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The best pacifier is Philips Avent Soothie, according to testers from the What to Expect staff and user community, because of their safe, durable construction, soft material and affordability.
Best PacifiersBest Pacifier OverallPhilips Avent Soothie$12 for 4Photo: AmazonEditors' Favorite PacifierMAM Original Start Baby Pacifier$8Easiest Pacifier to CleanChicco PhysioForma Pacifier$7 for 2Best Pacifier for NewbornsTommee Tippee Ultra-Light Silicone Pacifier$17 for 4Best Pacifier for Breastfed BabiesNanobébé Flexy Baby Pacifier$5 for 2Best Pacifier for Bottle-Fed BabiesDr. Brown's HappyPaci Silicone Newborn Pacifier$6 for 3Best Pacifier for TeethingRyan & Rose Cutie PAT Pacifier and Teether$12Best Orthodontic PacifierNUK Comfy Orthodontic Pacifiers$9 for 5Best Pacifier CaseUbbi On The Go Dual Pacifier Holder$6Best Pacifier WipesMunchkin Arm & Hammer Pacifier Wipes$8 for 2 packsAs a first-time new mom, I'd heard from countless experienced parents that a pacifier could have magical powers for an overly fussy or seemingly inconsolable baby ' so I was quick to offer one to my newborn son. But I quickly learned that the best pacifiers don't always work for every child ' babies are often picky with pacifiers and some are uninterested in them entirely.
There are good reasons to try and find the best pacifier for your little one, however. Not only does the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggest using a pacifier to help lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but pacifiers can also be very soothing for babies. Many little ones want to suck beyond nursing or bottle-feeding, as the motion is a natural reflex for babies and often provides pleasure, comfort and security, says Tina Nguyen, D.D.S., an American Board of Pediatric Dentistry-certified pediatric and special needs dentist based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
If you're looking for the best pacifier for your baby, know that it might take some trial and error. To make that process a little easier, I rounded up the best pacifiers based on advice from experts, my own experience as a mom of two and the guidance of parents in the What to Expect community.
Ultimately, the best pacifier is the one your baby will take. But despite all looking pretty similar, there are some key differences among baby pacifiers on the market. To narrow down the list, I first referenced pacifier safety information from the AAP and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). These leading expert groups recommend that the pacifier you choose have a one-piece construction; a soft nipple; a shield with air holes that's at least 1 1/2 inches across (this is so baby can't fit it inside her mouth); and it should be dishwasher-safe so it's easy to keep clean. Experts also say you should avoid overly complicated pacifiers, like novelty binkies with attachments (think: plastic mustaches or toys, which can fall off and pose a safety risk). To ensure I featured only the safest pacifiers, I eliminated any from consideration if they did not meet these recommendations.
I also spoke with three pediatric experts to get their advice on what to look for when buying a pacifier, including: Michelle Kelman, D.D.S., a Los Angeles-based pediatric dentist, lecturer at UCLA School of Dentistry and member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board; Micah Resnick, M.D., F.A.A.P., a board-certified pediatrician in Cincinnati, Ohio, with TriHealth; and Dr. Nguyen. They all recommended pacifiers made from silicone that are BPA-free, so all of the options on this list meet that criteria.
After that, I turned to parents in our What to Expect community for their pacifier recommendations. I used feedback from more than 200 parents who voted for their favorite pacifier in the What to Expect MomMust-Have Awards. I also considered pacifiers suggested by parents on the What to Expect staff, as well as pacifiers I used with my own children.
Based on all of this research, I identified the eight best pacifiers on the market (as well as a few notable accessories like case and wipes) that have:
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A pacifier will get you out of a lot of jams as a parent, especially when the breast or the bottle is not on the menu. As the mother of a former pacifier-obsessed baby, I know my way around the market.
There are a host of positive findings of pacifier use, including their strong analgesic effects and correlation with a lower instance of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). There are also many types of pacifiers available, so you can choose the right size and shape for each stage of infant growth, greatly lessening any cause for orthodontic concerns.
Since there are so many kinds of pacifiers available now, choosing the right one for each stage and circumstance of babyhood can be confusing, but we did the research, consulted the trusted sources, and tested over a dozen kinds on my daughter.
Pros: Orthodontist-recommended design, 60% smaller nipple size than the average, BPA/BPS-free silicone nipple, helps to prevent tooth misalignment with a symmetrical shape, air holes in shield allow baby's skin to breathe, self-sterilizing case,
Cons: The airflow design may leave a mark on extra chubby cheeks
The MAM Perfect Pacifier comes in different sizes for babies: ages 0 to 6 months, 6 months and up, and 16-months plus. From the moment my daughter was 3 months old to the day she put her pacifier down for good, MAM pacifiers were her favorite.
I bought pacifiers in bulk as their small size were easily misplaced at home, daycare, or on the go., After trying well over a dozen brands throughout my daughter's infancy and early toddlerhood, we returned to MAM.
