Teething is no joke. When your baby starts cutting teeth, you’ll probably know all about it – teething can bring all sorts of discomfort, from sleeplessness and fever to sore gums and general irritability. But while teething isn’t serious – in so far as it’s something your baby just has to get through – it can be distressing to see your baby experiencing pain. Anything that helps soothe sore gums or distract your little one from the discomfort of teething can be a big help.
Before you buy a teething toy, think about what’s most likely to fit your lifestyle best. If you’re always on the go and rarely at home, choose a teething toy you can pop in your change bag. If, by contrast, you’re a homebody, keeping a teether on standby in the freezer means you’ll always have something soothing to hand.
Teething babies tend to shove everything in their mouths in a bid to bring relief to sore gums, but it’s important to choose a teether made from appropriate materials that won’t harm your baby, and which is robust enough to withstand some serious chewing.
The Matchstick Monkey Teething Toy is our favourite – it’s cute, colourful and effective. And all babies seem to love it!
We couldn’t love this guy more! Made from BPA free food grade silicone, it’s suitable from birth and sure to bring a smile to your baby – even if their gnashers are bringing tears to their eyes! The ergonomic design makes this easy for even young babies to grasp and grip firmly. We love that it’s dishwasher safe for peace of mind when it comes to keeping it clean. We also like that it’s freezer friendly, so it’s another one you can pop in the freezer and keep on standby for when your little one needs something cold to alleviate the pain associated with teething.
This colourful teething toy has a bumpy texture, designed to gently massage your baby’s gums as they chew on it. It’s more like a pacifier than a conventional teether, so your baby can chew away on it ‘hands-free’ while they play. This means your baby doesn’t need expert hand-eye co-ordination to get the benefit of this teether, but consumer reviews suggest that babies over six months show more interest in it. We love that you can pop it in the freezer and bring it out when your baby needs a next-level solution to teething pain. We also like that it’s made from 100% silicone and is non-toxic.
Made from 100% natural rubber, Sophie La Giraffe is a classic teething toy loved by babies all around the world. The little giraffe’s contrasting spots provide visual stimulation, while her inner squeaker helps stimulates hearing, teaches cause and effect, and is sure to keep little ones entertained. She’s light to hold with a long neck and legs so that even tiny hands can get a good grasp of her. Our favourite thing about Sophie is how soft she is – she’s designed that way to stimulate soothing physiological and emotional responses in your baby, making her a truly comforting teething toy.
With a soft velour body designed to encourage tactile stimulation and a high contrast black and white pattern to stimulate visual senses, this teething toy is brilliant for use from birth. As well as the pull-out teether to bite and chew on, this also features a discovery mirror, crinkle wings, click-clack rings and a squeaker, so there’s plenty to keep your little one occupied, even when their teeth aren’t bothering them. We like the fact that it’s designed to attach to your baby’s pushchair or car seat, so you’ll always have a teether close at hand no matter where you are.
This adorable sensory baby toy is stuffed full of interactive features designed to stimulate your baby’s senses. There are three different buttons to press which, when activated, introduce your baby to the concepts of numbers, shapes and animals. It also plays no less than 12 musical melodies. We like that it’s also a rattle, as we think multi-functional toys offer great value for money, and we love that it has volume control – so you can take things down a notch if the musical features start to grate! The teething element of this toy is secondary – it’s so much more than a teether – but the bit for your baby to bite on will certainly do the job of soothing sore gums.
