy for baby to hold the bottle
4. Attachments are replaceable and easy to find.
5. Engraved measurements
Cons
1. Extra parts are hard to clean
2. Vent insert is prone to mold growth and discoloration
3. Fast flow will sometimes cause infant to take in too much milk than intended causing spit ups
4. Messy when discs are not used, as shaking the bottle, causes molk to flow into the cap.
The Playtex Ventaire Bottles
Like the Dr. Brown's Natural flow Bottles, they also prevent and reduce air intake and colic. We have been using the standard and the wide variety. What makes it special from the other bottles is the fact that its bottom part can be removed, making it easier to clean and it has the ventaire disc that fits into the bottom lid with holes that basically take away the air from the bottle. It is important to take care of the disc because without it, the bottle becomes totally useless and will leak out milk from the bottom end. Another special feature is the curved shape of the bottle. This design helps keep milk leveled at the nipple while the baby is using it, further preventing air ingestion.
Pros
1. Prevents/Reduces air ingestion and colic
2. Easy to clean
3. Slower milk release; allowing gradual flow matching baby's sucking motion
4.Wide nipples mimic breast shape, minmizing nipple confusion and better for moms that breastfeed
5. Nipples touch the cap, ensuring no leaks while mixing formula or whenshaking the bottle
6. Curved design ensures only milk, without space for air, goes to the nipple even when toddler is drinking while sitting up or standing.
Cons
1. Wide variety is harder for baby to hold than standard bottles
2. Printed bottle measurement/calibration has been reported to be prone to fading but ours still seem brand new.
3. Standard bottle nipples seem longer and sometimes cause baby to gag.
4. Slow flow sometimes causes baby not to finish feeding and the little one starts tiring before consuming all the milk
Our verdict
We love them both and have learned to work around the pros and cons. We started really using the bottles at about 5-6 months. Depending on how hungry your baby is, you may choose the Dr. Brown's for when you know they are up for a lot of milk like breakfast feedings or late night ones. The Playtex for leisurely feeding and for times when they aren't too hungry. For example, we would give a 10 pm feeding with Dr. Brown's if our daughter had dinner at 6pm but did not have a snack in between. We woild use the Playtex bottle for when she has had snacks. These were adjustments we had to make when she was much smaller but as she turned 2, she finishes her milk the same way with the 2 bottles, having learned how to adjust her rhythm to the flow of both brands.
We like using Dr. Brown's at home so we don't have to keep using the discs that prevent leaking and we prefer our Playtex Ventaire for travelling. We totally recommend both brands to those looking to purchase baby bottles. Both are good brands and so far, my baby hasn't had any problem with colic while using them.
