Baby Led Weaning (BLW) emphasizes independence and exploration, where babies feed themselves from the start, skipping purees and opting for finger foods. To ensure a safe and successful experience, it’s essential to provide the right BLW supplies such as a secure high chair, baby-safe utensils, suction plates or placemats, small cups for water, and splat mats.
Additionally, it’s crucial to prioritize safety by selecting appropriate foods and closely supervising meals to prevent choking hazards. As starting BLW can be quite daunting for some, we hope to equip you with the necessary supplies and knowledge to embark on a journey of introducing solid foods to your kid in a safe and empowering way.
Why Should You Trust Me
I’m a proud mama of a 3-year-old girl (as of Nov 2023!) who, in my heart, has successfully gone through BLW from 6 months of age. As I took a hiatus from work and personally took care of my daughter since birth, I was able to try a hand at BLW and have never looked back. I did a blend of BLW and purees during the first year of my daughter’s BLW journey.
For bragging rights, I successfully managed to get my daughter to try 100 foods before 1 and of course, I am reaping the benefits of this exposure too!
Almost 3 years on, I feel that I’m finally reaping the benefits of BLW. She’s able to:
- Feed herself with utensils
- Try new foods and even able to compare to different foods (for example, she tells me that radish doesn’t taste like potatoes, but it feels similar)
- Sit by the table and hold conversations with the family while eating
- Gauge her own hunger and fullness: she asks for more when she’s still hungry and stops when she’s done
Best Baby Led Weaning High Chairs
High chairs play a pivotal role in the BLW journey as they provide a safe and comfortable space for infants to explore solid foods. When selecting a high chair for BLW, it’s essential to prioritize stability, ease of cleaning, and adjustability.
An easy-to-clean high chair simplifies the inevitable mess that comes with BLW. Adjustable features, such as height and footrest, promote proper posture and encourage independence in self-feeding, making the high chair an indispensable tool for fostering healthy eating habits and developmental milestones in BLW.
Before allowing your child to sit on the high chair for feeding or entertainment and learning purposes, it’s important to check your baby’s readiness to know when he/she can sit in a high chair.
In our opinion, the following high chairs are the best high chairs for BLW:
IKEA ANTILOP High Chair
The IKEA high chair offers convenience for parents by allowing small children to sit at the table with adults, promoting social and eating skills. It’s easy to disassemble and transport, making it perfect for families on the go, and its raised edge prevents spills, simplifying cleanup.
Joovy Nook
The Joovy Nook high chair offers remarkable convenience with its one-handed tray opening feature, eliminating the need to align rails for tray attachment – simply swing it into place with one hand. Cleaning is a breeze thanks to the dishwasher-safe tray insert, making mealtime clean-up a hassle-free task for both toddlers and infants.
The Stokke Nomi high chair is designed to foster meaningful connections during mealtimes, enabling your child to sit at the table and share in family dining experiences. It encourages eating together, playing together, and nurturing that unique bond as a family.
The chair’s sleek, organic design features rounded contours that provide comfort and unhindered movement for toddlers. This unrestricted mobility is ideal for their development as they explore, taste, and interact with their surroundings at the family table, promoting their physical and social growth.
The Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair is a versatile and long-lasting addition to your child’s seating. Suitable for children aged 6 – 36 months, it comes with a Baby Set featuring a five-point harness and an easy-to-clean seat.
As your child grows, you can adjust the chair’s back and foot support to provide an ideal, ergonomic angle. This beech wood chair can support up to 300 lbs, ensuring it remains a cherished piece of furniture for your child throughout their lifetime.
Best Baby Led Weaning Utensils and Cutlery
Choosing the right utensils and cutlery facilitates an infant’s exploration of solid foods while promoting self-feeding skills. BLW spoons and forks should be appropriately sized, safe, and easy to handle.
Opt for baby-safe spoons and forks with soft, rounded edges to protect delicate gums and mouths. Silicone and BPA-free materials are also preferable for their safety. Moreover, the handles should be designed for small hands to grip comfortably.
