Guide to Pacifiers | ADISC.

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There are literally hundreds of brands of pacifiers available, and the

brands and varieties you have available to you will largely depend
on the country in which you live and the stores to which you have
access.

There are lots of different names for pacifiers, and again the
common words will depend on your country. The names you will see
most often on packaging are pacifier, soother, and dummy. Other
words you might hear include paci and binky.

Not all pacifiers are equal, and so when choosing a pacifier it can be
difficult to know what to go for. Largely, what kind of pacifier to
choose will depend on personal preference and finding the right one
may be a case of trial and error. Here, then, is a rough guide of how
pacifiers vary, and an in-depth look at some of the more popular
brands.

The Basics
​

Nipples
​

Material - Pacifier nipples are usually made out of latex or silicone.

Historically pacifier nipples have been made from latex and silicone
is still fairly new, but in the last five years it seems to have been
becoming more and more popular, and in the UK more pacifiers are
now made of silicone than latex.
Which is "better" really depends on personal preference. Silicone is
usually clear, or occasionally cloudy in colour whilst latex is usually
a yellow, orange, or brown colour. Silicone usually has a smoother
texture than latex, and is also somewhat firmer than latex. Latex
does often have a slight but inoffensive taste, whilst silicone seems
devoid of any taste. I find silicone is more susceptible to being bitten
through, but otherwise it seems to last longer than latex. As latex
gets old it will get darker in colour, whilst the appearance of silicone
will start to appear ‘cloudy’ over time.

Shape – There are generally three different shapes for pacifier

nipples. The first is the "cherry" nipple. These nipples have a trunk
which becomes ball shaped. They have no right way up and are not
orthodontic. The other two shapes are both usually labeled as
"orthodontic." The second is the angled nipple, which will have a
trunk with a "bend" in it so that it fits the shape of the mouth. These
pacifiers only have one right way up. The third kind of nipple is the
flat kind, where the nipple is not angled – sometimes these nipples
will look like a squashed cherry nipple. These nipples will have two
different positions in which they can be sucked.
Cherry-shaped nipple, flat orthodontic nipple, and angled/bent
orthodontic nipple from three different angles.

Other Variations – Some pacifiers are more supple than others.

Most latex pacifiers are fairly supple, whilst the suppleness of
silicone tends to vary a lot more. Some silicone nipples are very
supple, some are quite hard, and there are a few brands where the
silicone is solid (not air filled) and not at all flexible.

Most nipples are air-filled, and in addition to the material this will
affect the suppleness of the nipple. Most pacifiers have a vent
between the nipple and the shield, which allows air to be squeezed
in and out of the nipple whilst you suck. However, some pacifiers do
not have the vent and as such the air cannot be squeezed out. This
will mean the nipple will keep its shape more and may feel more
solid. I have also heard of nipples which are filled with a liquid,
although I have never seen one of these and don’t believe them to be
common.

Finally, some nipples may be textured. They may have little bumps
or ridges on them, which are often advertised as "massaging" the
mouth/lips or simply as providing an interesting texture.

Size
​

Most brands offer pacifiers in two or more sizes, with a smaller size,
a bigger size, and perhaps sizes in-between. My advice would
generally be to choose the largest size pacifier available. The largest
size different brands offer will vary, with some brands it may be 6+
months and others may be 18+ months. There are no standard
pacifier sizes, and one brand’s 6+ month pacifier may still be larger
than another brands 18+ month size, so if possible compare brands
before making a decision. Within the same brand the size of the
latex and silicone nipples can be different, and if a brand has several
different variants of pacifier, the nipple sizes can also vary from one
another between variants.
Shields
​

The most obvious difference between pacifiers will the appearance

of the shield. Shields come in hundreds of different designs, colours,
shapes, and sizes. Some shields have handles, others do not. Some
shields are transparent, some are brightly coloured. Shields come in
many different shapes – round, butterfly, oval, heart, etc. Some
shields curve towards the mouth, other away from it, and others are
flat. Some have cute designs, some are plain. Some have large air-
holes, some have lots of air-holes, some only have one or two. Some
shields have a “soft” edge, some have textured bumps on the inside
of the shield, some are made entirely of latex/silicone, some glow in
the dark, some are really big, some are really small and some look
like some sort of futuristic space pacifier.

