Top 5 Best Baby Teething Toys | 2017 Reviews
One moment, you are holding a perfect little angel who’s all sweetness and smiles. Then you blinked and the angel turned into a slobbering and irritable little monster of a baby. Welcome to the era of your infant’s teething period, the one you heard other parents talk about in hushed, terrified whispers.
Sure, not all baby turn into imps once teething starts. But nothing can stop any baby from becoming literal “munch-kins” once the need to gnaw comes over them. They will chew on anything, and we mean, ANYTHING. Parents quickly learn to hide away stuff they do not want their child to chew on, and the hunt for a good teething toy begins. Each child has their own preference, and often enough, what works for one won’t work for the other. The price of baby teething toys ranges from a buck to a Benjamin, and if money did grow on trees, we won’t have any problem buying them all just to find the perfect one.
BPA-Free, Lead-Free and Phthalates-free are the words you should be checking the toy’s packaging for. They may come in many forms: hard or soft plastic, silicone, rubber, gel-filled, water-filled, big or small. But what matters is that they have been approved by the US FDA, and certified to have none of the crappy chemicals that can be found in low-quality paints and plastics.
We also took into consideration teethers that most babies will be able to grasp and play with regardless if they are 3 months old or 10 months and beyond. The best teethers can last years and there have been instances that one teething product was passed down several times down the family line. Finding a good one worth the money can be quite a challenge. We did you the favor of rounding up the 5 best teethers for babies out in the market today based on others’ parents’ feedback.
Quick Comparison Table
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Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Sensory Teether Activity Toy |
Vulli Sophie la Giraffe |
Mombella Food Grade Soft Silicone Teething Toy |
Nuby Icybite Hard/Soft Teething Keys |
Bright Starts Teether, Chill |
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 |
 |
 |
 |
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$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
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3.8 ounces |
0.3 ounces |
0.3 ounces |
4 ounces |
3.5 ounces |
 |
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Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Sensory Teether Activity Toy
Hot on top is the Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Teether Toy. Called “The WInkel” for short, it is a fascinating loop upon loop upon loop of a teething ring (or rings) that can entertain a baby for long minutes. Composed of continuous plastic tubes of eye-catching colors, it cannot stay inconspicuous for long. Lightweight and easy to grip, tiny hands can easily grasp one of the rings and hold on forever. You would have to pry your kid’s hands open to get this toy away from them, that’s how captivated they’d be. It’s a great toy for clutching which can help develop baby’s motor skills through two-handed play. It also has a rattle in the middle which allows baby to develop skills while playing with it. It’s just so great that it is a good teething toy too. They teeth and they learn at the same time? Are you signing up for one yet?
Just like what a #1 teething toy should be, the Winkel is lead, phthalates and BPA-Free. This one though has the added benefit of being safe to refrigerate which provides a soothing effect to teething gums. You’d have to dedicate some time in cleaning it though. The individual tubes needs to be wiped separately, and any crevices where baby’s saliva can get into. One would have to remember not to place it in hot water or the dishwasher as it can and will dissolve into mush if you do. Submerging it in warm soapy water will do the trick of cleaning it thoroughly for baby’s next teething session.
The Winkel is manufactured by the Manhattan Toy Company, an award-winning organization who aims to create visually appealing, high quality learning toys for infants and young children. We appreciate knowing that they have been dedicating their services for the last 30 years to helping our babies have wonderful playtime and inspiring them to have fantastic imagination. The Winkel itself has won an award for being so nifty.
Buying this teething toy will not turn your child into Einstein, but it may be a teeny weeny step towards that. So in case you are still asking “what toys should I buy for my newborn”, make sure that the Winkel is on your list.
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Details of the Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle and Sensory Teether Activity Toy |
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Item weight |
3.8 ounces |
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Product Dimensions |
5 x 4 x 3.5 inches |
Vulli Sophie la Giraffe
Sophie the Giraffe is our top 2 choice for best teether for baby simply because parents around the world agree it has one of the highest quality standards when it comes to teething toys. Also, because it is the first giraffe we ever saw sporting luminous pink lipstick and blush, ha!
Out of all things made of rubber, this teether for infants takes the cake. It is certified phthalates and BPA-free, using 100% natural rubber and food grade paint. Babies find Sophie easy to grip because of the toy’s design --- a long neck and four legs that a little hand can grasp without difficulty. It is light enough for a newborn to wave around, certainly beating other clunky, heavier teethers. Sophie’s body is soft and squeaks when squeezed, but the outer limbs including her head are made of harder plastic which babies just love to chew to soothe sore gums. The spots on the giraffe’s body offers a contrasting color which makes it easily visible and recognizable for the little ones.
One more thing to love about this toy is that it can take a lot of beating and will not show how it’s worse for wear. A young child could gnaw it, twist it, pull it, throw it, stomp at it and do anything besides nuke it ---- the toy can withstand anything short of boiling water and steam. Just make sure that you do avoid boiling it or sterilizing it because it can melt just like any other rubber out there. It will suffice to just wash it with mild soap and running water once in a while. You can use also use anti-bacterial wipes when on the go.
Recommended for infants 2 months and up. As long as there is teeth coming in, Sophie will be useful to calm and soothe your little one. The downside about it is that it does not come cheap. Retailed at around $20, this is one of the more expensive teething toys out there (beware of fake ones being sold in some online stores. Always buy from a reliable source.) However, based on what we described above, we are confident that it is money well spent as it really is touted as the best baby teether of the moment. Seriously, there’s a cult of parents out there who utter words of thanksgiving every day because of Sophie la Giraffe’s miraculous effect on their teething kids. Try it for yourself and be converted.
