6 Best Baby Spoons for 2024

Baby spoons are not just smaller versions of adult spoons (spoiler alert!). In this buying guide for the best spoons for baby, we’ll go over how to pick the best baby spoon, frequently asked questions, how to teach baby to use a spoon, tips for baby self-feeding, and the best spoons for both traditional weaning and baby-led weaning. For ages 6-12 months.

Medically reviewed and co-written by Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Baby Spoons

Whether you use a traditional weaning approach, baby-led weaning, or a combination of both, at some point your baby is going to need to use utensils, including a spoon. And although a baby eating yogurt with their fingers at 7 months is oh-so-adorable, a child eating yogurt with their fingers at 7 years is not quite as cute. So when can you start introducing a spoon to your baby?

Most babies can swallow a spoonful of puree without choking when they are around 6 months old. Babies can start to use a spoon by themselves at about 10 to 12 months old, according to a report on infant and toddler nutrition from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While it’s true that spoons + food + babies = messes, your little one will continue to get better at using utensils like spoons if you give them opportunities to practice.

How to Pick the Best Spoon

Buying baby spoons is different in many ways than buying spoons for a toddler or older child. Here are a few tips to consider when picking the best spoon for both your baby’s and family’s needs.

Feeding Approach –

Although there are spoons that work well for both traditional weaning and baby-led weaning, some spoons are designed more for parent feeding, while others are designed more for baby’s self-feeding. Think about what type of approaches you plan to use with your little one and consider trying a few different options as your baby grows.

Size/shape

An infant spoon should be relatively small and narrow so that it fits easily in the mouth. A shallow bowl is helpful so that baby can close their lips and easily clear food off the spoon. Shorter, thicker handles are easier for your baby to self-feed with, while longer, thinner handles help parents feed purees.

Materials

You’ll want a material that provides structure and is firm, yet flexible and gentle enough for baby’s mouth. Food grade silicone is a popular choice that also allows your baby to “teethe” a little on the spoon. Stainless steel and plastic may also work for your baby, especially if the spoon has more than one texture or material.

Style

The variety of colors, designs, and textures are endless these days. We like spoons that offer “built-in” teething options, such as added texture via bumps or ridges on the handles.

Best Spoons for Self-Feeding Babies

• NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils
• Olababy Soft-Tip Training Spoon
• Bumkins Utensils
• PrimaStella Silicone Rainbow Spoon Set for Babies

Best Spoons for Purees

• Munchkin 6 Piece Lift Infant Spoons
• WeeSprout Silicone Baby Spoons
• Boon Swap 2-in-1 Baby Spoon
• ezpz Tiny Spoon
• Avanchy Stainless Steel Infant Spoons

1. What’s In My Kitchen: NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils

NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils for baby-led weaning. No scooping, no balancing, and best of all, no wrong way to hold it! This set includes on Stage One baby spoon (which can also act as a teether for sore gums) and a Stage Two one for toddlers capable of the food-to-mouth motion. It’s a great option for those graduating towards baby led weaning. Because the handles are thicker and contoured, they’ll comfortably and securely fit a baby’s hand. Best of all, they’re 100% BPA, PVC and phthalates free, so you can okay about your child gnawing on them.

The Specs:

• Material: Silicone
• Dimensions: 3.94 x 0.94 inches
• Number of spoons: 2
• Age recommended: 6-18 months

The Pros:

• BPA, PVC and phthalates free
• Dishwasher safe
• Multiple color choices
• Ergonomic for babies

The Cons:

• Cannot be microwaved

What Others Are Saying:

Healthline named the NumNum Pre-Spoon GOOtensils the best baby spoon for self feeding and The Bump named it best baby spoon set. It also has a 4.6-star rating from more than 43,000 reviews on Amazon.

2. Best Spoon for Self-Feeding Baby: Olababy Soft-Tip Training Spoon

The adorable Olababy Soft-Tip Training Spoon feels like a toy, looks like a plant, and works great as a teether. This spoon works great for both baby-led weaning and traditional weaning approaches thanks to its shallow bowl design promotes lip closure for oral motor development. The soft material makes it especially ergonomic for small baby hands and the flat bottom allows it to stand upright when not in use for a more hygienic rest. It’s also made of 100% food-grade silicone that is BPA-, latex-, and phthalate-free, making it a safe option as well.

