Natural Rubber vs Silicone Teethers: Which Is Safer?

Teething is one of those parenting phases where you will buy almost anything if someone suggests it might help. Which is roughly how most households end up with nine teethers, of which one gets used.

The two materials worth considering are natural rubber and food-grade silicone. Both are safe. They're safe in different ways, they fail in different ways, and one of them requires care instructions that a lot of shops would rather not mention. Here's the honest version.

The short answer

Both are safe. Silicone is the more practical choice for most families — it sterilises, it doesn't degrade, and it's cheaper. Natural rubber is softer, warmer and made from a genuinely renewable material, but it needs careful drying and it doesn't last as long.

If you want one teether and no thinking: silicone. If you like the material story and don't mind the care routine: rubber.

What they actually are

Natural rubber

Tapped as latex from the Hevea brasiliensis tree, then moulded. It's renewable, biodegradable, and the trees keep producing for decades — so from a materials point of view it's about as good as it gets. It's what Sophie la Girafe is made from, and has been since 1961.

Food-grade silicone

Made from silica — sand — rather than petroleum. It's chemically stable, non-porous, and doesn't shed microplastics the way conventional plastic does. It isn't biodegradable, but it lasts an extremely long time, which is where its environmental case comes from.

The comparison

	Natural rubber	Food-grade silicone
Feel	Soft, warm, slightly grippy	Firmer, cool, very smooth
Cost	Typically the pricier of the two	Usually the cheaper option
Sterilising	No — heat degrades it	Yes, boiling and steam both fine
Dishwasher	No	Yes
Cleaning	Damp cloth, dry thoroughly	Anything you like
Mould risk	Real, if water gets inside	Very low — non-porous, usually solid
Lifespan	Months to a year; degrades with heat and light	Years
Allergy	Contains natural latex proteins	Latex-free
End of life	Biodegradable	Not biodegradable, but very durable

The mould question, answered properly

This is the thing people actually want to know, so here it is straight. Many natural rubber teethers — including the well-known giraffe — have a small hole that makes them squeak. If water gets in through that hole and doesn't come out, mould can grow inside where you can't see it.

It's a real issue, not an internet myth. It's also entirely preventable:

• Never submerge it. No washing up bowl, no bath, no sterilising, no dishwasher.
• Clean with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, then wipe dry.
• Keep the squeak hole out of the water when you're cleaning around it.
• Air dry fully before it goes back in the toy box.
• Replace it if it gets sticky, tacky or misshapen — that's the rubber breaking down, and it's the point to retire it.

Silicone teethers don't have this problem because they're non-porous and usually solid all the way through. If the idea of a care routine for a teether fills you with dread — entirely reasonable, given how much else is going on — go silicone.

Where natural rubber wins

• It's softer. Noticeably more give than silicone, which some babies strongly prefer on sore gums.
• It warms up. It takes body heat quickly, so it feels less startling in a small mouth.
• Grip. The slight tackiness makes it easier for small hands to hold onto.
• The material story is genuinely excellent. Renewable, biodegradable, harvested without felling the tree.
• It makes a noise. Never underestimate how much a squeak matters to a five-month-old.

Our natural rubber options are the Sophie la Girafe teether in a Fresh Touch gift box and the So Pure natural rubber ring teether, which has no squeak hole at all — worth knowing if the mould question bothers you but you still want rubber.

Where silicone wins

• You can sterilise it. Boiling water, steam steriliser, dishwasher — all fine. For a teether that lives on the floor, this matters.
• It doesn't degrade. No stickiness, no shrinking, no replacing every few months.
• It's cheaper. Our silicone and beech wood bunny teether and Angus the Cavapoo silicone teether both sit well below the rubber options.
• Latex-free. If there's a latex allergy in the family, this decision is made for you.
• It can be chilled. Twenty minutes in the fridge — not the freezer, which makes it too hard — and cold silicone is genuinely soothing.
• More shapes. Rings, rattles, textured surfaces, combination toys. A silicone rattle teether does two jobs; the fruit feeder and teether lets them gnaw on frozen fruit safely.

Browse the full range of baby teethers.

What to avoid entirely

• Amber teething necklaces. UK and international safety bodies have repeatedly warned against these — strangulation and choking risks, and no good evidence they do anything.
• Liquid or gel-filled teethers. They can split, and they shouldn't be frozen solid anyway.
• Anything frozen hard. Chilled is soothing; frozen solid is hard enough to bruise gums.
• Unbranded teethers with no safety marking. Anything going in a baby's mouth needs UKCA or CE marking and BS EN 71 compliance.
• Teethers on cords or clipped near the neck. Clip to clothing at the chest, never around the neck.

How to choose, in one paragraph

If you want the lowest-effort option, buy silicone. If your baby seems to prefer something softer and warmer, or you specifically want a renewable material, buy natural rubber and commit to wiping it dry. If there's any latex allergy in the family, buy silicone. And if you're not sure, buy one cheap silicone teether first — babies have strong and completely unpredictable opinions about texture, and there's no point spending on a premium rubber teether to discover yours wants the little bunny one.

Frequently asked questions

Is natural rubber or silicone safer for teething?

Both are safe when made to UK toy safety standards. Silicone is easier to keep hygienic because it can be sterilised and is non-porous. Natural rubber is safe too but must never be submerged, and it should be replaced once it becomes sticky or misshapen.

Can you sterilise a natural rubber teether?

No. Heat degrades natural rubber, and submerging it lets water into any squeak hole where mould can grow unseen. Clean with a damp cloth and mild soap, then dry thoroughly.

Do natural rubber teethers go mouldy?

They can, if water gets inside through the squeak hole and doesn't dry out. It's preventable — never submerge the teether, wipe it clean instead, and let it air dry fully. Solid rubber teethers with no hole avoid the problem entirely.

Are natural rubber teethers safe for babies with a latex allergy?

No. Natural rubber is made from latex and contains the proteins that cause latex allergy. Choose food-grade silicone instead, and speak to your GP or health visitor if you have any concerns about allergies.

Can you freeze a silicone teether?

Chill it in the fridge rather than freezing it solid. A frozen-hard teether can be hard enough to bruise sore gums. Twenty minutes in the fridge gives you the cooling effect without the hardness.

When do babies start teething?

Most babies get their first tooth at around six months, though anywhere between three and twelve months is common. Symptoms can start weeks before a tooth appears. Speak to your health visitor or GP if your baby seems unwell, as illness is sometimes wrongly put down to teething.

More on teething

For symptoms, timelines and what else helps at 3am, read our complete guide to baby teething, or is silicone safe for babies to chew on? For how these materials compare across toys generally, see the guide to eco baby toys in the UK.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you're concerned about your baby's teething or symptoms, speak to your health visitor, GP or pharmacist.