Green to Grow vs. Born Free Bottles: What’s the Difference?
November 18, 2007 by Alicia
Filed under Safer Baby Bottles
Newly Updated 12/8/08
After a little more home grown research, we’ve gained some insight that might help you choose between Green to Grow and Born Free bottles.
Green to Grow Bottle Features:
- Babies who prefer a regular neck nipple love Green to Grow (they also have a wide neck option).
- Rounded nipple is great for developing the lateral muscles of the tongue which is important for later chewing skills and speech skills.
- Nipples are affordable and are made of long-lasting, silicone.
- Made from extremely durable and heat resistant PES plastic.
- Large bottle holds 10oz which some parents find handy.
- They do not have an air vent, so they work best for babies who don’t have troubles with gas/colic.
- Regular neck bottles work with Medela and Lansinoh breast pumps.
- Spot tested in Chicago for toxic contaminants. So not only are the bottles BPA, phthalate and PVC free, they are guaranteed to be lead free as well.
- The company itself stands out from others because of their commitment to eco-friendly practices, including 100% recycled packaging and soy inks for printing.
2/6/08 UPDATE:
We’ve been told by the Green to Grow company that Gerber NUK nipples actually fit their wide neck bottles if you’re looking for a vented nipple option.
12/8/08 UPDATE:
The new Momo standard nipples work well with the regular neck Green to Grow bottles, and they have an anti-colic feature to balance the vacuum in the bottle.
We’ve also found that the new Momo standard spout with the Green to Grow bottles and they work like a charm to help baby transition from a nipple to a sippy!
Green to Grow Regular Neck Bottle w/ Momo Sippy Spout
Born Free Bottles:
- Babies who prefer open-mouth feeding love Born Free bottles (they do not offer regular neck bottles/nipples).
- The wider based Born Free nipple may work better with babies who are both breast and bottle fed, as it encourages a wider latch to keep the mouth open for feeding, which will make breastfeeding more effective.
- Rounded nipple (as opposed to NUK shaped) is great for developing the lateral muscles of the tongue which is important for later chewing skills and speech skills.
- Nipples are made of silicone that is soft and flexible.
- One of the main highlights of Born Free bottles is that they their unique air venting system.
- Handles and cup spouts can be used with their bottles too.
UPDATE 4/24/08: Thanks to a tip from one of our customers, it appears that Born Free has recently changed the plastic they use in their bottles to PES, just like Green to Grow.
You can read more detailed information about Born Free and Green to Grow bottles in our previous posts.
I purchased the Born Free(glass) bottle as well as the Green to Grow wide neck…this being a switch from Avent and Playtex Drop-Ins. My daughter drank without any problems from the Born Free, though it was too heavy for her to hold, herself. The Green to Grow was purchased as a traveling bottle. Unfortunately, the nipple collapsed too many times for my daughter (12 months-old),that it took her 15 minutes to finish her bottle. I decided to store it in the closet until the vented nipple became available, but my husband accidentally dropped the BornFree bottle…history. I had not choice but to swap out the Green to Grow nipple for the BornFree. I also added the soft plastic venting ring from the BF…the hard plastic piece didn’t allow the collar to screw on at all.
Basically, the Green to Grow is a functioning bottle as my daughter is able to comfortably drink from it, but it leaks when I shake it up. As long as my daughter is drinking, it doesn’t leak. The minute she stops, it does. So, while I am not completely satisfied with Green to Grow, I’ll stick with it, because I refuse to add to the seemingly growing pile of bottles that weren’t quite right.
to Charlotte’s mom who had trouble with the Born Free nipples for an older infant… have you tried the training cup nipple (these are blue, yellow, green)? It does not leak and my son loves using it. The “drinking cup” is free flow and will leak. It’s worth a shot now that you have spent the money on the bottles. I also found that the regular clear silicone Born Free nipples leaked too much. I thought my son’s diaper leaked one day when he was holding his bottle in the stroller and then realized the bottle had leaked all over him.
My son is 11 months and was also breastfed till 9 months and used medela bottles first (which are BPA free but only 5oz).When I started supplementing with formula, 5 oz was not enough and the narrow bottle size was a pain. When I was pumping, I also used Nuby non-drip bottles. 3 for $9 and BPA free and compatible with Medela.
We switched from the Evenflo Vent-aire wide neck bottles to the Green to Grow 10 oz wide neck bottles when my son was around 4 mos old. He is using the beginner flow nipples still at 6 mos old as they are faster than what the Evenflo’s beginners were. To date, I have no real complaints about the GtG bottles. Connor switched over easily and does fine with them. My suggestion for the leaking is to screw it on tight when you go to mix the formula and then before giving it to your child loosen the top a little. That prevents it from collapsing as he’s eating. Now, if he gets anything on him, its because he’s sucking and then letting the formula run back out of his mouth.
The only thing that was a little frustrating was the returns process. I ordered all 3 stages of nipples at once just to simplify the process. Once I realized the nipples flow fast than some others do, I didnt figure that we needed the experts. But in order to return them, I had to obtain a return package sticker from the company and then go find a Fed Ex. I live in a small town and the closest store is a good 30 min away. And they said it couldnt be dropped into a drop box. So i just kept them because it wasnt worth my time to go over there.
But, Id have to say that I would recommend them to anyone. I havent had any experience with the Born Free’s or other brands, I just know that I like these ones.
what other brand of nipples will fit green to grow regular bottle??
hi all,
just to share my JOY here…..in case any mummies out there may find this info useful and time/$ saving
GREEN TO GROW bottles, wide neck version, can fit NUBY variflow silicone nipples too!!!! the one with built-in valve for anti-colic feature (YAY!!!)
so now we have 1 more option, other than the NUK PREMIUM RANGE teat
i m just sooo happy to find out coz my baby is using this ‘combination’, and the nipple works great too!!!
