Baby Plates & Bowls

The first thing most babies do with a bowl is throw it. The right baby bowl makes that harder, staying put on the high chair tray while your baby gets on with the business of working out what food is. It won't stop every launch, but it'll stop most of them.

Why Suction Makes Such a Difference

A suction base grips the tray so the bowl stays where you put it, which changes the whole meal. Your baby can push against the food to load a spoon instead of chasing a sliding dish, and you're not retrieving lunch from the floor every ninety seconds. If mealtimes currently feel like more cleaning than eating, this is usually the fix. 

Suction works best on a smooth, dry surface, so give the tray a wipe first and press firmly in the centre. Most designs release with a tab at the edge, which is worth knowing before you try to prise one off with a fingernail.

Bowls, Plates and Compartment Sets

Bowls come first. Deep sides give a spoon something to push against and keep purees contained, and small capacity suits portions that start at a couple of tablespoons. Plates arrive once your baby is eating finger food and wants everything visible. 

Compartment plates keep textures apart, which matters more than you'd expect for a toddler who objects to things touching. Snack plates with a low rim work well for older toddlers grazing between meals. A baby bowl set covering two or three of these is usually better value than buying one at a time, since you'll want a clean one ready while the last is in the dishwasher.

Silicone and How It Holds Up

Most baby plates are food-grade silicone, and there's good reason for that. It bounces on tiles rather than shattering, it's soft on new gums, and it handles the dishwasher and the microwave without warping. The trade is that silicone attracts lint and can hold a smell if you leave tomato sauce sitting in it, so wash it reasonably promptly. 

Check whether a set is dishwasher safe on the top rack or the bottom, and look at whether the suction ring is moulded in or a separate piece, since separate pieces need washing underneath. Everything here should be free of BPA and similar, and a good brand will say so plainly.

Plate and Bowl Brands Made for Small Hands

Done by Deer is the Danish name behind the illustrated silicone range, covering snack plates, compartment plates, bowls and first meal sets in matching prints.Beaba brings French design to suction meal sets that pair a plate with the cutlery to match. 

All4Ella is Australian and keeps things simple, with silicone plates that include a straw and spoon.Hegen approaches mealtime as a system, with starter kits that fold down for taking out of the house. These are just some of the brands we carry.

Setting the Table for Solids

A plate is one part of a mealtime that runs smoothly. Something has to catch what misses, there's a spoon to learn, and a cup usually turns up at the same time. Our full baby feeding range covers the lot, and these are the categories that go with a first bowl:

• Tableware
• Baby Cutlery
• Feeding Bibs
• Baby Cups
• High Chairs
• Food Storage & Lunchboxes
• Food Processors
• Feeding Bundles

Have a look at the range in person atAlexandria orMiranda, or order online and we'll send it out.