The Best Rattles to Encourage Your Baby’s Development

Best Overall

Bright Starts Rattle & Shake Barbell Toy

View On Amazon

Why We Recommend It

This colorful,dual-sided rattleis a great introductory toy for your baby. It’s the perfect size for little hands, weighing 1.6 ounces and about as big as an iPhone (6 inches). It has severaldifferent surfaces to grip and teethe, including a twisted handle down the middle and bumpy surfaces on both ends.

Each side of the rattle containscolorful beadsthat make a gentle sound when shaken. However, it may not be loud enough if you’re looking for something more stimulating for your baby. When cleaning the rattle, you shouldn’t submerge it in water as it could seep into the rattle. However, this rattle isdurable, small enoughto fit in a diaper bag, and very affordable, making it a great choice overall.

Key Specs:

• Size:1.75 x 2.13 x 5.8 inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:3 months and up

Price at time of publication: $3

Best Set

Fisher-Price Busy Buddies Gift Set

View On Walmart

Why We Recommend It

This cute gift set features alion, a bird, and an elephantand is ideal for babies who are intrigued by animals. It does more than just rattle, with avariety of different textures and sounds允许它提供一个完整的感官体验。Babies can shake the bird for a rattling sound or squish the tummy for a squeaking sound, they can spin the lion’s mane for a clicking sound, and they canroll the elephant’s tummy or chew on his ears．They’re fun to use for more open-ended play too, and they’re easy to throw in your diaper bag and take on the go.

Key Specs:

• Size: 2 x 6.06 x 3.39 inches
• Materials: Not listed
• Age Recommendation: 6 months and older

Price at time of publication: $17

Best Light-Up

SmartNoggin NogginStik Developmental Light-Up Rattle

View On Amazon View On Target View On Fatbraintoys.com

Why We Recommend It

Created by early childhood experts, this light-up rattle was designed to educate your baby from day one. From the smiling face thatchanges colors with movementto themirrored basethat reflects your baby’s expression, every surface of this rattle offers a new, interactive experience. However, there is no off switch on this rattle, so you may need to replace the batteries often.

Due to its many features, this rattle can helpstrengthen visual tracking skills, hand-eye coordination, and has even been recognized for its STEM attributes. It also comes with ababy milestones guide, which explainshow to use the rattle to encourage your baby’s development．然而,由于喋喋不休的人有点沉重,你会want to supervise your baby to ensure they don’t accidentally hit themselves.

Key Specs:

• Size:2.25 x 2 x 5 inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic; no PVC, phthalates, or lead
• Age Recommendation:0-12 months

Price at time of publication: $24

Best for Newborns

The First Years First Rattle

View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target

Why We Recommend It

If you’re looking for a rattle that is gentle enough for your newborn baby, theFirst Years First Rattleis a great choice. It boastscolorful patterns and several different textures, making it beneficial for both visual development and eye-hand coordination. Cleaning this rattle will take some effort though, as it needs to be hand-washed and air-dried.

This rattle resembles a cute bug with four legs and two antennas that make afun crinkling soundwhen held. The legs and antennas are also good for teething, and the ring is made of a polyester fiber that is soft to the touch.

Key Specs:

• Size:‎6.69 x 1.77 x 7.68 inches
• Materials:Polyester
• Age Recommendation:0-12 months

Price at time of publication: $8

Best Budget

OBall Shaker Rattle Toy

View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target

Why We Recommend It

If your baby puts everything in their mouth, thisBright Starts Oball Shaker Rattle Toyis a great option. Made with flexible Oballs (balls with holes) at either end, this rattle isgentle enough to be used as a teethertoy without feeling abrasive on their gums. As they shake it, the beads inside the handle make a sbutle rattling noise. Since the rattle is clear, they can also see the colorful balls moving around. Plus, at under $5, this is a really affordable pick that your baby will enjoy for a long time.

