Starting baby led weaning or traditional weaning, and in search of the best baby spoons for self feeding or blw? Keep reading for our thoughts, with a focus on non-toxic baby spoons that are mostly plastic free.
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Best Overall
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Best First Spoon
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Best Pre Spoon
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Best For Purées
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When the time comes for your baby to get more nutrition than what’s offered in a baby bottle, it’s time to pop them into a high chair and embark on a journey that’s fun, exciting, nerve wrecking, and – to be totally honest – really, really messy.
For parents, getting started with baby feeding is a lot of fun. It’s amazing to see your little one take that first bite of real food, and slowly get used to different textures and flavours over time.
However, you’ll also need to think about utensils. Baby spoons are the perfect first utensil for your little one. They help them develop fine motor skills and better understand cause and effect. However, there is a surprising range of baby spoons to choose from.
If you’re wondering which baby spoons are best for your family, we’ve got a pretty comprehensive overview below.
If you’re short on time, however, I’ll give you the goods right here.
Our 5 top picks for baby spoons are the ezpz Tiny Spoon, ItzyRitzy Silicone Fork and Spoon, NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils, Olababy Training Spoon, and the Avanchy Natural Bamboo Baby Feeding Spoon.
We chose these baby spoons in particular because they are well-designed, well-reviewed, fairly priced, and don’t use any plastic in the parts that contact your baby’s mouth (4 of the spoons are 100% plastic free; the Gootensils use food-safe TPE and polypropylene in the handle, but the spoon bowl is silicone).
Plus, we’ve actually tried all of these baby spoons personally. (I purchased all of the spoons myself, except for the Itzy Ritzy spoon and fork set, which Itzy Ritzy sent to me to test).
Breaking it down even further, I’d suggest the Gootensils pre-spoon and/or ezpz tiny spoon are the best first spoons, for the very early days of eating. And then I’d recommend buying the Itzy Ritzy Sweetie Spoon or Avanchy Bamboo baby spoon once you outgrow those two first spoons.
If you want a “one and done” spoon that will work well for first-time eaters and older babies, I think the Itzy Ritzy Sweetie spoon (and fork – they come as a set) are the best bet.
For older toddlers and preschoolers who are ready for a full set of utensils, we suggest you check out Exzact Kids Stainless Flatware Set.
9 of the Best Baby Spoons for Self Feeding at Every Age and Stage
Our Top 5 Baby Spoon Choices (AKA: The Winners)
- Best Overall – Itzy Ritzy Silicone Fork and Spoon Set (100% silicone)
- Best First Spoon – ezpz Tiny Spoon (100% silicone)
- Best Pre-Spoon – NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils (silicone spoon bowl with TPE and polypropylene in the handle)
- Best for Older Babies – Avanchy First Stage Natural Bambook Baby Feeding Spoon (silicone spoon bowl with bamboo handle)
- Best For Teething & Purées – Olababy Silicone Soft-Tip Training Spoon (100% silicone)
- Best for Preschoolers – Exzact Kids Children’s Safe Flatware Set Stainless Steel (stainless steel)
Some Other Choices (AKA: The Runners Up)
- Stainless Steel Toddler Spoon – First Essentials by NUK (stainless steel bowl with BPA-FREE plastic handles)
- Best for Babies That Gag Themselves – Munchkin 4 Piece Silicone Trainer Spoon (silicone spoon bowl and choke guard, with Polybutylene Terephalate plastic in the handle)
- Easiest to Grasp – Babyware First Self Feeding Spoon and Fork Utensil Set (BPA Free Plastic)
- Best Value – Munchkin 12 Piece Soft-Tip Infant Spoons (BPA Free Plastic)
Best Baby Spoons Reviews
Best Overall Baby Spoon
Braided & Looped Handle for Easy grabbing
You might be most familiar with Itzy Ritzy for their fabulous stroller organizers and diaper bags, but they also make some awesome silicone products for babies, including these 100% silicone utensils.
If you only want to buy one spoon style for your baby, the Itzy Ritzy Sweetie utensils are a good bet for a few reasons: they’re super easy to hold; they are large enough and deep enough to still be useful for older babies; they’re sold as a set with a fork to let your little one experiment; and they have a texture change to signal where your baby should stop putting it in their mouth.
First, the looped handle, which is quite unique. As you can see from the GIF I made below, the handles are looped and textured, allowing for easier grasping and holding.
The braided texture also sends a subtle clue to baby not to put them too deep into their mouth.
Size wise, this is more substantial than the ezpz Tiny Spoon, which I also love, but think is best suited for the youngest eaters, and will be outgrown fairly quickly.
Here’s a comparison photo of our ezpz tiny spoon and the Itzy Ritzy Sweetie Spoon…you can see how the Itzy Ritzy is going to give older babies a bit more satisfaction in terms of how much food it can scoop:
This baby utensil set is dishwasher safe (top rack) and easy to clean.
Sometimes, food gets a bit mashed in the texture and grooves of the handle, which requires an extra scrub, but overall I find them very easy to clean.
