Original Soother

The MAM Original is the dummy most UK parents end up with by default, and there's a reason it's the one every pharmacy shelf is stacked with: the SkinSoft silicone teat is soft enough that most newborns take to it without a fight, and the ventilated shield has small holes that let air circulate against the skin, cutting down on the redness and irritation some babies get from more solid designs. It comes in three age bands (0-6m, 6-16m, 16m+), each with a slightly firmer, larger teat, so you're not stuck buying a completely different brand as your baby grows.

Against the Tommee Tippee Night Time below, the two are closely matched on comfort — both use a similarly soft silicone teat — but MAM's travel case is the more useful extra day to day, since it doubles as a coolant-free steriliser (five minutes in the microwave or a steam steriliser) rather than just a dust cover. Against BIBS, MAM's shield sits flatter and lighter against a small newborn face, which matters in the first few weeks when every gram counts, though BIBS's single-piece latex build is harder to lose bits of.

This is the sensible first dummy to buy for almost any baby: cheap enough to buy in bulk, easy to replace when (not if) one goes missing down the back of the sofa, and sized correctly for age rather than one-size-fits-all. The main limitation is longevity — the silicone teat softens and can develop a slightly tacky surface after a few months of sterilising, so budget for replacing the pack every 4-6 weeks rather than expecting one set to last the whole 0-6 month stage.