Key Specs:

• Size: 8.4 x 4 x 2.2 inches
• Materials: Polyurethane
• Age Recommendation: 3 months to 3 years

Price at time of publication: $4

Best Wooden

Manhattan Toy Artful Skwish Rattle

View On Amazon View On Walmart

Why We Recommend It

The Skwish ispart geometrical maze and part rattle．It contains sixwooden beadsthat when shaken, make a soft rattling sound as they glide up and down the wooden dowels. The dowels are fastened together by elastic bands, which allow your baby tosqueeze the Skwish downand watch it pop back into place.

This rattle is made fromrubberwood, which is known for being sustainable and durable. It’s coated in a water-based, non-toxic finish, so it’s safe for babies to put in their mouths, too.

Key Specs:

• Size:6 x 6 x 6 inches
• Materials:Sustainable rubberwood with a water-based finish
• Age Recommendation:0 months and up

Price at time of publication: $20

Best Wrist

Bright Starts Rattle Wrist Pals

View On Amazon View On Walmart

Why We Recommend It

This adorable set comes with allama and a unicorn wrist rattle．You can also choose from amonkey and elephant set, although the elephant does not rattle. No matter which set you choose, you’ll find that each animal is adorned with asilicone flower, which is helpful for a teething baby. Since there are two rattles in this set, you can keep one in the car and one at home, and theycan be strapped to your baby’s wrists or ankles．Best of all, these rattles are easy to clean andcan be tossed in the washing machineas needed.

Key Specs:

• Size:2.8 x 1.75 x 6.5 inches
• Materials:Silicone and polyester
• Age Recommendation:0 months and up

Price at time of publication: $6

Best Teether

Manhattan Toy Winkel Rattle & Sensory Teether Toy

View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Babylist.com

Why We Recommend It

The Winkel has aflexible framethat is made up of brightly colored loops and tubes. These soft structures aregreat for teething babiesand meet phthalate standards required for mouthing toys. In the center of the tubes you’ll find a colorful square that makes a gentle rattling sound when shaken.

To provide extra teething relief,you can chill the Winkel in the refrigeratorand let your baby chew on its cool surfaces. To keep this rattle clean, you’ll need to hand-wash it regularly as it’s not designed to withstand a microwave sanitizer.

Key Specs:

• Size:5.02 x 4.04 x 3.54 inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:0-2 years

Price at time of publication: $14

Best for Tactile Stimulation

VTech Baby Rattle Sing Puppy

View On Amazon View On Walmart

Why We Recommend It

This rattle haslots of textures, lights, and soundsto stimulate your baby’s senses. When shaken, its colorful beads bounce around and thepuppy’s cheeks light upwith glee, introducing the concept of cause and effect. It also has a music button that plays more than20 different songs and phrases, as well as an on/off switch to control sounds. And this puppy’s ears are made from fabric that makes acrinkly sound when touched．

Keep in mind that while this rattle comes with batteries for demonstration purposes, you’ll need three LR44 batteries for regular use. All in all, your baby will be drawn to this rattle’s colorful, high-contrast patterns, friendly melodies, and variety of textured surfaces.

Key Specs:

• Size:2.01 x 5.32 x 7.01 inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:3 months and up

Price at time of publication: $14

Best Keepsake

Pottery Barn Salisbury Rattle

View On Potterybarnkids.com

Why We Recommend It

While it’s not meant for play, this beautifulSalisbury Rattle from Pottery Barnis a treasured keepsake that your family will enjoy for generations to come. It’s made from lead-free pewter, whichshines just like silverandwon’t tarnish．For an additional cost,you can customize this rattle(up to 13 characters) to display your baby’s name, birthdate, or a special phrase. This rattle would make a beautiful gift for expecting parents at a baby shower or sip-and-see party.

Key Specs:

• Size:4 inches long
• Materials:Lead-free pewter
• Age Recommendation:For display only

Price at time of publication: $69

Best Ring

Sassy Ring Rattle

View On Amazon

Why We Recommend It

This colorful ring rattle has a variety of features that will keep your baby entertained. It has severaldifferent textures to touch and explorealong with bold,high-contrast colorsto captivate your baby’s attention. There are alsotwo ways for your baby to make noiseusing this rattle: moving the click-clack rings back and forth and shaking the beads within the ring.