Seeing as pacifiers come in so many different shapes and sizes it

might seem like choosing one will be almost impossible. My initial
advice would be to choose a pacifier that you like the look of and
which has a large-sized nipple. If you like it, great! If not, try another
brand and go for something a bit different (e.g. if you went for
cherry-shaped latex, try an angled silicone next) until you find the
type of pacifier you do like. If standard baby-sized pacifiers don’t suit
you but you are sure that pacifiers are for you, then you may wish to
considering purchasing an adult-sized pacifier. However, these are
expensive.

Major Brands

There are so many different brands of pacifier available worldwide

and it would be impossible to go through them all in this guide, so I
am just going to go through five brands which I believe to be widely
available internationally.
Nuk
​

Size - Nuk pacifiers can be found in five different sizes, commonly

known as sizes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, where 5 is the largest. Size 1 (0-6
months), size 2 (6-18 months) and size 3 (18+ months) are designed
for babies/toddlers and available in latex and silicone. The size of
both nipple and shield increases as you move up the size range.

The Nuk "Maxi Trainer," unofficially known as Nuk Size 4, is no

longer being made. The Nuk "Medic Pro," unofficially known at the
Nuk Size 5 is a pacifier specifically made for adults. It is available in
sizes small and large.

Nipple - All Nuk dummies have an orthodontic, angled nipple. The

latex nipples tend to be flatter than the silicone ones, with the
exception of the "genius" range. Sized 1-3 are available in both latex
and silicone, whilst sizes "4" and "5" are available only in latex.

The size of the nipple does vary slightly between the latex and
silicone brands, with the latex nipples slightly larger.

L-R: Nuk 1, silicone. Nuk 2, silicone. Nuk 3, latex. Nuk Genius 3,

silicone. Nuk ‘5’ L, latex

Design - Nuk pacifiers are rather easy to identify by their distinct

shield shape, which is almost a heart shape with a rounded point.
Most size 1-3 shields have a handle, but some are available without.
Shields may be coloured brightly, or may be decorated with designs.
The Nuk "5" is always plain white.

L-R: Nuk Starlight, Nuk with transparent shield, Nuk without handle,
Classic Nuk design, Nuk Genius, Nuk medic Pro/"5"
Availability - Nuk is an international brand. Sizes 1 and 2 are
readily available from stores across the world. Size 3 may be
available from larger stores in your county. Size "4" is no longer
being manufactured, but may be available online. In Germany it is
possible to buy size "5" in some pharmacies, however, as far as I
know they are not currently available to buy in stores in the rest of
the world. They are fairly easy to source online, from eBay and
many AB stores, however they do tend to be expensive. Expect one
Nuk Size 5 to cost about the same amount as five or six baby
pacifiers. Modified Nuk 5s (with a shield from a standard baby
pacifier) will cost considerably more.

Mam

Size - Mam pacifiers are available in four different sizes, all designed
for babies and toddlers: Size 0-2 months, size 2-6 months, sixe 6+
months and size 16+ months.

Difference in size between the Mam 6+ (left) and Mam 16+ (right)

Nipple - All Mam nipples have a fairly flat nipple, and are available
in both latex and silicone. The latex nipples seem very slightly
shorter than the silicone ones. Many of Mam’s silicone nipples now
have a "silk" teat, which is textured so that it is not as smooth and
closer resembles the texture of silicone. They also do a range of
pacifiers with a textured silicone nipple, known as "mam active" or
"mam diamond." One side is covered in raised dots and other lines,
and they can be quite interesting.

