Nuby Nananubs Banana vs. Infantino Water Teethers

The Nuby Nananubs Banana and Infantino Water Teethers are both under $10, both widely available, and both show up constantly in teether recommendation roundups. But they take completely different approaches to soothing sore gums.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana is a solid silicone teether shaped like a peeled banana. The "peel" acts as a handle, and the tip is covered in soft nubs and ridges that massage baby's gums as they chew. There is no liquid inside, no moving parts, and nothing that can leak. The banana shape is long enough to reach behind the front gums, and most babies figure out how to hold it within seconds.

Infantino Water Teethers are lightweight plastic rings filled with purified water. You put them in the fridge, and the chilled water core provides cold-therapy relief when baby gnaws on them. They typically come in multi-packs with different shapes and colors, so you can keep one cold while baby uses another.

Both are affordable. Both are safe. The right choice comes down to whether your baby prefers textured pressure or cold numbing — and sometimes you will not know until you try both.

For more on what to expect during teething, see our baby first foods guide.

This is the single most important distinction, and it should drive your decision more than anything else on the comparison chart.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana uses soft silicone nubs that massage gums as your baby chews. The gentle pressure provides counter-stimulation to the ache of emerging teeth. Think of it like pressing on a sore spot with your thumb — the pressure itself distracts from the pain and increases blood flow to the area. The banana tip has nubs at different heights and angles, so babies can find a surface that feels good no matter which teeth are bothering them.

Infantino Water Teethers use cold therapy. The purified water sealed inside the teether holds a cold temperature for a reasonable stretch after coming out of the fridge. Cold numbs the nerve endings in inflamed gums and reduces swelling. It is the same principle behind the old trick of giving babies a cold washcloth to chew on — Infantino just packages it in a safer, easier-to-grip form.

Some babies strongly prefer one method over the other. Others are perfectly content with either. Many families keep both types on hand and rotate depending on the day, the tooth, and the baby's mood. There is no wrong answer — you are matching the teether to your baby's needs in that moment.

A teether your baby cannot hold on their own is a teether that lives in your hand. And during peak teething fussiness, your hands are already full.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana has a natural advantage here. The banana-peel handle is curved and easy for small hands to wrap around, even for babies with developing motor skills. The shape is long enough that babies can hold one end and chew on the other without their fingers getting in the way. Parents frequently mention that their baby figured out how to grip the Nananubs faster than other teethers they tried.

Infantino Water Teethers come in ring and key shapes that are also designed for easy gripping. The flat profile makes them simple to hold, but some parents report that very young babies (3-4 months) have trouble keeping them positioned against their gums. By 5-6 months, most babies handle them without any issue.

One practical note: the Nananubs Banana is also easier to keep track of. Its bright yellow color and distinctive shape make it easy to spot when it rolls under the couch or falls off the stroller. That sounds like a small thing until you have spent ten minutes looking for a clear teething ring in a cluttered living room.

Both teethers meet US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards. Neither contains BPA, PVC, or phthalates. Both are recommended for babies 3 months and older.

Where they diverge is in how you clean them and how long they hold up.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana is straightforward to clean. Warm soapy water works for everyday cleaning. You can also place it on the top rack of your dishwasher or drop it in boiling water for a few minutes to sterilize. The solid silicone is non-porous, so bacteria cannot work its way into surface cracks. It holds up to repeated sterilization without breaking down.

Infantino Water Teethers require hand-washing only. Do not put them in the dishwasher or boil them — heat can weaken the water seal and cause leaks. Wash with warm soapy water, rinse well, and let them air-dry. Before every use, inspect the teether for cracks, punctures, or cloudiness in the water. If anything looks off, toss it.

This is a meaningful difference for parents who like to sterilize teethers frequently. The Nananubs can handle whatever cleaning method you prefer. Infantino's water teethers need a lighter touch, which is a fair trade-off for the cold-therapy relief they provide.

