The pacifier is arguably the best baby product of all time. It’s the ultimate soother for a fussy baby – in the car, at the dinner table, and most importantly in the crib at bedtime. I hear occasionally from parents that their baby refuses to take a pacifier.
This leaves me aghast! First, because I feel very sorry for parents who aren’t able to use this incredible tool. And second, I can’t shake a sense of disbelief that a baby would drink from a nipple but then not take a pacifier.
It is quite clear, though, that all pacifiers are not created equal. Here, I’ll break down which ones I think I are best.
Contents:
Which Pacifier Is Best for Newborns?
Best Pacifier for Older Babies
Pacifier Clips
Teething Pacifiers
Why Use A Pacifier?
Which Pacifier Is Best for Newborns?
At baby showers, expectant mothers receive all manner of adorable pacifiers: pink ones, baby blue ones, with sleek shapes and cute cartoon characters on them. The unfortunate truth from my perspective is that the cute pacifiers are rarely the ones that our babies will take. For most babies, when it comes to pacifiers, the uglier, the better.
Have you ever seen the pacifier that’s used in hospital nurseries and NICUs? It’s an awkwardly shaped monstrosity that seems far too big for a newborn. The color is a hideous blue-green that hasn’t been popular since the 1980’s. It looks nothing like the pacifiers you see in Babies R Us. But newborns take to it like nothing else.
This may be because the hospital Soothie is, well, realistically shaped.
Not so long ago, you could only get Soothie pacifiers at the hospital. At the urging of the nurse who taught our baby classes, I “accidentally” dropped several into the diaper bag while we were at the hospital. It’s a good thing I did.
For the first couple of months, our babies wouldn’t take anything else. Not that we haven’t tried lots of different colors and space-age shapes and Sesame Street character pacifiers. Nothing outperformed the Soothie.
Pacifiers for Older Babies
The Soothie fell out of fashion at around 3 months for my children, though I sometimes see other, older babies still taking them quite happily. We went through a lot of pacifiers that we received as gifts or bought on our own, looking for the next hit. It came in a somewhat surprising form: the low-profile silicone pacifiers that are made by MAM.
These are smaller and lightweight compared to most pacifiers, and they seem to stay longer in the baby’s mouth. Another nice feature is that there’s not a large shield section, so they’re easy for baby to breathe and make noise even when he has a pacifier in. They also prevent skin-saliva-silicone contact that sometimes can make babies break out.
If your baby gags on larger pacifiers or has broken out, the MAM pacifier is for you.
Pacifier Clips
Another reason that we love MAM pacifiers so much is because you can get a pacifier clip (also from MAM) to clip the pacifier to your baby’s clothes or blanket or car seat. This is one of those types of baby gear that you don’t appreciate until you start using it.
A pacifier clip basically ensures that there’s a pacifier within reach of your baby’s mouth at all times. It also keeps you from losing pacifiers or having them fall on dirty sidewalks, store floors, bathroom floors, etc.
The MAM clip is nice because you can fasten and unfasten it one-handed, and it’s got an excellent grip. They fit MAM pacifiers quite snugly, or you can use the velcro strap to connect just about any pacifier.
Teething Pacifiers
Sometime after the age of 2 months your baby will become unusually fussy, refusing to eat, refusing to take a pacifier, and waking up screaming in the middle of the night. Yep, your baby is teething. This is a rough period for your baby, torturous enough that I’ve written entire articles about babies and teething.
When it comes to pacifiers, there’s an interesting option in the form of the Razbaby teething pacifier. This pacifier’s design is stimulating and multi-textured to soothe a baby that’s teething. Thus, it’s two good things in one: a form of teething relief and a pacifier that they’re less likely to spit out.
Why Use A Pacifier?
Pacifiers have many benefits, and there are lots of reasons why you should encourage your baby to take one. They offer a non-food form of relief for the car or the crib. They give your baby something to play with that you don’t mind them sticking in their mouth.
Pacifiers even reduce the risk of SIDS, though it’s not understood why. One last piece of advice: you can never have too many pacifiers. If you liked any of the ones above, go buy a couple and stick them in the stroller or the crib. Do it now, and at some point in the middle of the night or in a crowded store, you’ll thank me!
Buy A Pacifier Now
They’re small, they’re light-weight, and they’re usually cheapest on Amazon. Here are six more bestsellers that you might prefer: three serious, and three fun ones.
 |
 |
 |
| Dr. Brown’s Pacifier by the world’s leading bottle maker. | Natursutten Pacifier provides orthodontic comfort. | Philips Nighttime Pacifier helps your baby breathe easy at night. |
 |
 |
 |
| Princess Pacifier for your little princess. | Baseball and Football Pacifiers for your little future athlete. | Mute Button Pacifier is guaranteed to get a laugh wherever you go. |
What To Read Next
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Newborn Sleep Wear covers the six things that your newborn should sleep in every night. | Learn about the benefits and bestsellers of baby sleep sacks and sleeping bags. | Projection Night Lights keep your baby entertained while in the crib and help soothe him back to sleep. | Visit our sleep training section for strategies and tips for teaching your baby to sleep through the night. |