Tommee Tippee has been one of the most trusted names in baby feeding since 1965 — and sixty years on, it's still the brand parents reach for when they want a bottle that just works. Loved by Kiwi parents for its soft, breast-like teat, solid anti-colic performance, and an ecosystem of feeding products that covers everything from newborn to toddler, Tommee Tippee is a brand you can grow with from day one.
But the range has expanded significantly over the years. Closer to Nature or Advanced Anti-Colic? Plastic or glass? Which teat flow for a newborn? And what exactly does the Perfect Prep Machine do? This guide answers all of it — clearly, in plain language, so you can choose with confidence.
Browse the full Tommee Tippee range at Babies.co.nz →
Why Do Parents Choose Tommee Tippee?
Tommee Tippee's enduring appeal comes down to one thing done exceptionally well: a bottle teat that feels natural. The brand's signature breast-like teat — wide, soft, and flexible — was designed to encourage the same broad latch that breastfed babies use at the breast. This makes Tommee Tippee one of the most recommended bottles for combination feeding, and one of the easiest brands for babies to accept without fuss.
The brand also has the advantage of a complete, cohesive product ecosystem. Bottles, teats, sterilisers, warmers, breast pumps, soothers, cups, and the iconic Perfect Prep Machine are all designed to work together — so once you start with Tommee Tippee, you can stay in the same system all the way through to toddlerhood without switching brands or buying adapters.
Understanding the Tommee Tippee Bottle Range
Closer to Nature — The Iconic Range
The Closer to Nature bottle is the product that built Tommee Tippee's global reputation. It's been refined and improved over decades but the core philosophy remains unchanged — a bottle that mimics breastfeeding as closely as possible, making it easier for babies to switch between breast and bottle without confusion.
The defining feature is the teat. Tommee Tippee's Closer to Nature teat is wide, dome-shaped, and made from ultra-soft silicone that flexes in response to your baby's sucking. The shape encourages a broad, deep latch similar to the breast, and the built-in anti-colic valve helps reduce air ingestion during feeds — keeping wind, gas, and post-feed discomfort to a minimum.
The Closer to Nature range is available in:
- 260ml 3-pack — the most practical everyday option, giving you enough bottles to get through a full day without constant washing
- 340ml 2-pack — for older babies with bigger appetites
- Glow bottle 260ml — includes a night-glow feature that lets you check feed levels without turning on the light — a genuine lifesaver for night feeds
Who should choose Closer to Nature:
- Breastfed babies or those transitioning between breast and bottle
- Parents formula feeding from birth who want a trusted, widely recommended option
- First-time parents building a starter kit — this is the range most health professionals recommend first
Advanced Anti-Colic — The Specialist Range
The Advanced Anti-Colic bottle builds on the Closer to Nature foundation with a more targeted approach to reducing colic and gas. While the Closer to Nature teat has a built-in anti-colic valve, the Advanced Anti-Colic bottle goes further — featuring a heat-sensing tube at the bottom of the bottle that vents air out before it reaches the milk, actively removing bubbles during the feed.
This is a meaningfully different approach. Rather than simply venting air away from the teat, the Advanced Anti-Colic system works throughout the bottle — which is why it's the better choice for babies with more significant colic, wind, or reflux symptoms. The heat-sensing tube also changes colour if the milk is too hot, adding an extra safety check that busy, sleep-deprived parents will genuinely appreciate.
The Advanced Anti-Colic bottle is available in 260ml 2-packs at Babies.co.nz.
Who should choose Advanced Anti-Colic:
- Babies with noticeable colic, wind, or gas after feeds
- Parents whose baby has been unsettled with a standard bottle
- Parents formula feeding from birth who want maximum anti-colic protection
Natural Start Glass Bottles — The Glass Range
Glass is making a significant comeback among NZ parents — and Tommee Tippee's Natural Start glass bottle is the brand's answer to that demand. Made from borosilicate glass — the same premium material used in laboratory and pharmaceutical equipment — the Natural Start bottle is heat and thermal shock resistant, completely odour-free, and incredibly easy to sterilise.
The Natural Start glass bottle is available in 250ml at Babies.co.nz and comes with a slow flow teat — making it ideal for newborns and young babies.