Best First Baby Spoon
A Mom-Owned Business & Speech Language Pathologist Approved
We love ezpz’s silicone dinnerware line, and this spoon is no different!
It has a thoughtful design meant to support your little on in their journey toward self-feeding. It has a simple and easy-to-handle shape, made of slip-free silicone. And when not in use, the bumps on the back of the spoon help to keep it stable.
You can see the “stability bumps” in action in this GIF I made, trying to knock our spoon over.
The gentle slope of the spoon is great for both dipping and scooping, and the line of sensory bumps at the edge of the spoon bowl let your baby know when to stop putting the spoon in, thus reducing gagging.
Size wise, the name says it all…this really is a tiny spoon, and I think it’s best suited as a first spoon, shortly after trying out the Gootensils. That said, I think you’ll also need to upgrade in short order, as older babies will likely want something that shovels a bit more food.
It is BPA-, BPF-, BPS-, phthalate-, lead-, PVC- and latex-free and is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. We recommend using a baby safe dish soap to clean your baby spoons (and baby bottles) to reduce exposure to VOCs and phthalates.
Designed in Colorado, it’s FDA-approved and CPSC certified.
Best Pre Spoon
Easy to Maneuver for Little Hands
The handle of the NumNum spoon is short and wide, and the soft silicone “bowl” features ridges that provide extra grip.
The bowl is made from food safe silicone, whereas the handle also includes hypoallergenic, FDA-grade TPE and Polypropylene (both considered to be some of the safest plastics for food contact. Polypropylene is what plastic baby bottles are made of).
Moreover, it is made of BPA-, PVC-, lead- and phthalate-free materials for peace of mind.
The numnum pre spoon comes in two stages. The stage-one spoon has a unique indented design that works great with purees, and the stage-two one has a cut-out shape that makes it easier to grab soft foods.
The bowl of the Stage 1 Num Num spoon is actually flat (pictured below in black), making it easier to maneuver by dipping, rather than scooping or shovelling.
You can sort of see in the photo above how the inside section of the squiggle is indented compared to the outer edges – this helps collect the food, simply by dipping it in. Here’s a GIF of me demonstrating this with apple sauce.
The soft silicone makes this spoon great for teething babies, and it is dishwasher safe for convenience.
Best For Teething and Chewing on
Great for Purées & Teething Babies
If your baby is both learning to self-feed and teething, this spoon is a great option. The handle is fat and easy to hold, and the silicone is strong enough to stand up to chewing, yet soft enough to not hurt your little one’s gums.
The OlaBaby training spoon does a great job at scooping up a decent amount of puree in testing. In a side-by-side comparison with the ezpz spoon, it scooped more food: 1/2 teaspoon of puree for the Olababy, vs 1/4 teaspoon with the ezpz spoon.
As a bonus, the base of the spoon is shaped like a suction cup so you can place it on the table in an upright position to prevent transferring germs from the table to the spoon.
It is BPA- and phthalate-free and can be washed in the dishwasher.
Best for Older Babies
Plastic Free & Instagram Worthy, Too!
Bamboo baby spoons aren’t the most obvious choice, but we quite like this spoon in our family. The shape of this spoon’s bamboo handle is rounded and easy to hold but is also a bit on the slim side to make transitioning to traditional flatware easier.
The soft silicone spoon bowl and fork are wide to make scooping, dipping and feeding easier. And little ones who are teething and want to chew on the spoon will find it soothing on their gums.
They are BPA-, PVC-, lead- and phthalate-free and contain no other harmful chemicals. As a bonus, they come in an array of fun and contemporary colors, and the bamboo is sustainable.
Best for Preschoolers
For Older Kids Ready for a Full Set
If you want to take baby steps for easy transitions, this set of baby utensils is perfect to use after toddler spoons and before regular ones. It mimics regular adult flatware but is smaller to accommodate little hands and help your kiddos get used to manipulating a skinnier, longer handle.
They come with a cute little animal stamp on the end of each handle, and they are incredibly durable and easy to clean, just like regular flatware.
The size and shape of the spoon bowl allow for big-kid bites, and they’re made without any hazardous materials.
When your kiddo outgrows this set, they would make a pretty keepsake.
Our Runners Up
What made these baby spoons land in our runners up list? For the most part, it’s because they contain more plastic than we’d like.
However, we understand every family has a different tolerance for the types of materials they use with their kids, and we wanted to cover these spoons as well, because they are very well rated, and do meet government safety requirements.
Stainless Steel Toddler Spoon
Stainless Steel Bowl with Plastic Handle
The BPA-free plastic handle of this spoon was designed with toddlers’ hands in mind. It is wide and soft for easy grip and features a little stand that keeps the bowl of the spoon propped up off of surfaces to help keep it clean.
The bowl is the perfect shape and size for toddler-sized bites. It’s made of stainless steel, so it is a great transition spoon from the soft baby spoons into regular spoons. It also gives your little one a chance to get used to the harder texture and learn to take careful bites.
We like that the bowl itself is made from stainless steel, and plastic won’t actually be in your little one’s mouth. However, we don’t like how vague Nuk is in terms what type of plastic the handle is made of. It makes it hard to make an informed decision, in our view.
