Glass vs. Plastic Baby Bottles: Which One to Choose?

If your family is new to bottle feeding, you have probably wondered what type of bottle to buy. It can be hard deciding which kind of bottle is right for your growing family, especially with so many options on the market.

Caregivers usually start looking at plastic bottles as these easy-to-find baby bottles are lightweight, unbreakable, and incredibly affordable. However, more recently, glass baby bottles have become popular as families become more concerned about the environmental and potentially harmful chemicals associated with plastics.

Plastic is perhaps the most common and widely available type of baby bottle. Since they are easily found at grocery stores and neighborhood markets, prices tend to be very affordable.

Unfortunately, there are potential health concerns associated with using plastic products, and many parents have valid worries about environmental impact. 

Health concerns start with the potentially harmful chemical BPA and related BPS and BPF compounds in many plastic bottles. BPA/BPS/BPF can all mimic estrogen in the body and may negatively accelerate the timing of puberty, decrease fertility in both boys and girls, increase body fat, increase risk of certain cancers in the future and negatively impact the endocrine, digestive, nervous and immune systems.

Today, plastic baby bottles manufactured by American companies no longer leach chemicals like BPA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) insists manufacturers only produce BPA free plastic bottles or sippy cups starting in 2012.

It is essential that families know that just because a product is labeled as BPA free doesn't mean it's entirely safe to use. Seventy percent of all BPA free plastic bottles still leach harmful chemicals (including endocrine system disrupting parabens), into food and beverages, including into your baby’s formula. 

Moreover, microplastics are an acknowledged growing concern in plastic beverage containers, with the average American consuming a credit card size of plastic weekly!

In fact, BPA was widely replaced with BPS (bisphenol S), a similar compound and may have similar effects.

BPA/BPS/BPF free worries aside, plastic pollution has become a highly pressing ecological issue. Approximately 7 billion of the 9.2 billion tons of plastic produced from 1950-2017 became waste, ending up in landfills or dumped, and plastic bottles tend to be a top contributor.

We have noticed that many companies have noticed and started using Polypropylene plastic components that are widely accepted by most single-stream recycling programs.

Let us take a closer look at the advantages of plastic baby bottles for families that may be concerned about this option.

🍼 Readily Available: Found in almost all grocery stores and chain retailers.

🍼 Easy to Measure: Transparent material and clear markings of plastic bottles make it easy to measure water going into your baby’s powdered formula and how much milk your little one drinks.

🍼 Affordable: A plastic bottle generally is less costly vs glass bottles.

🍼 Light: They are lightweight, making it easier for your baby to grip and hold on to their baby bottle.

🍼 Shatter Proof: Plastic bottles are relatively unbreakable and take impact exceptionally well, so there are no worries about shattered glass and do not require silicone sleeves.

A quick overview of some things that may cause concern for your baby’s health or the world they grow up in.

🍼 Harmful chemicals: Even though nearly all plastic bottles are now BPA-free, they still leech chemicals into your baby’s formula.

🍼 Cleaning Difficulties: A plastic bottle is prone to scratches even from something as gentle as a bottle brush. These tiny spaces are perfect for bacteria to grow.

🍼 Does Not Withstands Sanitizing: Too-high temperatures increase melting risk and emphasize leaching concerns.

🍼 Absorbs Odors: Plastic absorbs odors such as sour milk that are not always easy to remove with a bottle brush.

🍼 Less Durable: When it comes to glass vs. plastic baby bottles, families will find that they wear out a lot sooner.

Information has increased, confirming that your infant’s bottle is as important as your baby’s drinks. As glass baby bottles have grown in popularity, they have become easier to find, and prices have become more reasonable. You can also find rubberized glass bottle covers to prevent breakage from dropping.

Choosing glass means you have a sustainable option that reduces plastic waste and guarantees that your baby’s bottle will be chemical-free.

Using a glass baby bottle solves many problems families encore with plastic containers. Many parents consider them to be the best option for their little ones.

Most glass bottles are tempered, so they are stronger and resist breaking or chipping if dropped. Add a silicone sleeve as a bottle cover to prevent the breakage of other glass bottles.

These are a few advantages of glass baby bottles vs. plastic bottles to aid your inquiry.

🍼 No chemicals: Glass bottles contain no harmful chemicals, so there is no need to worry about chemicals leaching into your baby’s milk.

🍼 Cleaning Ease: Glass baby bottles are much easier to clean with regular soapy water than plastic. Glass containers are less likely to develop scratches with a bottle brush that can hold on to odors and residue.

🍼 Complete Sanitization: Glass baby bottles can take higher temperatures without worrying about melting or warping.

🍼 Odor Free: Glass bottles are less likely to absorb odors that may impact the freshness and taste of your breast milk or formula.

🍼 More Durable: Families will never have to worry about glass bottles wearing out. Choose a glass that is harder to break than your glass bottles can last through multiple children or be upcycled for many other purposes, including adding sippy cups lids.

It is good to know that most glass bottles are now also made with reinforced glass instead of what we would call regular glass. If they hit exactly right and break, the shattering glass will disintegrate into rounded pebbles rather than sharp shards, reducing the chances of your little one getting hurt.