Best Teething Toys For Babies 2023

When their first teeth start to sprout, many babies morph into fussy, drooling children overnight—or even on the hour. Struggling to provide relief to teething babies often poses one of the first and most frustrating challenges to parents in early infancy. Between disrupted sleep schedules and suddenly irritable babes, it can be daunting to find help, so we’ve compiled a list of the best teething toys for babies to soothe those gums—and provide children, and their parents, some relief. Our top two best baby teethers, the Baby Banana and Sophie La Giraffe, offer different types of shapes and textures for babies to explore.

Soothe those achy gums with one of the best teething toys for babies.

"Babies typically get their first teeth around six months to a year old, and it varies," says Dr. Julie Cernigliaro, a pediatric dentist based in New York City.

The use of teethers can be beneficial to babies, Cernigliaro says, by providing relief to the gums through a cold, hard surface. So long as the baby teethers aren't too cold—think cool like the refrigerator, not the freezer—toys can calm achey gums. Another thing to consider when searching for the perfect teether is which teeth are coming in for baby, certain teething toys are better at reaching molars than others.

Safety is also important to consider given there are a number of unsafe baby teethers and practices to avoid. For example, oral numbing creams are not considered safe for children under the age of 2, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD). That's because these creams include benzocaine, an ingredient that has a high risk of side effects among infants. And although they’ve grown in popularity, parents should also stay away from teething necklaces, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), because these items can lead to choking and strangulation.

I compiled this list of best teething toys for babies by looking at the bestsellers popular with parents, studying pediatrician recommendations, considering safety issues and delving into other criteria including value, quality and that undefinable cuteness factor. After perusing this article, you may be interested in reading about more of the best toys for babies, including toys for 6-month-olds, toys for 9-month-olds and toys for 1-year-olds.

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Made of food-grade silicone, the Baby Banana can be cooled to help soothe gums and is an early toothbrush to get baby in the habit of brushing. Baby can easily grip this teether and rub the soft silicone bristles over their gums. It's also BPA-free, phthalate-free and dishwasher safe.

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Sophie La Giraffe is the grand dame of the best baby teethers and a fixture in nurseries for 55 years. The France-made little giraffe is made from 100% natural rubber (also free of BPA, phthalates and latex), making her totally safe to chew on. She squeaks, engaging babies further, and is composed of plenty of spots to nibble and explore. Don't submerge this teether in the sink, though. Just wipe her clean. Bonus: This toy hardly looks like a teether.

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Parents love this sturdy teether with multiple textures, and it has racked up nearly 30,000 reviews on Amazon with an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5. Made with BPA-free silicone, the Nuby is small enough for early teethers to hold. It's dishwasher safe and affordable.

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Tube-style teethers make it easy for babies to reach their budding molars, so the Moonjax toy is good option for older babies. This highly-rated, non-toxic teether also does double-duty as a sensory toy for toddlers. Parents rave about the design of the teether, which allows babies beginning to develop manual dexterity to hold it and chomp down on at least one point.

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With a lightweight, hollow design the Baby Teething Tubes allow babies to bend the toy to reach their back teeth. The tubes also meet a high threshold for safety: They’re classified as a medical device and made in the USA with food-grade silicone by a family-owned company. These teething tubes are also free of BPA, phthalates, parabens, latex and other possible allergens. Plus, they come in eight cute color options.

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More than 10,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon can't be wrong. The Comotomo Silicone Teether gets high praise for being easy to handle at a great price. Made with food-grade silicone, the Comotomo is designed to mimic babies’ fingers and therefore intuitive for them to reach for it. Pop it into hot soapy water, a sterilizer or the dishwasher to get it clean. Note: It's designed for babies ages 3 months and older.

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The Smily Mia splits the difference between a pacifier and a teether. It works by having baby grip a bar within the toy that lets them reach the penguin's ears, which are nipple shaped. On top of being absolutely adorable, the penguin is dishwasher and freezer safe and made from food-grade, BPA-free silicone. It's easier for the baby to hang onto this one as it fits around their hand as a wearable teether. Ideal for ages 0 to 6 months.

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With the Teetherpop, parents can freeze breastmilk, purees, smoothies or water into homemade popsicles that can soothe babies’ gums. While the Teetherpop is pricier than other frozen food teethers, it also has a larger capacity, a handle for baby to grip and what the company calls "no spill slits" for mess-free snacking. It's also made in the U.S. with silicone and dishwasher safe. The Teetherpop is best for ages 6 months and up.

LOULOU LOLLIPOP US

These handmade teething toys for babies combine BPA-free construction, beechwood and food-grade silicone to create a bespoke choice that also provides different textures to relieve pain in baby's gums. It also rattles and shakes to baby's delight and is available in seven colorways.

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On top of looking adorable, these teething mittens are made with food-grade silicone and make crinkling noises while the baby plays with it, which is a strangely appealing sound to babies. They also pull double-duty protecting baby from scratching their face while also giving them something to chew on. The mitten comes in a variety of adorable colors and themes and is a hit among parents who have exhausted other teething toys.

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Look at Ollie, what a cutie. More than that, this teether can be rolled up into a ball and also has a hollow center that allows it to be used as a bath toy. He's versatile, too: you can toss him in the dishwasher, chill him in the fridge and sterilize him back to new. The little bristles under his tentacles provide another opportunity for massaging gums.

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Larger and better suited for older babies than some of the other adorable teething toys on this list, this Infantino teether also makes crinkle sounds and is good for naptime snuggles. Little ones might prefer the feel of the fabric on their gums or the harder penguin feet or even the attached teething ring.

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For those babies who find the remote control fascinating, this food-grade silicone dupe is a safer option than chewing on the family control. This teether has plenty of texture varieties to intrigue your little one, too. The remote helpfully comes with its own cleaning brush.

As a mom to two young children, including a current teether, I researched this story with interest. I know that not all teething toys work for all babies; it truly can come down to personal preference. I also spoke with a pediatric dentist to understand the health implications of a teether and to find what types of toys might actually benefit a teething child. This article is frequently reviewed for accuracy. It was last updated in February 2023.

While it might be tempting to freeze certain teething rings before handing them to baby, they shouldn't be so cold that they hurt a child's gum tissue.

"There shouldn't be frost on it," Cernigliaro said of the teething rings.

Properly cleaning teethers is also important since the toys can introduce bacteria into babies’ mouths that could lead to decay.

"Wipe them down with white vinegar, definitely not something with harsh chemicals, you can use a mild soap," Cernigliaro said. "You don't want multiple kids or older kids putting it in their mouths and then giving them to the babies."

The last bit of guidance on keeping baby healthy through the teething process is to brush those teeth. Yes, even if there are just two of them. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry now recommends brushing baby teeth as soon as they emerge with just a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste.

Dentist Cernigliaro suggests wiping them clean with a washcloth, too. "You want to clean the teeth with a clean washcloth because you want the teeth to come into a clean environment," she said, adding that treating young children with multiple cavities requires general anesthesia and there is a current wait-list of one year for treatment in New York City, where she practices.

"Early intervention is a big deal," she said.