Average Price: $4-8 for 2
Availability: Widely Available
Product Link: MAM Ulti
Rating:

I had started my son out on ring-pacifiers (Avent, Nuk) simply because that was what was available at the local grocery store. It didn’t occur to me to try a MAM pacifier until I went to buy a new pacifier keeper and the only option was a MAM pacifier + keeper combination. The button always looked somewhat odd, as most of the pacifiers I saw babies using were the ring style pacifier.

These pacifiers quickly became my favorites. The lack of a ring means that the pacifier is a lot quieter which reduces the liklihood of an overtired baby using it as a rattle instead of as a soother. The knob also makes it easier for a younger un-coordinated baby to manipulate the pacifier and put it into his mouth on his own. And the symmetrical design of the nipple and shield mean that no matter how the pacifier ends up in the mouth, you’re assured that the orthodontic benefits of the pacifier aren’t being circumvented.

These pacifiers also seem to put less pressure on my son’s face. Where Avent and Nuk pacifiers left red rings on my son’s lips and cheeks, the Ulti pacifier has never left a mark on him. The rim of the pacifier curves outwards slightly which means that a softer curve of plastic touching your baby’s face, ventilation holes are large and numerous, and the underside of the pacifier is covered with raised dots which help saliva run-off. This lowers the risks of a rash, and presumably lowers the risk of pressure to young teeth and gums.

An added benefit is that my breastfed son seems to find the larger bulb-like nipple of the silicone MAM Ulti to be more soothing than the bulbs of the Nuk or Avent pacifiers.

The Ulti comes in silicone and latex, in a variety of sizes from newborn up to toddler, and comes in a wide assortment of colors and patterns. Unfortunately I find most of the colors and patterns to be a bit obnoxious… But you can occasionally find a non-annoying color or style in stock. The crystal ulti’s are actually quite attractive… If only they had them in stock locally more often.

Despite the often garish colors/patterns, this pacifier still blows away the competition for quite a few reasons.