The Best Baby Rattles

Fisher-Price Rattle ‘n Rock Maracas

Classic design

These maraca-style rattles can put a smile on any baby's face.

Best Overall

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If you want a simple set of soft rattles that are easy to hold for babies of all ages, Fisher-Price’s Rattle ‘n Rock Maracas may be just what you’ve been looking for. They’re designed with handles that are shaped and sized for little hands. Each end is different, making them more interesting to your baby. The soft pom-poms are specially shaped and textured for an engaging sensory experience, while a clear maraca on the other end of each one is filled with colorful beads for a fun sound. They’re great for babies three months old and up.

Pros:

• Each maraca is made with different colors and patterns
• Babies can chew on them safely
• The soft ends protect their faces as they shake them

Cons:

• Although the sound is fun, the hard end of the rattle can bonk your little one’s head
• The rattle isn’t very loud

Genuine Fred Buff Baby Rattle

For the littlest lifters

This novelty rattle is fun for both you and your baby.

Most Unique

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When you want to provide your baby with a fun toy while also giving you and your friends a laugh, you may want to check out the Buff Baby rattle from Genuine Fred. It’s designed to look like a dumbbell or a speed bag, but unlike their grown-up counterparts, they’re lightweight and sized just right for a baby’s little fingers to grip onto. Overall, these adorable novelty gym-themed rattles are an excellent choice for your own baby or as a shower gift for your fitness-fanatic friends.

Pros:

• These plastic rattles are BPA-free and safe for babies to chew on
• Adults tend to love them as much as babies do
• The rattling sound is a good balance between loud and soft

Cons:

• It’s made of plastic, so babies can hit themselves if they get too enthusiastic
• They aren’t quite as large as we thought they’d be

Littlesmet Baby Rattle Teething Set

No rules, just rattles

Give your baby lots of options to choose from with this awesome set.

Best Set

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As with most kids, babies can lose interest quickly, which is why we love the variety offered by Littlesmet’s set of eight different toys. It comes with a wide variety of rattles and teething toys, so if your little one gets bored with one option, you can offer another. The interesting textures and bright colors keep them playing and chewing for longer than most other toys. Then, when your baby is all done, you can simply pack them up into the handy container that comes included with the set — after wiping them off, of course.

Pros:

• Each rattle is uniquely shaped to make a different noise
• The set is affordable
• Plenty of choices to keep babies entertained

Cons:

• None of the rattles are soft
• Some parts are a bit flimsy

Bright Starts Rattle Wrist Pals

Soft and comfortable

Strap these onto your newborn to give them an exciting experience.

Best For Newborns

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Most of the rattles you’ll find are designed for babies three months and over, but what about newborns? Bright Starts has answered that question with their adorable Wrist Pals line of rattles. Each soft bracelet is styled after an animal, and the ends have hook and loop closures to keep them securely on your baby’s wrists or ankles. They also each have a silicone leaf for chewing to help your baby ease some of their teething pain. As they grow, they can still bring them along as cute security toys.

Pros:

• They’re very affordable
• Babies can shake them automatically just by moving their wrists
• There are no minimum age requirements because these rattles can’t hurt babies

Cons:

• They aren’t big enough for older babies to continue wearing
• Only one of them rattles while the other crinkles

Kiddolab Infant Spin Rattle And Teether Toy

Sensory satisfaction

We love that this rattle provides stimulation for all of your baby's senses.

Best Sensory Play

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Sensory experiences are one of the most important things to provide your new baby with. They help them learn about the things around them and develop their minds. Kiddolab’s multifaceted teether toy is an easy way to get a ton of sensory options for your little one. It’s a spinner, rattle, and teether all in one, featuring five bright petals with bright colors and designs that each exercise a different sense for your baby. There’s soft silicone, a squeaker, rings, a mirror, and more. When you add up all of the colors and textures, you get one very interesting rattle.

Pros:

• This large toy can keep babies interested for longer than most
• It’s made of safe, BPA-free, non-toxic materials
• The teething textures help ease the pain of teething

Cons:

• It’s a bit large for small babies to hold alone
• The price is steep, but the range of sensory input makes it a great all-in-one value

Frequently Asked Questions

What are “sensory toys,” and why do babies need them?

Sensory toys are exactly what they sound like: toys that work your baby’s senses. Bright colors engage their sight, rattles are fun for them to listen to, different textures are exciting for little hands and mouths, and some even include scents. Sensory play is important for babies because it helps them learn to separate and organize stimuli in their brains, and that’s an important stepping stone for other things they learn over time.

How many rattles does a baby need?

There are no rules when it comes to how many rattles babies need. What matters is that you keep them entertained and learning, and rattles do a great job of both of those things. They come in such a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures that there really are no limits. In fact, we recommend getting new ones often in order to switch things up and keep your baby interested in learning new things.