Cherie is an Ontarian with a 15-week-old daughter named Jessica. She’s walking that fine balance between stay-at-home and work-at-home mommy. The work that pays her in real, live money is graphic design. She loves photography, and I’m guessing her mad skillz in the photo editing department mean she makes a mean scrapbook. Cherie says she wants somewhere between three and five children, and is fully aware that she’s saying this as a mom of one.
Cherie got to test and keep the Playtex SmartBrush No-Scratch Bottle Brush in exchange for her honest review. Thanks to Paradigm PR for providing the product!
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Being a first-time mom, I felt the need to buy everything and anything I thought I might need. As the items piled up and funds trickled down, I did cheap out on some items. One of those items being the bottle-cleaning brush. I just bought one of those wire-handled brushes – which ended with a horrible death. It bent so much it broke and rusted. I can’t say I ever thought there would be much of a quality difference when purchasing a brush to clean baby bottles. Now I know better.
THE GOOD
The first thing I noticed upon receiving the Playtex SmartBrush was that it has a thick, sturdy handle. Not only will it not die the same horrible death my previous brush did, but I have more control over the brush since it doesn’t bend as I try to wash my daughter’s bottles. Playtex nails it: the “brush handle is comfortable with ergonomic design and non-slip grip.”
Another great feature I experienced after using the Playtex SmartBrush is how much softer the bristles are compared to my previous brush. I didn’t realize it, but the old brush was scratching my bottles and nipples. It could be dangerous if the nipples get worn down enough to break apart.
The Playtex SmartBrush has substantially more bristles than my previous brush and they point in more directions. This is the “360° complete clean” design. I feel confident that every nook and cranny of the bottle and nipple is clean.
THE GAFFE
My daughter is bottle-fed 24/7, and I wash every bottle with the Playtex SmartBrush. After one week of use, I noticed the top bristles of the large brush and some around the small brush started to permanently bend down. Since then, though, it hasn’t changed much. Despite this, I still feel it’s cleaning the bottles well but Playtex does suggest “to replace bottle brushes every 30 to 45 days or at first sign of wear.” I wonder if at my rate I’ll need to purchase a new Playtex SmartBrush once a week. At least at around $4 it’s not going to break the bank.
There’s a nipple brush that screws into the bottle brush’s handle, which is a great idea but I found it more time-consuming and annoying to screw it on and off. Most of the time I just leave it apart, but when cleaning larger bottles I have no choice but to screw the two brushes together for the extra length. Redesigning the handle to pop on and off rather than screw on and off would solve this problem.
THE GEARS
4/5
Olivia L says
I like the price point, especially with how often you’re supposed to replace them. One feature I like in my current brush is a little suction cup on the bottom so you can stand it up and the brush doesn’t touch the counter or sink. That would make this one perfect!
Olivia L says
I like the price point, especially with how often you’re supposed to replace them. One feature I like in my current brush is a little suction cup on the bottom so you can stand it up and the brush doesn’t touch the counter or sink. That would make this one perfect!