It isn’t recommended to put this rattle in the dishwasher as water could get trapped inside the clear tube, so you’ll need to clean it by hand instead to prevent moisture buildup.

Key Specs:

• Size:5 x 0.5 x 5 inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:0 months and up

Price at time of publication: $6

Best Ball

Baby Einstein Bendy Ball Rattle

View On Amazon

Why We Recommend It

Your baby will be ready to shake, rattle, and roll with thiscolorful, bendy ball．It’s made of a flexible material that your baby can squeeze and has plenty of places for them to grip and grab. It also has a variety of colors and shapes to explore andcontains a ball that makes a jingle soundwhen rolled around.

As your baby gets older, you can roll this ball back and forth together and they may even enjoy throwing it as they strengthen their gross motor skills. While this ball is the perfect size for a baby, you may find that it is smaller than it appears in pictures.

Key Specs:

• Size:4 x 4 x 4 inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:3 months and up

Price at time of publication: $7

Best Sock

BlooBlooMax Wrist & Sock Rattles

View On Amazon

Why We Recommend It

Around ages 4-7 months, yourbaby will begin to reach for their toes, which is an important developmental milestone.These sock rattles are a great way to encourage this skill, and they’re made of 100% cotton so theywon’t irritate your baby’s skin．They feature a smiling bee and spider, andcome with two wrist rattles．While each rattle contains bells, the sound is fairly quiet, which may not stimulate your baby as desired.

Key Specs:

• Size:7.32 x 3.86 x 1.57 inches
• Materials:Polyester, cotton
• Age Recommendation:0-3 years

Price at time of publication: $16

Best Toy

Bright Starts Oball Rattle & Roll Sports Race Car

View On Amazon View On Walmart

Why We Recommend It

ThisOball Rattle Carhas a durable yet flexible frame thatencourages little hands to grip, grab, and bend．It can be used as a push car or rattle, and sits atop transparent tires that glide across surfaces and contain noisy, colorful beads. This car stands slightly more than 4 inches high and weighs about 2.5 ounces, making it the ideal size for your little one.

Best of all, thecar is virtually indestructible．It’s also agreat toy option for tummy timeand when your baby begins to crawl. As with all toys, be sure to supervise your baby while playing with this car as its stickers can peel off and end up in your baby's mouth.

Key Specs:

• Size:4.33 x 4.22 x 3.41 inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic, silicone
• Age Recommendation:3 months and up

Price at time of publication: $7

Best for Tummy Time

Bright Starts Sesame Street Jingle & Shake Elmo Rattle

View On Amazon

Why We Recommend It

This adorable Elmo rattle is perfect fortummy timebecause itbalances and swaysno matter how your baby touches it. Itsbase is made of flexible Oballand contains a brightly colored ball thatmakes a chime sound when rolled．However, the top is much harder, so you’ll want to make sure your baby doesn’t hit themselves with it.

On each side of Elmo’s face, there are two handles that your baby can practice grabbing. The handles also have beads that make a rattling noise when shaken back and forth.

Key Specs:

• Size:5.93 x 3.79 x 4.77 inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:0-12 months

Price at time of publication: $7

Best Large Set

iPlay, iLearn 10 pcs Baby Rattle Toy Set

View On Amazon

Why We Recommend It

One way to keep your baby entertained is to regularly mix up their collection of toys. With theiPlay, iLearn Rattle Set, you canintroduce your baby to a new rattle once a monthfor almost an entire year. Best of all,each rattle is unique, offering different ways for your baby to play and broaden their developmental skills.

As your baby gets older, you can offer them a rattle that is more advanced, such as the trumpet rattle or the IQ ball. Keeping these rattles clean may be a challenge though, as many of them have areas where water and moisture can get trapped.

