Infantino Water Teethers vs. Chuya Baby Teether Toy

Infantino Water Teethers and the Chuya Baby Teether Toy both cost less than a nice coffee, and both are popular picks for sore gums. But they work in fundamentally different ways.

Infantino Water Teethers are lightweight plastic rings filled with purified water. Stick them in the fridge for an hour, pull them out cold, and hand them to your baby. The chilled water inside numbs inflamed gums and reduces swelling. They come in multi-packs so you can keep one cold while baby chews another.

The Chuya Baby Teether Toy is a food-grade silicone teether shaped like a TV remote control. Raised, textured buttons give your baby varied chewing surfaces, and the familiar shape holds their attention because it looks like the real remote they desperately want. There is no water fill, no cold therapy — the relief comes from pressure, texture, and the sheer distraction of finally having their own remote.

Both are safe, affordable, and recommended for babies 3 months and older. The decision comes down to which soothing approach your baby responds to.

This is the single most important distinction between these two teethers.

Infantino Water Teethers rely on cold to soothe. The purified water sealed inside the shell holds a refrigerator-level chill for roughly 10 to 20 minutes of active use. Cold numbs nerve endings in sore gums and reduces the swelling that comes with emerging teeth. It is the same principle behind the old trick of chewing a cold washcloth — Infantino packages it in a shape babies can hold.

The Chuya teether relies on texture and counter-pressure. The raised buttons create varied surfaces that massage gums as your baby bites down. Different areas of the remote have different textures, so babies can shift the teether around to find whatever feels best on a given tooth. There is also a meaningful distraction element — pressing the buttons gives fingers something to do, which keeps baby engaged longer.

Many babies have a clear preference for one approach. Some want nothing but cold when they are cutting a new tooth. Others could not care less about cold but will happily gnaw on a textured surface for extended stretches. If you are not sure which camp your baby falls into, trying one of each is an inexpensive way to find out.

This is the area where these two teethers are the furthest apart — and it matters more than you might expect when you are cleaning teethers multiple times a day.

Infantino Water Teethers have a limitation built into their design: the water seal. You cannot put them in the dishwasher. You cannot boil them. You cannot run them through a sterilizer. Heat can compromise the seal, which can lead to leaks. The cleaning method is hand-washing with warm soapy water, then air-drying. It works fine, but it requires a bit more care.

You also need to inspect Infantino teethers before each use. If your baby is an aggressive chewer, the outer shell can develop weak spots over time. The moment you see a crack, cloudiness in the water, or any sign of a puncture, that teether goes in the trash. Depending on how hard your baby chews, you may go through a pack every few months.

The Chuya teether is solid silicone with no internal cavities or liquid fill. You can wash it however you want — dishwasher, boiling water, hand-scrub, sterilizer, whatever is easiest. Silicone does not degrade from heat or repeated cleaning. It does not harbor bacteria in surface cracks the way some plastics can. A single Chuya teether will likely last through your baby's entire teething journey and possibly through a second child.

For parents who value simple, no-fuss cleaning, the Chuya teether has a real advantage here.

Here is something worth saying plainly: the best teether is the one your baby will actually use. A beautifully designed, pediatrician-recommended teether is worthless if your baby flings it across the room and goes back to chewing on your phone.

This is where the Chuya remote teether has an edge that is hard to quantify on a spec sheet. Babies want the remote. They watch you hold it. They see you point it at the TV. They reach for it every single time it is within arm's length. Giving them their own version — one that is safe to chew and press — taps into a desire that is already there.

Parents consistently report that babies who reject other teethers will happily gnaw on the Chuya remote for long stretches. The buttons add a fidget-toy element that goes beyond gum relief. Baby chews, presses, explores the textures, and stays occupied. For parents trying to get through a meal or a phone call during a rough teething stretch, that engagement time is valuable.

Infantino Water Teethers do not have this built-in appeal. They are functional — cold ring, sore gums, relief — but they do not hold attention the way a remote shape does. Some babies are perfectly content with a cold ring. Others need something more engaging. Knowing which type your baby is will help you choose.

Cold-therapy teethers tend to shine during the most intense teething episodes — those stretches when gums are red, swollen, and clearly painful. If your baby is drooling heavily, refusing food, and inconsolable, a chilled Infantino teether can provide immediate, visible relief. The cold numbs the area and brings the swelling down, which is why pediatricians have recommended cold items for teething pain for decades.

