Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier

The Philips Avent Soothie is a popular pacifier for newborns, and there's a lot to like about it. The whole pacifier is made out of one piece of BPA-free medical-grade silicone. Our hands-on parent testers all agreed the Soothie's construction is strong, and that it holds its shape well, even when their child chewed on it. One tester said she worried the pacifier was covering her baby's nose because it didn't have a cutaway at the top like others she'd tried, but there was ultimately no problem. (Note: baby's noses are usually a little covered when they breastfeed, too.)

Pacifiers are one of those products where you might need to experiment a fair bit before you find something that sticks. Some of the babies who tested the Soothie for us accepted it fairly quickly, others preferred their own thumbs, and some just plain weren't into it—which is about what we'd expect with any pacifier. It's worth noting that there's no pull or handle on this pacifier that you can loop a pacifier clip or soother saver through, which might be important to you.

In our lab tests, we found the Philips Avent Soothie very easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher, and all of our testers agreed. You can quickly sterilize it by boiling for five minutes, and a nice bonus is that there's no chance that water will get trapped inside the pacifier. After we let it soak in a sink of soapy water and a bit of spaghetti sauce, we didn't notice any staining, and while there was a very slight smell, a quick hand wash got rid of it.

Philips Avent recommends replacing the pacifier every four weeks for safety and hygiene, while many other brands recommend one to two months, so it will cost a bit more in the long run if you stick to the recommendations. That said, if this is the pacifier that calms your little one and if you have a preference for a one-piece design, you'll probably find it's well worth it.

Final word

Parent testers rated the quality, easy of use and value of the Philips Avent Soothie from average to very good. They all felt it was safe to give to their baby, and unanimously agreed it was worthy of the Today's Parent Approved seal of approval. We agree that the Soothie should be one of the pacifiers you try with your little one.