Best Suction Bowls UK 2026: The £22 Ezpz Grips the Whole Table, the £12 Vital Baby Comes With the Spoon

COMPARISON · FEEDING TIME

Every family that has been through weaning knows the moment. A bowl of porridge, a delighted baby, and one flick of the wrist that sends the lot across the kitchen floor. Suction bowls exist to stop exactly that, and on the shelf they all make the same promise. In practice they grip in very different ways. Some rely on a small cup under the base, some on a wider pad, and one suctions an entire placemat to the table so there is no edge for little fingers to get under.

That difference matters far more than the colour, the price or the cute whale on the side. A bowl that holds firm on a smooth kitchen table can pop straight off a textured highchair tray, and a bowl that is perfect for a six-month-old's first spoonfuls of purée can be far too small for a toddler working through a pasta dinner.

We compared five silicone suction bowls that are easy to buy in the UK right now, from a £12 starter set that comes with its own spoon to a £22 all-in-one mat and bowl. We looked at how each one grips, what portion size it suits, what comes in the box and how it copes with the dishwasher and microwave, then weighed all of that against what parents tell us actually happens at mealtimes. Prices were checked at the time of writing and do move around.

The short version: there is no single best bowl for every age. There is a best bowl for your table, your highchair tray and the stage your little one is at, and the guide below should help you find it in a couple of minutes.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: Ezpz Happy Bowl · 8.5/10 - the whole mat suctions down, so there is no lip to prise up
• Best Everyday Bowl: Mushie Silicone Suction Bowl · 8.0/10 - deep 280ml bowl with a small footprint for any tray
• Best First Bowl: Done by Deer Stick & Stay Bowl + Spoon · 8.0/10 - 200ml first-food portion, high scooping edge and a matching soft spoon
• Best Value Set: Vital Baby Nourish Silicone Suction Bowl Set · 7.5/10 - bowl and chunky spoon for around £12, and it can be sterilised
• Best for Little Scoopers: Bibado Silicone Bowl · 7.5/10 - the oval shape gives a long wall to push food against

Quick comparison

Bowl	Price	How it grips	Spoon included	Portion	Rating
Ezpz Happy Bowl	£21.99	Whole placemat suctions to the table	No	About 300ml, toddler-sized
Mushie Silicone Suction Bowl	£16.49	Suction base	No	About 280ml, 5cm deep
Done by Deer Stick & Stay Bowl + Spoon	£16.95	Suction base, press to stick	Yes, soft silicone	About 200ml
Vital Baby Nourish Suction Bowl Set	£11.99	Suction pad plus integrated foot	Yes, chunky handle	Not published, 15.5cm wide
Bibado Silicone Bowl	£11.95	Oval suction base	No	Not published

How we picked the 5

We started with the bowls that parents add to their BubsNest registries most often alongside highchairs and weaning spoons, then cross-checked them against the brands that come up again and again when parents compare feeding kit. A few ground rules: single bowls or small bowl-and-spoon sets only (no six-piece dinner bundles), 100% silicone, a genuine suction base, and in stock with a UK retailer. Five different brands made the cut.

We then read through specs, care instructions and a wide spread of parent feedback, paying particular attention to complaints about suction. It is the one feature every bowl on this list claims, and it is the one that most often lets parents down.

What to look for in a suction bowl

Where the suction sits. Most bowls have a suction cup or ring under the base. It works well until a baby finds the edge and peels it up. A bowl built into a placemat spreads the grip across a much bigger area, which is harder to lift but needs more flat space.

Your surface, not just the bowl. Suction needs a smooth, flat, non-porous surface that is clean and dry. Glossy tables and plastic trays are ideal. Textured trays, grooved trays, matte wood and trays with a raised rim right where the bowl sits are where bowls let go. Look at your highchair tray before you buy. A tiny drop of water under the suction ring often helps it seal.

Portion size. In the first weeks of weaning a baby eats a few spoonfuls, so a 200ml bowl is plenty and less food ends up wasted. Toddlers eating pasta or cereal need closer to 300ml.

Wall shape. High, inward-curving sides give a baby something to push food against, which is how they learn to load a spoon on their own. Shallow bowls are easier to see into but harder to scoop from.

Care. All five are dishwasher and microwave safe, but check the details: Vital Baby asks for the top rack and a maximum of 65°C. Silicone can hold on to smells from tomato or garlic; a soak in warm water with bicarbonate of soda usually shifts it.

The age on the box. Some bowls are labelled from 4 months. That label is about the materials, not a starting gun. NHS guidance is to start solid foods at around 6 months.