BLW encourages babies to feed themselves, so utensils that are lightweight and easy for little hands to maneuver are essential. These utensils not only enhance the BLW experience but also support the development of fine motor skills and independence at mealtime, setting the stage for a positive relationship with food.
GOOtensil NumNum Pre-Spoon
The GOOtensil NumNum Pre-Spoon is a silicone spoon designed to simplify self-feeding for babies. Unlike traditional spoons, it has a dimpled head that easily catches baby food when dipped, allowing little ones to eat with ease.
Ideal for purees and other food blends, it’s a pre-spoon that eliminates the need for scooping, balancing, or holding it a specific way, making it a user-friendly choice for infants just starting to use utensils.
The Ezpz Tiny Spoon is a soft silicone utensil designed for infants. Its gentle texture is suitable for developing teeth and encourages self-feeding. The spoon’s slight curve is versatile for dipping and scooping, while its narrow bowl fits a baby’s mouth safely.
Sensory bumps reduce gagging, and a non-slip grip with a chubby handle aids in easy grasping. Additionally, stabilizing bumps on the spoon’s base prevent tipping, making it suitable for both purees and baby-led weaning methods.
Best Baby Led Weaning Plates and Bowls
When it comes to selecting plates and bowls for Baby-Led Weaning (BLW), it’s important to prioritize options that are safe, easy to clean, and conducive to independent feeding. Look for plates and bowls that are made of baby-safe materials, such as BPA-free plastic, silicone, or bamboo, to ensure they’re free from harmful chemicals.
Suction-based plates or bowls can be particularly useful, as they adhere to the high chair tray or table, preventing your baby from easily knocking them over.
Additionally, choose options with sections or dividers to separate different foods, encouraging variety and exploration. As they grow older, you might want to avoid dividers altogether so children are used to foods touching one another.
Easy-to-clean designs, either dishwasher-safe or with smooth surfaces that wipe clean easily, will save time and effort in managing mealtime messes. Investing in durable, age-appropriate plates and bowls can enhance your baby’s BLW experience and promote their self-feeding skills.
#1 Top Favourite: Avanchy Toddler Stainless Steel Suction Plate
- Silicon is only used for suction purposes — no silicone smell/taste in the food
- Durable stainless steel
Introducing the Avanchy Stainless Steel Suction Toddler Plate, our most spacious and advanced plate to date. Crafted from double-wall insulated stainless steel, it maintains food at the ideal temperature without heat transfer.
This plate is thoughtfully designed with sections for well-balanced meals and a detachable suction base, offering convenient dishwasher-friendly cleaning. Plus, the plate is crafted from safe and durable materials.
Munchkin Stay Put Suction Plate
- Plastic is not as durable
The Munchkin Stay Put Suction Plate is designed to make mealtime enjoyable and less messy. It comes with a strong suction base that keeps it firmly in place, preventing spills and chaos.
The plate features deep sides for easy scooping, making it perfect for little ones aged 6 months and older. Parents will appreciate the quick-release tabs for easy removal. Plus, it’s BPA-free and safe to clean on the top rack of the dishwasher.
Avanchy Bamboo Suction Baby Bowl
- Bamboo needs to be dried entirely to prevent mold from growing
- Unable to put it into the dishwasher
Meet the Avanchy Bamboo Suction Baby Bowl and Spoon Set, your mealtime partner for stress-free and mess-free feeding. This organic bamboo baby bowl comes with a robust silicone suction ring at the base, preventing spills and keeping the bowl securely in place during meals.
The removable silicone ring is also interchangeable with our stainless-steel baby bowls, offering flexibility in material choice to suit your needs. Enjoy a perfect blend of functionality and eco-friendliness with this innovative set.
Bumkins Silicone Grip Dish
- Food has a certain smell/taste due to the silicone
The Silicone Grip Dish is perfect for toddlers learning to self-feed with well-sized sections and a strong suction base that stays put on highchair trays or tables. It’s made from 100% food-safe, durable silicone, and is resistant to stains and bacteria. It can also handle temperature changes, from freezer to oven or microwave.
- Food has a certain smell/taste due to the silicone
- Suction works perfectly well on glass, but not so much for tables of other materials
The Ezpz Happy Mat is designed to simplify mealtime. With its suction feature, it prevents spills and tipping. The stable base encourages self-feeding and fine motor skill development while containing messes.
