When teething begins, you'll know it. Your little one will start chewing on everything. However, there's nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain.
This article explains everything you should look for when finding the best teething toys for babies to soothe your precious little one.
Baby Teethers
During teething, to keep your fingers from being gnawed on too often, it's a good idea to get a couple baby chewing toys.
Not only will this save your fingers from their hard little gums, but it will also give you peace of mind that they're chewing something safe. You don't want them to spend their time chewing something that they could choke on!
As you look through chewing toys to purchase, there are some things that are important to know. You want to pick out the very best baby teethers, right?
If you're unsure about which ones to choose, have a look at the following section. It will help you understand the most important things to look for when choosing the best teethers for babies.
What to Look When Buying Teethers for Baby
1. BPA-Free
Healthwise, it's important to make sure any toys you buy for your baby are BPA-free. This is especially true since they'll be chewing on the toy! Many manufacturers make baby products that are BPA-free, but it's always good to check before buying.
2. Safe Material
Speaking of the material, some baby teether toys are made from silicone while others are made from plastic. Which is better? The materials are quite similar. Silicone is commonly used for baby items such as bottles because it’s known for being child-safe.
You do need to be careful to make sure the material is suitable to chew on. Silicone can be a bit softer than plastic, which might feel better on sore gums; however, you need to be certain it's not so soft that your child can bite part of the toy off. Still, silicone teethers are a great option.
3. Hard or Soft?
The next factor is the hardness of the toy. Would you like it to be a hard teether for baby or a soft one? What is best for your baby is largely based on their preferences. Since they're too young to tell you straight out what they want, watch what they do.
Do they like to chew on their blankets a lot? Or do they seem to constantly try to gnaw on hard toys? Maybe they chew on both types? It's best to get infant teething toys similar in surface hardness to what your baby already enjoys chewing on. In addition, hardness becomes a factor when looking for teethers for molars.
If they tend to chew on both soft and hard things, you may want to get both types of toys so they can switch on and off, depending on their mood.
4. Can Your Baby Hold It?
Is the toy one that's easy to hold on to? Is it something your baby can comfortably wrap their little hands around? How easy would it be for your baby to chew on the item?
Remember that their mouths aren't very big! You need something that's small enough for them to comfortably hold without being so small that it's dangerous.
5. Choking Hazard!
If a toy is so small that it could be swallowed, it's a choking hazard and definitely not worth giving to your child. It also could be a choking hazard if it has small parts to it that your baby could bite or pull off.
When selecting a chew toy for babies, check how sturdy the material is. Could your baby bite into it? Could they eat part of it? If so, choose a different toy!
6. Easy to Clean?
When selecting teether toys, it's important to know if it's dishwasher safe. How about microwave safe? It's very helpful if it's one or both of those.
If you can just throw it in the dishwasher or toss it in the microwave to kill off the germs, it's much more likely to stay clean for your child to safely use. You don't want something that is made to be in your child's mouth to be dirty! In addition, if your child is experiencing a rash while teething, it's important to keep it clean to prevent infection.
Now that you know what to look for, are you ready to go shopping? The following nine options are some of the very best teething toys available on the market today.
Top 10 Baby Teething Toys
This adorable little giraffe is named Sophie. She would delight your little one for hours and hours! Not only is she cute, but she's excellent for soothing teething babies. She has lots of parts they can chew and gnaw on and is completely safe for them to put in their mouths.
Little Sophie made by Vulli is one of the most popular chewing toys out there. Made from 100% natural rubber and food paint, Sophie is also BPA-free. She is light and easy for little hands to hold.
She's a perfect choice if your baby enjoys animals!
Who knew a banana-turned toothbrush could be so much fun? This is a great option for those who want a banana teether that doubles as a toothbrush. The soft silicone bristles are gentle on your baby's gums while helping soothe them. This teether is made from 100% food-grade silicone that is BPA-free.
The Baby Banana Toothbrush & Teether comes in lots of different color and shape options, and the peel handles make it easy for your child to hold on to. It's also dishwasher and freezer safe.
You do need to be careful with this one to take it away once your child's chewing becomes stronger. As they get older, they could chew the bristles off the brush. While they're younger, though, it's a great option!
If you're looking for a good sensory toy, this would be a perfect choice. This option has a rattle made with BPA-free chewable plastic loops. It's fun to look at and sure to keep your baby's attention. The design of the toy makes it easy for your child to hold on their own.
