The Best Baby Bibs, According to a Real Mom and Baby

A few months ago, my sister, Yasmin, introduced solid foods to her seven-month-old son, Cyrus. She first fed him purées with a spoon, but after he started grabbing the bowl and reaching out for any food in sight, she incorporated baby-led feeding into the mix, giving him pieces of soft vegetables that he could pick up and feed himself. Thanks to countless Instagram videos, she knew that when babies feed themselves, food flieseverywhere; a good bib—with a pocket to catch at least some of what didn't make it into Cyrus's mouth—would be crucial.

To find the most effective, easy-to-use bib, Yasmin agreed to participate in a little experiment: every evening for three weeks she put a different bib on Cyrus and took notes in a Google spreadsheet as he (messily, adorably) ate his dinner. Read on to find out what she deemed the best baby bib. (For the specifics of how we tested and what to look for in a bib, scroll to the bottom of the page.)

Our Top Pick:Happy Healthy Parent Silicone Bib

After testing different bibs on Cyrus over the course of more than 15 or so meals, Happy Healthy Parent came out as the clear winner. It's essentially a piece of soft silicone shaped into a sleeveless bib, and many of the reasons we liked it stem back to the material, which is BPA- and PVC-free. The adjustable neck band has four latches that are easy to secure. Granted, the bib takes a bit more effort to put on the baby than other contenders that had Velcro neck straps, like theOXO silicone one, but the adjustability means you can use the bib as the baby grows and the silicone on the strap won't wear out like Velcro will.

The bib also has more surface area than similar sleeveless styles—it has plenty of coverage, particularly around the shoulders, and fully extends across the baby's chest. It stays in place and moves easily with the baby in his highchair. We were worried that the silicone would make it feel like a plastic disc around the neck, but the material is surprisingly soft, even at the neckline, which is high enough to prevent food from spilling down into the baby's chest. We liked that we didn’t have to take Cyrus’ shirt off when using this bib to keep his outfit clean.

Above all, the standout feature is the catch-all pocket. It's extremely sturdy, has a wide opening, and, unlike other bibs, catches the majority of food that doesn't make it into the baby's mouth. We noticed that Cyrus actually retrieved the food that fell into the pocket—with other bibs, if pieces of broccoli or sweet potato fell into the pocket, he'd have no idea where they went. This one, however, is wide enough for him to look down, pull the food out, and put it back in his mouth. Extra points for sharpening of developmental dexterities!

以外的功能,饮酒容易清洁,either washing in the sink or in the dishwasher—and it dries quickly and looks new after every use. Since there aren't any seams, food has no small crevices to get stuck in. Ultimately, the Happy Healthy Parent bib delivers a huge bang for your buck. It's sold in packs of two, with each bib averaging a little over $9. The only other sleeveless bib we tested that was substantially cheaper (at $3.50 a piece) was also the lowest performing.

BUY IT:Happy Healthy Parent Silicone Bib, $19 for a set of 2 on Amazon

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Our Favorite Long-Sleeved Option:Bumkins Waterproof Bib

We overall preferred the sleeveless silicone bibs to the sleeved fabric styles—they're easier to clean and take on/off—but of the smocks we tested, the Bumkins was our favorite. Because it only has one tie in the back, compared to two or three, we had no trouble getting it on a very wiggly Cyrus. It's geared for babies larger (and older) than Cyrus, and though it was a little roomy in the chest, it fit perfectly in the arms, likely due to the tightly cinched wrists that allow the baby access to his hands. Yasmin noted that it's like the bib version ofSisterhood of Traveling Pants因为它适合宝宝年龄从6日到24日月巨大的range of sizes. It offers good physical coverage, but because it's made of polyester, the pockets aren't sturdy or that effective at catching food. And although messy foods like peanut butter, banana, and applesauce wiped right off, it felt like a wet dishrag after washing and had to be hung up to dry. These complaints, however, are common to all smock bibs made of polyester-like fabric. Aside from feeding, we liked that this bib can be used for art projects and other messy activities. And, since it's so flexible size-wise, it'll last a long time.

BUY IT:Bumkins Waterproof Sleeved Bib, $10-$17 on Amazon

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How We Tested

We began our research by reading through various parenting blogs and noting which bibs were recommended as the best for baby-led feeding. Yasmin also wanted to try the bibs she saw in videos teaching parents how to feed, like those posted to theFeeding LittlesandCrunchy RadishInstagram accounts. We narrowed our options down to 11 bibs, making sure to include both sleeveless and long-sleeved styles.

Cyrus wore a different bib for dinner each night for three weeks. A typical meal for him consists of three "courses": for example a homemade purée or yogurt with peanut oralmond buttermixed in; a finger food that he can hold by himself, like steamed broccoli, sautéed spinach, roastedsweet potatofries, or omelette strips; and something sweet, like raspberries, puréed beets, or applesauce. Yasmin prepared his food daily and noted how each bib performed in the different categories listed below. Anyone else who fed Cyrus, whether it was me, Cyrus' dad, or his grandparents, was aware of the testing process and contributed their observations as well.