Its cheerful smile design fosters a positive mealtime atmosphere, and the 3 compartments help parents serve balanced meals. These mats are stackable and easy to carry with food.
Best Baby Led Weaning Cups
Selecting the right cups for Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) is pivotal in fostering independence and developing essential drinking skills in infants. We recommend opting for cups that are safe and free from harmful chemicals, such as BPA-free plastic or silicone.
There are straw, open and sippy cups. Research has shown that children should skip sippy cups altogether and only use straw or open cups.
Open cups, without lids or straws, are ideal for encouraging babies to learn the art of sipping from an open rim, promoting their oral and motor development.
Lightweight designs, non-slip bases, and handles if needed, make it easier for little hands to grasp and control the cup. Easy-to-clean options simplify maintenance amidst the inevitable spills.
BLW cups serve as an integral tool in empowering babies to drink independently and seamlessly integrate into their self-feeding journey, ultimately contributing to a positive relationship with food and drink.
Cup type: Open cup
The Ezpz Tiny Cup is specially crafted to suit your baby’s mouth and hands, with soft silicone that won’t harm developing teeth. Its non-slip grip ensures successful movements to the mouth, while the interior angle ensures a safe drinking flow.
Featuring a weighted base and tactile bumps for added stability, it resists toppling. Plus, it’s safe for use with both cold and hot foods and liquids.
Honey Bear Straw Cup
Cup type: Straw cup
The Honey Bear Straw Cup, a creation from TalkTools®, helps children develop straw drinking skills while allowing for precise liquid control. This cup is favored by speech and feeding therapists worldwide for teaching crucial oral-motor skills like lip rounding and tongue retraction.
It also serves as a valuable transitional tool for toddlers moving from bottle feeding to cup drinking, thanks to its flexible straw and squeezable body.
Munchkin Any Angle Weighted Straw Cup
Cup type: Straw cup
The Munchkin Any Angle Weighted Straw Cup offers versatile use with its unique weighted straw that works at any angle, making it easy for toddlers to hold. It features ergonomic handles, a convenient flip-top lid for on-the-go use, and includes a straw brush for effortless cleaning.
With a 7oz capacity for water, milk, or juice, it’s safe with BPA-free materials and dishwasher-friendly, suitable for children aged 6 months and older.
Best Baby Led Weaning Bibs
BLW bibs are essential in the messy yet delightful adventure of introducing solid foods to infants. There are several types of bibs that you might consider:
- Coveralls: catches everything
- Silicone bibs: might wear down on the neck, but catches food
- Baprons: like an apron, it is secured on the back, not weighing down the neck, but it doesn’t catch any food
Look for waterproof coveralls or silicone bibs that provide thorough coverage to protect your baby’s clothes from inevitable spills and messes. These bibs should be easy to clean, whether by wiping them down or tossing them in the dishwasher, ensuring quick and hassle-free cleanup after each meal.
Adjustable neck closures accommodate growing babies, and deep pockets catch fallen morsels, allowing for easy retrieval and even less food wastage.
BLW bibs are not just practical tools; they also facilitate a stress-free and enjoyable feeding experience, allowing your baby to explore and discover various flavors and textures while minimizing the aftermath cleanup for busy parents.
#1 Top Favourite: Bibado Coverall Weaning Bib
- Catches EVERYTHING
- If constantly not dried fast enough, mold might grow at the ends of the bib. This is a problem in winter – we ended up wiping down/throwing into the washing machine more than handwashing it entirely.
Bibado’s award-winning Coverall Weaning Bib, known for keeping little ones spotlessly clean during messy meals or activities, securely attaches to highchairs with its patented strap.
Praised by over 250,000 parents for saving them approximately 30 minutes daily, this unique weaning bib features easy-wipe, lightweight, 100% waterproof material. It swiftly cleans up after messy meals, dries quickly for round 2, and is conveniently machine washable at 104°F (40°C).