L-R: Mam 2-6, latex. Mam 6+, latex. Mam 6+, silicone (silk teat). Mam
Diamond/Active 6+, silicone. Mam 16+, silicone (silk teat).
Mam "diamond/active" nipple, with raised bumps and dots

Design - Mam’s pacifiers have different shaped shields depending on

the size that you are purchasing. No Mam pacifiers have a handle;
rather they all have a distinctive button, and the shields curve
towards the mouth. Size 0-2 and 2-6 have their own individual
shapes, whilst the shields for size 6+ and 16+ do not differ in shape
or size. Mam 6+ and 16+ come in three varieties, "soft," "air", and
"ulti/classic." The Mam ulti/classic is most common, and comes in a
variety of designs and colours, including glow in the dark and
transparent. Mam updates its designs every few months.

L-R: Mam classic 2-6, Mam soft, 6+. Mam glow-in-the-dark, 6+. Mam
diamond, 6+. Mam Ulti, 6+.

Availability - Mam is an international brand. Sizes 0-2, 2-6 and 6+

are readily available from most stores which carry Mam pacifiers. In
the UK its silicone pacifiers are more common than latex.

I have only been able to source the 16+ size online from Austrian
and German retailers. I am unsure whether they are readily
available in stores in these countries, but they are difficult to find
even online.

Avent

Size - Avent pacifiers are available in three different sizes, 0-3

months, 3-6 months and 6-18 months. However, as far as I can tell
there is no difference in size between the silicone 3-6 month and 6-
18 month nipples, the only difference seems to be in the shape and
size of the shield. I am not sure whether the same can be said of the
latex pacifiers. Their 6-18 months nipples are, compared to other
brand’s larger sizes, fairly small.

Nipple - All Avent pacifiers have a flat nipple, and their range of
pacifiers are available in both latex and silicone. The latex nipples
seem somewhat shorter than the silicone ones. As mentioned above,
there is no obvious size difference between size 3-6 months and 6-18
months.

L-R: Avent 0-3 months, latex. Avent 3-6 months, silicone. Avent 6-18
months, silicone. Avent 6-18 months, latex.

Design - Avent’s pacifiers have different shaped shields depending

on the size that you are purchasing, with the shield size increasing
as you go up the age range. All pacifiers have a handle, which is very
loose and free to move. The shields are pretty flat, neither turning
towards or away from the mouth. Their range include colourful
pacifiers with cartoon designs on the knob, transparent/ clear
pacifiers, "free-flow" pacifiers with added air-holes and a glow-in-
the-dark range.

L-R: : Avent classic 0-3 months. Avent classic 3-6 months. Avent free-
flow 6-18 months. Avent classic 6-18 months (x2).

Availability - Avent is an international brand, and both their

silicone and latex pacifiers seem easy to obtain in all sizes from
stores which carry their product range.

Nuby

Size - Nuby are perhaps the most diverse brand in terms of their
pacifier product range, and their the sizes available on their
different products does vary depending on the product range you
are buying from. The vast majority of their range come in two sizes,
0-6 months and 6+. However, some ranges comes in sizes 0-6, 6-12
and 12+ months. To make matters a little confusing their 12+
pacifiers in one design are not necessarily larger than their size 6+ in
another.

Nipple - Nuby only makes pacifiers with a silicone nipple. Aside

from that, their nipple sizes and shapes between different designs
varies a lot. They make pacifiers with cherry shaped nipples, flat
nipples, and angled nipple. As mentioned above, the size of their
nipple does vary from design to design. Some of their products have
small raised bumps at the top of the nipple, designed to massage the
lips.

