Teething isn't any fun for babies, and usually not for parents, either. Luckily, there are plenty of great options for teething toys available today, from inexpensive, simple teething rings to hand-crafted wooden masterpieces.These baby teethers offer fun for babies in the right size and texture to also provide soothing teething surfaces. Keep in mind that babies each have their own preference on teethers, so it's a good idea to have more than one teething toy on hand so your baby can choose what feels best to him or her.
1. Ringley Natural Teething Toy
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Ringley's teething toys are beautiful, simple and perfectly sized for little hands. The wooden rings are made from untreated maple, and the body is made of soft organic cotton. The combination gives your baby multiple soothing options on the same teether. You can hand-wash these teethers, plus the maple has natural anti-bacterial properties. I'm partial to the Ringley heart with the rattle inside, but there are several other options, including some with knotted cotton for a more firm teething surface.
2. Toofeze Silicone Teether
©2010, H.C.
The Toofeze teether is so cool, literally, because you can chill the stainless steel disk in the fridge, a glass of water, or an AC vent. Since the stainless steel cools down quickly, you have a super-soothing teether that's perfect when you're on the go. The body of the teether is made of silicone that has a delightfully squishy texture. The whole thing can be thrown in the dishwasher, and you can even have the stainless portion engraved if you want to dress it up a bit or give one as a gift.
3. Under the Nile Corn Teething Toy
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Organic cotton makes a fantastic, worry-free teething texture. This corn teether from Under the Nile is like a mini plush toy, made from organic cotton, with a slightly firm texture so that baby has a suitable surface for gnawing. If this teething toy gets soggy, it's machine washable and you can also pop it in the dryer for less wait time until it's usable again. At about $7, the corn teether is reasonably priced for a high-quality toy.
4. Mam Cooler Teething Toy
© 2010, MAM. Used with permission.
The slightly smaller size of this chillable teething ring from Mam allows baby to position it better to reach sore spots. There's a firm texture on one end, and a liquid-filled, softer texture on the other side. The prongs easily reach baby's molars, too. At less than $5, it's easy to keep more than one of these teethers around for baby to play with.
5. Toysmith Teether Ball
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The teether ball from Toysmith is lots of fun to touch as well as to chew on! I love that it has a nice vanilla scent and it squeaks when squeezed, so it stimulates more of baby's senses during play time. Little fingers can hold and play with the nubs even while chewing on the teether. This teething toy also comes in at less than $5.