Teething is a long process. Front teeth (incisors) usually emerge between 6 and 12 months. First molars arrive between 13 and 19 months. Second molars show up between 23 and 33 months. A teether that only works for the first round of teeth is not going to carry you through the entire journey.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana has a useful advantage during those later teething stages. Its elongated shape lets babies push the nubbed tip further back in the mouth, reaching the areas where molars emerge. The soft nubs still provide that gum-massage relief even when positioned against the back gums.

Infantino Water Teethers are shaped for front-gum relief. Their flat profiles work well when incisors are coming in, but babies have a harder time positioning them against back molars. This does not make them a bad product — it simply means their sweet spot is the earlier teething stages.

If your baby is under a year and cutting front teeth, both teethers will do the job. If your toddler is dealing with molars and you want something that reaches further back, the Nananubs Banana is the stronger choice.

You will not always be near a fridge, and teething pain does not wait for a convenient moment.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana is a solid piece of silicone with no liquid inside. You can toss it in a diaper bag, clip it to a stroller, or keep one in the car without worrying about temperature. It works at room temperature just as well as it does chilled. That makes it the more flexible option for outings, errands, and travel.

Infantino Water Teethers are at their best when cold. At room temperature, they still provide some chewing satisfaction, but you lose the cold-therapy benefit that makes them stand out. If you are heading out for a few hours, you can pack one in an insulated bag with an ice pack — but that is an extra step most parents do not want to deal with every time they leave the house.

For home use, this difference barely matters. For families who are frequently on the move, the Nananubs Banana has a clear edge.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana typically costs $5 to $8 for a single teether. Infantino Water Teethers come in multi-packs for roughly the same total price, bringing the per-teether cost down to about $2.50 to $3.50 each.

On a pure cost-per-unit basis, Infantino wins. But durability matters here.

The Nananubs Banana is solid silicone, and it can last through months of aggressive chewing — some families even pass it down to a second child. Infantino Water Teethers have a shorter functional lifespan because the water seal can degrade over time, and heavy chewers may eventually puncture the outer shell. You may go through several Infantino teethers in the time a single Nananubs stays in rotation.

For families who want several teethers scattered around the house and in the fridge, Infantino multi-packs are the better deal. For families who prefer a single durable teether they can rely on for the long haul, the Nananubs Banana justifies its higher per-unit price.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana Teether ($5-$8) is a durable, banana-shaped silicone teether with soft nubs that massage sore gums. It is easy to clean, easy to grip, and easy to toss in a diaper bag. A solid pick for babies who respond to textured gum massage.

The Infantino Water Teethers ($5-$7 for a multi-pack) give you cold-therapy relief at a great price per teether. Keep a couple in the fridge and rotate them throughout the day. They are especially helpful during those intense early teething stretches when cold is the only thing that brings relief.

Many parents end up owning both — and that is a perfectly reasonable approach. Teething is unpredictable, and having different types of relief available means you can match the teether to the moment.

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The Nuby Nananubs Banana and Infantino Water Teethers are both good, affordable teethers that take different paths to the same goal: soothing your baby's sore gums.

The Nuby Nananubs Banana wins on durability, easy sterilization, portability, and its banana shape that babies love to grab. It works at room temperature, reaches back gums, and holds up to months of heavy chewing. It is the stronger pick for families who want one reliable teether that travels well.

Infantino Water Teethers win on cold-therapy relief, per-teether value, and the convenience of multi-packs you can rotate between the fridge and your baby's hands. They are the better pick for early teething when cold numbing makes the biggest difference.

There is no single "best" teether for every baby. Teething preferences vary from child to child and even from tooth to tooth. Buying one of each and seeing what your baby reaches for is a strategy that costs under $15 and covers your bases.

If you are tracking feedings during teething — and it is a good idea, since teething often disrupts feeding patterns — tinylog makes it simple to log feeds, note fussiness, and spot whether a feeding dip lines up with a new tooth coming in.

• Nuby.com. "Nananubs Banana Massaging Toothbrush — Product Information." 2026.
• Infantino.com. "Water Teethers — Product Information." 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.