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Cyrus munching on sweet potato fries in theBumkins sleeved bib.

Factors We Evaluated

We first considered how much maneuvering is required to get the bib on the baby. Sleeveless bibs have neck straps that are relatively easy to put on while the smock styles have narrow cuffs to put the baby's hands through, as well as ties in the back. As for comfort, we paid attention to any tightness around the neck or itchy, tough material.

It's essentially impossible for a 7-month-old to not get food all over himself while eating. We didn't expect any of the bibs to keep Cyrus spotless, but we were looking for one that kept him clean enough so that he didn't require a bath immediately after feeding. For both sleeveless and long-sleeved bibs, it really came down to how substantially they covered the area around the lower neck, chest, and shoulders.

We preferred bibs that had deep and sturdy pockets at the bottom for catching food. Some of the pockets were flimsy and didn't open wide enough to intercept any pieces of food before they fell to the floor. We deducted points if the pockets did nothing to contain the mess and had no apparent purpose beyond aesthetics.

We didn't test any cloth bibs and all of them were ostensibly waterproof. Most of the sleeveless ones were made of silicone of varying thickness and softness. All of the long-sleeved ones were made of a lightweight, breathable fabric that was usually a combination of polyester andBPA-free polyurethane plastic. We had two main concerns with the material and make of the bib—a) is it actually waterproof? and b) how easy is it to clean? We favored bibs that could easily be cleaned in the sink and that dried quickly.

This wasn’t a huge consideration but we were looking for bibs that stayed compact when rolled or folded, and could easily be thrown in a bag with other baby gear.

The best baby bib should be well-made, but it should not be expensive. Some bibs are sold individually, others come in a pack of two or three, so we calculated the overall cost of each single bib. We also considered how long they'd last, especially with frequent washings.

Finally, we considered the overall aesthetics of the bibs. We appreciated bibs that came in a variety of colors and patterns. We particularly noted the placement of the brand logo on each of the bibs. Yasmin tends to take a lot of pictures of Cyrus while he eats, and she didn't want any overpowering logos that would make him an advertisement for the brand.

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Other Bibs We Tested

TheOXO Waterproof Bibwas the favorite going into the test, if only because it's what Yasmin had been using for the first month she'd given Cyrus solid foods (she had bought it initially because she trusts OXO products). There are a lot of great things about this bib, including a Velcro neck closure that’s easy to put on even the squirmiest baby and a tab that keeps it compact when rolled up. It appears to be comfortable—the top part is made of nylon while the catch-all pocket at the bottom is made of silicone. However, compared to the Happy Healthy Parent, its coverage is minimal. There's a significant gap at the neckline and the surface area doesn't completely cover the shoulders. Though effective, the pocket didn't catch as much food as our winner. It's dishwasher-safe and machine-washable, but Yasmin doesn't like to put bibs in the dishwasher or washing machine, as it can wear out the Velcro and fabric seams, the latter of which fill with food and get mildewy if not cleaned immediately. This bib also shows a lot of wear—according to Yasmin, hers has month-old sweet potato pieces stuck in the seams.

Of the other sleeveless bibs we tested, the 100-percent siliconeTommee Tippeewas easy to clean and roll up, but didn't keep the baby as clean as others. Plus, the silicone was much thinner and flimsier than both the Happy Healthy Parent and the OXO. TheBaby Björn Soft Bibwas extremely sturdy and easy to clean—it looked like a plastic plate hanging from the baby’s neck—but it didn’t provide great coverage. Also, it’s made of such a thick plastic that it can’t be rolled up, and we didn’t like the front-and-center placement of the Baby Björn teddy bear logo. At $11, it's closer in price to the OXO ($13), both of which cost slightly more than the Happy Healthy Parent.

We observed similar pros and cons in the smock bibs we tested, and if we had to use one word to describe them all, it would be high-maintenance. Putting them on is a production—you have to tug the baby's arms through the sleeves and try to get him to sit still while you tie the back—as is finding a place to hang them to up to dry. We appreciated that thePikababy Long Sleeve Bibhas full coverage, tight wrists, and fun patterns, but we're doubtful of how waterproof it truly is. Purées seeped through the material and left Cyrus' shirt underneath completely wet. It’s better suited for a toddler who has more control over their food, and who won't try to wiggle away while putting it on.

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The Takeaway

If you've just started your baby on solids and are looking for an easy-to-clean sleeveless bib, go withHappy Healthy Parent's 100-percent silicone option. It takes a second to put on, has convenient neck closures that stay in place, and at two for $19, is affordable. If your baby is in the 9- to 24-month range, consider a multi-purpose smock like theBumkins Waterproof Sleeved Bib. It requires a bit more effort to put on than the sleeveless styles and is best for a baby who's used to self-feeding.