It’s the story of a parent’s life: you look on as your child grows and learns, knowing that although you love them to bits, you’re powerless to shield them from the growing pains of life. Cutting teeth doesn’t seem like such a big deal until you have a teething toddler in your house.
I know what it’s like to wish there was something you could do to help. Their pain is your pain! But as with so many things in a toddler’s world, teething is a battle they have to get through on their own.
One of the ways you can give your child a little help is by offering them something to chew on. We’ve taken a bite out of the vast market to find some real solutions for your baby’s pain and bring you the best teething necklaces currently available.
Take Note
The Different Types of Teething Necklace
There are two types of teething necklaces — the ones made for babies to wear and the ones made for moms to wear.
Teething Necklaces for Babies: A Hazardous Choice (Not Recommended)
Important Note
Necklaces for babies are usually made of firm, chewable plastic beads to soothe those tender gums. Gaining popularity are beautiful Baltic amber necklaces, whose manufacturers claim can release a pain-relieving substance when babies chew on them. Though your little one may indeed love chewing them, there’s no evidence for these pain-relieving claims.
For this reason, we strongly recommend you do not buy a teething necklace that is intended for your baby to wear.
Teething Necklaces for Moms: A Safer Alternative
The other kind of teething necklace is made for mothers to wear while their babies chew on them. These are made out of baby-safe, chewy materials that can be cleaned after being doused in drool. The strangulation risk is reduced, but you’ll still need to be vigilant while your baby is gnawing on it.
Do Amber Teething Necklaces Work?
Makers of Baltic amber baby teething necklaces claim that the beads are anti-inflammatory and analgesic, so when your baby chews on them they’re not just getting physical relief but actually soothing themselves with an all-natural painkiller. But as you might imagine, this is nothing but a bit of wishful thinking (3).
According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, the use of these necklaces is not supported by modern science (4).
If you choose to use a teething necklace, we only recommend buying a 100% food-grade silicone teething necklace designed for moms to wear.
What to Look for When Buying
Here’s what you should consider before buying a teething necklace:
- Non-toxicity: Make sure your necklace is truly non-toxic (5). Look for 100% food-grade FDA-approved silicone that is free of BPAs, Phthalates, cadmium, lead, and latex.
- Effectiveness: Make sure the claims people make about teething necklaces are scientifically backed. Amber beads, for instance, have not been proven to help babies any more than any other type of material (6).
- Alternatives: If you decide they aren’t right for you and your baby, you can always buy a teething toy or find fabric for them to chew on, apply ice to the gums, or offer pain relief medications like Tylenol.
Best Teething Necklaces of 2020
If you decide that you want to give teething necklaces a try, here are some models for you to consider.
1. Itybity Baby Silicone Teething Necklace
If you’re looking for a necklace that will go with your spring and summer outfits, you’ll want something with a playful design in plenty of hues to complement the lighter vibe of the warmer seasons. But it will have to hold up to rigorous chewing too!
This necklace is just right for spring and summer. Its beads are good-sized but not so large that they’ll draw attention from your outfit. They’ll complement what you’re wearing, not overpower it, and the gentle pastel shades can be styled in many ways.
It has a smooth cord that won’t rip at your hair on the back of your neck, and a break-away clasp that gives you additional security should your baby decide to snatch at it. Also, each bead is individually knotted to help prevent the possibility of your baby choking on the beads if the cord were to break.
Since it’s made of food-grade silicone, it doesn’t contain BPA. It’s also safe to throw in the dishwasher when it’s time for a good cleaning.
- Can be put in the freezer to give your baby additional pain relief.
- This necklace complies with baby and toy safety for U.S. and European standards.
- Adjustable length.
- The break-away clasp breaks away too easily, which means babies can pull it off.
- The necklace is rather heavy and may be too large for some moms.
2. Bebe By Me Cosmopolitan Teething Necklace
If you’ve never used one of these before, you may not want to invest a lot of money in one until you know that it works for your baby. Fortunately, there are a lot of affordable options out there. So even if you’re struggling when it comes to money, you’ll be able to find a necklace that works for you.
This necklace will meet all your baby’s teething needs. It has hard beads, soft pieces, and cushy beads so she’ll be able to find something that feels comfy against her aching gums.
Made out of food-grade silicone, this necklace is toxin and BPA-free. Plus, the soft colors of the beads means the necklace will pair up with many of your outfits without clashing.
Not everybody likes bold colors, so this is a necklace that will suit moms who don’t necessarily want to make a statement with their necklace.
The necklace has an upgraded clasp that is stronger than the ones this company once used. It’s nice when a company realizes there’s room for improvement on a product and does the extra work to implement that change. It gives consumers like us a vote of confidence in the company.
The 15-inch length isn’t too short or too long for most women.
- Cheaper than many other brands.
- It looks like a real necklace.
- Different hardness levels and textures of beads.
- The beads don’t go all the way around this necklace, which means your baby may be chewing on the cord at times.
- The smaller beads might not hold up if your baby is an avid chewer.
3. Chew-Choos Secret Garden Silicone Teething Necklace
Many moms still want to look fashionable when they're caring for their babies. Just because we’ve become moms doesn’t mean we’ve stopped being women. Necklaces made for moms give us a chance to combine our love for accessories with our love for our babies. They’ll get relief, we’ll get a new necklace. Everybody wins.
This product combines fashion with function, and it comes with a cloth bag to keep it clean while it isn’t in use.
While some necklaces are made to be worn by your baby, many moms worry about choking and strangulation hazards, questioning the safety of allowing a baby to wear a necklace.
Chew-Choos is different – it’s made for moms to wear. When your baby is teething, he can chew on this beaded necklace that will be hanging around your neck, which eliminates the strangulation risk.
Made from food-grade organic silicone, this necklace gives moms who are worried about plastic a different alternative to help with their child’s teething pain. It doesn’t contain BPA, cadmium, latex, lead or phthalates.
You can treat this necklace just like you would a teething ring. You can stick it in the freezer to let the chill help your baby’s tender gums.
These pretty beads will go with many different colors of clothes and will add a pop of color to basic black outfits.
When this necklace starts getting a bit dirty, you can clean it in the dishwasher or simply wash it in hot, soapy water.
The necklace has a thicker cord that will stand up to a lot of use and reduces the risk of the necklace breaking while your baby chews on it. You can adjust the length of this necklace to suit your preference and your baby’s needs.
- Pretty beads and design.
- Affordable price for a woman’s necklace.
- Easy to clean.
- Won’t go with every outfit.
- The beads attract lint and hair.
4. BEBE by Me 'Harper' All-in-1 Teething Necklace
Your baby will experience a lot of different sensations when teething. Be prepared with this all-in-one necklace to help comfort them no matter what they’re feeling. It features three types of beads, each with a different level of hardness.
Divided between two strands, your baby can choose from hard beads, soft beads, or cushy beads. They are also different shapes to help stimulate your child’s sensory development. Your little one can find the perfect one to massage and soothe their aching gums at the moment.
All of the beads are made from the safest food-grade silicone and are free of BPA and toxins. It is freezer safe and machine washable.
You’ll also love the two-color palette options, electric blue, and icy peppermint or pastel pink and mysterious ash. Each necklace is 15 inches long, has an extra-strong clasp to prevent breaking, and comes in a luxury gift box.
- Three different types of beads give your baby exactly what they need at different stages of teething.
- Shaped beads stimulate sensory development.
- Features stylish color palette.
- The upgraded clasp is super strong, making it difficult for to take off in a hectic moment.
