REVIEW: Lifefactory Glass/Silicone Baby Bottles

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When I first found out I was pregnant, the overwhelming fear I faced day and night – and still do to this day, mind you – is that I would be single-handedly responsible for forever screwing my child up in some unrecoverable way. Three years later and I’m pretty sure I was totally justified in being worried because yup, that probably happened, but at least I don’t think the damage was done as a result of our Lifefactory glass bottles.

I grew up with glass, and I knew it was safe. I also knew it was heavy, but it was a negative I was willing to risk. So I hit Google and was surprised to find one brand that kept popping up on virtually every list I read – Lifefactory. My daughter’s now three years old and we still use those same bottles 3x a day in some shape or form (the smaller bottles have been converted into milk glasses, while the larger ones are used for water) – which I’d say makes it a pretty solid investment.

About the Lifefactory Glass Bottles:

MSRP: $14.99 for 4oz, $16.99 for 9oz (cheaper bundles available)
Measures 6″ H x 2.5″ W for 4oz, 8.5″ H x 2.5″ W for 9oz
Weighs 0.4 lbs for 4oz, 0.6lbs for 9oz
Lots of different colors available
Spouts are interchangeable and grow with your baby through preschool and beyond
Bottle is borosilicate glass, cap is BPA/BPS-free + phthalate-free plastic, and sleeve is silicone
All pieces are made and assembled in either France or the U.S.
Visit the manufacturer’s website here

Lifefactory Glass Bottles – The Pros:

As I said before, it’s glass, which I don’t think anyone will argue with when it comes to safety. If you’re genuinely confused by this statement, just Google “glass vs plastic” and you’ll learn everything you need to know.
It’s dishwasher-safe. These bottles get top-rack washed (caps go in my utensil caddy on the bottom) every single day and while you may lose a drop or two of milk or water if you hold it the wrong way, they’re fairly leak-proof.
They’re pretty. Never underestimate the value of this statement, because you’re going to be looking at them an awful lot.
They’ve got a silicone sleeve to help prevent breaking. We’ve dropped ours a bunch of times and I’d say that 3/4 of the time, it stays intact (AKA when it doesn’t fall at the neck, which is the only place where the glass is left totally exposed). While it’s not completely fool-proof, it does give an added level of comfort to know it’s there.
You can change them a ton. They sell a few different baby spouts with different flows to start off, as well as a sippy cup add-on option alongside a bunch of different lids to fit them all. This link shows you the lid options that are available.
They’ve become popular enough nowadays that you can find them in brick-and-mortar stores like Whole Foods, Buy Buy Baby, etc.
When you factor in that you’re really supposed to be replacing plastic bottles as soon as they start looking crusty, these might actually not be any more expensive in the long run because they’ll last forever.

Lifefactory Glass Bottles – The Cons:

The fact that it’s glass makes it heavier than most other baby bottles on the market. Many will say that this makes it harder for their child to hold the bottle on their own, which is a valid concern. My daughter refused to drink from ANY baby bottle (and I tried almost a dozen brands), so this was never an issue for us, nor is it for parents who prefer to hold the bottle themselves, but I can see that being problematic.
While it doesn’t claim to be unbreakable (and actually says it pretty straightforwardly on its website), I still kinda hoped that it was because of its silicone shell, which I realize is totally my fault. I’m STILL finding pieces of the one glass we broke about a year ago (which I guess is pretty good odds, all things considered).
I’m not crazy about the fact that the sippy cup portion is plastic, but you can get around this by using a paper straw to avoid the issue completely.
Their customer service sucks. There once was a time when you could request replacement glasses and they’d send them to you for around $5 each, but my most recent exchange with them involved me being passed around for a month and then eventually just being told no. I get that policies change, but you could have told me that a month earlier and saved us all some time.

In Closing:

If you’re of the mindset that glass is best, Lifefactory is where you need to start. They easily have the most impressive lineup of sizes and colors, and the fact that their products are either made in the U.S. or Europe is a lot more valuable than you’d immediately think because they’re held to higher safety standards. The weight is a definite issue, but you’re going to encounter that with any glass bottle on the market, and while stainless steel is quickly gaining traction as being a safe, lighter alternative, the jury is still out on how it fares with really hot temperatures (and am I the only one who finds it incredibly alarming that most of them leave your drink tasting like metal afterwards?).

We ended up with 5 smaller (4oz) bottles and 4 larger (9oz) ones, which are probably slightly more than you actually need – I’d recommend beginning with one of their starter sets and working your way through those to see how things go. I wish I held onto our baby bottle spouts so you could see them, but click the Lifefactory link below and you can see all available options. The reality is that these are well-made, safe bottles that you can use for a long time, and even though pretty much everything baby-related is a matter of trial and error, at least you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that you started in the right place.