News article

Three pacifier brands remain firm favorites

Every six months, the WIJ Monitor asks a panel of parents about their purchases for their (soon-to-be) baby. When it comes to buying pacifiers, the results show no surprises compared to previous surveys.

No less than 77% of parents bought a new pacifier for their (expected) baby. Around 10% received a pacifier as a gift from family or friends. You might conclude that every baby in the Netherlands has at least one pacifier, but that would be a bit too quick. Due to overlap between those two groups, it’s not quite that simple. In fact, 3.4% don’t (yet) use a pacifier, and over 16% of babies simply do not want one. These little ones might prefer using their thumb to soothe and comfort themselves.

Buy one before or after birth?
A pacifier isn’t something parents immediately buy the moment they find out they’re expecting. Fewer than 5% purchased one during the first trimester. Most parents bought a pacifier as the birth approached (42.8%). Others likely waited to see whether their baby would actually need one. Purchasing it right after birth (33.8%), when their baby was 1–2 months old (28.5%), or 3–5 months old (24.5%).

Top 3 brands unchanged
For more than two years, parents have consistently chosen the same three pacifier brands for the top spots. BIBS leads the ranking with just over 41%, followed by Difrax (35%) and Philips AVENT (just under 30%).

Of course, there are plenty of other pacifier brands available, but each of those is chosen by fewer than 6% of parents.

Where do parents buy their pacifiers?
Most parents buy pacifiers in physical stores (73%). Most often at Kruidvat (52.7%), followed by Etos (28.9%) and Prénatal (24.8%). Nearly 19% also buy pacifiers online, and more than one in four parents opts for convenience and buys exclusively online.

Kruidvat and Etos are also popular online (16.1% and 8.8%, respectively), but Bol.com clearly takes the lead in online pacifier sales with 36.8%.

Quite the pacifier budget!
Pacifiers don’t last forever, of course, but some parents like to place three in the crib at night, hoping their baby will find one on their own and not wake up crying. On average, parents spend €33 on pacifiers. In fact, in the two previous surveys, that amount was even three euros higher!

So how many pacifiers does the average baby actually own? Well, according to parents, they spend €33 on them!