L-R: Nuby Sooth-Air, 6+. Nuby Oval Gel Pacifier, 6+. Nuby Orthodontic
Soft Shield, 6+. Nuby Orthodontic Natural Flex, 0-6. Nuby Orthodontic
Gel Pacifier, 6+. Nuby Oval Soft Shield, 6+. Nuby Oval Brites, 6+. Nuby
Orthodontic Brites, 6+. Nuby Geo, 12+. Nuby Ultra, 6+. Nuby Soft Edge,
12+. Nuby Oval Natural Flex, 6+. Nuby Trenz, 6+. Nuby Cherry Soft
Flex, 6+. Nuby Magic Motion, 6+. Design

As already mentioned, Nuby are probably the most diverse and

innovative brand in terms of their shield design. Their pacifiers
range from the very normal looking, to completely different from
any other pacifier brand. The majority of their shields are brightly
coloured, and their range includes those with cartoon designs, those
with and without handles and just about every shaped shield you
could want.

L-R: Nuby Sooth-Air. Nuby Oval Gel Pacifier. Nuby Orthodontic Soft
Shield. Nuby Orthodontic Natural Flex. Nuby Orthodontic Gel Pacifier.
Nuby Oval Soft Shield. Nuby Oval Brites. Nuby Geo. Nuby Ultra. Nuby
Soft Edge. Nuby Oval Natural Flex. Nuby Trendz. Nuby Cherry Soft
Flex. Nuby Magic Motion.

Availability - Nuby is an international brand, and you will likely be

able to find some of their product range available in stores near you.
However, I don’t think many stores will carry the full range of Nuby
products. Which designs are available to you will probably depend
on your country and the stores you are able to visit.

Tommee Tippee

Size - Tommee Tippee’s sizing tend to be specific to their individual

brand, rather than having a standard nipple size/shape for all of
their shields. Their pacifiers come in different sizes depending on
the shield design, and they have pacifiers in the following sizes: 0-3,
0-6, 3-9, 6+, 9-12, 9-18. Where in one design the largest size is 6+ and
the other 9-18+, the 6+ may still be larger. The Tommee Tippee
"closer to nature" pacifiers in size 9+ all have quite large nipples and
are comparable to the Nuk "3".

Nipple - Tommee Tippee makes pacifiers with both silicone and

latex nipples, but within one shield design nipples will only be
available in silicone or latex. They make pacifiers with a cherry,
angled, and flat nipple, dependent on shield design and nipple
material.

L-R: Tommee Tippee Funky Face 6+, Tommee Tippee Explora 6-18,
Tommee Tippee Pure 9-18, Tommee Tippee Soft 9-12, Tommee Tippee
C-Air 9-18.

Design - Tommee Tippee have a range of designs, currently known

as their "closer to nature" range, their "explora" range and their
"essentials" range. The appearance of the pacifiers within these
ranges varies greatly, as does the size and shape of the shield.
Tommee Tippee makes a range of pacifiers, including pacifiers
without a handle, animal shaped shields, shields made of silicone
rather than plastic, and pacifiers with extra-large air holes.

L-R: L-R: Tommee Tippee Funky Face, Tommee Tippee Explora,

Tommee Tippee Pure, Tommee Tippee Soft, Tommee Tippee C-Air.

Availability - Tommee Tippee is an international brand, and you

will likely be able to find some of their product range available in
stores near you. Tommee Tippee frequently discontinue their
products and update their range with something new. However,
often discontinued products will continue to be available in stores
for a long time after they stop making them.

Closing Thoughts

The brands above are by no means the only pacifiers available, and
nor are they necessarily the best available to you. As stated above,
when choosing a pacifier it is best to consider that what feels right in
your mouth may not suit another. If you’re not happy after buying a
pacifier, try something different. My advice is not to buy anything
too small, as usually they’re not so comfortable, but you may feel
differently. Finally, bear in mind that price will not always reflect
how a pacifier feels to use. Some of my favourite pacifiers have cost
less than 50 pence each, and I dislike some of the more expensive
pacifiers I’ve tried.

I hope this article was useful, enjoy choosing and using your
pacifiers, and try not to let them become an addiction or you may
end up with hundreds of the things:
 
Last edited by a moderator: Jan 23, 2015