MAM
Original Soother
8.3/10 overall£5.99 (2 pack)
MAM's best-selling silicone dummy, sold in a self-sterilising travel case and widely stocked at every UK pharmacy and supermarket.
The verdict
MAM's best-selling silicone dummy with a self-sterilising travel case, sized across three age bands and widely stocked at every UK pharmacy — the sensible first dummy for almost any baby thanks to high acceptance and low cost. The teat softens and needs replacing every 4-6 weeks.
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.
Is the Original Soother worth it?
- Very high baby acceptance rate for a first dummy
- Self-sterilising travel case included in every pack
- Cheap and stocked everywhere, so easy to top up
What are the downsides of the Original Soother?
- Silicone teat softens and needs replacing every 4-6 weeks
- Shield is a fairly standard shape, less distinctive than BIBS or Avent Ultra Air
- No glow-in-the-dark option for night feeds
Specs
- material
- Silicone (MAM SkinSoft)
- pack_size
- 2
- sterilisable
- Yes — case doubles as a microwave/steam steriliser
- sizes_available
- 0-6m, 6-16m, 16m+
- orthodontic_shape
- true
How we scored it
Baby Acceptance
How readily babies typically take to the teat shape and stay settled with it in, based on shape, weight and how it sits against the face.
Consistently rated one of the easier dummies for newborns to accept, thanks to the soft SkinSoft teat.
Durability
How well the dummy holds up to repeated sterilising, biting and daily wear over the months a baby uses one size.
Teat softens with repeated sterilising faster than the latex BIBS.
Value for Money
Cost per dummy set against pack size, features (case, glow-in-the-dark, ventilation) and how often families end up replacing them.
Low price, sold everywhere, and the case removes the need to buy a separate steriliser pot.
Weighted by importance for this category — see our editorial policy for how we test.
How this review was done
We haven't used the Original Soother ourselves yet. This review is built from MAM's published specifications and product information, and scored the same way as everything else on the site. We'll update it, and the badge above, once we've tested it hands-on.
How it compares
|  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5.99 (2 pack) | £9.50 for 2 | £9.95 (2 pack) | £8.00 (2 pack) |
| Overall score | 8.3/10 | 5.8/10 | 6.6/10 | 7.2/10 |
| material | Silicone (MAM SkinSoft) | — | Natural rubber latex | Silicone |
| pack_size | 2 | — | 2 | 2 |
| sterilisable | Yes — case doubles as a microwave/steam steriliser | — | Yes — cold water or steam sterilising only, avoid boiling | Yes — travel case doubles as a steriliser |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the MAM Original such a popular first dummy?+
Its SkinSoft silicone teat is soft enough that most newborns take to it without a fight, and it comes in three age bands (0-6m, 6-16m, 16m+) with a slightly firmer, larger teat at each stage, so there's no need to switch brands as baby grows.
Does it come with a steriliser?+
Yes — the travel case doubles as a coolant-free steriliser, ready in five minutes in the microwave or via steam sterilising, rather than just being a dust cover.
How often does it need replacing?+
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.
Does it have a glow-in-the-dark option?+
No — for a glow-in-the-dark feature for night feeds, the Tommee Tippee Night Time is the one to look at instead.
Guides that mention this
Reviewed by
Sepehr
Software engineer, soon-to-be dad, uncle to four — the tech-obsessed half of the two of us testing this stuff. Currently building this site with my wife, ahead of our own baby arriving.