The round, soft shape and subtly bumpy silicone texture closely mimics a breast and felt most familiar to my daughter. The texture also helped keep the point from falling out of her mouth while she wasn't actively sucking. The pacifiers come inside a self-sterilizing storage case, too. My daughter used the MAM "original" pacifier. Recently, the company has come out with a brand-new "perfect" pacifier made from the same ultra-soft patented silicone (BPA- and BPS-free), which is now even thinner and softer. Though the new design's air holes may leave a mark on chubbier cheeks, the breathable, realistically-detailed design is well apt for effective use.
The pacifier is also thinner and softer than regular silicone pacifiers meaning it stays comfortably nestled in your baby's mouth without causing extra pressure. I picked one up to check out the new design for this article and will definitely be keeping it on hand for my next baby.
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Pros: Hospital-recommended design, added plush toy that prevents it from falling out, BPA- and PVC-free
Cons: Hard to disinfect, but machine washable
The Mary Meyer WubbaNub Pacifier pacifier is actually a two-for-one product. The inventor, momtrepreneur Carla Schneider, started with the hospital-recommended all-star newborn pacifier, the Philips Avent Soothie for newborns, and connected it with a wide variety of small bean-filled and adorable plush animals designed to rest on baby's chest and keep the pacifier from falling out when babies fuss.
The struggle keeping a pacifier in my daughter's mouth was real. Before my husband and I found the Wubbanub, we took turns popping the pacifier back in our sometimes-colicky tiny daughter's mouth all night long. The Wubbanub isn't a perfect solution for falling pacifiers, but the BPA- and PVC-free product is much better than the unweighted alternatives when you're a desperate, sleep-deprived parent of a newborn.
One of the only drawbacks many parents discover is that the combination of a fabric plush with a silicone pacifier tip is rather hard to disinfect. Like WubbaNub recommends, I occasionally threw the whole thing in the washing machine and held just the silicone tip in boiling water as needed.
Pros: BPA-free symmetrical silicone shape
Cons: The design sometimes allows water to get trapped inside, may not stay put for babies younger than toddler age
The Tommee Tippee brand is a well-known maker of baby bottles that are built to resemble a breast, and their pacifiers follow the same design.
Instead of the round bulbous tip on the end like many pacifiers have, the Tommee Tippee "closer to nature" design is relatively larger at the tip, yet is symmetrical and narrows into the base This means that the shape and feel of the silicone are more like a real nipple. It won't stay put in the baby's mouth as well as brands that have a bulbous tip, but by the time your little one is a toddler, they can handle that part all on their own.
Pros: Hands-free, safe design for sucking or teething, texture stimulates active sucking to help relieve teething pain
Cons: None to speak of
The RaZbaby RaZ-Berry Silicone Teether has a nipple shape similar to that of your average pacifier, but with a nubbier, bumpier texture that feels like a large silicone raspberry. Teething infants love the varied texture, which also stimulates their gums and helps them massage the areas where their teeth are beginning to poke through. None of the other options I tried, like the Molar Muncher Hands-Free Teether, were hands-free or interesting enough texturally to encourage active sucking to ease her teething woes.
Naturally, the design of the Razbaby really shines. Because the shape and sucking function are very similar to a normal pacifier, my daughter could keep this in her mouth on her own and had plenty of opportunities to stimulate and soothe her gums. You can also stick it in the freezer for some cooling action on inflamed spots.
The double-duty capacity is great if you're frequently on the go with the kids in tow, or if your child goes to daycare. Instead of packing or attaching both a pacifier and a teething toy to your teething baby's shirt, you can make it all day with just one soothing object.
Pros: High-quality form and functionality that glows-in-the-dark for nighttime wakeups
Cons: Needs a very bright charge in order to glow all night
The Glow-in-the-Dark Night Orthodontic Pacifier is MAM's popular orthodontic pacifier shape and design with a twist ' all by adding a practical, glow-in-the-dark handle to help with those midnight wakeups.
At first, I was worried that the glow so close to the baby's face would keep her awake, but I never noticed any problems of that nature in actual usage. Other pacifier brands offer a glow-in-the-dark option, too. There's the Philips Avent BPA Free Night Time Pacifier, which is affordable, but parents say that the glow-in-the-dark functionality barely works and runs out of charge very quickly. So, because of the good quality of the materials, the popular nature of the design, the widespread availability, and the good price, MAM is still the all-around best.
Though some have found it takes a very bright light to charge the MAM enough for it to really glow well all night, we still found that this brand glows better than other options. It comes in blue, pink, or green styles, and two different sizes for older or younger babies.
Cammy Pedroja Freelance Writer Cammy Pedroja, Ph.D. is a freelance writer and journalist covering lifestyle, culture, and women's issues for both print and digital outlets. With degrees from Columbia University and Sarah Lawrence College, Cammy earned her doctorate in English Literature and Rhetoric from SUNY Binghamton. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Read more Read lessYou can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here.
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