This spoon’s construction makes it super durable, and it is dishwasher-friendly.
Best Baby Spoons for Babies that Gag Themselves
With a Choke Guard for Gaggers
The spoon bowl and choke guard on this spoon is made of soft silicone that is gentle and satisfying on teething gums. The handle includes Polybutylene Terephalate plastic.
It is BPA-free for peace of mind, and the anti-gagging guard also doubles as a prop. Whether the spoon is sitting on the table or falls to the floor, the bowl of the spoon itself won’t be resting on any germy surface.
The gentle curve and depth of the bowl allow for easy scooping and just the right bite-size amount of food. And this spoon is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
Easiest to Grasp Baby Spoon
Short & Fat = Easy to Hold and Maneuver
The bulbous handle and extra-short length of this set of baby utensils makes it easy to manage for babies who are just learning to get the spoon to their mouths.
They both have a cute, animal head-shaped guard right after the bowl to prevent your little one from gagging herself or choking. And the size of the spoon bowl and fork is big enough to scoop up a decent bite of food while also being ideal for little mouths.
Unfortunately, this one is made of plastic, which I don’t love. However, it is made of BPA free (and BPS-free) as well as PVC-, phthalate-, cadmium- and lead-free plastic, which adds some peace of mind. It’s also made in the USA, which also makes me feel a bit safer about this one.
Finally, it’s dishwasher safe for easy clean-up.
Best Value Baby Spoons (Made of Plastic)
When You Need A Lot of Spoons
If you prefer a spoon with a longer neck that works really well for both mom and baby, these ones are ideal. The longer handle is ergonomically curved and easy to hold for little hands, and you’ll never have a problem reaching the bottom of a jar.
This spoon is the most economical and it comes in 12-packs so you will always have plenty on hand.
It is BPA-free for peace of mind and top-rack dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.
How to Find the Right Spoons for Baby
It might not seem like rocket science, but there are some important things to consider when choosing a baby spoon. As with many other things, it would be a good idea to get a couple of different kinds and see which ones your kiddo prefers or which ones make self-feeding easier.
Shape and Size
Younger babies who are just starting to self-feed will need feeding spoons that are easy to hold. Very often you will find that a shorter, chunkier and curved handle is easier for little hands to hold and manipulate. This brings their hands closer to their food and their mouths when feeding so that they won’t struggle with special awareness.
Toddlers and pre-schoolers can graduate to cutlery with a more slender handle. They can begin to get used to the feel of regular flatware for an easier transition.
The bowl of the spoon can be either wide or slender with either a deep or shallow spoon bowl. Littler babies will need to take smaller bites of baby food, so a shallow spoon is ideal. But trial and error is really the best way to figure out your baby’s preference for different spoons.
A lot of spoons were designed with a specific age group in mind, so pay attention to the packaging to see if the flatware would be age-appropriate for your baby or toddler, especially considering the different kind of baby food they are currently eating.
Materials
Your little one will be chowing down using their feeding spoons multiple times a day, every day. As such, we recommend choosing a spoon made from the safest materials possible. Plastic spoons are super economical and fairly popular, but even BPA free plastic could contain other contaminants that would leach into your his or her baby food.
A much better option in our view is silicone. Some of the spoons on our list are made completely out of silicone, which is usually both chemical-free and easy to clean. Some are made from silicone spoon bowls, which touch your little one’s mouth. This prevents your kiddo from hurting their gums if they accidentally jab themselves when navigating baby food into their mouth, or if they’re teething and have the urge to bite down. It’s also dishwasher safe.
Other spoons are made of a combination of silicone, plastic, stainless steel and even bamboo. Stainless steel is usually a great option for toddlers or preschoolers because it will help them transition to regular silverware, but the rest is a matter of preference.
Final note on materials – you want it to be dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. We also recommend using fragrance free soap to clean your kiddo’s utensils, baby bottles, sippy cups, high chairs, etc. Silicone can sometimes have a bit of a gross flavor at the start – cleaning with baking soda should take care of that.
Extra Details
A lot of the feeding spoons have add-ons that can be helpful. If you have noticed that your baby tends to gag herself when self-feeding, there are spoons that have a guard to prevent the spoon from going too far into her mouth (thereby also preventing all her baby food from coming back up).
Additionally, some of them have sensory bumps that give your baby a better understanding of how far in their mouth the spoon should go.
If you are concerned about germs, many spoons include some sort of prop to prevent the spoon bowl from touching the table or floor.
Final Thoughts on Finding the Best Baby Spoons
To us, the winners are clear. In our view, the best baby spoons are safe. That means using non-toxic silicone and other natural materials, with minimal plastic.
For that reason, we like the ezpz Tiny Spoon, NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils, Olababy Training Spoon, and the Avanchy Natural Bambook Baby Feeding Spoon. For older toddlers and preschoolers, the Exzact Kids Stainless Flatware Set offers a complete set for young kids.
I hope this article helped you make a decision for your family.
And if you know a family that’s ready to start self-feeding, we hope you’ll share this article with them!
