When your baby starts teething, it feels like there are approximately 4,000 different teethers you’re supposed to buy.
My baby cut her first tooth at just three months old, so I feel like I have some authority to talk about the best teethers on the market. 😂
We bought pretty much everything Amazon had because…well, a three-month-old was teething. Most of them eventually got tossed aside.
But there are three teethers that actually earned their spot in our house, and each one worked really well during a different stage of teething.
1. The Chicken: Best for Early Teething
Product: ChooKaChoo! 3 Pack Baby Teething Toy Silicone Teething Mitten for Babies Over 3 Months – Anti-Dropping Wrist Hand Teethers, Baby Chew Toys for Sucking Needs, BPA Free
The chicken was our tried-and-true teether from about three months to a little over six months.
At that age, she wasn’t really ready to aggressively chew on a traditional teether yet. She wanted to suck.
And this thing was perfect for that.
She could put her little hand inside the chicken like a mitt, which meant she could actually hold onto it herself. The little arms sticking out from the sides were the perfect size for her to suck on.
And when she wasn’t sucking on the arms, she was obsessed with the little textured “hair” on top of the chicken. She would run her tongue over it and explore all the different textures.
We were also a no-binky family, so the chicken became this beautiful middle ground between a teething baby who wanted to suck constantly and a mom who did not want to nurse 24/7.
For those really early teething months, this was easily our favorite.
2. The Teething Sticks: When Chewing Takes Over
Product: Teething Sticks for Babies 36+ Months – Super Soft Silicone Teething Aids, Infant Oral Soothing Relief Back Molars, Multicolor 6-Pack or 10-Pack
The chicken was tried and true until one day…it just got tossed aside.
Right around the time those four front teeth came in, sucking wasn’t cutting it anymore.
Sucking was out. Chewing was in.
And suddenly, the chicken just wasn’t doing it for us.
Our next find was these silicone teething sticks.
I’ll admit, these looked weird to me at first. They also looked like something that could be a choking hazard, so I was hesitant.
But for teething, they worked perfectly for her.
Unlike some of the big, clunky teethers we’d tried, she could maneuver the stick exactly where she wanted it. She’d get it toward the back of her mouth and chew right where her gums were bothering her.
And as a side bonus?
Apparently, they also make excellent baby flutes. 😂
She figured out she could blow air through them, which became an entirely separate form of entertainment.
3. Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys: When Only Something Cold Will Do
Product: Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys – Blue
My biggest complaint about both the chicken and the teething sticks?
They don’t get cold.
That wasn’t a big deal during those first few months, but eventually I realized I had a baby who loves cold things.
I’m talking sees a glass of ice water and immediately wants to stick her hand in it levels of enthusiasm.
So not having a teether that could get cold became a problem.
I researched a bunch of them, but so many refrigerated teethers seemed huge and clunky.
Then I found the Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys.
Key to relief is here! (Amazon)
Are they perfect?
No.
There are three keys attached to one ring and THEY DON’T COME OFF.
Like…who designed this?
I would love to be able to hand her one individual cold key instead of the entire keychain.
But they get cold quickly, and they stay cold for at least long enough to satisfy her.
Despite my ongoing beef with whoever permanently attached all three keys together, these have been a big win for us.
So, Which Teethers Are Actually Worth Buying?
After buying way more teethers than any household probably needs, these are the three I would actually spend money on again.
- The silicone chicken mitten for those early months when sucking feels better than chewing.
- The silicone teething sticks when chewing takes over and they want something they can maneuver around their mouth.
- The Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys when those gums are sore and only something chilly will do.
Were there other teethers she played with? Absolutely.
But if I could go back and only buy three?
These would be it.
This post is based on our personal experience. Always follow the manufacturer’s age, use, and supervision recommendations for teething products.