Are Plastic Baby Bottles Safe?

Baby bottles are a key part of any baby gear arsenal, and just like the rest of your baby gear (big and small), you probably put a lot of thought into your choices. If you’re using plastic bottles or added them to your baby registry—and if you’ve heard about the recent class action lawsuits against Dr. Brown’s and Philips Avent—you might be wondering whether you made the best choice for your baby.

We talked to experts who could weigh in on the safety of plastic baby bottles, including an environmental chemist and a pediatrician, to help parents understand the risks and learn how to safely use plastic bottles.

Are plastic baby bottles safe?

The short answer: Yes, with the right precautions. The long answer is more nuanced and can feel more than a little confusing, so we leaned on experts to help break it down for us.

The first thing to know is that, while scientists are actively studying the effects of plastics on the human body, there’s still a lot they don’t know. “There has been research on plastic pollution and health effects since the ‘70s,” says environmental chemist Dr. Christopher Reddy, who has studied various forms of pollution, including plastic, for the last three decades. However, “significant substantiated, well-directed research has only really started to move forward in the last five years.” So everything the world knows about plastic is still pretty new information, and a lot of research still needs to be done.

With current high-quality research still being in the early stages, Reddy says, scientists don’t know as much about the effects of plastic use as the public might think or hope. But here’s what Reddy says they do know.

Plastic is affected by heat

High temperature is one of the things that causes plastic to break down and release microplastics. That includes the heat from the microwave, dishwasher, bottle sterilizers and high settings on bottle warmers—all of those things, Reddy says, can affect plastic.

Consider the additives

It’s not just the plastic itself that researchers are concerned about, but also the additional chemicals that give bottles their color, flexibility and durability. All of those things can be affected by high heat. “Despite being marketed as BPA-free, other chemicals in plastics can still pose risks, particularly with prolonged exposure or heating,” says Dr. Joel “Gator” Warsh, an LA-based pediatrician and author of Parenting at Your Child's Pace: The Integrative Pediatrician’s Guide to the First Three Years.

Different plastics react differently

There isn’t just one single type of plastic—there are many different types (including silicone, but more on that below). They all have different chemical makeups, which means they all break down differently and at different temperatures, Reddy says. One brand or type of plastic baby bottle may not be the same chemical composition as another, so scientists can't generalize them as a whole. What they can do is provide guidance that errs on the side of caution, using everything they know from the research they’ve done so far.

Regardless of what kind of plastic and additives your baby bottles are made of, following the guidance below will help keep your plastic usage as safe as possible given the current research. 

Are silicone baby bottles safe?

While silicone is technically a type of plastic (a plastic polymer, to be exact), it behaves differently than regular plastic. All silicone baby bottles sold in the US are made from food-grade silicone, which can withstand heat up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit. But keep in mind that, like with other types of plastic, research on silicone is still in the early stages, and scientists don’t know absolutely everything about its safety yet. 

Most (if not all) silicone baby bottles will say on the packaging that they’re safe to be cleaned in the top rack of the dishwasher, but they shouldn’t be put through a heated dry cycle since the excessive heat may damage the silicone. So in order to make sure you’re using silicone bottles as safely as possible, it’s best to follow the same guidance as for plastic bottles below.

How to use plastic baby bottles safely

This guidance isn’t to tell you that you shouldn’t use plastic baby bottles. Besides, you may decide that plastic bottles are the best option for you and your baby for a number of reasons—they’re generally more durable (they won’t chip or dent), they’re lightweight and they’re the best option if you’re looking for budget-friendly baby gear.

So if you do use plastic baby bottles or you’ve added them to your registry, here’s what to do to make sure you’re using them as safely as possible. And keep in mind that this advice isn’t just for baby bottles—any plastic your family uses to eat, including plates, forks and spoons, cups and toddler feeding sets, can be made safer by following this advice.

Hand-wash your bottles

This is the most important part of using plastics safely, so here it is again: plastic is affected by heat. For baby bottles, that includes washing them. 

So how are you supposed to get dirty bottles clean? Just warm water and dish soap, Reddy says. You’ll need a bottle brush too, and it’s a good idea to stick with unscented, dye-free dish soaps because they’re less likely to upset baby’s digestive system.

