BPA-Free Baby Bottles: Glass vs. Silicone, Brand by Brand

by

BPA-free has been the legal floor for US baby bottles since July 17, 2012, when the FDA amended its food additive regulations (21 CFR, 77 FR 41899) to remove authorization for polycarbonate resins in baby bottles and sippy cups, because manufacturers had already abandoned that use. Every bottle checked for this article meets that same 2012 standard — it isn’t what separates one from another. The decisions that actually matter are body material (glass, silicone, stainless, or PP/PPSU), nipple material, and — on a “glass” bottle — the collar plastic that most listings don’t advertise.

Maker pages and prices below were checked today, August 29, 2026. A few listings — Boon Nursh and Klean Kanteen’s baby line — couldn’t be confirmed or aren’t currently sold; those rows say so directly instead of guessing at a material.

Affiliate Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you make a purchase through our links.

Bottles already in the cabinet fall under the same 2012 rule as anything sold today, so BPA is not a reason to replace them. If the Nature Food polypropylene figure is the worry, the mechanism it measured was heat — sterilizing and hot formula prep. Swapping only the bottles used for hot prep, and keeping the rest for water and cool storage, answers that without emptying the cupboard.

Are glass baby bottles better than plastic?

The comparison has one piece of published evidence behind it, and it points toward glass. In 2020, Li et al. tested polypropylene (PP) infant feeding bottles in Nature Food and measured microplastic release as high as 16.2 million particles per litre — a figure that climbed sharply under sterilizing and high-temperature formula-prep conditions, the exact way PP bottles are used in practice. Glass has no equivalent shedding pathway from the container wall itself; there’s no comparable published number because there’s no comparable mechanism to measure.

Comparison table of glass, silicone, and PP baby bottle bodies covering weight and breakage, thermal shock, microplastic shedding, and price checked today
Glass and silicone remove the one mechanism with published evidence behind it — PP microplastic shedding under heat. Based on Li et al., Nature Food (2020), DOI 10.1038/s43016-020-00171-y, and maker-listed prices checked August 29, 2026. Graphic by The Zero Waste List.

That doesn’t make glass strictly better — it’s a different set of trade-offs. Glass is the heaviest option on the table below and can chip or shatter if dropped, where a PP bottle just bounces. Borosilicate glass (Lifefactory, Hevea) resists thermal shock — sudden hot/cold swings from sterilizing and chilling — better than ordinary soda-lime glass, though most maker pages checked today don’t specify which type they use. And a glass body isn’t an all-glass bottle: every glass listing checked today ships with a silicone or rubber nipple, and Lifefactory’s and Mason Bottle’s add a polypropylene cap, ring, or stopper.

Is PPSU safe?

PPSU (polyphenylsulfone) shows up in some higher-end bottle bodies for its heat and shatter resistance compared with polypropylene. It’s a different plastic from PP, and that distinction matters: the Nature Food microplastic figures above were measured from polypropylene specifically, not PPSU. None of the maker pages checked for this table listed a PPSU-bodied bottle with its own shedding study, so there’s currently no published number to compare it against PP or glass — only the maker’s BPA-free claim, true of every bottle here since 2012.

Do silicone bottles leach anything?

Comotomo, Nanobébé’s Flexy, Mason Bottle’s all-silicone line, and Olababy’s GentleBottle all describe their bodies as food-grade or medical-grade silicone, BPA-free, on the pages checked today — but none cite an independent leaching or shedding study the way the PP figure above is cited. That’s a different evidence situation, not necessarily a different safety outcome: silicone is newer to the baby-bottle shelf than PP or glass, and the missing published number reflects that more than a tested-and-cleared result.

Which BPA-free bottles have no plastic touching milk?

Diagram showing what touches milk in a glass baby bottle (body and nipple) versus what does not (collar, ring, sleeve, cap)
“No plastic touching milk” comes down to body plus nipple material, not whether a plastic collar or sleeve appears anywhere on the bottle. Based on maker listings checked August 29, 2026. Graphic by The Zero Waste List.

