Kiinde Twist baby bottleWeb site: Kiinde.com

We first heard about Kiinde’s bottle system from a reader. She wanted to know if the pouches and the Twist baby bottle really was a great convenience. Did it save time and energy? Do the bottles and nipples work well? Do babies like them?

Well, the feedback out in the real world says emphatically: yes! If you plan to pump, you can pump directly into these pouches, then place the pouches in the freezer. When you’re ready to feed, just warm the pouch in hot water and insert into a Twist baby bottle. Kiinde claims the pouch collapses, keeping air out and avoiding colic. The pouches come pre-sterilized in 6 oz. and 8 oz. sizes available in 20, 40, 80 and 160 count packs. Prices range from 22¢ to 30¢ per pouch.

Kiinde Twist pouch

Kiinde’s Twist pouch attaches (with an adapter) to most breast pumps and slips right into the Twist baby bottle.

You will have to purchase adapters to use these pouches with your breast pump. Kiinde claims to have adapters for all major brands including Avent, Ameda, Evenflo, Playtex, Hygeia (with Hygeia’s narow mouth adapter ring), Medela, Lansinoh, and Tommee Tippee. The adapters sell for $7.

Kiinde Twist breast pump adapters

For $7 you get all the adapters you need for any major breast pump manufacturer including Ameda, Avent and Medela.

What about the bottles and nipples? The Kiinde Twist bottles have a one piece nipple (called Active Latch), so you don’t have multiple parts to clean. The bottles come with a low flow and a medium flow nipple. Kiinde claims the Active Latch nipples help with the transition from breast to bottle.

You may be wondering if there are any downsides to the Kiinde Twist bottle and pouch set. Yes, a few. The pouches are single use, so while they are recyclable, they can get expensive. The don’t stack flat in the freezer because of the neck and top. Kiinde notes the pouches are sterilized, but some parents have noticed debris inside some pouches. This is frustrating when you fill them with precious breast milk and have to throw it out because of debris.

Some parents have trouble with leaking bottles or the nipple detaching if they dropped the bottle. The pouches are inaccurate in their measurements. The 8 oz. versions are more accurate, but the 6 oz. versions are usually way off. You’ll need to measure your milk in a separate container to be accurate.

Although it sounds like a lot of negatives, most of these are not major. The overwhelming response from parents is positive. They love the convenience of this system. Rating: A