Buying guide for Best bibs

Baby mealtimes might be fun, but they're almost always messy. Using a bib helps minimize the stress parents might feel seeing their baby's pristine romper getting covered in pasta sauce. Instead of worrying about stains and laundry, you can make meals a more relaxed affair where anything goes, allowing kids to experiment and develop a healthy relationship with food.

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You can find all types of bibs on the market, so it's important to learn more about each so you can choose the right ones for your baby. For instance, scoop feeding bibs catch any bits that older babies might drop when changing from purees to solid foods, while terry bibs catch spilled milk or spit up for younger babies. There are also questions of design and materials to think about, plus extra features like rubber parts to aid teething.

Babies might make a mess when eating, but learning to feed themselves is an essential part of their development.

Key considerations

Types of bibs

Terry: These are soft, absorbent bibs made out of cotton terry cloth. They're great for infants who are still on a diet of milk or even once they've transitioned to eating small amounts of pureed food. While these bibs absorb liquids and catch spit up after a feed, they aren't waterproof and don't stand up to serious amounts of mess.

Waterproof: Waterproof feeding bibs are either made of a raincoat-like material or have an absorbent front with a waterproof backing. Once babies have started to feed themselves and drink from sippy cups, these bibs offer a little more protection from spills than terry bibs, keeping your baby's clothes clean and dry. Some even have a pocket to catch pieces of food that your child drops.

Scoop: Scoop feeding bibs are made from silicone or plastic, which are easy to wipe clean and feature a scoop-shaped bowl at the bottom to catch any dropped food. These bibs are ideal for use once babies start to feed themselves solid foods, since more of the food often ends up dropped than in the baby’s mouth.

Coverall: Coverall, or sleeved, bibs are like waterproof smocks that cover your baby's entire front and arms. If your child tends to end up covered head to toe in puree or yogurt after a meal, using a coverall bib will make your life easier and keep your baby cleaner.

Teething: Also known as drool bibs, teething bibs are designed to catch and absorb your baby's saliva to keep their front dry. Once babies start teething, they tend to drool a lot, which can lead to constant wet patches on their clothes, which isn’t comfortable. Teething bibs look like bandanas and are smaller than feeding bibs so they don't get in the way of a baby crawling or playing.

Materials

Baby bibs come in a range of materials, depending on the purpose of the bibs.

Cotton is a popular option, particularly cotton terry cloth, which is plush and highly absorbent, making it perfect for mopping up spilled liquids and drool. Although you might think that since it's a natural material it's a healthier choice for your baby than synthetics, there are many chemicals used in the production of cotton, so you might want to opt for organic cotton.

Silicone and plastic are used for scoop bibs. Of the two, silicone is more flexible and likely more comfortable for your baby to wear.

Polyester is used to make waterproof bibs, which have a waterproof coating or backing.

We look for waterproof bibs made of raincoat-like material, as these bibs are great for keeping baby’s clothes clean and dry. They are suitable for babies who have started to feed themselves or who tend to be a bit messy.

When evaluating products, we include cotton terry cloth bibs in our research list because they are soft, absorbent bibs that work well for newborns and small infants.

We investigate the materials with which each baby bib is made, weighing the pros and cons. Common materials include cotton, silicone, plastic, and polyester.

We often favor bibs sold in multipacks because the need to wash them is not quite as urgent. Packs range in quantity from 2 to 24.

We look for bibs that are machine washable and suitable for tumble drying (or fast air drying).

Research tells us that teething bibs are the best bibs for catching and absorbing baby drool. Some teething bibs even have a silicone segment for chewing. We take a keen interest in these bibs.

We investigate bibs that attach to the child in a number of ways: hook and loop closures, snap closures, Velcro, ribbon ties, and pullover bibs that go over the head.

We consider how much coverage each bib affords. The more coverage it has, the better it will be at catching spills.

When looking for the best feeding bibs, we take note of those with a scoop-shaped bowl. This bowl nicely catches a lot of dropped food.

We think about how bibs should be stored. Those that roll up and pack away with little fuss tend to grab our attention.