Body material alone doesn’t answer this — the nipple and collar are sold and assembled separately, and most “glass” bottles ship with a polypropylene collar that holds the nipple on. That collar sits above the fill line and doesn’t contact milk, but checking body material alone still overstates how plastic-free a listing is. From what’s confirmed today, bottles where the entire milk path is glass, stainless, or silicone plus a silicone or rubber nipple include Pura’s Kiki, Comotomo, Nanobébé’s Flexy, Olababy’s GentleBottle, Mason Bottle’s all-silicone line, and any glass bottle paired with a silicone or rubber nipple. A PP- or PPSU-bodied bottle puts that plastic directly in the milk path, by definition.

Every bottle, brand by brand

The table below covers 16 lines across 15 brands, checked against each maker’s own current page where that page was reachable. Where a maker doesn’t state a material, certification, or price on the page fetched today, the row says so directly — including where a page loads its detail content client-side and a static fetch couldn’t retrieve it, and where the Nature Food PP figure isn’t applied because the specific plastic wasn’t confirmed on that listing.

BottleBody materialNipple materialCollar/ring materialSleeveDishwasher/sterilizer safeMicroplastic-shedding noteCertifications/statements as madePrice (Aug 2026)Where statedWhere to buy
Philips Avent Natural (SCF673/17)Glass (type not specified on the page fetched today)Not stated as a material on the page fetched today — described only as a “comfort petal design” nippleNot confirmed todayNone describedNot confirmed todayN/A — glass bodyNot disclosed on the content fetched todayNot confirmed today — price loads dynamically and did not return in the static fetchusa.philips.com/c-p/SCF673_17Amazon
Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide-Neck Glass, 9ozGlass (listed under the site’s “Glass Baby Bottles” category)Silicone (Level 1 slow-flow nipple; matches the site’s “100% silicone bottle nipple” naming on sibling listings)Not stated on the page fetched todayNone described for this lineNot stated on the page fetched todayN/A — glass bodyMarketed as BPA-free across the product family; no separate PVC/phthalate statement found on the page fetched$10.99drbrownsbaby.comAmazon
Evenflo Balance+ Glass, Wide NeckGlassClear silicone (confirmed via the “Clear Silicone / 2pk” nipple variant on the same listing)Not stated on the page fetched todayNot stated on the page fetched todayNot stated on the page fetched todayN/A — glass bodyBPA-free (checked “yes” in the page’s own comparison table)$29.99 (6oz, 3-pack)evenflofeeding.comAmazon
Lifefactory 8oz Glass with Silicone SleeveBorosilicate glass (“wide neck borosilicate glass baby bottle”, per the page)Silicone (Stage 2, 3–6 months, per the page)Polypropylene cap, ring, and stopper (named directly on the page)Silicone sleeve (named directly on the page)Not stated on the page fetched todayN/A — glass bodyNot restated as a BPA-free claim on this specific page$19.99lifefactory.comAmazon
Hevea Standard Neck Glass, 240ml/8oz Two-PackBorosilicate glass, described as “thermal shock-resistant” and non-odor-retaining on the pageSold as a separate nipple line; material not restated on this bottle listingNot stated on the page fetched todayNot included on the base two-pack listingNot stated on the page fetched todayN/A — glass bodyNot stated on the page fetched today$36.00 (two-pack, priced in USD on the .com storefront)heveaplanet.comAmazon
Pura Kiki 9oz Stainless18/8 stainless steelMedical-grade siliconeNot stated on the page fetched todayNone — bare stainless bodyNot stated on the page fetched todayN/A — stainless bodyMADE SAFE Certified; marketed as “100% Plastic-Free”$26.99purastainless.comAmazon
Klean KanteenNot applicableNot applicableNot applicableNot applicableNot applicableNot applicableNot applicableNot applicablekleankanteen.com’s own on-site search for “baby” returned kids’ cups and water bottles only, no infant feeding bottle, checked today — the line is not currently offerednot found
