Baby Bottles · Comparison

Dr. Brown's Options+ vs Philips Avent Natural

Dr. Brown's Options+ vs Philips Avent Natural: we break down the real differences, strengths, tradeoffs, and which one fits your situation.

BuyOnceRight Research Desk
Updated October 16, 2026
3 min read

DBDr. Brown's

Dr. Brown's

Dr. Brown's Options+

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PAPhilips Avent

Philips Avent

Philips Avent Natural

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On this page

Quick verdict

Both are credible options, the right choice depends on which strengths matter more to you. If still torn, the buying guide linked below walks through the decision step by step.

The details

Head-to-head

The differences that actually change the buying decision.

Dr. Brown's Options+ versus Philips Avent Natural
Attribute	DBDr. Brown's Dr. Brown's Options+Check price	PAPhilips Avent Philips Avent NaturalCheck price
The Short Answer	Brown's Options+ if your baby shows real symptoms of gas or colic and you're willing to manage 5 parts per bottle and a vent that needs correct assembly.	Buy Philips Avent Natural if you want the fastest possible daily wash-and-reassemble routine, you're easing a breastfed baby onto a bottle, and your baby doesn't show pronounced gas symptoms.
Where They Match	Nipple flow options: Both brands offer a range of flow levels from newborn slow-flow up through faster stages, sold both included and separately.	Dishwasher safety: Every piece of both bottles is dishwasher-safe on the top rack.
Where Dr. Brown's Wins	Anti-colic track record: The internal vent has the most published research behind it of any bottle brand's anti-colic mechanism, and it vents regardless of how the bottle is tilted during a feed.	Glass durability: Borosilicate glass resists staining and odor retention far better than plastic over years of daily dishwasher cycles.
Where Philips Avent Wins	Wash and assembly time: 3 parts versus 5 is a meaningful daily time savings, especially across 6 to 8 bottles a day, with no internal vent piece that can be misassembled.	Nipple shape for breastfed babies: The wide, breast-shaped design is the feature most often cited by lactation consultants when recommending a bottle for the breast-to-bottle transition.
Who Should Buy Each	Brown's Options+ Glass: a baby with diagnosed or clearly observed gas/colic symptoms, comfort with extra parts and wash time, preference for glass.	Philips Avent Natural: a breastfed baby transitioning to bottles, a household wanting the simplest daily routine, no pronounced gas symptoms.
See Also	Brown's Options+ Review - full review Philips Avent Natural Review - full review Best Baby Bottles for Colic - full category roundup	See full breakdown below.
Frequently Asked Questions	Comotomo Baby Bottle Review: The Softest Nipple in the CategoryBaby Bottles · Review Brown's Options+ Bottles Review: The Standard for Colic-Prone BabiesBaby Bottles · Review Best Baby Bottles for Col	See full breakdown below.

Decide

Which should you buy?

Choose the Dr. Brown's Options+ if…

Brown's Options+ if your baby shows real symptoms of gas or colic and you're willing to manage 5 parts per bottle and a vent that needs correct assembly.
Brown's Options+ Glass: a baby with diagnosed or clearly observed gas/colic symptoms, comfort with extra parts and wash time, preference for glass.
Brown's Options+ Review - full review

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Choose the Philips Avent Natural if…

Buy Philips Avent Natural if you want the fastest possible daily wash-and-reassemble routine, you're easing a breastfed baby onto a bottle, and your baby doesn'
Philips Avent Natural: a breastfed baby transitioning to bottles, a household wanting the simplest daily routine, no pronounced gas symptoms.
Philips Avent Natural Review - full review

Check price on Amazon

The Short Answer

Brown's Options+ if your baby shows real symptoms of gas or colic and you're willing to manage 5 parts per bottle and a vent that needs correct assembly.

Buy Philips Avent Natural if you want the fastest possible daily wash-and-reassemble routine, you're easing a breastfed baby onto a bottle, and your baby doesn't show pronounced gas symptoms.

Where They Match

Nipple flow options: Both brands offer a range of flow levels from newborn slow-flow up through faster stages, sold both included and separately.

Dishwasher safety: Every piece of both bottles is dishwasher-safe on the top rack.

Build quality: Both are well-made at their price points and hold up to daily sterilizing and washing without obvious early failure.

Where Dr. Brown's Wins

Anti-colic track record: The internal vent has the most published research behind it of any bottle brand's anti-colic mechanism, and it vents regardless of how the bottle is tilted during a feed.

Glass durability: Borosilicate glass resists staining and odor retention far better than plastic over years of daily dishwasher cycles.

Flow-level range: The widest selection of nipple flow levels of any major brand, useful as a baby's needs change over months.

Where Philips Avent Wins

Wash and assembly time: 3 parts versus 5 is a meaningful daily time savings, especially across 6 to 8 bottles a day, with no internal vent piece that can be misassembled.

Nipple shape for breastfed babies: The wide, breast-shaped design is the feature most often cited by lactation consultants when recommending a bottle for the breast-to-bottle transition.

Availability and ratings volume: The largest ratings volume of any bottle brand on Amazon, and replacement parts are stocked almost everywhere.

Who Should Buy Each

Brown's Options+ Glass: a baby with diagnosed or clearly observed gas/colic symptoms, comfort with extra parts and wash time, preference for glass.

Philips Avent Natural: a breastfed baby transitioning to bottles, a household wanting the simplest daily routine, no pronounced gas symptoms.

Brown's Options+ on Amazon Philips Avent Natural on Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

Comotomo Baby Bottle Review: The Softest Nipple in the CategoryBaby Bottles · Review Brown's Options+ Bottles Review: The Standard for Colic-Prone BabiesBaby Bottles · Review Best Baby Bottles for Colic: Top Anti-Colic Picks That Actually HelpBaby Bottles · List Our editorial team researches and writes every review independently.

Answers

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for a colicky baby, Dr. Brown's or Philips Avent?

Brown's Options+ has the deeper track record here. Its internal straw vent routes air away from the milk regardless of how the bottle is tilted, while Philips Avent's AirFree valve vents best when the bottle stays close to vertical. For a baby with clearly diagnosed gas or colic symptoms, Dr. Brown's is the more established choice. For a baby without pronounced symptoms, either bottle is adequate.

Which bottle is easier to wash, Dr. Brown's or Philips Avent?

Philips Avent, clearly. It's a 3-part bottle, bottle, nipple, collar, with nothing to seat internally. Brown's Options+ has 5 parts with the vent installed, including a 2-piece internal reservoir and straw that has to be threaded correctly or it can leak. Across 6 to 8 bottles a day, that difference adds up to real extra time with Dr.

Is glass Dr. Brown's or plastic Philips Avent better for a breastfed baby?

For easing a breastfed baby onto a bottle specifically, Philips Avent's wide, breast-shaped nipple is more often cited by lactation consultants as the closer match to a natural latch. Brown's nipple works fine for most babies too, but its main selling point is the vent system, not nipple shape.

Can I use Dr. Brown's for a while and switch to Philips Avent later, or vice versa?

Yes, many households do exactly this, starting with Dr. Brown's Options+ if a newborn shows gas symptoms, then moving to simpler bottles like Philips Avent once that settles. The two aren't interchangeable part-for-part since the collars and nipples use different designs, but switching bottle systems entirely as a baby's needs change is common and not disruptive.

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