The Specs:

• Material: Silicone
• Dimensions: 4.7 x 1 inches
• Number of spoons: 2
• Age recommended: 6-18 months

The Pros:

• Flexible spoon
• Can stand upright
• Able to boil to sanitize
• Ergonomic for babies
• Dishwasher safe

The Cons:

• Higher priced than other spoons

What Others Are Saying:

The Olababy Soft-Tip Training Spoon was named best “modern method” spoon by Babylist, best silicone by Baby Gear Lab and best training spoon by What to Expect. It also has a 4.8-star rating on Amazon from about 11,000 reviews.

3. Best Silicone Spoons: PrimaStella Silicone Chew Spoon Set

These beautifully colored silicone spoons by PrimaStella make a perfect start for spoon-feeding. With one end for dipping, the other end for scooping, and the whole spoon soft and flexible enough for chewing, these spoons are a must-have for baby-led weaning. They feature a textured middle handle for easy gripping for babies and toddlers and the soft silicone design protects sensitive gums and new teeth. It’s also lead, BPA, PVC and phthalate free!

The Specs:

• Material: Food-grade silicone
• Dimensions: 4.5 x 1 inches
• Number of spoons: 6
• Age recommended: 6-18 months

The Pros:

• Multiple included
• Easy on sore gums
• Can be used as a teether
• Lead, BPA, PVC and phthalate free
• Dishwasher safe

The Cons:

• Spoon can be too deep for some babies

What Others Are Saying:

This silicone spoon was named the best teething spoon by What to Expect. The PrimaStella Silicone Chew Spoon Set also has a 4.7-star rating from more than 3,000 Amazon reviews.

4. Best Spoon for Baby Led Weaning: Bumkins Chewtensils

The Bumkins Chewtensils Fork and Spoon Set is perfect for helping guide little ones to self-feeding. Their small, shorter size allows your baby to easily dip them into food, then practice the motion of self-feeding. While it comes with a spoon, the fork is a great addition for when you’re graduating to feeding solids to your child. The back of the spoon head has sensory bumps to stimulate gums and there’s a ventilated choke barrier for extra safety. It’s also made of 100% food-safe silicone, and is BPA-free and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

The Specs:

• Material: Food-grade silicone
• Dimensions: 3 x 1.75 inches
• Number of spoons: 2
• Age recommended: 6+ months

The Pros:

• Fork included
• Multiple color options
• Food safety tested
• BPA-free
• Dishwasher safe

The Cons:

• Too short for older babies

What Others Are Saying:

Healthline named the Bumkins Chewtensils the best spoon and fork set in its roundup of best baby spoons. It also has more than 10,000 Amazon reviews and a 4.7-star rating.

5. Best Budget: Munchkin Lift Infant Spoons

All parents can appreciate the design of these Munchkin Lift Infant spoons. The base of the spoon keeps the tip elevated off of surfaces when set down, so baby’s spoon comes into contact with less germs and your tabletop stays cleaner. These translucent spoons are recommended for ages 4+ months, which is great for starting with traditional weaning. They’re super affordable, too, with a 6-pack being around $7 — that’s a little more than $1 a spoon. The soft plastic is also gentle on baby’s face and gums and it’s BPA-free and top rack dishwasher safe.

The Specs:

• Material: Plastic
• Dimensions: 8.5 x 1 inches
• Number of spoons: 6
• Age recommended: 4+ months

The Pros:

• Affordable pack
• Elevated base keeps tip off of table
• Spatula-shaped tip
• Long for easy gripping
• Dishwasher safe

The Cons:

• Can crack if bent too much

What Others Are Saying:

The Munchkin Lift Infant Spoons are Baby Gear Lab’s best budget option in its round up of the best baby spoons. They also have a 4.7-star rating from more than 7,000 Amazon reviews.

6. Best Spoon for Purees: WeeSprout Silicone Baby Spoons

These unique, flexible spoons can bend in every direction, making it easy to position and adjust baby’s spoon to fit every feeding situation. The soft tip is gentle on the gums and developing teeth, which makes them great for small mouths and feeding purees. Made of 100% food-grade silicone, the smooth design prevents water and food from getting trapped. Additionally, they are both dishwasher friendly and boil-proof so you can give them an extra deep clean.