ComotomoSilicone (“made of soft, hygienic silicone,” per the maker’s own product description)Silicone, same one-piece material as the bodyNot confirmed today — the product page renders its detail content client-side and didn’t return it in a static fetchN/ANot confirmed todayN/A — silicone bodyNot confirmed todayNot confirmed todaycomotomo.comAmazon
Nanobébé Flexy, 5oz100% medical-grade siliconeSilicone, same material as the bodyNot stated on the page fetched todayN/ADishwasher safe (stated directly on the page)N/A — silicone body“BPA-free, non-toxic, food-grade silicone”$17.99 (5oz, 2-pack)nanobebe.comAmazon
Boon NurshNot confirmed todayNot confirmed todayNot confirmed todayNot confirmed todayNot confirmed todayNot confirmed todayNot confirmed todayNot confirmed todayboonbaby.com and us.boonbaby.com both resolved to a parked-domain or reseller redirect on every attempt today; not independently confirmedAmazon
Mason Bottle DIY Kit (glass jar + silicone sleeve)Glass (standard wide-mouth Mason jar body, per the kit description)Silicone (the kit’s “extra-soft infant nipple,” per the maker’s own product catalog)Plastic ring cap (named directly in the maker’s product catalog)Silicone sleeve, included in the kitNot stated on the page fetched todayN/A — glass bodyBPA-free (stated in the page title)$23.99masonbottle.comAmazon
Mason Bottle All-SiliconePremium silicone (“made from premium silicone,” per the page)Silicone, same one-piece material as the bodyNot applicable — one-piece silicone bodyN/ANot stated on the page fetched todayN/A — silicone bodyBPA-free; marketed as daycare-approved because “baby’s milk doesn’t come in contact with plastic”$24.99masonbottle.comAmazon
Olababy GentleBottle100% food-grade siliconeSilicone, same material, off-center nipple molded into the bodyNot applicable — one-piece silicone bodyN/ANot stated on the page fetched todayN/A — silicone body“BPA, PVC, lead, and phthalate free”; Red Dot and iF Design awards for related products in the same care line$14.99olababy.usAmazon
Tommee Tippee Natural Start Silicone-Coated GlassGlass core with a bonded silicone exterior coating (“glass bottle with premium, soft-touch silicone finish,” per the page)Sold as a separate “teat” line; material not restated as silicone on this exact pageNot stated on the page fetched todayNot applicable — the silicone is a bonded coating, not a removable sleeveDishwasher safe; microwave-sterilizable in 3 minutes (stated directly on the page)N/A — glass body“BPA, BPS and Phthalate free”$37.26–$41.40 depending on size/varianttommeetippee.comnot found
MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic, 9oz (contrast — PP)Not stated as a specific plastic on the page fetched today — sold and marketed as a standard (non-glass, non-silicone) plastic bottleSilicone (listed directly as “Teat Material: Silicone” in the page’s own spec table)Not stated on the page fetched todayNot applicableNot stated on the page fetched todayBody plastic type not confirmed on this page, so the Nature Food PP figure isn’t applied to this specific listing without that confirmation“All MAM products are made from materials free of BPA and BPS”$29.99 (4-pack)mambaby.comAmazon
Playtex Baby Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners, 8oz (contrast)Reusable outer nurser shell; specific plastic type not named on the page fetched todayNot stated as a material on the page fetched today (the “Naturalatch Comfort” nipple line)Not applicableNot applicable — uses disposable, pre-sterilized drop-in liners instead of a sleeveNot stated on the page fetched todayBody plastic type not confirmed on this page, so the Nature Food PP figure isn’t applied to this specific listing without that confirmation“Made from BPA- and phthalate-free materials”$21.99 (3-pack)playtexbaby.comAmazon

