Best Baby Teething Toys, According to Experienced Parents

Teething is an exciting milestone for your baby, but it can also be a difficult and painful one. While it’s thrilling that your little one is developing her own beautiful set of pearly whites, many babies also experience pain and fussiness when they start teething.

Most babies get their first tooth around the 6-month mark, although the age range can vary by a few months. What's more, teething symptoms — such as drooling, biting, crying, coughing, refusing to eat, night waking, ear pulling, cheek rubbing and generally being irritable — can actually start occuring a few months before baby's first tooth appears (typically between 4 and 7 months).

So when this glorious but challenging milestone rolls around, what are the best ways to help ease your baby's teething pain? Enter: teething toys.

What are baby teething toys?

In addition to gently rubbing baby's gums (with clean hands!) or giving her something cold to chew (many parents rely on a frozen wet washcloth or a sippy of cool water in a pinch), you may want to try giving baby teething toys.

Also called teethers, teething toys offer babies with sore gums something safe to chew on. This is helpful, because the gumming action offers counter pressure to baby's brand-new teeth that can be soothing and help alleviate pain.

Choosing the best teething toys for your baby

Teething toys come in a range of different materials and styles, and there are more innovative designs than ever. Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for baby teethers:

• Type. Teething rings are classic, but these days you can also find different types of teethers, from teething toothbrushes to teethers that look like blankets or small toys.
• Material and texture. Babies will happily chomp on anything they can get their hands on when teething, but they may be drawn to certain materials or textures over others. Some babies like soft, pliable materials (like silicone or cloth), while others prefer harder materials (such as wood). Bumpy textures may also help offer added relief.
• Avoid amber teething necklaces. Teething necklaces and beads are unsafe, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), since they can become a choking or strangulation hazard.
• Look out for mold. Mold thrives in damp environments, so teethers — which are constantly in your baby's mouth! — can be particularly susceptible. Make sure that you choose teething toys that can be easily cleaned and disinfected.

When choosing teething relief products for your little one, be sure to also avoid topical products that contain the gum-numbing ingredient benzocaine, which can have rare, but life-threatening side effects. Homeopathic or "natural" teething products that contain belladonna are also unsafe, according to the FDA.

Types of teething toys

Teething toys can generally be broken down into the following categories:

• Teething rings. These circular teethers are a more classic style of teething toy. The AAP recommends parents opt for solid teething rings and avoid liquid-filled options.
• Teething toothbrushes. These teethers have nubbins and a handle to resemble a toothbrush.
• Teething toys. Teething toys look like animals or other fun objects that baby can gnaw on.
• Teething blankets. These teething toys look like blankets or scarves, but are designed to be chewed.

How we made our picks for the best teething toys

There are a few factors that went into picking the best teething toys: The What to Expect editorial team conducted research on popularity, innovation, design, quality, value and ease of use of the best teething toys. We also got input from pediatricians on what's safe/recommended, and compared that against the products that real parents in the What to Expect community love. Plus, What to Expect staff and contributors even road-tested some teething toys at home with our own families.

Here, our picks for the best baby teething toys.