Features

Colors and prints

You can find bibs in every color of the rainbow and a wide range of prints, including geometric patterns, stars, stripes, dots, florals, designs featuring animals, and options with cute slogans. There are even bibs that feature characters from video games or logos of famous bands. Babies are too young to care what their bibs look like, so choose designs that you like.

Quantity

While you can buy bibs individually, they're far more commonly sold in multipacks that include anywhere from 2 to 24. Factor in the time it takes to wash and dry the bibs, and you might need more than you expect. Of course, it's up to you whether you want all your bibs to match or a diverse range of designs.

Some bibs have a collar designed to catch drops of milk that can otherwise lead to rashes.

Teething

Some teething bibs have parts made of silicone or a similar material that are safe for your baby to chew on. This can help relieve the discomfort of teething, and it means that they always have something suitable to chew on within easy reach, making it less likely they’ll try to teethe on an inappropriate item.

Accessories

Floor cover

Splat Mat
If dinnertime ends with more food on the floor than in your baby's mouth, a floor cover under the high chair is a great idea. At the end of mealtime, simply gather it up, tip away any solid pieces of food, and wash as necessary. This is particularly handy in carpeted areas where food would otherwise end up mashed into the pile. 

High chair

Graco DuoDiner LX High Chair
Baby mealtimes require a sturdy high chair, such as the DuoDiner from Graco. It reclines for infant feeding, has a standard upright mode for older babies, and converts to a booster chair so toddlers can eat at the table.

Baby spoons

Munchkin Soft-Tip Infant Spoons
Your baby's first taste of anything other than milk is likely to be rice or simple purees fed to your baby by the spoonful. These 12 colorful spoons have a soft tip, so they're also suitable for babies to use to feed themselves when the time comes.

Bib prices

Inexpensive

Small packs of bibs or larger packs of simple terry bibs generally cost between $5 and $10.

Mid-range

For between $10 and $20, expect to find large packs of basic bibs or smaller packs of more intricately designed bibs, such as silicone scoop bibs.

Expensive

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The priciest bibs cost between $20 and $30, usually for medium to large packs but occasionally for small packs from desirable brands.

Some silicone and plastic bibs are dishwasher safe for easier cleaning.

Tips

• Buy bibs that are easy to clean. Unless you opt for plastic or silicone bibs that are easy to wipe clean, make sure your chosen bibs are machine washable and either suitable for tumble drying or air-dry quickly.
• Keep floors cleaner with a scoop bib. Bibs that have a pocket or scoop at the bottom reduce the amount of food that ends up on the floor, meaning less cleaning for busy parents and caregivers.
• Save money with multipacks. Buying multipacks of bibs means you'll spend more in one go but pay less per bib.
• Save disposable bibs for travel. We wouldn't recommend using single-use disposable bibs often because they aren't environmentally friendly or cost-effective, but they are useful when you’re traveling or your washer is out of commission.

Baby bibs fold or roll up, making them easily portable for use when you’re not at home.

FAQ

Q. Does the clasp on the bib matter?

A. Bibs generally have hook-and-loop or snap closures, ribbon ties, or pull on over the head. While the closure type doesn't matter too much, it's generally quicker and easier to fix bibs with snaps or hook-and-loop closures than tie a ribbon. It might seem simple to pull a bib over your baby's head, but some babies get upset by this. If your infant fusses when you pull tops on or off, a pull-on bib might not be the best option.

Q. Will I need different types of bibs?

A. Yes, most parents and caregivers find they need a range of different types of bibs for different situations. Simple terry bibs are fine for young babies still on an all-milk diet or eating simple purees, but you'll probably want a waterproof bib or scoop bib as your child gets older and eats a greater range of foods. Then you’ll also need drool and teething bibs for times other than meals.

Q. How many bibs will I need?

A. Assuming you use one bib per meal, plus occasional messy snacks, that's three to five bibs your baby will go through per day. Add to that any bibs you use when feeding your baby milk and any drool or teething bibs your baby wears, and you'll probably need between 10 and 20 bibs of varying types so you have extras, giving you time to wash and dry the bibs before you need them again.