Buying the favored glass and silicone builds: On glass, Lifefactory’s borosilicate bottle and Hevea’s Standard Neck borosilicate bottle were both confirmed on Amazon today — Amazon and Amazon. On silicone, Comotomo, Nanobébé’s Flexy, and Mason Bottle’s all-silicone line were all confirmed on Amazon today — Amazon, Amazon, and Amazon; Olababy’s GentleBottle was confirmed as part of a bundle listing — Amazon.

Does BPA-free mean a baby bottle is safe?

Not in the sense of ruling out every material question. BPA-free stopped being optional for US baby bottles in July 2012, when the FDA formally withdrew authorization for polycarbonate resins in that category because the industry had already stopped using them — an abandonment finding, not a new toxicity ruling. “BPA-free” on a 2026 bottle package confirms the maker follows a rule that’s applied to the entire US market for over a decade. It says nothing about body material, nipple material, or whether a peer-reviewed study exists for that specific material — the set of questions the table above answers instead.

Where this fits with the rest of the nursery

The same material-first approach applies across the rest of a low-toxicity nursery setup: BPA-free pacifiers face the same natural-rubber-versus-silicone decision under a different CPSC rule, non-toxic diapers and non-toxic baby wipes carry their own material trade-offs, and the broader non-toxic nursery setup ties them together. For the glass-versus-plastic question outside of feeding specifically, see glass or plastic: which is more sustainable.

Material Beats the BPA-Free Label

Skip the BPA-free claim as a decision point — it’s been required since 2012 and every bottle checked today meets it. Start with body material instead: glass and stainless carry no shedding mechanism, and the one published microplastic figure that exists points at PP specifically. If weight and breakage risk rule out glass, a food-grade or medical-grade silicone body (Comotomo, Nanobébé, Mason Bottle, Olababy) avoids that same PP mechanism without the drop risk, at the cost of less independent evidence behind the material itself. Whichever body, check the nipple material separately — it’s the one part of any bottle that always touches milk.

What outlives one baby, and where the rest goes

Mason Bottle’s kit is the only build here designed around a replaceable part: the body is a standard wide-mouth Mason jar, so a chipped bottle costs a jar. Pura’s 18/8 stainless Kiki is the other long-horizon pick — metal that will not chip or shed. The material split returns at the end. Glass jars and aluminum are on EPA’s common-curbside list; silicone bodies, nipples, and polypropylene collars are not, and plastics overall were recycled at 8.7 percent in 2018. A body that serves a second baby beats both numbers.

Pura’s stainless steel bottles raise the same grade question — see our 18/8 vs. 18/10 stainless steel guide for what those numbers mean.

Frequently asked questions

Does glass still involve any plastic?

Glass removes the one mechanism with published evidence behind it: Li et al.’s 2020 Nature Food study measured polypropylene feeding bottles releasing as many as 16.2 million microplastic particles per litre under sterilizing and hot-formula conditions, and glass has no equivalent shedding pathway. Glass trades that for weight and breakage risk, and a “glass” bottle still ships with a silicone or rubber nipple and, on most listings checked today, a polypropylene collar — neither of which touches milk once assembled.

Does the microplastic data apply to PPSU too?

PPSU (polyphenylsulfone) is a BPA-free plastic used in some higher-end bottle bodies for heat and shatter resistance. It isn’t the material behind the Nature Food figures — that study tested polypropylene specifically — and no maker page checked for this article listed a PPSU-bodied bottle with its own shedding data. Treat PPSU and PP as different plastics with different evidence behind them, not interchangeable labels.

Is there independent data on silicone leaching?

None of the maker pages checked today — Comotomo, Nanobébé, Mason Bottle’s silicone line, or Olababy — cite independent leaching or shedding data for their silicone bodies; each states BPA-free, food-grade, or medical-grade silicone as a maker claim rather than a published study. Silicone’s main documented trade-off is being newer to the baby-bottle shelf, not a measured release number in either direction.

Which BPA-free bottles have no plastic touching milk?

Based on materials confirmed today: Pura’s stainless Kiki, Comotomo, Nanobébé’s Flexy, Olababy’s GentleBottle, and Mason Bottle’s all-silicone line, plus any glass bottle with a silicone or rubber nipple, since the polypropylene collar most glass listings use sits above the fill line. A PP- or PPSU-bodied bottle puts that plastic directly in the milk path by definition.

Does BPA-free mean a baby bottle is safe?

BPA-free has been a floor, not a differentiator, since July 17, 2012, when the FDA amended 21 CFR to remove authorization for polycarbonate resins in baby bottles and sippy cups because the industry had already abandoned that use (77 FR 41899). Every bottle in the table above whose material could be confirmed meets that same 2012 rule. What actually separates one bottle from another is body material, nipple material, and collar plastic — none of which BPA-free addresses.

Sources

2 thoughts on “BPA-Free Baby Bottles: Glass vs. Silicone, Brand by Brand”

  1. Pingback: BPA-Free Pacifiers: Rubber vs. Silicone, Brand by Brand - The Zero Waste List
  2. Pingback: Best Non-Toxic Baby Wipes and the Flushable Myth

Leave a Comment