Best Baby Formula Of 2022

To determine our best baby formulas ranking, the Forbes Health editorial team analyzed third-party data on 80 baby formula products, with each product’s star rating determined by evaluating factors such as price per ounce and the nutritional profile of the formula.

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) defines infant formula as:

“A food which purports to be or is represented for special dietary use solely as a food for infants by reason of its simulation of human milk or its suitability as a complete or partial substitute for human milk.”

Baby formula is the primary food option for infants in the first 12 months of life who aren’t nursing or otherwise consuming human milk.

FDA Regulations

Since baby formula is a food product—and one that often serves as the single source of nutrition during an infant’s critical period of growth and development—it’s highly regulated by the FDA. Every baby formula product marketed in the U.S. must meet the FDA’s specific requirements regarding nutrition, labeling, manufacturing processes and quality control. Manufacturers must also notify the administration prior to marketing a new formula product.

This level of scrutiny ensures that all U.S. baby formula products offer complete infant nutrition and are deemed generally safe for all babies, specific medical conditions notwithstanding. In other words, you can rest assured that every baby formula on supermarket shelves will give your infant the nutrients they need to thrive.

What to Look for in Baby Formula

When a baby is nourished with infant formula rather than breast milk, there are a couple of ingredients and nutrients pediatricians recommend parents prioritize on the product label.

Highly Recommended Nutrients: Cow’s Milk Protein and Iron

Cow’s milk protein: Unless otherwise medically indicated, it’s generally recommended that a baby use a standard cow’s milk protein-based formula. Lactose is the natural form of sugar found in breast milk that has a positive effect on both gut health and calcium absorption. Simply look for “milk-based powder” or “milk-based formula” on the product packaging.

Iron: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Nutrition also strongly advocates for formulas fortified with 4 to 12 milligrams of iron per liter to reduce risk of iron-deficiency anemia, which can impact brain development. The FDA requires that all formulas are fortified with 0.15 to 3 milligrams of iron per 100 calories of formula.

Nutrients With Limited Evidence

To more closely mimic the natural composition of breast milk, many baby formula manufacturers supplement their products with fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA). However, there’s little clinical evidence to indicate these nutrients when supplemented in baby formula benefit the health outcomes of infants.

“There’s just not a lot of evidence,” says Helen Hughes, M.D., a pediatrician in Baltimore and assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “It’s hard to conduct randomized control trials in babies to begin with, and these are generally healthy babies, so there’s not a lot of need from a research standpoint to study it. So with additives like DHA and ARA, which are now essentially in all formulas, there just isn’t a lot of evidence behind whether or not they’re needed.”

Many formulas also feature prebiotics commonly found in breast milk, such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), and probiotics with the goal of nurturing gut health and immune function. Early studies suggest probiotics can be helpful in healthy children experiencing acute viral gastroenteritis and other infections, and prebiotics can assist with softening stools, which may be beneficial for some infants. While the data is promising so far, more research is needed.

These additional nutrients certainly don’t hurt, experts and studies confirm. But these supplements do tend to raise the price of baby formula. Therefore, we considered them as part of the nutritional profile in our baby formula rankings but allotted them fewer points than highly recommended nutrients.

Powder Formula

Powder baby formula is by far the most common type of formula. It’s the least expensive option, and it must be mixed with water before feeding. With the exception of baby formula designed specifically for babies born premature, our baby formula rankings only considered formulas that come in powder form.

Liquid Formula

Liquid baby formula is a ready-made, concentrated formula that needs to be mixed with an equal amount of water to dilute it before feeding. It’s the second most expensive formula option.

Ready-to-Feed Formula

As it sounds, ready-to-feed formula comes pre-mixed at ratios designed for consumption. Manufacturers use sterile bottles to store ready-to-feed formula to account for your baby’s vulnerable immune system. It’s the most expensive formula option.

Our research indicates that baby formula can cost as little as $0.44 an ounce and as much as $3.19 an ounce.

On the less expensive end of the spectrum are the standard cow’s milk protein-based formula options, typically fortified with iron and supplemented with fatty acids like DHA. As manufacturers add marketing claims like “gentle” and “sensitive,” as well as supplemental nutrients, the price increases.

The most expensive formulas tend to be options made for medical conditions like a severe milk allergy, using extensively hydrolyzed proteins that render the formula lactose-free without introducing soy—another common allergen—to the ingredient list.

Pediatricians typically recommend starting with a standard cow’s milk protein-based baby formula and seeing how your baby responds.

“Many of the standard formulas are similar, so most of all, I would not fret too much as a parent over what formula to start with,” says Dr. Hughes. “I wouldn’t hesitate to give the standard formulas to my baby.”

If your baby doesn’t seem to tolerate your initial formula choice well—experiencing symptoms like excessive spit-up, poor weight gain, fussiness, gassiness or even blood in their stool—it might be time to make a change.

Dr. Hughes recommends consulting with your pediatrician to determine the next best formula to try. “Keeping a feeding log can also be helpful because then you can review it with your pediatrician,” she says.

Opting for organic baby formula is mostly a matter of personal preference, experts suggest. All baby formula products sold in the U.S. are highly regulated by the FDA and must meet a strict list of nutritional standards to ensure that they are providing infants with the building blocks they need to grow and develop successfully.

In addition to these nutrition guidelines, though, organic baby formula products must meet separate federal requirements to be labeled as organic. They must contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients, and any ingredients making up the remaining 5% must comply with the NOP National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

With that said, there is currently no evidence to suggest children who consume organic formula are healthier than children who consume regular formula.

Keeping your little one nourished with baby formula might seem like a simple task, but there are several details to consider in keeping your feeding routine as safe and successful as possible. Learn how to master the art of baby formula feeding—and how to do it safely.