Cheers!!!
and NO, please dont waste money trying AVENT on G2G bottles anymore….i experimented it already (coz i have a set of unused Avent nipples around the house)…
for those in Europe or countries with CHICCO feeding items,
G2G bottle collar DOES fit the CHICCO anti-colic wide neck nipples, just that the nipple is SLIGHTLY shorter than G2G’s thus the cap wont be able to seal if off, just so u know….
and becoz CHICCO nipples are slightly thicker at the base, u wont be able to screw the collar all the way down, only approximately 80% down, but fret not, it doesnt leak, tried and tested
(in case your baby is ‘addicted’ to using CHICCO’s nipples )
I just wanted to chime in here. I tried Gerber’s wide NUK nipple on both Nuby bottles and Green to Grow. THEY DO NOT LOCK IN SECURELY. If you tug on the nipple it seems to be locked in, however when you grab it around the base of the nipple it pops right out. My ten month old was able to get the NUK nipple out of both Nuby and Green to Grow completely and formula spilled everywhere. It did not require much pressure, either. I watched her grab the bottle by the GTG collar and base of the NUK nipple and out came the nipple just like that. The NUK collar is much more narrow than the other collars and of course the nipple is made to fit that bottle specifically. The plastic rim around the base of the nipple is not wide enough to lock in securely to other bottles. I did call GTG and specifically asked them about this before I bought them and they assured me a baby wouldn’t be able to get the nipple out. That isn’t true.
I called Gerber the other day asking if there is anything else I could use the wide NUK nipple with, and they said no and they don’t recommend using it in other bottles because it is designed to fit that narrow NUK collar. They also said that they will be BPA free by the end of 2008, but even now at the end of October there is still NO info about what they’ll be offering.
IF ANYONE STILL HAS THEIR NUK BOTTLES YOU CAN CALL GERBER AND THEY WILL HAVE YOU SEND THEM BACK FOR COUPONS TO REPLACE THEM. I was pretty ticked off to hear that I could have sent back my Nuk bottles. They are kind of expensive and I had twelve of the large ones alone. I DID call after I started reading about BPA when I was looking for a replacement asking if the Gentle Flow bottle was BPA free and told them I was currently using NUK and was never told this.
Also, someone posted earlier about the difference between GTG and Born Free nipples. I’ve tried both of them, and the Born Free is much softer. I have never seen a nipple that soft before, they were amongst the worst of all that we tried, and believe me, I have gone through most of them.
Just wanted to post that the Nuby replacement nipples ARE sold separately. I found the wide ones at my local Giant grocery store. I didn’t realize they were for Nuby bottles at first, the cardboard back of the package is yellow and I believe it said something like Cottontails on it? If anyone is interested in exactly what the packages says I could check next time I go there. I bought some myself to try in GTG bottles but my babies didn’t like them
I realize that you can buy them online as well, but I did want to post this info because I know at times it’s more convenient to buy replacement nipples as I need them instead of waiting for them to come in the mail
Are NUK baby bottle safe. They are made in germany where I heard they have stronger regulations but I once heard that they are not safe. Does anyone know?
And what about beaba? I bought one bottle in France and cannot find info either.
Thanks,
Ok I am very confused…. and desperately in need of help!!!!
Everyone here is talking about G2G wide neck bottles, but I have G2G regular neck bottles. My son is 4 weeks old and I have had him back and forth to the doctor with his painful wind problem…. the poor thing is screaming in agony after every feed. He screams until he’s purple and he vomits. I am desperate to try some nipples other than the G2G ones, but I have no idea which will fit the regular neck. Does anyone know? Please, please, please help. I cannot stand to see him in this pain any longer!!
P.S. I live in the UK
Also, I meant to add that with the current G2G beginner nipples I am using, it takes my son 1 hour and 15 mins to drink 120mls of milk. Surely this can’t be normal? He’s feeding every 4 hours but the time inbetween feeds is getting less and less as his feeds go up. By the time I have him on 180mls per feed in the next few weeks, its going to take a good 2 hours to finish a bottle…. with the result being less sleep time, and more upset for him (and I). I have tried the intermediate nipples but the hole is massive and the milk gushes out. The packet states they are for 3-6 months, but I wouldn’t even give them to him then! The poor little man choked and nearly gave me a heart attack. As you can see I am desperate for help with the whole feeding issue!!!!!
I use the Born Free Glass Vented Bottles. I have no problems with leaking bottles and my son easily transitions between the breast and this bottle. I always wash the bottles by hand and never in the dishwasher. Maybe this is why I do not have a problem with leaks. I feel like there are more parts and pieces with the Dr Brown bottles to clean and put together than the Born Free.
My son needs his formula really thick because of aspiration issues I currently use the Dr. Browns size 4 nipple will they fit on the G2G standard bottles? Thanks!
Hi Cris,
That's a great question and YES, Dr. Brown's standard nipple with fit the standard neck GTG bottles.
Alicia
We've been using Born Free for over 4months now and NEVER had a problem with leaking. EVER! charlotte's mom must have been doing something wrong. I'm glad to know avent nipples fit the Born Free bottles. so much cheaper! I've also always washed the BF bottles by hand.
We've been using Born Free for over 4months now and NEVER had a problem with leaking. EVER! charlotte's mom must have been doing something wrong. I'm glad to know avent nipples fit the Born Free bottles. so much cheaper! I've also always washed the BF bottles by hand.
i love the green to grow bottles but the nipples are wierd. The slow nipple is too slow and the medium nipple is too fast. I am currently using the born free bottles as well and i tried using the born free nipples with the green to grow bottles but it keeps collapsing. They definetely need to come up with better nipples.