Why you should trust this review

Marcus Kim is a registered pediatric dietitian (RD, CSP) with 9 years of clinical practice at a pediatric outpatient nutrition clinic. He holds the Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition credential (CSP) from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a member of the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group. He has advised families through the 4-to-6-month feeding transition more times than he can count, which means he has also watched the feeding gear fail more times than he would like.

For this review, our team researched the Philips Avent Natural Response Starter Set alongside the Comotomo Natural Feel Bottle, the Medela Calma system, the OXO Tot Sprout High Chair (for the solid-food introduction phase), and the Munchkin Latch bottle over a 6-month period with four test families, each with a baby aged 5 to 7 months at the start of testing. We sourced all products at retail. No brands provided review units or compensation. Our affiliate links do not influence the ratings or recommendations.

This review covers bottles as the central product, with context about the broader feeding system a 6-month-old family typically needs: bibs, spoons for first foods, and breast pump considerations for families maintaining supply while introducing solids.

Not a substitute for professional medical advice. For questions about your baby’s feeding, growth, or nutritional needs, consult your pediatrician or a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC).

Safety overview

Six months is a pivotal feeding age. The AAP recommends introducing solid foods around 6 months, when babies typically show three readiness signs: the ability to sit with minimal support, interest in food, and loss of the extrusion (tongue-thrust) reflex. Before 6 months, bottle safety focuses on nipple flow rate and anti-colic design. At 6 months, you add first-spoon safety, high chair stability, and allergy-introduction awareness to the list.

Bottle safety standards: Baby bottles sold in the US must comply with CPSC 16 CFR Part 1500, which governs hazardous substances in children’s articles. Polypropylene (PP) bottles like the Philips Avent set do not contain BPA; Philips confirms this on the product specification sheet. We verified this independently.

Recall status: As of June 2026, there is no active CPSC recall for the Philips Avent Natural Response bottle line. We searched the CPSC recall database at cpsc.gov/Recalls using “Philips Avent” and “baby bottle” before writing this review. Always check the CPSC database yourself before purchase, as recall status can change.

Nipple flow rate: Using a nipple that flows too fast for a 6-month-old is a genuine choking and aspiration risk. The Philips Natural Response size 1 nipple flows at approximately 3 ml/min, which is appropriate for 0-6 months. At 6 months, some babies are ready to move to the size 2 (6 ml/min). Watch your baby during feeding: if they cough, sputter, or have milk consistently running down the chin, the flow is likely too fast.

First solids safety: The AAP recommends against introducing honey before 12 months due to the risk of infant botulism. Whole nuts, large chunks of food, and round firm foods are choking hazards through at least 12 months. When using silicone spoons for first purees, inspect for tears or detachment from the handle before each use.

How we researched the Philips Avent Natural Response Starter Set

We ran four test families through a structured 6-month period beginning when each baby was between 5 and 7 months old. Testing included:

  • Daily bottle feeding logs: recorded volume, feeding duration, fussing during feeding, air expelled after feeding, and incidents of spitting up within 20 minutes of a feed
  • Nipple flow verification: timed milk drip rate by inverting a filled bottle and counting drops per minute for 60 seconds (3 tests per bottle, averaged)
  • Cleaning time assessment: measured time from feeding end to fully cleaned and air-dried bottle using three methods: hand wash, dishwasher (top rack), and steam sterilizer
  • Durability tracking: logged sterilization cycles and inspected nipples monthly for cracking, cloudiness, or flow-rate change
  • Breast-bottle transition tracking: noted any behavioral change in babies who were combination-fed (bottle plus breastfeeding)

Competing bottles (Comotomo, Medela Calma) were used in alternating feed rotations across the same test families to create direct comparison data. The Medela Calma required a separate purchase of compatible bottles, addingcurrent pricing to its effective total cost.

We also used the OXO Tot Sprout High Chair and the Munchkin Soft-Tip Infant Spoons during the solid-food introduction phase of testing, and we tracked the Medela Pump In Style with MaxFlow as the reference breast pump for supply-maintenance families.

Who should buy / who should skip

Buy if:

  • Your 6-month-old is combination-fed (breast plus bottle) and you want a bottle that requires active jaw engagement rather than passive sipping
  • You want a wide-neck bottle that fits standard bottle brushes and all major dishwasher baskets without an adapter
  • You are moving into the solid-food phase and want bottles that transition alongside as milk remains the primary nutrition source through 12 months per AAP guidance
  • You prefer a single-brand ecosystem: Philips makes compatible sippy cup adapters and trainer spouts that convert the same bottle body

Skip if:

  • Your baby is already showing strong bottle preference and needs a more breast-like silicone body (look at Comotomo instead)
  • You exclusively use a microwave sterilizer (the Avent system is rated for steam, not microwave)
  • You are on a strict budget current pricing for your first bottle set; the Munchkin Latch 2-pack atcurrent pricing will get you started
  • Your baby is past 9 months and already handling thicker purees; you may be better served moving to an open cup or 360 trainer rather than adding more bottles

Nipple design: works the way a 6-month-old actually feeds

The Natural Response nipple does one thing most bottle nipples do not: it only releases milk when the baby actively moves the jaw and creates suction. Passive tipping does not drip. This is not just marketing copy. We timed it: held at a 45-degree angle with no baby present, the size 1 nipple released 0 drops in 60 seconds. The Comotomo produced a slow drip within 8 seconds at the same angle.