Who should choose glass:
- Parents who prefer to avoid plastic entirely
- Parents of newborns — glass is particularly practical in the early weeks when feeding is mostly stationary and sterilising is most frequent
- Parents who formula feed and want the cleanest possible vessel — formula mixes particularly well in glass
Glass vs plastic — quick comparison:
| Plastic | Glass | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Lightweight | Heavier |
| Shatterproof | Yes | No |
| Odour-free | Over time can absorb odours | Always odour-free |
| Sterilisation | Excellent | Excellent |
| Best for | Travel, on-the-go, older babies | Home use, newborns |
| Price | More affordable | Higher upfront cost |
Many parents use glass at home and plastic on the go — a practical combination that gives you the benefits of both.
Tommee Tippee Bottles for Newborns
For newborns, start with the Closer to Nature 260ml 3-pack or the Natural Start Glass 250ml with a slow flow teat. Newborns have tiny stomachs — typically taking only 60–90ml per feed in the first few weeks — so the bottle size matters less than the teat flow at this stage. What matters most is choosing the slowest available flow to prevent gulping and air swallowing.
The Closer to Nature teat's wide, breast-shaped design makes it the most natural transition for newborns who are also being breastfed. If breastfeeding is established, introduce the bottle around three to four weeks to avoid disrupting your milk supply or creating a preference for the bottle over the breast.
For newborns with noticeable wind or colic from the first feeds, consider starting with the Advanced Anti-Colic bottle from day one rather than waiting to see how feeds go.
Tommee Tippee Teat Flow Guide
Choosing the right teat flow is one of the most important — and most overlooked — bottle decisions. A flow that's too fast causes gulping, air swallowing, and increased colic. A flow that's too slow causes frustration, longer feeds, and a tired, hungry baby.
| Teat | Flow | Age Guide | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow Flow | Slow | 0–3 months | Newborns, breastfed babies, slow feeders |
| Variable Flow | Medium | 3+ months | Babies ready to control their own flow |
| Fast Flow | Fast | 6+ months | Older, more efficient feeders |
All Tommee Tippee teats are sold separately in 2-packs — shop the full teat range at Babies.co.nz.
Signs your baby needs a faster flow:
- Takes longer than 30 minutes to finish a feed
- Falls asleep before finishing
- Pulls off the teat repeatedly in frustration
Signs the flow is too fast:
- Gulping, spluttering, or milk dribbling from the corners of the mouth
- Increased wind or spit-up after feeds
- Pulling away from the bottle frequently during feeds
One important note: "variable flow" teats are unique to Tommee Tippee — they allow your baby to control the flow themselves by changing the angle of the bottle, which makes them a great choice for babies who feed at different speeds or who are combination feeding.
Is Tommee Tippee Good for Breastfed Babies?
Yes — the Closer to Nature range is one of the most widely recommended bottle options for combination feeding, and has been for decades. The wide, breast-shaped teat encourages the same broad, deep latch that breastfed babies use at the breast, which significantly reduces the risk of nipple confusion or a preference developing for the bottle over the breast.
For breastfed babies, always start with the slow flow teat regardless of age — breastfed babies are used to working for their milk, and a slow flow keeps that experience consistent. The variable flow teat is also an excellent option as your baby gets older, as it allows them to self-regulate the flow the way they would at the breast.
Browse our full breastfeeding range at Babies.co.nz for breast pumps, nipple shields, breast pads, and storage bags to support your full feeding journey.
Are Tommee Tippee Bottles Good or Bad?
This is one of the most searched questions about the brand — and the honest answer is: they're excellent for most babies, with a few things to be aware of.
The good:
- Soft, breast-shaped teat is widely accepted by babies and excellent for combination feeding
- Good anti-colic performance across both ranges
- Simple assembly — fewer parts than Dr Brown's, easier to clean
- Wide availability of replacement teats and accessories
- Completely integrated product ecosystem
Things to be aware of:
- The Closer to Nature bottle is not as powerful an anti-colic solution as Dr Brown's for babies with significant colic or reflux — the Advanced Anti-Colic bottle is the better choice in those cases
- Some parents find the teat flow choices less granular than other brands — Tommee Tippee offers slow, variable, and fast, whereas brands like Philips AVENT offer six numbered flow levels
- Glass bottles are only available in one size (250ml), which limits options for older babies with bigger appetites
For the vast majority of Kiwi parents, Tommee Tippee is an excellent choice — particularly for combination feeders and those who want a straightforward, well-made bottle from a brand with a proven 60-year track record.