- Doesn’t catch any food
Bapron Baby’s fabric blends eco-friendly polyester with a soft waterproof layer to keep little eaters dry and content. These Baprons, a combination of bib and apron, provide a comfortable fit that grows with children from 6 months to 5 years.
Thanks to their innovative design, kids can freely engage in food and sensory activities without the usual neck constriction of traditional bibs, and they can’t remove them without the help of an adult.
Bumkins SuperBib
- Doesn’t catch all the food
The Bumkins SuperBib offers practicality with its easy hook-and-loop shoulder closure for an adjustable and secure fit. It comes with a generously sized catch-all pocket to contain spills and crumbs.
Made from lightweight, waterproof, and durable fabric that resists stains and odors, it’s designed as a single-ply construction, ensuring hygiene. This bib is easy to clean, either by wiping or machine washing, and a pack of 3 ensures you always have a spare one available.
Mushie Silicone Bib
- A little heavy
- Weighs on the neck
The Mushie silicone bib, crafted from non-toxic, food-grade silicone, ensures safety with its 100% BPA, BPS, PVC, and phthalate-free composition. This bib includes rounded, built-in neck fasteners for a secure and comfortable fit. It also features a deep front pocket, ideal for catching food and maintaining cleanliness for your baby and the surrounding area.
Best Baby Led Weaning Splat Mats and High Chair Mats
A fancy and environmentally-friendly alternative to newspapers and disposable table cloths, splat mats are reliable barriers between the mess and your floors or carpets.
These mats are designed to catch the spills, drops, and food flinging that come with the territory of introducing solid foods to infants. They provide a wide, protective surface that covers the area beneath the high chair, making post-meal cleanup a breeze.
Waterproof and easy to wipe clean, these mats save valuable time and effort while ensuring a hygienic feeding environment.
Additionally, they give parents peace of mind, knowing that their floors and carpets are shielded from stains and crumbs, allowing babies to explore and enjoy their meals freely while fostering independent eating skills.
Bumkins Splat Mat
Bumkins Splat Mat is your versatile mess protector, guarding floors and tables from spills, playtime chaos, and art projects.
Crafted from the same easy-wipe, waterproof, and stain-resistant material as Bumkins’ celebrated SuperBib, this mat’s single-ply construction ensures hygiene. It offers generous coverage at 42″ x 42″ but remains lightweight and portable. With easy wipe-down and machine washability, it’s reusable and ready for action wherever you need it, whether under highchairs, on tables, or for outdoor use.
Toddlekind High Chair Splat Mat
Meet the Toddlekind Prettier Splat Mat, a hassle-free solution for safeguarding your floors during mealtime and craft sessions under the high chair. These mats not only shield against spills and splatters but also add a touch of style to your interior space. Constructed from top-quality, non-slip PVC, they’re both durable and easy to wipe clean.
Bid farewell to the concerns of post-meal or crafting cleanups and embrace mess-free moments with the Prettier Splat Mat by Toddlekind.
Best Baby Led Weaning Blender
Philips Avent 4-IN-1 Healthy Baby Food Maker
The Philips Avent 4-IN-1 Healthy Baby Food Maker offers a distinctive approach to healthy cooking with its unique steaming method. It combines steaming and blending functions within 1 convenient container, accommodating the transition from pureed to chunky textures at every stage of your baby’s development.
With a generous 33oz capacity, it allows for meal planning by enabling the preparation of up to 4 meals at once, making it a versatile and efficient tool for baby food preparation.
Thoughts on Baby Led Weaning Supplies
Whether you choose BLW or not, it’s essential to assess if this feeding method aligns with your family’s lifestyle and unique circumstances. While BLW offers numerous benefits, as a parent, you ultimately decide what’s best for your baby.
This article aims at providing you with the necessary tools to embark on one of the most rewarding experiences throughout this parenthood. My intention is to encourage and empower you to take that first step, whether you decide on BLW or another approach.
I believe you’re making the best choice for your baby, and I wish you all the success in your feeding journey!
Disclaimer: Nuevamae is not sponsored by any of the mentioned brands or platforms. This article expresses our honest opinion based on our experience and research. Read more about our mission. This article includes affiliate links so we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase via the link.
