Dr. Brown's Anti-Colic Options+ vs. Tommee Tippee Natural Start Anti-Colic

Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Anti-Colic Options+ and Tommee Tippee Natural Start Anti-Colic are two of the best-selling anti-colic bottles worldwide. Both aim to reduce the air your baby swallows during feeding, which can cause gas, fussiness, and colic symptoms.

The honest truth: both bottles work well for most babies. But they take fundamentally different approaches. Dr. Brown's uses a patented internal vent system with extra parts. Tommee Tippee builds a simpler anti-colic valve directly into the nipple, keeping the design closer to a standard bottle.

We broke down the vent technology, nipple design, cleaning burden, and real-world cost so you can pick the right bottle — or feel confident knowing that trying both is a perfectly reasonable strategy.

For more on how much your baby should eat per feeding, see our baby feeding chart.

The defining difference between these bottles is how they handle air.

Dr. Brown's Options+ uses a two-piece internal vent system — a vent insert and reservoir that sits inside the bottle. As your baby sucks, air is channeled through the vent and into the back of the bottle, completely bypassing the milk. This creates a positive-pressure flow similar to breastfeeding, which means your baby isn't fighting a vacuum to get milk out. The result is less air swallowed, less oxidation of breast milk nutrients, and a more consistent flow rate.

Tommee Tippee Natural Start uses a one-piece valve built into the base of the nipple. The valve flexes open as needed to let air into the bottle, preventing vacuum buildup. It's a simpler mechanism with no extra parts to assemble or lose.

In practice, parents dealing with severe colic or gas tend to report better results with Dr. Brown's vent system. For mild fussiness, Tommee Tippee's valve is often sufficient — and the reduced cleaning burden is a real quality-of-life win at 3 AM.

If you're breastfeeding and introducing a bottle, nipple shape matters more than most parents realize.

Tommee Tippee's nipple is wide, dome-shaped, and designed to flex like breast tissue. It encourages a wide latch similar to breastfeeding, which can reduce nipple confusion. Many lactation consultants recommend breast-shaped nipples for babies who are still establishing a breastfeeding routine.

Dr. Brown's standard nipple is narrower and more traditional in shape. It works well for babies who are exclusively bottle-fed or who have already established a breastfeeding routine. Dr. Brown's does offer a wide-neck version (Options+ Wide-Neck) with a broader nipple that's closer to Tommee Tippee's shape.

If breast-to-bottle transition is your top priority, Tommee Tippee has the edge out of the box. If you prefer Dr. Brown's vent system but want a wider nipple, look at the wide-neck line.

This is where the rubber meets the road for tired parents. You will wash bottles 6–10 times a day. The number of parts and complexity of assembly adds up fast.

Dr. Brown's Options+ with the vent system has five parts: bottle, nipple, collar, vent insert, and vent reservoir. Each piece needs to be disassembled, washed, and reassembled correctly. If the vent isn't seated properly, the bottle can leak. A small brush (included) is needed to clean the vent reservoir. The good news: once your baby outgrows colic (typically around 4 months), you can remove the vent entirely and use it as a simple three-piece bottle.

Tommee Tippee Natural Start has three parts: bottle, nipple, and screw ring. The anti-colic valve is integrated into the nipple and doesn't separate. Cleaning is straightforward — no special brushes, no tiny parts to track.

If cleaning simplicity is high on your list, Tommee Tippee wins this category clearly.

The per-bottle cost between Dr. Brown's and Tommee Tippee is close — typically within $1–$2 per bottle. Where costs diverge is in replacement parts.

Dr. Brown's vent inserts and reservoirs wear out and need periodic replacement (~$6 for a 2-pack). Tommee Tippee nipples also need replacing as they wear, and tend to cost slightly more (~$8 for a 2-pack). Over a year of feeding, total cost for either system is roughly comparable.

Ways to save on bottles:

• Buy starter sets. Both brands offer newborn kits with multiple sizes and flow rates at a better per-bottle price.
• Register for them. Bottles are a perfect baby registry item — let others buy your initial supply.
• Don't overbuy upfront. Start with 3–4 bottles to confirm your baby accepts the nipple before buying a full set.
• Watch for formula brand bundles. Some formula subscriptions include discounted bottles.

If gas, colic, or spit-up is your primary concern, the Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Anti-Colic Options+ (~$5–$6/bottle in a 4-pack) is the most clinically backed anti-colic bottle on the market. The internal vent system is more work to clean, but parents dealing with serious colic consistently report that it makes a real difference. Start with the 4 oz size for newborns.

If you want a simpler bottle with solid anti-colic performance and a breast-like nipple, the Tommee Tippee Natural Start Anti-Colic (~$5.50–$7/bottle in a 4-pack) is an excellent choice — especially for breastfed babies who need an easy transition. Three parts, intuitive assembly, and a shape babies tend to accept readily.

Our honest advice: if your baby has mild fussiness, start with Tommee Tippee for the easier cleaning. If colic is severe, try Dr. Brown's. Many parents end up owning both.

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Both Dr. Brown's Options+ and Tommee Tippee Natural Start are well-designed anti-colic bottles that reduce air ingestion during feeding. The differences are real and worth understanding:

Dr. Brown's Options+ edges out on clinical evidence for colic reduction, nutrient preservation, glass bottle availability, granular flow options, and the ability to remove the vent as your baby grows.

Tommee Tippee Natural Start edges out on ease of cleaning, breast-like nipple shape, simpler assembly, fewer parts to lose or misassemble, and overall convenience for caregivers.

For most families, the deciding factor comes down to severity of colic symptoms versus tolerance for extra cleaning. Severe colic? Start with Dr. Brown's. Mild fussiness with a premium on simplicity? Go with Tommee Tippee. And remember — babies are individuals. The bottle your friend swears by might not be the one your baby prefers.

If you're tracking feeding amounts and timing — which is especially useful in the first few months — tinylog makes it easy to log bottles and spot patterns over time.

• Baby Feeding Chart — How much your baby should eat by age
• Baby Constipation — What's normal and when to worry
• Baby Diarrhea — Normal stool vs. when to call the pediatrician
• Baby Diaper Rash — Causes, treatment, and when to call your doctor

• Dr. Brown's. "Anti-Colic Internal Vent System — How It Works." drbrownsbaby.com, 2026.
• Tommee Tippee. "Natural Start Anti-Colic Bottles — Product Information." tommeetippee.com, 2026.
• Journal of Human Lactation. "Effect of Bottle Design on Formula Intake and Colic Symptoms." 2014.
• Mommyhood101. "The Best Anti-Colic Bottles of 2026, Tested & Reviewed." mommyhood101.com.
• What to Expect. "Best Anti-Colic Bottles for Gassy Babies." whattoexpect.com, 2026.
• BabyList. "Dr. Brown's vs. Tommee Tippee: Which Bottle Is Best?" babylist.com, 2025.
• Consumer Reports. "Best Baby Bottles From Our Tests." consumerreports.org, 2026.

This guide is for informational purposes only. Bottle choice is a personal preference based on your baby's individual needs. If your baby has persistent colic, excessive spit-up, or feeding difficulties, consult your pediatrician.