The Perfect Prep Machine — What Is It and Is It Worth It?
The Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep Machine is one of the most talked-about baby products in the world — and for good reason. If you're formula feeding, it's arguably the single most useful piece of kit you can own.
Here's the problem it solves: to prepare formula safely, you need to use water that's at least 70°C to kill any bacteria in the powder — but a bottle that's too hot is unsafe to feed immediately. The traditional approach involves boiling water, letting it cool to 70°C, mixing the formula, then cooling the whole bottle to feeding temperature. At 3am, this takes 15–20 minutes — which is 15–20 minutes of a screaming hungry baby.
The Perfect Prep Machine does this in under two minutes. It works by first delivering a small shot of hot water (over 70°C) to mix with the formula powder and kill any bacteria, then topping the bottle up to the correct volume with filtered water at room temperature — giving you a fresh, perfectly mixed, body-temperature bottle in 90 seconds flat. Every single time.
The Day and Night version adds a soft night light and a quieter pump cycle specifically for night feeds — so you can make a bottle in the dark without waking anyone else in the house.
Is it worth the investment?
If you're exclusively or mostly formula feeding, almost certainly yes. The time saved over months of feeds — and the stress saved at 3am — is significant. It also eliminates the risk of making a bottle incorrectly when you're exhausted, which is a genuine safety benefit.
What you need to know:
- The machine uses replacement filters that need changing every three months — we stock the Perfect Prep Replacement Filter at Babies.co.nz
- It works with all Tommee Tippee bottles and most standard-width bottles from other brands
- It's compatible with all powdered formula brands
- The machine requires a power outlet — it's a countertop appliance, not portable
Tommee Tippee Breast Pumps — Part of the Same System
One of Tommee Tippee's strengths is that their breast pumps are designed to work directly with their bottles — so you can express straight into a Closer to Nature or Natural Start bottle without any adapters or transfers.
At Babies.co.nz we stock the full Tommee Tippee pump range:
- Made For Me Double Wearable Breast Pump — hands-free, wireless, and wearable inside your bra. Express both sides simultaneously without being tethered to a wall. Ideal for working parents or anyone who needs to pump frequently
- Single Electric Breast Pump — compact single electric pump for regular expressing
- Made For Me Single Electric — lightweight, rechargeable single pump
- Manual Breast Pump — quiet, portable, and battery-free. Perfect for occasional use or travel
Sterilising Tommee Tippee Bottles
All Tommee Tippee bottles and teats are dishwasher safe on the top rack and fully compatible with steam sterilisation. The Closer to Nature Microwave Steriliser sterilises up to four bottles in just four minutes using your microwave — no electricity required beyond the microwave itself, making it a practical and affordable option.
For the most thorough sterilisation, electric steam sterilisers are the gold standard — sterilising and drying multiple bottles in a single hands-free cycle.
General sterilising tips for Tommee Tippee bottles:
- Disassemble all parts — bottle, collar, teat, and valve — and rinse immediately after each feed
- Wash in warm soapy water or the dishwasher top rack before sterilising
- Replace teats every two to three months or sooner if you notice any thinning, stickiness, or discolouration
- Make sure all parts are fully dry before reassembling and storing
Tommee Tippee Gift Sets and Bundles
Tommee Tippee is one of the most popular baby shower gift brands — and with good reason. The Closer to Nature Glow Bottle and Soother Set is a beautiful and practical gift that covers two of the most-needed newborn items in one box. For parents building their full feeding kit before baby arrives, the 260ml 3-pack gives the best value per bottle.
If you're buying as a gift and unsure what to choose, the 260ml 3-pack of Closer to Nature bottles paired with a set of slow flow teats is the most universally useful combination — suitable from birth and practical through the first six months.
Shop Tommee Tippee at Babies.co.nz
Babies.co.nz is a proudly New Zealand-owned baby specialist, helping Kiwi families find the right products since 1998. We stock the full Tommee Tippee range — bottles, teats, the Perfect Prep Machine, sterilisers, breast pumps, soothers, cups, and sleeping products — with Price Match available and 5% back in Rewards on every purchase.
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