1. Ezpz Happy Bowl / 10 · Best for toddlers

The Happy Bowl works differently from everything else on this list. Instead of a bowl with a suction cup underneath, the bowl is moulded into a placemat, and the whole underside of the mat grips the table. There is no rim for a toddler to hook a finger under and no single cup to pop. It holds around 10oz (roughly 300ml), which is a proper toddler portion of pasta, soup or cereal, and it is dishwasher, microwave and oven safe, so you can warm porridge straight in it.

The trade-offs come from the same design. Ezpz makes the Happy Bowl for children from 12 months, and the mat needs a flat, smooth table with enough room around it, so it is happiest at the family dining table rather than on a small highchair tray. If you are starting weaning at six months, the brand's smaller Mini Bowl is the version designed for babies and highchair trays.

What parents love

• Nothing to prise up. Because the whole mat grips, there is no edge to lift. We hear repeatedly from parents that this is the first bowl their toddler could not throw.
• Catches the spills. The mat around the bowl gives dropped food somewhere to land. One parent told us: 'The larger placemat area helps my extremely messy eater keep the mess in one place.'
• Oven, microwave and dishwasher safe. Warm, serve and wash in the same piece.
• Built to last. Thick silicone that bends without fading or cracking, so it passes down well to a younger sibling.

What to know before you buy

• No lid. A parent shared: 'My only complaint is that there is no lid for leftovers.' If you batch cook, you will be decanting.
• Fussy about surfaces. It grips best on a straight-edged, smooth table. Textured, grooved or narrow trays are hit and miss.
• Priciest here, and toddler-sized. At £21.99 for a 12 months plus bowl, it is not the one for first tastes.

Best for

• Toddlers eating at the family table
• Parents who are done picking bowls up off the floor
• Soup, pasta and cereal portions
• Families who want one bowl from toddler to preschool

2. Mushie Silicone Suction Bowl / 10 · Best everyday bowl

Mushie's bowl is the classic shape done well: a deep, round silicone bowl with a suction base. It holds around 280ml and measures about 11.4cm across and 5cm deep, which is deep enough for porridge, yoghurt and soup without slopping over the rim. It is food-grade silicone, free from BPA and phthalates, and it is dishwasher and microwave safe. Silicone does not get hot the way ceramic does, so it stays safe for little fingers to hold.

The small footprint is the quiet win. It fits on almost any highchair tray, including compact ones, and the muted colours match the Mushie plates, cups and bibs many parents already own. If you only buy one bowl to last from first purées to toddler breakfasts, this is the safe, sensible choice.

What parents love

• Deep sides. The 5cm walls keep runny food in the bowl and give a spoon something to scoop against.
• Fits small trays. At around 11cm wide it sits on trays where wider bowls and mats simply do not fit.
• Stays cool to touch. Warm food in the microwave without the bowl itself getting too hot to handle.
• Builds into a set. Parents tell us they like adding the matching plate and cup over time rather than buying a bundle up front.

What to know before you buy

• Base suction has limits. It grips best on smooth, dry surfaces. On a textured tray, a determined toddler can work the edge loose.
• Just the bowl. No spoon and no lid in the box.
• Not the cheapest. At £16.49 you are paying a little extra for the design.

Best for

• One everyday bowl from purées to toddler cereal
• Compact highchair trays
• Families building a matching Mushie set
• Warming food in the microwave

3. Done by Deer Stick & Stay Bowl + Baby Spoon / 10 · Best first bowl

Done by Deer's Wally set pairs a 200ml suction bowl with a soft silicone spoon. Wally the whale swims around the side of the bowl and his tail forms the end of the spoon. The bowl has a high edge to help scooping, and the wave shape on the rim gives the spoon somewhere to rest between mouthfuls, which keeps it out of the purée and off the floor.

The 200ml size is the point. In the first weeks of weaning a baby manages a few spoonfuls, and a smaller bowl means less waste and less to clear up. It is dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe, and you press it down to stick it to most smooth surfaces. The listing says from 4 months, but NHS guidance is to start solids at around 6 months.

What parents love

• First-portion size. Small enough that a few spoonfuls do not look lost, so it is easy to see how much has actually been eaten.
• Spoon included. The soft spoon is gentle on gums and works for both parent-led spoon feeding and early self-feeding.
• Somewhere to rest the spoon. A small detail parents mention more than you might expect.
• Looks lovely. The Scandinavian design makes it a popular gift.

What to know before you buy

• Outgrown quickly. 200ml is too small for most toddler meals, so expect to add a bigger bowl later.
• Smooth surfaces only. Like every base-suction bowl, it struggles on textured trays.
• Soft spoon has a shelf life. Great for first feeds, but older toddlers usually move on to firmer cutlery.

