Walk into any baby store or scroll through Amazon India today, and you will find dozens of teethers — silicone, rubber, gel-filled, ring-shaped, animal-shaped, neon-coloured. The packaging on most of them uses words like "safe," "non-toxic," and "BPA-free." Some of them are all of those things. Some of them are not.
The problem is that Indian parents cannot always tell the difference at a glance. International brand recognition is not a substitute for Indian safety certification. A product that passed US or EU standards has not necessarily been tested to the Bureau of Indian Standards — and those are the standards that apply here.
What Makes a Silicone Teether Actually Safe? (The Criteria We Used)
A safe silicone teether for an Indian baby comes down to six things. For parents short on time: the most important thing to look for is BIS IS 9873 certification — it means the product has been independently tested to Indian standards for babies under 36 months.
Here is the full checklist we used to evaluate each brand:
- Food-grade silicone only — not rubber, not PVC, not latex. Food-grade silicone is inert, heat-stable, and does not leach chemicals under normal mouthing pressure.
- BIS IS 9873 certification — the Bureau of Indian Standards mandatory toy safety standard for products used by children under 3 years. It covers mechanical safety (no small parts, no choking risk), chemical safety (heavy metals, phthalates, BPA levels), and physical durability (bite force testing). A brand must apply, submit samples, and pass lab tests to receive it. It is not self-declared.
- No BPA, no phthalates, no PVC plasticisers — especially relevant for items going into a baby's mouth repeatedly throughout the day.
- No liquid fill — gel-filled or liquid-filled teethers can crack under sustained biting and leak the contents. Solid silicone only.
- Age-appropriate softness — newborn gums require much softer silicone than a 6-month-old's gums. A teether designed for older babies can be too firm for a newborn and cause discomfort.
- Ease of grip — small hands and limited motor control mean the shape matters. Ring grips and ear-style handles are easier for babies to hold independently.
BIS certification status based on publicly available information as of early 2026. Always verify on the BIS Care app before purchase.
Top 5 Brand-by-Brand Breakdown
1. Nubokind Ele Teether
The Ele Teether is one of the few teether products in India designed explicitly for newborns and backed by BIS IS 9873 certification.
- Material: 100% food-grade silicone
- Certification: BIS IS 9873 — independently tested, not self-declared
- Age suitability: 0M+ — silicone is soft enough for newborn gums from the first weeks of life
- Design: Elephant ear shape with both smooth and ridged surfaces, giving babies different textures to mouth and explore
- Origin: Made in India — no import markup, quality accountability within Indian regulatory reach
- Best for: Newborns, early oral exploration, first gifting occasion
2. Nubokind Kiko No-Drop Teether
The Kiko No-Drop Teether solves a problem every parent of a 3M+ baby knows well: the teether that spends more time on the floor than in the baby's mouth.
- Material: 100% food-grade silicone
- Certification: BIS IS 9873 certified
- Age suitability: 3M+ — suited to when babies begin active mouthing and dropping everything
- Design: Soft clip attaches to the baby's clothing, keeping the teether within reach without it hitting the floor
- Origin: Made in India
- Best for: Babies 3M+, parents who want less mid-day sanitising, travel and on-the-go use
3. Munchkin (Latch Silicone Teether)
- Material: Silicone construction, soft and thoughtfully shaped
- Certification: Carries US CPSC and CE (European) certifications — not equivalent to BIS IS 9873 for the Indian market
- Age suitability: 3M+
- Best for: Parents comfortable with international certifications, babies 3M+
4. Pigeon (Silicone Teether)
- Material: Silicone, reasonably soft
- Certification: Pigeon's India certifications primarily relate to feeding products. Its teethers do not carry BIS IS 9873 toy safety certification.
- Age suitability: 3M+
- Best for: Parents already in the Pigeon ecosystem, babies 3M+
5. Nuby (Silicone/Rubber Blend)
- Material: Silicone-rubber blend — the rubber component is worth noting for parents with latex sensitivity concerns
- Certification: Not BIS IS 9873 certified
- Age suitability: 4M+
- Best for: Older babies 4M+, parents who want shape variety
Why BIS Certification Actually Matters (Not Just a Checkbox)
BIS IS 9873 is not a marketing claim a brand can add to its packaging. It is a test result.
To receive it, a brand must submit product samples to a BIS-approved laboratory. Those samples are tested for:
- Mechanical safety — no parts small enough to be a choking hazard, no sharp edges, structural integrity under sustained biting
- Chemical safety — levels of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium), phthalates, and BPA must fall within BIS-specified limits
- Physical durability — the product must withstand simulated bite force testing without breaking in ways that create hazards
The IAP (Indian Academy of Pediatrics) recommends choosing toys with verifiable safety certifications for any item that goes into a baby's mouth. The BIS Care app — available free on Android and iOS — lets you scan any BIS mark on a product and confirm it is genuine and current. It takes thirty seconds and is worth doing for any teether before first use.
How to Choose the Right Teether for Your Baby's Age
- 3-12 months: Softest available food-grade silicone, BIS certified, minimal texture — Nubokind Ele
- 3–24 months: More texture for gum pressure, no-drop feature useful — Nubokind Kiko
Frequently Asked Questions
Is silicone teether safe for babies in India?
Yes - food-grade silicone is the safest teether material currently available. It is non-toxic, does not contain BPA or phthalates, and does not degrade under mouthing or cleaning. The key in the Indian context is to look specifically for BIS IS 9873 certification, which confirms the product has been independently tested to Indian safety standards for babies under 36 months.
Which teether brand is BIS certified in India?
Among the brands reviewed here, Nubokind's Ele and Kiko teethers are certified under BIS IS 9873. Most imported brands - including Munchkin, Pigeon, and Nuby — carry US or EU certifications, which are not equivalent to BIS. Indian parents looking for domestic certification should check the BIS Care app to verify any product's certification status before purchase.
What is BIS IS 9873 certification for teethers?
BIS IS 9873 is the Bureau of Indian Standards safety standard for toys designed for children under 36 months. It covers three areas: mechanical safety (choking hazards, structural integrity), chemical safety (heavy metals, phthalates, BPA), and physical durability (bite force resistance). Certification requires independent lab testing — it cannot be self-declared by the manufacturer.
BIS certification is not a marketing badge. It is evidence that an independent Indian laboratory tested this specific product against specific safety thresholds — for mechanical hazards, chemical levels, and bite durability — and it passed. That matters differently when the product in question goes into your baby's mouth every day for months.
Among the five brands reviewed here, the Nubokind Ele Teether and the Kiko No-Drop Teether are the only ones carrying BIS IS 9873 certification — both made in India, both food-grade silicone. If you are comparing on safety alone, that is where the comparison ends. The BIS Care app will tell you everything the packaging does not.
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