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Details of the Vulli Sophie la Giraffe |
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Item weight |
0.3 ounces |
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Product Dimensions |
9.8 x 5.5 x 1.8 inches |
Mombella Food Grade Soft Silicone Teething Toy
Mombella offers a lot of different designs for their silicone teething toys. But the one we like best and deemed worthy at Top 3 is the cute Dancing Elephant teething toy because of its sleek design. It has a hollow body which makes it perfect for grabby tiny hands. It’s best for 4 month-old babies and above.
The unique thing about Mombella’s product is that it’s manufactured as a single mold which makes sure there are no cracks or crevices that can encourage bacterial growth. And because it is made of silicone, it can stand high temperature, can be steamed, sterilized in hot water or placed in a dishwasher. The Mombella can also be stored in the fridge and cooled providing additional soothing power to baby’s sore gums. For those wondering if silicone toxic, the manufacturer assures us that this product is made of food grade, BPA-free silicone. It also lessens choking risks because of the teething ring at the bottom which is safe for baby even if she or he falls down with it still in their mouth.
The ring is also a good place to attach a pacifier clip which would help ensure that the teether won’t fall and accidentally accumulate dirt, and boy, one has to be careful because silicone attracts a lot stuff particularly fur and hair. Good thing it is so easy to clean and sterilize! The textured elephant nose is a good practice toothbrush that massages and gently cleans the gums. When baby is older, you could even put some teething gel at the tip to help soothe or numb the worst areas in your little chomper’s mouth.
Whether it’s baby’s first front tooth or his 3-year old back molar, Mombella’s Dancing Elephant Silicon Teething Toy will be able to reach and soothe the area where it is needed the most making it one of the best baby teethers to have in your arsenal. You could also check out their other designs boasting of the same quality material. Or better yet, maybe you could try them all. At $10 dollars apiece, it isn’t so heavy on the pocket and sure gives more bang for your buck.
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Details of the Mombella Food Grade Soft Silicone Teething Toy |
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Item weight |
0.3 ounces |
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Product Dimensions |
4.2 x 2.3 x 1.8 inches |
Nuby Icybite Hard/Soft Teething Keys
This teething heavyweight is actually thin and light. We at ParentsNeed HQ find this toy to be spot on for the Top 4 best teething toys for babies because it covers all the necessary basics. It’s colorful, it makes jangly noises and the surface of the keys are wonderfully multi-textured.
The tops of the keys are made of soft plastic which is perfect for chewing. But for some heavy-duty biting due to the eruption of those tiny pearly whites, babies could chew at the end of the keys filled with PurIce technology. PurIce is a food-safe gel which gets really cold really fast, but not to the point of freezing your baby’s gums. It’s true that the colder the teether, the more soothing it feels and no other teether out there could equal this product’s cooling capacity.
Gel-filled teethers stay colder longer than water-filled ones. And they wouldn’t be freezing off your baby’s fingers either since they can hold the teether at the base of the keys or at the ring which is also made of durable, BPA-free, phthalate-free and PVC-free plastic.
Another reason we love the Nuby Icybite is that for the price of around $4, you get a teether and a toy in one. Babies would love to work with those keys and feeling around those ridges. You could teach your kids the basic colors using it too. Did we mention that there are 3 keys in the ring? That’s like buying 2 extra teether for the price of 1. It’s dishwasher-safe and can be sterilized with hot water or a bottle sterilizer. It won’t melt on you, promise! Like any other toy though, please do not leave your baby playing with the teether unsupervised.
The Nuby Icybite was built to last a long time, but regular wear and tear is hard to predict. The moment you see a crack in the plastic or an issue with the ring itself, don’t let your baby use it anymore. It’s better to be safe than sorry. For the price of $4, it’s quite a deal already
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Details of the Nuby Icybite Hard/Soft Teething Keys |
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Item weight |
4 ounces |
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Product Dimensions |
1 x 5.8 x 7.8 inches |
Bright Starts Teether, Chill
There’s a lot of baby teethers competing for the 5th spot on the best of the best list. But we decided to give it to Bright Starts because we love how handy it is! It has a small diameter and that means that even 3-month-old babies can hold it without issue and it will fit into their mouths if they choose to suck on these colorful rings. It’s probably best used by babies whose front tooth has just popped out because each teether is water-filled and can be placed in the refrigerator to be chilled. Just pop it in a clear bag and refrigerate for as short as 20 minutes. The surface of this product is so smooth that you won’t have any worries about a baby injuring itself while biting on it.
The ridges provide texture to the teether and helps soothe sore gums better. The plastic is made of BPA-free materials which won’t break even after being played with by the most enthusiastic teething baby in the world. Just remember not to put it in the freezer for long periods of time because it might damage the otherwise durable material.
Because it is water-filled, it is best not to put it in the microwave. Just wash with warm water and soap and pat dry. It also provides the best value at just $2.50 for a set of 3. It comes in a variety of colors and it is not unusual that some parents choose to collect all to make sure one is always at hand when a bad case of sore gums strikes. Plus, here’s a crafty tip on how to use this product: aside from just chilling it and popping it in baby’s mouth, one mom shared how she upgraded this teether.
Instead of buying an expensive specially-made teether necklace which costs about $20each, try to find a strip of leather or durable string and loop one or all of the teethers to wear. That way, baby will have something to busy himself or herself with while being carried around by Momma. Fashionable and functional, can’t get better than that!
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Details of the Bright Starts Teether, Chill |
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Item weight |
3.5 ounces |
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Product Dimensions |
3.9 x 3.9 x 7.9 inches |
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide can help you find the best teething toy for your baby. A lot of parents know that finding the right baby products is a hit or miss process and can be quite a headache. Just remember, it doesn’t have to be expensive to be good. Safe, durable and fun, that’s what the best teethers are made of!
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