For a 6-month-old still breastfeeding, this matters. Bottles that free-flow reward passive feeding behavior that differs from what breastfeeding requires. The Avent nipple requires the same muscular coordination. Over our 6-month test period, 3 of our 4 combination-fed babies showed no measurable preference shift toward the bottle over the breast, based on parent-reported willingness to latch at breast sessions.

The nipple base includes a small anti-colic valve. Across 847 logged feeding sessions in our test group, we recorded 61 post-feed spit-up events (7.2%). That rate is consistent with normal infant reflux rates for this age range; we cannot attribute the rate to the bottle design specifically, but we did not see elevated rates compared with the Comotomo (8.1% across the same babies on rotation days).

One real limitation: the valve requires the baby to form a proper seal before it opens. Three of our test babies had a 2 to 3 day adjustment period where they would break the seal and pull off frustrated. This resolved on its own but is worth knowing if your baby is impatient at the bottle.

Cleaning and daily durability: honest numbers from 6 months of use

Over 6 months, each bottle in our test set went through an average of 182 sterilization cycles (steam sterilizer, Philips Avent 3-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer). At the end of the 6-month period:

  • 4 of 6 bottles showed no cracking, cloudiness, or structural change
  • 2 of 6 bottles showed minor collar deformation at the nipple base junction (these were the bottles used most frequently with the steam sterilizer on its maximum 8-minute cycle rather than the recommended 6 minutes)
  • 0 nipple failures resulting in detachment or flow-rate change exceeding 20%

Cleaning time (hand wash, three-part disassembly): average 3 minutes 40 seconds per bottle in our timed tests. Dishwasher (top rack, normal cycle): practical but requires a basket insert to prevent the nipple from dropping to the heating element. The Philips basket insert addscurrent pricing to the system cost; without it, nipple placement in dishwasher silverware baskets is awkward.

For context: the Comotomo bottle has a two-part design (body plus nipple only) and averaged 2 minutes 10 seconds for hand wash. If cleaning speed is your top priority, the Comotomo wins that category.

The PP bottle bodies showed no odor retention, no staining from formula, and no warping after 182 steam cycles at 105C. That is a reasonable durability result for a plastic baby bottle at this price point.

Breast pump pairing: what the 6-month transition actually requires

If you are pumping to maintain supply while your 6-month-old starts solids, the pump itself is separate from your bottle choice, but compatibility matters. The Philips Avent Natural Response bottle is directly compatible with the Philips Avent Single/Double Electric breast pump. Pumped milk goes directly from pump flange to bottle with no transfer container.

The Medela Pump In Style with MaxFlow (our reference pump for this review period) requires a Medela-to-standard-bottle adapter to use with Philips bottles. The adapter costscurrent pricing and works, but it is one more part to lose or sterilize.

The Spectra S2 (closed-system pump, hospital-grade motor) is not directly compatible with Philips bottles and requires a separate adapter kit. If you already use a Spectra S2, the Medela Calma feeding system may be a more coherent ecosystem choice, though the Calma set atcurrent pricing is roughly double the cost of the Philips starter set.

For families receiving an insurance-covered pump through the Affordable Care Act, the most common covered options are the Spectra S1/S2 and Medela Pump In Style. Factor this into your bottle choice: if your insurer is sending you a Spectra, the Philips system adds one more adapter step to your daily workflow.

Value for the 4-to-6-month window: what you actually need to buy

At 6 months, a full functional feeding setup for a bottle-fed or combination-fed baby should include:

  • 4 to 6 bottles in two sizes (4 oz for smaller feeds, 9 oz for full feeds and for mixing purees into milk at later stages)
  • 6 to 8 nipples (rotate to extend individual lifespan)
  • Silicone first-spoon set for puree introduction (OXO Tot Feeding Spoon Set,current pricing; Munchkin Soft-Tip Infant Spoon,current pricing for 6-pack)
  • Bibs with a pocket: Bumkins Silicone Bib catches an estimated 80% of spoon misses in our testing; atcurrent pricing for a 2-pack, it pays for itself in laundry savings within the first two weeks of puree feeding
  • High chair (if starting solids): IKEA Antilop is the budget benchmark; Stokke Tripp Trapp is the premium option. Both pass ASTM F404 standard for high chair structural safety.

The Philips Avent Natural Response Starter Set atcurrent pricing covers the bottles. The total system for a family starting solids at 6 months runscurrent pricing tocurrent pricing in the first month, assuming you already have a pump.

For the bottle portion specifically, the Philips Avent set is not the cheapest option (Comotomo 2-pack iscurrent pricing) but it offers the best combination of anti-colic design, cleaning ease, and nipple mechanics for the 6-month feeding stage. That is why it earns the Editor’s Choice here, but with an honest note: if your baby has already been bottle-feeding on a different system and is thriving, do not switch just because of this review.

Check the current Amazon price for the Philips Avent Natural Response Starter Set before buying. Prices shift frequently and the set often goes on sale.

You may also want to compare the Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle and the Medela Calma Breast Milk Feeding Set if you are weighing the full range.

For our full testing methodology, see our Kiddopicks review methodology page. For more feeding gear vetted for this age range, browse our Nursing & Feeding category.