The key with cold therapy is timing and rotation. A single Infantino teether stays cold for a limited window. Once it warms to room temperature, the cold benefit is gone and you are left with a room-temperature plastic ring. This is exactly why Infantino sells in multi-packs — you keep one or two in the fridge and swap them out as needed.

The Chuya teether can be refrigerated too, and cold silicone does feel soothing. But silicone does not hold cold the way a water-filled core does. If cold is specifically what your baby needs, the Infantino teethers are purpose-built for that job.

On the other hand, if cold is not a major factor for your baby — some babies are indifferent to temperature and respond more to pressure — then the Infantino's core advantage does not apply, and the Chuya teether's durability and engagement become more relevant.

On a pure dollars-per-teether basis, Infantino is the clear winner. A 2-pack runs $5 to $7, which puts each teether in the $2.50 to $3.50 range. That is hard to beat for a product that actually works.

The Chuya teether costs $8 to $14 for a single unit — roughly three to four times the per-unit cost of an Infantino teether. That is a real difference on a new-parent budget.

But cost per teether is not the whole story. Infantino Water Teethers have a shorter functional lifespan. The water seal can weaken, aggressive chewers can puncture the shell, and once there is any damage, the teether is done. Over a full teething journey (which can stretch from 4 months to 2+ years), you may buy several packs of Infantino teethers.

The Chuya teether is built to last. Solid silicone does not degrade from chewing, cleaning, or time. One teether can realistically serve your baby from the first signs of teething through the last molar. Over the long haul, the total spend may end up similar.

For families who want the lowest upfront cost and the flexibility of multiple teethers around the house, Infantino multi-packs are the smart buy. For families who prefer to purchase once and not think about it again, the Chuya teether is a sound investment.

The Infantino Water Teethers ($5–$7 for a multi-pack) give you cold-therapy relief at the lowest per-teether price on the market. Keep a few in the fridge and rotate them when your baby is in the thick of a teething stretch. They are especially helpful during those red, swollen-gum episodes when cold is the only thing that works.

The Chuya Baby Teether Toy ($8–$14) is a durable, dishwasher-safe silicone remote that babies gravitate toward instinctively. If your little one is already eyeing the real remote, this gives them their own — and it soothes sore gums while keeping them occupied.

Plenty of parents end up with both on hand, and at a combined cost of under $20, that is a reasonable approach. Cold relief for the worst moments, remote distraction for everyday teething fussiness.

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Infantino Water Teethers and the Chuya Baby Teether Toy are both effective, affordable teethers that approach gum relief from different angles.

Infantino Water Teethers win on cold-therapy soothing, per-teether value, and the convenience of multi-packs you can rotate from the fridge. They are the stronger pick when your baby is in an intense teething stretch and cold is the thing that brings relief. The tradeoffs are limited cleaning options, shorter product lifespan, and less ability to hold a baby's attention beyond the cold effect.

The Chuya Baby Teether Toy wins on durability, easy sterilization, distraction value, and long-term cost efficiency. It holds up to months of hard chewing, goes in the dishwasher without a second thought, and gives babies the remote shape they are already wired to want. The tradeoff is that it lacks the specific cold-therapy relief that some babies depend on.

Neither is the wrong choice. They solve different parts of the teething problem, and many families keep both within arm's reach. At a combined price of around $15 to $20, having both types is an easy way to cover your bases.

If you are tracking feedings alongside teething symptoms — and it is worth doing, since teething can disrupt feeding patterns in surprising ways — tinylog makes it straightforward to log everything and share the data with your pediatrician.

• Infantino.com. "Water Teethers — Product Details and Care Instructions." 2026.
• Chuya. "Baby Teether Toy TV Remote — Product Information." Amazon.com. 2026.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. "Teething: 4 to 7 Months." HealthyChildren.org. 2025.
• FDA. "Safely Soothing Teething Pain and Sensory Needs in Babies and Older Children." fda.gov. 2024.
• Consumer Product Safety Commission. "Teether Safety Guidelines." cpsc.gov.
• BabyGearLab. "Best Baby Teethers." babygearlab.com. 2026.
• WhatToExpect. "Best Teethers for Babies." whattoexpect.com. 2026.

This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Every baby's teething experience is different. If your baby has persistent pain, fever above 101 F, or refuses to eat for more than a day, consult your pediatrician. Always supervise teether use and inspect products for damage before each session.