Best for

• The first weeks of weaning
• A thoughtful weaning gift
• Parents who want bowl and spoon to match
• Small portions and purées

4. Vital Baby Nourish Silicone Suction Bowl Set / 10 · Best value set

At around £12, Vital Baby's set gets you a bowl and a spoon for less than most brands charge for the bowl alone. The bowl has a large suction pad, scooped sides to help self-feeding and an integrated foot, and measures roughly 15.5cm wide and 5.2cm high. The spoon has a shallow bowl in ultra-soft silicone, so babies get a manageable amount on each mouthful, and a chunky handle that little hands can grip.

It is microwave safe, top-rack dishwasher safe up to 65°C and suitable for every method of sterilising, which suits parents who are already running a steriliser for bottles. Vital Baby is a UK brand that is easy to find in supermarkets and on the high street, so replacing a lost spoon is rarely a problem.

What parents love

• Bowl and spoon for £12. The cheapest way on this list to get a complete starter set.
• Can be sterilised. Steam, cold water or UV, so it fits into the bottle routine.
• Scooped sides. The curved walls help babies push food on to the spoon themselves.
• Easy to find. Widely stocked, so a spare for nursery or grandparents is easy to pick up.

What to know before you buy

• Suction varies by tray. Parents tell us grip across the wider Nourish range depends on the highchair, and a determined baby can work the edge loose on a textured tray.
• Dishwasher limits. Top rack only, and no hotter than 65°C.
• Capacity not published. It is a generous width, but there is no official figure in ml.

Best for

• Weaning on a budget
• A first set that includes the spoon
• Families who sterilise everything
• A spare set for nursery or grandparents

5. Bibado Silicone Bowl / 10 · Best for little scoopers

Bibado is best known for its coverall weaning bib that fastens to the highchair. Its silicone bowl takes a different shape from the others here: oval rather than round, with gentle curves designed to help babies practise a natural scooping motion. That long, curved side is a genuinely useful thing to push food against when a baby is learning to load a spoon or scoop with their hands.

It has a strong suction base, is made from LFGB-certified, BPA-free silicone and is microwave, oven and top-shelf dishwasher safe. At around £12 it is the joint cheapest bowl here, and it pairs neatly with the matching Bibado plate if you want a set.

What parents love

• The oval shape. A long wall to scoop against suits self-feeders and baby-led weaning.
• Oven, microwave and dishwasher safe. Bake a mini portion, warm it and wash it in the same bowl.
• Price. Around £12 for a well-made silicone bowl from a known weaning brand.
• Pairs with the bib. Parents who already use the Bibado coverall bib like keeping the whole highchair setup in one range.

What to know before you buy

• Capacity not published. Fine for weaning portions, but there is no official ml figure to plan around.
• Just the bowl. No spoon or lid included.
• Check narrow trays. The oval base is longer than a round bowl of similar volume, so make sure it sits flat on your tray.

Best for

• Baby-led weaning and self-feeders
• Families already using the Bibado coverall bib
• Weaning on a budget
• Oven-to-table mini portions

What about plastic suction bowls?

Plastic suction bowls are often cheaper and frequently come in multi-packs with lids, which is handy for batch cooking. We kept this guide to silicone because it is microwave safe without warping, does not crack when thrown and is generally gentler on little hands. If lids matter most to you, a plastic set alongside one good silicone bowl is a perfectly sensible combination.

How to choose

Choose the Ezpz Happy Bowl if you have a toddler of 12 months or more who eats at the family table and treats bowls as frisbees. The whole-mat suction is the hardest grip here to beat, as long as your table is smooth and flat.

Choose the Mushie Silicone Suction Bowl if you want one dependable everyday bowl that fits any tray and lasts from purées to toddler breakfasts.

Choose the Done by Deer Stick & Stay Bowl + Spoon if you are just starting weaning and want a small portion size with a matching spoon, or you are buying a weaning gift.

Choose the Vital Baby Nourish Set if budget matters most, you want the spoon included, or you like to sterilise everything that goes near your baby's mouth.

Choose the Bibado Silicone Bowl if your baby is self-feeding and needs a long side to scoop against, or you already have the Bibado coverall bib.

Add it to your Nest

Weaning kit is one of the most useful things to put on a registry, because friends and family love buying it and you will want a couple of bowls on rotation. Add your favourite to your free BubsNest registry alongside your highchair and weaning spoons, and keep everything for mealtimes in one Nest.