Natursutten Original Ortho Pacifier

The Natursutten Original Ortho Pacifier has a one-piece design and is made from 100-percent natural rubber—a sustainable material that's a good option if you have concerns about plastics. It's also biodegradable, which makes it different from many other pacifiers on the market. And Natursutten's focus on sustainability extends to protecting the rights of the workers who make its pacifiers and using soya-based inks on packaging—something that may be important to you as a consumer.

Natursutten's Original pacifier comes in two nipple shape options: round and orthodontic. The orthodontic version has a flatter shape that's meant to reduce dental issues that could occur if your child is still using a pacifier after age two or three. It's available in three sizes to accommodate your growing baby, and the soft rubber means it won't leave any red marks on your little one's face.

With pacifiers, it can sometimes take weeks of trying different options before you can be sure your child has landed on something she likes. Most of our baby testers took to the Natursutten Original Ortho Pacifier fairly quickly, and their parents felt it was helpful in soothing their little ones. Adorably, some of the babes were more interested in using it as a toy or a teether.

Our hands-on parent testers all agreed that the Natursutten's construction is strong and it holds its shape well, even when their child chewed on it. One tester worried that the pacifier was covering her baby's nose, but it's worth remembering that's essentially what happens when babies breastfeed. If it's a concern for you, Natursutten also offers the Butterfly, a cutaway version of the Original pacifier.

The Natursutten Original Ortho Pacifier needs to be treated with a little extra care when it comes to cleaning. It washes up easily by hand, but you can't toss it in the dishwasher. Because of the texture of the natural rubber, it does tend to pick up bits of dirt and fuzz. On the plus side, the one-piece construction means there aren't any nooks or crannies where dirt or bacteria can collect, so everything washes off easily. When we let it sit overnight in a sink full of water, dish soap and a bit of spaghetti sauce, we did notice some staining and smelliness. But we were able to wash away most of the stain and all of the smell by giving it a good scrub.

As with most pacifiers, you should boil the Natursutten for five minutes and let it cool before you give it to baby for the first time. Don't be alarmed if it turns milky white in the boiling water—it will return to its natural colour when it's fully dry. Natursutten recommends you only boil the pacifier once. If you feel it needs a more thorough cleaning than hot, soapy water can provide, you can place it in a strainer and pour boiling water over it. The rubber will naturally darken over time but it's nothing to fret about.

Unlike other popular pacifiers with single-piece construction, the Natursutten has a loop that you can attach a pacifier clip to, if that's something you look for. That could also be a way to introduce more colour or playful designs, since the Natursutten itself is fairly plain.

Final word

All of our parent testers rated the quality and ease of use of this pacifier as either good or very good, but they were less enthusiastic about the value. While the Natursutten Original Ortho Pacifier is priced higher than most pacifiers, the sustainable materials and production practices are great reasons to pay a bit more if it fits your budget. It's also got a great mouth feel (yes, we tried it) and is popular with babies. With all these qualities, it was easy to award this product the Today's Parent Approved seal.