Using Glass Baby Bottles – Pros and Cons

Using Glass Baby Bottles – Pros and Cons

For a while now, I’ve been curious to try glass baby bottles with my little girl. I’m tired of plastic bottles that stain really easily and deteriorate quickly. I wanted something more hygienic and long lasting and glass bottles are just that. There are some negatives too though, as always — nothing is perfect. We’ve been using glass bottles for a few weeks now and here’s what we’ve experienced.

Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of using glass baby bottles.

Advantages:

• Glass is naturally free from chemicals found in different kinds of plastics so you do not need to worry about them. Most plastic baby bottles are free from known dangerous chemicals now but you never know.
• Glass does not deteriorate like plastic does. Plastic bottles usually only last a few months before they start looking and feeling different. All the washing with detergents and brushes, sterilising in hot water, steam or chemicals and heating them up to warm the milk causes a lot of wear on the bottles and you should replace them regularly for hygiene reasons.
• Glass does not stain. This is not a problem when using regular milk (unless you wash your bottles in the dishwasher) but we make a lot of smoothies and they really stain the plastic bottles, very quickly, which makes them look quite horrible.
• Glass can be recycled more readily than plastic which means glass bottles are more environmentally friendly. The fact that you don’t need to replace them as often adds to their eco-friendliness too.
• Glass is more hygienic and easier to clean. Glass stays smooth and doesn’t scratch as easily as plastic which means less places for germs to get stuck to.
• Glass handles extreme temperatures very well so can be used in the microwave and the freezer without being damaged.

Disadvantages:

• Modern glass bottles are made from tempered glass which is harder to break than regular glass and also shatters into more rounded and less sharp pieces, but they are still much more likely to break that plastic bottles. Broken glass is generally more dangerous than broken plastic, too. Some glass bottles come with a silicone sleeve to protect them but they can still break. Manufacturers of glass bottles often recommend that babies do not feed themselves from glass bottles because of this. That takes away the risk but is not always practical, especially when your baby gets a bit older and wants to feed himself/herself. My toddler will not let me feed her but I do make her sit down on the sofa or the carpet when she has a drink from one of her glass bottles. That works really well for us even though she’s used to running around with her plastic bottles. It’s quite nice to have her sit down calmly when she’s having her milk.
• Glass is heavy! Glass bottles are much heavier than plastic ones and will make your baby bag heavier when out and about. It took our daughter some time to get used to the change in weight too, and at first she rejected the larger bottles due to this when she was tired. She soon got used to them though!
• Glass is delicate. It’s not only when your child is using glass bottles that they can break, you also have to take more care when washing them, drying them and putting them in the steriliser to ensure they are secure and will not fall over. You also need to protect them when you go out. I like to use a thermal bottle bag that is a bit padded and therefore perfect for the job.
• Even though glass bottles can handle extreme temperatures really well, you have to gradually get them used to it. You should not pour cold milk in a hot bottle that you’ve just sterilised, for example. That can cause the bottle to crack. You have to wait for the bottle to cool down a bit first.
• Initially, glass bottles are more expensive but in the long run they are cheaper since you don’t need to replace them as often (if ever!).

Verdict:

Even though glass bottles are more delicate to use, I think the advantages make them worth it. They are a healthier choice for my family and for the planet. I also think that it’s good to teach your children to be careful with things and not throw things around. I’m also sure it’s good for them to sit still while they eat and drink so most of the disadvantages are not actually that negative. Glass bottles are so beautiful, too, don’t you think?

The bottles in these photos are MAM Feel Good Glass Bottle 260ml and NUK First Choice Glass Bottle 240ml and 120ml.

Read my reviews here:

• MAM Feel Good Glass Bottle Review
• NUK First Choice Glass Bottles Review