You may be grossed out at the thought of not cleaning your bottles in the high heat of the dishwasher, in which case Reddy encourages you to get comfortable with things being “clean enough.” Use your best judgment, he says, and decide for yourself how clean your baby bottles need to be in order for you to feel that they’re safe for your baby to drink out of. 

Only sterilize under certain circumstances

Sterilizing baby bottles is essential to prevent bacteria ingestion, Dr. Gator says, especially if the bottles are new or if your baby was born premature or is immunocompromised. If your pediatrician says you should be sterilizing your bottles for your baby’s health, then the safest option is to use only glass and stainless steel bottles and avoid plastic entirely.

If you’re going to sterilize plastic bottles, then Dr. Gator recommends a few things to reduce the risk of chemical leaching:

• Avoid prolonged periods of heating; follow the sterilization instructions for your specific bottles, and don’t have them in the high heat for longer than 10 minutes

• Don’t use excessive heat settings

• Regularly check your baby’s bottles for wear and tear and replace them if you notice any damage or cloudiness

Warm bottles gently, not quickly

When it comes to warming breast milk or formula, Dr. Gator recommends steering clear of microwaves and bottle warmers. The exception is if your bottle warmer has a very low, gentle setting. But there are better options: “Safer warming methods include placing the bottle in warm water until reaching the desired temperature or running warm tap water over it evenly,” Dr. Gator says. Those methods will take longer, but you can ensure that the bottles won’t get hot enough to affect the breakdown of the plastic.

Choose BPA- and phthalate-free options

Like Reddy said, it’s the additives that are a concern, too. While there are certain additives you can’t avoid in plastic baby bottles, there are others that are fairly easy to keep away from your baby’s food. BPA and phthalates are the big ones you may already know about, and avoiding them in your plastic bottles and other feeding tools is essential, Dr. Gator says.

When you go to buy baby bottles, make sure there’s a clear label on the packaging that says “BPA-free.” Figuring out whether a plastic item contains phthalates is a little more complicated, but here’s the general rule for “safer” plastics:

• Check the “Recyclable” triangle symbol

  • If it contains the numbers 1, 2, 4 or 5, it’s generally considered a “safer” plastic

  • Avoid plastics with numbers 3, 6 and 7

• The letters “PP” below the triangle indicate that the plastic is phthalate-free (as opposed to the letters “PC” which contains BPA)

• Keep in mind: The recyclable labeling system is completely voluntary, so some brands may not use it. If you don’t see a symbol and you’re unsure of the exact chemical makeup of the bottle, it’s best to avoid it.

Do your research

Good news: If you’re reading this article, then you’re already doing this! Aside from using plastic safely, Reddy’s biggest piece of advice is to do your research and look deeper into any information you hear or read. 

There’s a lot of information and claims out there about the safety or unsafety of plastics, so it’s in your best interest to do exactly what you’re doing right now: reading more about the topic so you can make an informed decision. It can take a bit of work, but Reddy encourages parents to research baby bottles as diligently as you would for larger pieces of baby gear. 

Are glass baby bottles better than plastic?

You may decide that plastic baby bottles aren’t the right choice for your baby, in which case you have the options of glass and stainless steel baby bottles. These are generally considered safer than plastic, Dr. Gator says. Both glass and stainless steel bottles can safely go through the dishwasher and sterilizer (not the nipple or plastic collar, though) and be used with bottle warmers. But there is a trade off.

If you’d rather use glass bottles, Reddy says to keep in mind that “glass doesn’t bounce.” Many glass bottles are pretty sturdy, but there’s still a greater risk of chipping or cracking. They’re also heavier and significantly more expensive than plastic bottles. Check out our roundup of the best glass baby bottles to learn more about the pros and cons.

Stainless steel bottles, on the other hand, won’t chip or crack. But they will dent. They’re also not as popular since they’re fairly new to the market, so there aren’t many brands and styles to choose from.

Ultimately, the choice of baby bottle is up to you. We want you to feel encouraged and empowered to thoroughly research your options so you can choose what’s best for you and your baby.