The Manhattan Sensory Teether is not made for the dishwasher or microwave, but it can easily be cleaned with hot soapy water.
The rattle is such a fun toy it could be played with whether your child wants to chew on it as a teething toy or not!
This next option is perfect if you're looking for one that can stay cold for a long time. You can place it in the fridge, and the PurICE Gel in it helps it stay colder longer.
Easy to hold onto, Nuby Icybite Teething Keys are made with both hard and soft materials so your child can choose which part to chew on, depending on how they're feeling. In addition, the nuby teething ring for babies is BPA-free. However, it needs to be hand-washed since it cannot be microwaved or put in the dishwasher.
The fact that this nuby soothing teether looks like a key ring will excite lots of children. It's like one of the many baby teething rings out there, but this one also has toy keys on it. Your little one will love having a set of their own keys that they can play with that are even more colorful and exciting than their parents' keys!
Have you been looking for more ways to introduce fruits and vegetables into your child's diet? If so, the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder could be a lifesaver for you. It's made for you to put food into the mesh bag, which your child can then chew on.
The Muchkin Feeder helps soothe their gums while giving them nutritious food. It's BPA-free and helps to prevent choking since it only allows small pieces of food through the mesh.
It's easy to hold onto, so you can give it to your baby to suck on while you're washing the dishes or doing other things.
Does your child love pacifiers? Have they been chewing on theirs a lot lately? If so, definitely check out the "razz teether". The razberry teether is not a teething pacifier but is quite similar in design to one.
The razz baby teether is a textured and made in the shape of a pacifier. So if you're looking for a teething pacifiers, it's a great option!
Moreover, the razzberry pacifier can be refrigerated for extra comfort, and it can be used hands-free. Overall, it's perfect for teething babies who are already used to pacifiers.
Also, the Razbaby Teether comes in five colors and is made of BPA-free food-grade silicone. It is both dishwasher and microwave safe, so cleaning it is quite easy!
If you can't decide which type of teething surface your baby would like best, try this option. It comes with four different teething surfaces and is BPA-free. It's an excellent sensory toy.
Also, the Munchkin Figure 8 Teether is made with bright colors, is twistable, and even makes rattle sounds. It should hold your child's interest while also soothing their sore gums.
The toy is very well-made and durable. It's a great toy, whether your child wants to chew on it or not.
This next option is much simpler looking—great for children who prefer toys without quite so many bright colors and rattling parts. There are two different color choices, and it is a clean-looking design.
The circle and the "fingers" make the teether easy for your child to hold and place it in their mouth to chew on. In addition, the teether has many places for your child to gnaw.
Made with BPA-free silicone, the Comotomo Teether is safe to put in the microwave, dishwasher, sterilizer, and boiling water. Cleaning it definitely isn't a problem!
This one is making me hungry! Designed to look like sandwich cookies, it comes with one hard and one soft cookie so your child can have whichever they prefer.
The cookies have designs on them for a soothing effect when chewed. They are made from BPA-free silicone.
Another benefit of the BEBE Cookie Teether is that it comes with a lifetime warranty: it is such high quality that the company believes it should last you a good long time!
This set of 4 teething rings for baby is a great choice if you want something simple and inexpensive. Having multiple teethers allows you to always keep one chilling in the fridge for extra soothing.
Each ring on these Silicone Teething Rings is made of silicone, helps reduce drool, and is BPA free.
Conclusion
Which one of these do you think your baby will like best? Do you have any favorites or recommendations?
If you have a hard time deciding, you could always pick a few! After all, when babies are teething, they love having several things to chew on. Having a couple of options can be great for distracting them from their sore mouths or discomfort from diaper rash if they're experiencing that from teething too. In addition, having more than one allows you to always have one chilling in the fridge for additional soothing.
As difficult as teething can be, it'll be over before you know it. Little ones grow up quickly! So try to enjoy the season. Getting a few toys to help your baby through the harder days can help a lot. It's amazing how having something to chew on can offer such comfort!
Whichever toy (or toys!) you decide to go with, it's sure to be a big help to you. Have fun picking out your favorites! And have fun thinking about the easier days that are coming once your teething toys arrive. Your sore fingers will probably be nearly as happy as your little one!