The Specs:

• Material: Food-grade silicone
• Dimensions: 7.2 x 1 inches
• Number of spoons: 6
• Age recommended: 6-12 months

The Pros:

• Bendable and unbreakable
• Angled for easy feeding
• Stain-and odor-resistant
• Can be boiled for sanitizing

The Cons:

• Lighter colored spoons can stain

What Others Are Saying:

The WeeSprout Silicone Baby Spoons have a 4.9-star rating from more than 2,000 Amazon reviews.

Other Baby Spoons We Considered

ezpz Tiny Spoon

The ezpz Tiny Spoon is designed with a variety of unique features that make it an incredibly functional and developmentally appropriate spoon for baby’s first foods. This spoon works great for both traditional weaning and baby-led weaning. It features sensory bumps on the spoon bowl activate sensory awareness to decrease gagging and choking, but they may be too small for some babies. The ezpz Tiny Spoon is available at Amazon for $15.99.

Avanchy Stainless Steel Infant Spoons

This Avanchy spoon is a perfectly sized spoon for babies. Designed with parents in mind, it has a smaller head and longer handle that’s ideal for traditional spoon-feeding. It has a thinner scoop and long handle promote easier spoon-feeding. However, the stainless steel material may be rough on sensitive gums and teeth. The Avanchy Stainless Steel Infant Spoons is available at Amazon for $17.99.

Boon Swap 2-in-1 Baby Spoon

These dual-ended, minimalist style spoons offer two feeding texture options, with a soft and a rigid end. Their small size makes them perfect for first-time feedings using a traditional weaning approach. A combination of durable food-grade silicone on one side and stainless steel, you can choose which one is best for your baby. It is quite thin, though, so it does allow your baby to grab as much when self-feeding. The Boon Swap 2-in-1 Baby Spoon is available at Amazon for $16.99.

Munchkin The Baby Toon

This spoon is cute enough to double as a toy and may make feeding time a little more entertaining. It comes in elephant, alligator and koala shapes and features a wide cut-out for holding. Made of 100% FDA grade silicone, it also makes for a good teething toy. While the animal shapes are fun, it does make it a little more challenging for kiddos to feed themselves. The Munchkin The Baby Toon is available at Amazon for $6.68.

Gerber Stainless Steel Tip Kiddy Cutlery Spoons

This set of stainless steel baby spoons offer a soft, silicone handle that is a good size for toddler hands. They aren’t too deep but are still large enough for babies to feed a good serving of puree to themselves. Because they’re metal, they’re a bit more durable than other spoons, but may not feel great for those with teeth growing in. The Gerber Stainless Steel Tip Kiddy Cutlery Spoons is available at Amazon for $19.99.

Why You Can Trust Me

As a mother of two who has made my own baby food from scratch from the beginning, I have my fair share of experience of trying different baby spoons for both feeding my kids and allowing them to feed themselves. To put together this list of the best baby spoons, I started with ones that I’ve personally used. Then, for the ones I was not as familiar with, I looked into reviews and ratings from other parenting experts and everyday users. My top picks are ones I personally vouch for and recommend to my readers. They are not only safe for babies, but also ergonomic and encouraging for baby-led weaning. These products were also medically reviewed by Lauren Braaten, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

How to Teach Baby to Use a Spoon

• As with starting solid foods in general, make sure your baby has good support at their head, trunk, and feet, ideally via sitting in a high chair or booster chair.
• Serve thicker purees that will stick easily to the spoon to start with, such as oatmeal, mashed sweet potatoes, or greek yogurt.
• Model dipping the spoon in the puree and bringing it up to your mouth. You can do this with your baby’s spoon before offering it to them and with your own food during the meal.
• You can simply hand baby the spoon and see what they’ll do, but you may also want to consider pre-loading the spoon to help baby get started. Just scoop up a small amount and either set the spoon on the tray for your baby to grasp or place the spoon in their hand. This may help decrease frustration with unsuccessful attempts in the early stages of learning.
• Don’t worry if your baby doesn’t seem interested in using the spoon or is more distracted by throwing it off their tray at first. You can always remove the spoon and offer it again at another meal. Your baby can still get in great practice with hand-eye coordination needed for spoon-feeding by dipping their fingers in a bowl and slurping the puree off of them!

Frequently Asked Questions

Prices were accurate at the time of publishing.