If your little munchkin is getting extra fuzzy and drools a lot, it’s very likely that he is teething. Teething is a painful process that usually starts at around 6 months, though it can be as early as 2 months or as late as 15 months. A teething toy can help your kiddo cope with the teething pain, prevent them from chewing dangerous objects, and provide soothing comfort. In this guide, we reviewed the recommended best teething toys for 4-month-old babies. Let’s dive right in.
1. Best Teething Toys for 4-Month-Old Babies: BEST OVERALL
Baby Banana Toothbrush Teether
Why Is It the Best?
- Soft and delicate silicone, gentle to touch and safe to chew on
- Brush tip helps massage the swollen gum and relieves teething pain
- Dishwasher friendly and freezer friendly
- Easy to grab by tiny hands
- Helps promote oral hygiene
- Free of BPA, latex, and phthalate
It is an ingenious idea to combine a soothing toothbrush and a baby teething toy. This Banana Teether is as attractive as it is functional. The cuddly bright yellow color will attract your baby’s attention immediately. The 100% food-grade silicone is free of toxins such as BPA, latex, and phthalate. It is also ultra-soft to touch on your little one’s delicate skin. While massaging her swollen gum to provide much-needed relief of teething pain, this training brush also promotes oral hygiene at an early age. There are four colors to choose from: yellow, pink, blue, and corn cob.
Parents also love this teething toy because it is super easy to clean. Rinsing under the running water is sufficient, though you can also put it into the dishwasher. Thanks to its two adorable banana peel handles, you don’t need to constantly worry about your baby dropping it to the floor. Boasting a 4.8 start on Amazon with more than 10,000 reviews. It is no wonder that this is the most well-received baby teething toy in the market today. Designed for babies between 3 to 12 months, our experts unanimously picked this as the number one of the best teething toys for 4-month-old babies.
2. BEST VARIETY PACK
PandaEar 5 Pack Teething Fruits
Why We Love It?
- Five different shapes, patterns, and colors
- Comes with clips to strap to baby’s shirt
- Excellent price for 5 teethers
- Dishwasher safe, microwave safe, sterilizer safe
- 100% Food Grade Silicone. Free of BPA, PVC, Latex, Metals, Phthalate
The PandaEar Teething Fruit Variety Pack is a close runner up to our winner Baby Banana in our best teething toys for 4-month-old babies list. Let alone its excellent price of under $7, there are many great features about this teething set. The five fruit teethers come in different colors. In case you don’t know what your little one’s favorite color is, there is sure to be one that grabs her attention. On top of the five different shapes, each teether is made with a unique pattern to provide a special chewing experience for your 4-month-old for pain relief.
Besides its easy-to-grab design, the teething pack comes with two straps that you can clip on to your baby’s clothes or wrap to the crib. Another feature that parents love a lot is that these teething toys are microwave safe and sterilizer safe. The toxin-free material can withstand high temperatures and retain its shape and color.
3. MOST NATURAL
Why We Love It?
- Nipple shape is natural to baby
- Easy for baby to learn and get used to
- Prevents red rash because it doesn’t cover the entire mouth
- Helps prevent digit sucking habit
- Adorable design and multiple color options
The Mombella Mushroom Teether is the best teething toy for small babies to get used to. You may think teethers are intuitive to use. Well, it’s not necessarily true for a 4-month-old baby. As a matter of fact, many babies don’t know how to bite a teether and many don’t even bother putting it into their mouth. For a 4-month-old who is still breastfeeding or using a bottle, the shape of the nipple is their favorite.
The cute mushroom design resembles the breast and nipple. It is familiar to 4-month-olds. While calming your little one, the teething mushroom teaches your little one to gain control of their tongue movement and exercise their mouth muscle. It is a remarkable tool to assist them to transition from sucking to biting. Though the manufacturer recommends stop using this teething toy once your baby reaches 6-month-old.
4. BEST MULTIFUNCTIONAL
Why We Love It?
- All-in-one: teether, pacifier, fruit-feeder
- Great for 4-month to 12-month-old
- Plenty of size options
- Turn the sac to adjust fruit sac angle
- Sterilizer safe
4-month is an exciting month because many babies start to have solid food. This All-in-One Teething Toy is also a wonderful fruit feeder. If your little one also has a sweet tooth, like almost all babies, they will love chewing on fresh and delicious fruits other than boring and flavorless silicone.
This teething feeder comes with three sizes that are customized for babies from 4 to 12-months-old. The ergonomic design of the ring makes it easy to hold on to. While dispensing yummy fruit juice, the 100% food grade and toxin-free fruit sac also massage’s your little one’s gum. The lock-in mechanism ensures that the fruit is securely placed in the sac. All in all, its ingenious design and multi-functionality made it a great recommendation for the best teething toys for 4-month-old babies.
5. BEST FUN TO USE
Why We Love It?
