Silicone Feeding Sets: What's In Them, and Do You Need One?

Weaning kit is sold in two ways: piece by piece, or as a set that promises to cover everything. The sets are cheaper per item and arrive in one box, which when you're six months in and running on four hours' sleep is a genuinely persuasive argument.

But a set is only good value if you use all of it. Here's what's actually in a silicone feeding set, when a set beats buying separately, which one suits which family, and whether it still earns its place once you have a toddler rather than a baby.

What's in a 6-piece silicone feeding set

Most 6-piece sets — including all three of ours — contain the same six things:

1. A suction plate. The main event. Sticks to the highchair tray so it can't be relocated to the floor.
2. A suction bowl. For purees, porridge and anything with a sauce. You'll use this more than the plate in the first couple of months.
3. A sippy cup. Water with meals from six months onwards.
4. A soft fork. Mostly waved about at first. Gets used properly around a year.
5. A soft spoon. Gentle on gums, and the piece your baby will want to hold while you use a second one.
6. A bib with a catch pocket. Rinses under the tap in seconds and catches a surprising proportion of what escapes.

That's a complete weaning setup. Nothing else is essential for the first year.

Set or separates? An honest answer

Buy a set if you're starting from nothing. Six pieces bought separately comes to noticeably more than the set price, everything matches, and you're not making six decisions while sleep-deprived.

Buy separately if you already have some of it, or you know you want something specific — a deeper bowl, a particular bib, a plate with more compartments. There's no sense paying for a sippy cup you'll never use because you're going straight to an open cup.

The one honest caveat about sets: you sometimes get one piece you don't love. Usually it's the cup. It's still better value than buying five items individually, but go in expecting five winners rather than six.

Does a feeding set last into toddlerhood?

This is the question worth asking before you spend anything, and the answer is mostly yes — but you'll use it differently.

Between one and two, the suction base stops being about stopping deliberate throwing and starts being about stopping accidental knocks as a toddler leans across the table. The plate gets used more than the bowl as meals become drier and more varied. The fork finally comes into its own.

Between two and three, most children move to a normal plate. The bowl usually outlasts everything else — cereal, pasta, yoghurt — and the bib survives well beyond the point anyone expected it to.

Worth knowing: you don't have to press the suction base down. Using the same plate unstuck makes the transition to grown-up crockery gentler than switching products entirely, and it means a set bought at six months genuinely stretches to three years rather than being replaced twice.

Our three silicone feeding sets, compared

Set	Best for
Essential 6-Piece Weaning Set	Plain, practical, no novelty. The default choice.
Modern 6-Piece Weaning Set	Soft rounded shapes and muted tones. If you'd rather it didn't shout.
Dinosaur 6-Piece Weaning Set	Dinosaur-shaped plate. Genuinely helps with a reluctant eater.

All three are 100% food-grade platinum silicone, BPA-free, PVC-free and phthalate-free, suitable from six months, and dishwasher, microwave, oven and freezer safe.

Does the dinosaur thing actually work?

More than we expected it to. A baby who's interested in their plate stays at the table longer and engages with the food in front of them. It won't turn a fussy eater around on its own, but it buys you a few more minutes of willingness, and at this stage a few minutes is a lot.

If you'd rather have fewer, nicer pieces

The Sophie la Girafe 4-piece silicone meal set is dish, bowl, glass and spoon — no bib or cup, but a lovely thing and a strong baby shower gift.

If you'd rather have bamboo

The bamboo 5-piece children's dinner set comes in giraffe, zebra or elephant. Bamboo suits a slightly older child — see bamboo vs silicone baby plates for why.

What to check before buying any silicone set

• "Food-grade" or "platinum" silicone, stated explicitly. Not just "silicone". Grade matters and good sellers say which.
• Independent testing. EN 14372 is the European standard for child feeding utensils; LFGB is Germany's food-contact standard and one of the strictest anywhere. Ours are tested to both.
• Suction that means it. Look for a wide base rather than a small ring. More on how suction works and why it fails.
• Everything dishwasher safe — not "most of it". Some sets include a bib or cup lid that isn't.
• UKCA or CE marking. Non-negotiable for anything going in a mouth.

Looking after it

• Dishwasher, top rack. Boiling and steam sterilising are both fine too.
• Tomato, curry and beetroot will tint paler colours. It's cosmetic, and a few hours in sunlight fades it noticeably.
• Cloudy film lifts with a 30-minute soak in equal parts white vinegar and water.
• Store it in a drawer rather than on an open shelf — silicone attracts dust and fluff.
• Check the suction base every few weeks and wash underneath it. Food gets in there.

Frequently asked questions

What's included in a 6-piece silicone feeding set?

A suction plate, a suction bowl, a sippy cup, a fork, a spoon and a bib with a food-catching pocket. That covers a complete weaning setup from six months.

Are silicone feeding sets worth buying?

If you're starting from nothing, yes — a set costs less than buying the six pieces separately and everything matches. If you already own a plate and bowl you like, buying the missing pieces individually makes more sense.

Are silicone feeding sets suitable for toddlers?

Yes. Most sets stay useful to around two or three years. The plate and bowl carry on being used as meals get more varied, and the fork becomes genuinely useful once a toddler starts feeding themselves properly. You can also stop pressing the suction base down, which eases the move to normal crockery.

What age are silicone feeding sets suitable from?

Six months, which is when the NHS advises introducing solid foods.

Are silicone feeding sets dishwasher safe?

Ours are, entirely. Not all brands are — some include a bib or cup lid that needs hand washing, so check the full set rather than assuming.

Is silicone safe for babies?

Food-grade silicone is non-porous, chemically stable and free from BPA, PVC and phthalates. It doesn't react with food or leach anything even when heated. Look for products that state food-grade explicitly and carry UKCA or CE marking.

How many feeding sets do I need?

One, plus a spare plate or bowl so there's always a clean one. A second full set is more than you'll use.

Where to start

If you're buying your first, the Essential 6-piece set covers everything. Add a spare suction bowl for the washing-up cycle and you're set for the year.

Browse all our weaning sets and the wider baby feeding range. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Follow NHS weaning guidance and speak to your health visitor or GP about your own baby's feeding.