Key Specs:

• Size:6 x 3.5 x 2 inches
• Materials:Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:0 months and up

Price at time of publication: $36

Best Musical

Fisher-Price Maracas

View On Amazon

Why We Recommend It

These musical maracas will stimulate your baby’s senses in a variety of ways. While holding them helps strengthen gross motor skills, shaking them alerts your baby to noise andteaches them cause and effect．The soft poms on the top aregreat for gripping and teethingwhile the colorful beads on the bottom roll around and make noise to keep your baby occupied and engaged.

These rattles come inthree color combinations: blue and orange, green and yellow, or pink and purple. As your baby’s coordination develops, they can hold one maraca in each hand. This set is also good for twins or for keeping one in the car and the other at home.

Key Specs:

• Size:2 x 4 x 6.5 inches inches
• Materials:BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:3 months and up

Price at time of publication: $8

Best for Stroller

BeeSpring挂拉ttles

View On Amazon View On Walmart

Why We Recommend It

If your baby has ever thrown or dropped their toys out of the stroller, theBeeSpring挂拉ttlesis a great solution. Itstwisted frame wraps around a stroller or car seat handleand dangles in front of your baby to keep them occupied. However, you may want to try skipping a loop when attaching this rattle to prevent it from sliding around.

This wrap-around rattlecan also be placed on the floorwith your baby to enjoy during tummy time. It’s designed using high-contrast colors and has arattle, teething toy, and stuffed animalthat hang from its base, as well as a cute bird that perches on top for your baby to grab and hold.

Key Specs:

• Size:‎5.75 x 4.21 x 3.62 inches
• Materials:Polyester
• Age Recommendation:0-12 months

Price at time of publication: $52

Best for Toddlers

Hape Beaded Raindrops Rattle

View On Amazon View On Walmart

Why We Recommend It

TheHape Beaded Raindrops Rattlemakes noise in two different ways: by shaking it up and down or simply turning it over. Doing so will create agentle, rain-like noise that will mesmerize your toddler．What’s more, they’ll be fascinated by the colorfulbeads as they trickle down the tubethrough its various twists and turns.

The top and bottom of this rattle have rounded edges made from wood, while the middle is large enough for toddlers to grasp. This rattle could also be used by younger babies during tummy time, as it can roll back and forth to make a noise as well.

Key Specs:

• Size:2.24 x 2.24 x 7.87 inches
• Materials:Wood, BPA-free plastic, child-safe paint
• Age Recommendation:12 months and up

Price at time of publication: $14

Best Novelty

Genuine Fred Fred & Friends Buff Baby Rattle

View On Amazon View On Kohls.com

Why We Recommend It

TheFred Buff Baby Dumbbell Rattleis the perfect gift for a baby whose parents are fitness enthusiasts. Not only does it make for a great photo op, but this rattle can also help your baby develop their gross motor skills with itsnatural hand grips．It makes agentle rattling soundwhen shaken andcan be wiped downwhenever it needs to be cleaned. Although it’s made from BPA-free plastic and contains no phthalates, this rattle isn't good for teething due to its overall shape.

Key Specs:

• Size:5.71 x 2.17 x 1.97 inches
• Materials:BPA- and phthalate-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:3 months and up

Price at time of publication: $12

Best Stuffed Animal

Skip Hop Bandana Buddies Animal Activity Toy

View On Amazon View On Macy's View On Skiphop.com

Why We Recommend It

This adorable elephant is far more than just a rattle. It has a variety ofdifferent textures, patterns, and soundsto engage your baby’s senses and keep them occupied. In addition to making a rattling noise when shaken, this elephant has big, floppyears that make a crinkling soundwhen touched.

The elephant’s ear also has a mirror for babies to delight in their reflection and lots of different fabrics to feel and touch. There arethree different teetherson this elephant as well, although the bandana bib one is challenging for babies to reach. While this stuffed elephant can’t be cleaned in the washing machine or dryer, you can spot-clean it with a damp cloth and mild detergent then set it out to dry.

Key Specs:

• Size:5 x 4 x 10 inches
• Materials:Polyester, BPA-free plastic
• Age Recommendation:Newborn and up

Price at time of publication: $16