# Is it safe to use a self-feeding bottle prop or hands-free | Clever Mum > No. The Office for Product Safety and Standards has flagged self-feeding bottle props since 2022 as a genuine choking and aspiration risk — babies can't * [ Home ](/) * › [ Mum Answers ](/answers) * › Is it safe to use a self-feeding bottle prop or hands-free feeding pillow? Health & Safety # Is it safe to use a self-feeding bottle prop or hands-free feeding pillow? Quick answer — Is it safe to use a self-feeding bottle prop or hands-free feeding pillow? No. The Office for Product Safety and Standards has flagged self-feeding bottle props since 2022 as a genuine choking and aspiration risk — babies can't control the flow of milk unsupervised, and it can enter the lungs rather than the stomach. A July 2026 Which? investigation still found over 140 of these devices for sale online. Always hold your baby for every feed; there is no safe version of this product. ## Why bottle props are dangerous A propped or hands-free bottle removes a baby's ability to pace their own feed. Babies rely on being able to pause, turn away or push the bottle out when they've had enough — a fixed prop overrides that, and because the flow isn't supervised, milk can enter the airway and lungs rather than the stomach (aspiration), or a baby can choke silently without an adult noticing in time. ## What Which? found Of the products investigated in July 2026, at least 140 self-feeding devices were listed across Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, OnBuy and TikTok Shop — 21 were pillow-style holders that strap around a baby's neck, and 33 used a long straw reaching into the cot. OPSS's position, in place since 2022, is unambiguous: these products don't comply with UK safety law and should be removed from sale. ## What to do instead * Hold your baby for every bottle feed, propped semi-upright in your arms * If you need both hands free briefly, put the bottle down and the baby down safely — never combine the two * Read more on [what else Which? and OPSS flagged as dangerous](/baby/dangerous-baby-products-online-uk) * Our [best bottles & teethers guide](/best/best-baby-bottles-teethers-uk) covers safe, established-brand feeding kit **Go deeper:** [Dangerous baby products sold online](/baby/dangerous-baby-products-online-uk/) ## More Health & Safety questions * [What temperature is a fever in a baby?](/answers/baby-temperature-fever/) * [Are cheap baby products from Amazon or eBay marketplace sellers safe?](/answers/are-cheap-amazon-baby-products-safe/) * [Are baby sleep pillows safe for a newborn or under-12-months?](/answers/are-baby-sleep-pillows-safe/) * [How do I know my car seat is fitted correctly?](/answers/how-check-car-seat-fitted/) * [Do babies need vitamin drops?](/answers/when-baby-vitamins/) [Browse every question we answer →](/answers/) Health answers describe NHS guidance and are not medical advice — for anything urgent, call 111 (or 999 in an emergency). Spotted something out of date? Email [editors@clevermum.co.uk](mailto:editors@clevermum.co.uk).