We got two Avent bottles with the steam steriliser we bought, but we stacked up on more as we had twins to look after - it seemed like we couldn't have enough bottles! We stuck with the Avent brand because they were available in most supermarkets and chemists, and items in the range were interchangeable and could grow with our children's development. We found that some cheaper brands didn't have the range of teats that we could use for different ages and types of feeding, and that quite often accessories just weren't available.

Two sizes of bottle are available, small ones that hold up to 5 fluid ounces, and larger ones that go up to about 9oz. The lids, rings and teats fit all bottles in the range, and teats for newborns, and various different ages are available, as well as varying flow, and one type of teat that gives variable flow depending on which way up the bottle is held. The range of accessories for use with Avent bottles is also extensive, and far better than any other brand of bottles.

The shape of the teat seems to be comfortable for babies. We did use Tommee Tippee bottles as well, using the teats designed to complement breast-feeding. We found the teats were too wide, our children struggled to get their mouths round them! Also the bottles were large and more round, so were a bit awkward to use. The Avent bottles are compact and cylindrical, and are easy to hold, either by an adult or an older baby - it helped the transition from bottle to cup feeding knowing that our children could easily grip a bottle / cup.

The bottles are easy to clean and fit well into any Avent steriliser. They are easy to store and to carry about while out with baby. They are slightly more expensive than other brands, but are a very good design, which I think is the best of all the bottle brands.

The only downside is that these bottles sometimes leaked around the thread of the bottle - we couldn't predict when this was going to happen, and it was very frustrating when it did. Fortunately, it didn't happen too often.