Standard and wide are terms used to describe the width of bottle parts. Standard nipples fit into standard cap rings (collars) that screw onto standard bottles. Wide nipples fit into wide cap rings that screw onto wide bottles. Standard nipples are sometimes called narrow because they are less wide as other bottles.

Many mothers, and even some breastfeeding helpers, assume that a baby will have a wide latch on a wide bottle and a less-than-wide latch on a standard bottle. But this isn’t true at all. A wide bottle does not automatically create a wide latch, particularly when the bottle has a really a long nipple length, kind of like a straw. On this shape, babies often close their mouths on the nipple length and their lips are unable to open and rest on a portion of the base. This is very different than a breastfeeding latch.

Whether a bottle is labeled standard or wide is not important. What is important is how your baby latches onto the nipple. Any nipple, standard or wide, should create a comfortable latch and feeding experience for your baby. If you are also breastfeeding, it is important that the nipple:

• reaches deeply into your baby’s mouth
• allows your baby’s lips to rest on a portion of the nipple base and form a complete seal
• helps your baby maintain a wide gape while bottle-feeding

Evenflo makes both standard and wide bottles. This is because we know one shape is not the best for every baby. Looking at where your baby’s lips rest on the bottle will help you determine which nipple will work best for your baby. Don’t be afraid to try both standard and wide. Then let us know which shape created the best latch for your baby!

Want to get nerdy (dig deeper, know more about) and understand where the terms originated? In the past, bottles were manufactured from a standard pattern. The containers were the same width. The threading was the same. Breast pumps could screw onto any bottle because bottles were “standard.”

Bottles have changed through the years. The width of containers and threading now vary. Breast pumps and bottles within a brand usually interchange, but most will not work with other brands. Many bottles are no longer standard, but brand specific. “Brand specific” would be an awkward word to print on packaging! But since brand specific bottles are wider than standard bottles, the simplified term wide is used. The terms standard and wide describe the bottle width, not the baby’s latch.