We were thrilled to hear about the new line of silicone sheaths for glass bottles recently released by Silikids, the company behind a line of silicone bibs and another of knee pads for crawlers. We had watched with dismay as Babylife prepared for the launch of their Wee-go bottle a few months ago and discovered that they were planning on selling their nondescript ten-ounce glass bottles with silicone sheaths for $18 apiece, a price we felt was too high for a product of questionable necessity that might nonetheless help bridge a gap keeping some parents from an alternative to polycarbonate bottles, which contain Bisphenol-A. We elected not to cover the Wee-go in our latest Z Report, as we felt the product could not justify its price and thus was unsustainable over the long term.
Silikids' "Siliskins" use standard four- and eight-ounce Evenflo bottles and silicone sheaths. The "skins" come in a variety of colors, slip on and off bottles easily, and can be washed separate from or wrapped on bottles. More importantly, their prices - $10 for a four-ounce bottle and $12 for an eight-ounce - are ones we can stand behind. We spoke with Stacey Feeley, one of the principals of the company, and she made it clear that this was the company's intended selling price, and not just an introductory one to generate early buzz.
Naturally, we felt obliged to put the Siliskin to the test. After enclosing the Siliskin-wrapped bottle in a plastic bag, we dropped it several times, both from infant/toddler heights and from a height of about five feet. The bottle we tested didn't suffer a scratch. Parents should understand, though, that glass bottles themselves are quite durable, being made of fairly thick glass to avoid just such an issue; we dropped the bottle without its Siliskin from the same heights, again without incident.
The Siliskin does have a lot to recommend it - it provides a nice gripping surface for bottle feeders, probably does provide some cosmetic protection against scratches or chips, and certainly could make that extra bit of difference if you drop a bottle from a moving car or it's thrown across the room. For some parents, this peace of mind may be enough to nudge them into glass-bottle territory, and such bottles are sustainably produced, reusable over generations, and very safe.
The Siliskin has several specific advantages over the Wee-go: Offering both four- and eight-ounce bottle sizes, being molded to fit a major (and disclosed) brand of bottle that can thus be replaced by bottles purchased from another retailer... and there's that price difference.
You can purchase Siliskins, as well as Silikids' other products, from the company's website.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Siliskin Bottles: An Affordable Silicone Sheath for Glass Bottles
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5 comments:
Thank you for this article about the Siliskin baby bottles.
Does this bottle or nipple leak if shaken with formula?
Does it come in various nipple sizes (Level 1, 2, 3?)? If not, what other safe nipples can be used with this product?
Does it have a venting system attached to the collar?
What are the advantages/disadvantages of having this venting system in baby bottles? Are they really necessary?
How do they rate as far as cleaning the bottle? I'd probably use a brush to clean it thoroughly.
Very informative article. Thank you.
Evenflo glass bottles come in 4 ounce and 8 ounce sizes. There is no 10 ounce size as reviewed. Note that buying plain Evenflo bottles (including cap, ring and nipple) is much less expensive (around $5-6 for a 3 pack) so anyone investigating glass should be aware that $10-12 per bottle is not typical for glass!
Also, I have used Dr. Brown's standard nipples (but did not try any other part of the system) successfully on the Evenflo glass bottles. The Gerber standard nipples, however, did not fit.
Hope that helps someone!
I have been using these bottles for 7 months now and I can answer your questions...
The latex nipples seem to work better as far as leaks..the silicone ones are good, but the flow (even slow flow) was fast and those did leak liquid into the cap.
The bottles themselves do not leak, just the nipples. I make sure I screw the cap on tight enough so that the nipple makes a good seal.
I use the Nuby silicone sippy cup nipple on his water bottle (4oz) and it does not leak and works well.
Without the silicone cover,(I dont have them yet) the bottles withstand a lot. Ive dropped them onto tiled floors and the street and no breaks. The glass is nice and thick and strong and breaking does not worry me at all.
Ive seen the Dr Browns..they dont seem to be made as well.
These Evenflos have been around for 70 years and our parents used them with us. I highly recommend them with or without the cover. My son throws them onto the wood floor and nothing happens, but in case he throws them on the street..the cover is an AWESOME idea.
Dont let critics sway you from these bottles due to weight either. At 3 months I started holding my sons hands around his bottle..after a few times he automatically started helping me hold his bottle. By 4 months he was holding his 8 0z glass Evenflo with 8 oz of formula in it. Now at 7 months he even does one hand from time to time. Of course, they weigh more than an average platic bottle, but it is not that much more that babies can not hold them.
The venting system is pointless to me...those avents are the same thing..just BPA filled plastic and fatter and shorter. They claim to be great and have a great venting system.
I know people who do like the Dr Brown's, but the venting system in those bottles is what makes them leak. You can not over fill the bottle because of it or there is milk everywhere.
I firmly believe that a good nipple is the key. I prefer the latex nipples because they do not flex and collapse as much letting air in and out. Evenflo has Slow, Medium and Fast flow nipples and they are about $2 for a pack of 6.
I absolutley love and recommend these bottles and will use them until he is ready for a cup..Like I said, NUBY makes a standard size sipper nipple that I've already started on his water bottle.
Hope this helps answer some questions..
(Mommy of a 7 month old, and former Nanny and child care provider)
Above I said that Dr Brown is not made as well..what I meant to say was that the glass is not as strong and I can see how they break a lot easier. For the value and sturdiness of the evenflo bottles..it is so worth it to just start with them. The siliskins can be removed and put on the other bottles..You only need one or two and can spend $10 bucks on a 3 pack of evenflo glass bottles and reuse the siliskins.
Hi there! Can we use Avent's teats on this Siliskin baby bottles?
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