- Stylish look to match any baby outfit
- Various texture on the cookie to keep baby interested
- Sensory beads on the string make it more fun
- Certified by CPSC for 0+ age
- Freezer, dishwasher, sterilizer friendly
If you prefer something more realistic looking for your baby to chew on, you won’t find a better option than this adorable Teething Cookie. The two sides of the cookie have multiple patterns and textures to provide different massaging sensation to your baby. They keep your little oned entertained while relieving the burning pain in their gum.
Certified by CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), this teething toy emphasizes the safety to use for small babies. The silicone used is free of BPA, PVC, Phthalates, Cadmium, Lead, and other heavy metals. It is also perfectly safe to put in the freezer for an extra calming effect. This teething cookie is so much fun that it will not only be the best teething toy for your 4-month-old but be her best teething companion throughout the teething journey.
When Can A Baby Start Using A Teething Toy?
Babies can start using a teething toy from 0-month old till they complete the teething process, which is around the age of two to three.
The most typical age for babies to start teething is around four to six months. Though it’s not uncommon for some babies to be born with a tooth. On the other hand, if your baby has no sign of teething for the first year, it’s usually not something to worry about. Late teething is perfectly normal.
Once you notice teething signs in your baby, you can start introducing teething toys or teethers. Common teething signs are: irritability, change of feeding and sleeping routine, drooling, loss of appetite, red rash around the mouth, urge to bite and chew. Some babies also develop a mild fever during teething.
Teething last 2 to 3 years, but this doesn’t mean you can buy one teething toy to last the entire 3 years. Depending on your baby’s age, you need to choose a design that is safe, easy-to-use, and effective to your little one. The best teething toys for 4-month-old babies should be appropriate to their age.
Why Do Babies Need Teething Toys?
Teething is a natural process but it can be painful. That is why you will notice that your little one becomes more irritable and fuzzy once they start teething. A teething toy helps them get through the painful process. In addition, it helps calm down your little one so that parents can enjoy some moments of peace. Here are the biggest benefits of using teething toys:
- Relieve teething pain. The most painful part about teething is when the tooth is trying to erupt from the gum. This process brings a lot of pain and pressure to your little one. A teething toy provides them something to bite on and alleviate the pressure. The patterns on a teether also provide a massaging effect on your baby’s mouth.
- Prevent choking hazards. When teething pain kicks in, your baby has a strong urge to bite or chew. If not provided a teething toy, they will find other things to use. For example, their toys, clothes, small objects they find on the floor, the baby gate bars, their fingers, playmate, etc. Some items may lead to choking or injury. Teething toys reduce such risk by providing a safer alternative.
- Help transition from sucking to biting. When babies are born, they don’t have any teeth. Sucking is their most natural tendency when something is in their mouths. When teeth erupt, babies need to learn many new skills such as biting, chewing, and swallowing so that they can get ready to eat solid foods. Unlike a pacifier, a teething toy requires the use of gum and teeth. A teething toy helps your baby learn to use the right muscle and practice the biting movements.
How To Choose The Best Teething Toys for 4-Month-Old Babies?
A good teething toy helps relieve teething pain, is fun and safe to use, and most importantly, is interesting to your baby. Here are the criteria you should consider when choosing the best teething toys for 4-month-old babies.
- Material: A teether is something your baby stuffs in his mouth all the time. The material must be safe and durable. Most teething toys are made with silicones. The best ones are made with 100% food-grade silicones that are free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, cadmium, lead, and metal.
- Design: When it comes to design, here are the things to look out for: color, pattern, shape, and if there is a string, watch out for potential strangling risk. A vibrant color helps grab your little one’s attention and keep him interested. The pattern on the teether provides different massaging sensations. The shape should be more than just giving a stylish look, but is safe for your little one’s mouth. If there is a long string on the teether, make sure that there are beads to prevent strangling risk. In addition, if there is a clip, you also want to check if it has metal parts or can easily pinch your baby’s little fingers.
- Ease to grab: It takes some effort for your baby’s little hands and fingers to learn how to grab and hold onto something. A good teething toy should take this into consideration. After all, if it’s hard to grab and drops too easily, your little one will get frustrated, no matter how much she likes the teething toy.
- Ease to clean: Babies put the teething toys in their mouths all the time. It is recommended to rinse a teething toy under running water and ideally sterilize it. Some teething toys such as rattles have complicated shapes. That makes it difficult to clean thoroughly. Some teething toys can hold water inside and grow mold. And some other great teething toys cannot withstand the high temperature in the sterilizer.
- Fun to use: This is the most difficult criterion to gauge. Something fun to one baby may seem super boring to another baby. You may need to try a few before you find the one that your baby loves. That is also why we recommend some variety packs that offer more options for your picky kiddo.
Cecilia Yeung is a successful entrepreneur and product researcher. She has a background in psychology and children’s education. As a working mother of two, she loves to write about children’s education and development.
