Struggling to provide relief to fussy babies sprouting their first teeth poses one of the most frustrating challenges to parents in early infancy. Between sore gums and irritable, drooling babes, it can be daunting to find help, so we’ve compiled a list of the best teething toys for babies to soothe those gums—and provide babies, and their parents, some relief. Our top two picks, the Baby Banana and Sophie La Giraffe, offer different types of shapes and textures for babies to explore.
The best teething toys for babies offer a bit of relief to both child and parent. Airfryer Silicone Pot
“Babies typically get their first teeth around six months to a year old, and it varies,” says Dr. Julie Cernigliaro, a pediatric dentist based in New York City.
In terms of how to soothe babies’ gums, safety is the name of the game, and there are a number of unsafe baby teethers and practices to stay away from. For example, oral numbing creams are not considered safe for children under the age of 2, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists. That’s because these creams include benzocaine, an ingredient that has a high risk of side effects among infants. And although they’ve grown in popularity, parents should also stay away from teething necklaces, according to the FDA, since they can lead to choking and strangulation.
I compiled this list of best teething toys for babies by looking at the bestsellers popular with parents, studying pediatrician recommendations, considering safety issues and delving into other criteria including value, quality and that undefinable cuteness factor. After perusing this article, you may be interested in reading about more of the best toys for babies, including toys for 6-month-olds, toys for 9-month-olds and toys for 1-year-olds.
Made of food-grade silicone, the Baby Banana can be cooled to help soothe gums and is an early toothbrush to get baby in the habit of brushing. Baby can easily grip this teether and rub the soft silicone bristles over their gums. It’s also BPA-free, phthalate-free and dishwasher safe.
Sophie La Giraffe is the grand dame of the best baby teethers and a fixture in nurseries for 55 years. The France-made little giraffe is made from 100% natural rubber (also free of BPA, phthalates and latex), making her totally safe to chew on. She squeaks, engaging babies further, and is composed of plenty of spots to nibble and explore. Don’t submerge this teether in the sink, though. Just wipe her clean. Bonus: This toy hardly looks like a teether.
Parents love this sturdy teether with multiple textures, and it has racked up nearly 30,000 reviews on Amazon with an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5. Made with BPA-free silicone, the Nuby is small enough for early teethers to hold. It’s dishwasher safe and affordable.
These handmade baby teethers combine BPA-free construction, beechwood and food-grade silicone to create a bespoke choice that also provides different textures to relieve pain in baby’s gums. It also rattles and shakes to baby’s delight and is available in seven colorways.
On top of looking adorable, these teething mittens are made with food-grade silicone and make crinkling noises while the baby plays with it. They also pull double-duty protecting baby from scratching their face while also giving them something to chew on. The mitten comes in a variety of adorable colors and themes and is a hit with many parents who have exhausted other teething toy options with particularly picky little ones.
Look at Ollie, what a cutie. More than that, this teether can be rolled up into a ball and also has a hollow center that allows it to be used as a bath toy. He’s versatile, too: you can toss him in the dishwasher, chill him in the fridge and sterilize him back to new. The little bristles under his tentacles provide another opportunity for massaging gums.
Larger and better suited for older babies than some of the other adorable teething toys on this list, this Infantino teether also makes crinkle sounds and is good for naptime snuggles. Little ones might prefer the feel of the fabric on their gums or the harder penguin feet or even the attached teething ring.
As a mom to two young children, including a current teether, I researched this story with interest. I know that not all teething toys work for all babies; it truly can come down to personal preference. I also spoke with a pediatric dentist to understand the health implications of a teether and to understand what types of toys might actually benefit a teething child. Forbes has a rich history of reviewing and testing baby gear, too, including the following:
While it might be tempting to freeze certain teething rings before handing them to baby, they shouldn’t be so cold that they hurt a child’s gum tissue.
“There shouldn’t be frost on it,” Cernigliaro said of the teething rings.
Properly cleaning teethers is also important since the toys can introduce bacteria into babies’ mouths that could lead to decay.
“Wipe them down with white vinegar, definitely not something with harsh chemicals, you can use a mild soap,” Cernigliaro said. “You don’t want multiple kids or older kids putting it in their mouths and then giving them to the babies.”
The last bit of guidance on keeping baby healthy through the teething process is to brush those teeth. Yes, even if there are just two of them. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry now recommends brushing baby teeth as soon as they emerge with just a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste.
Dentist Cernigliaro suggests wiping them clean with a washcloth, too. “You want to clean the teeth with a clean washcloth because you want the teeth to come into a clean environment,” she said, adding that treating young children with multiple cavities requires general anesthesia and there is a current wait-list of one year for treatment in New York City, where she practices.
“Early intervention is a big deal,” she said.
Zack O'Malley Greenburg is senior editor of media & entertainment at Forbes and author of four books, including A-List Angels: How a Band of Actors, Artists and Athletes Hacked Silicon Valley and the Jay-Z biography Empire State of Mind. Zack's work has also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Billboard, Sports Illustrated, Vibe, McSweeney's and the Library of Congress. In over a decade at Forbes, he has investigated topics from Wu-Tang Clan's secret album in Morocco to the return of tourism in post-conflict Sierra Leone to the earning power of Hip-Hop's Cash Kings, writing cover stories on subjects ranging from Richard Branson to Ashton Kutcher to Katy Perry. A former child actor, Zack played the title role in the film Lorenzo's Oil (1992) and arrived at Forbes in 2007 after graduating from Yale with an American Studies degree. For more, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, newsletter and via www.zogreenburg.com. Got a tip on a music, media & entertainment story? Send it over via SecureDrop. Instructions here: www.forbes.com/tips
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I’m the Deputy Editor for Forbes Vetted and though I started out in New Jersey, I am currently living in Los Angeles. After college, I served in the Air Force where I operated satellites, taught space operations and performed space launch planning.
After that, I spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, I have photographed wolves in their natural environment; I have been a scuba instructor; I co-hosted several podcasts including the popular Battlestar Recaptica. Currently, I'm one half of a podcast called Rick and Dave Control the Universe.
I am the author of nearly three dozen books about photography, mobile tech, and more; I’ve even authored an interactive storybook for kids. I have contributed to sites including CNET, PC World and Business Insider before joining Forbes Vetted.
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I’ve been reviewing technology since 1992 when I joined Amiga Format magazine in the UK. Since then, I have worked mainly in publishing but with sidelines in games production, website authoring, and photography. I was the VP of Editorial Development at Reviewed.com, where I created industry-leading test procedures for products such as televisions, dishwashers, washing machines, coffee makers, and digital cameras. As a freelancer since 2012, I have written for sites like CNET, Wired, Toms Guide, T3 Hackaday, and now Forbes.
Silicone Plate I'm a freelance journalist and product reviewer specializing in parenting and education. My writing has been featured by AARP, Scholastic, Insider, Yahoo, MSN, AAA and more. I spent six years as a high school English teacher, and then began writing full time after my daughter was born. I'm the proud mom to her as well as twin boys (and a fur baby). I have a bachelor of science in education from Penn State and a master of arts in education from Michigan State. You can l