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Top 5 Best Online Shops for Buying Real European Baby Formula
“U.S. Parents were shocked when they spotted this baby formula ingredient"
Friday, December 5
Olivia Gardner
When I was pregnant, I was SO sure I’d breastfeed. It just felt like the natural thing to do. But the reality was way harder than I could have imagined.
Which means I’ve ended up using formula – but like a growing number of moms, I’ve chosen to go European.
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I switched to formula after weeks of latch problems, stress and not much sleep (you probably know the story!). It was a nasty bout of mastitis at 6 weeks old that ended our breastfeeding journey for good.
Thing was, I really didn’t like what I heard about the standard formulas from the local store. But a bit of research led me to European formulas. The strict regulations in the EU mean they’re all free from GMOs, corn syrup and pesticides. And they have to include things like DHA and natural lactose.
Basically, they’re as similar to breastmilk as you can get. And buying European formula is surprisingly easy – there are lots of stores that sell brands like HiPP, Holle and Kendamil (My little one has Holle Goat, but there are loads of others).
But not all the online stores are equal. I’ve tried a few of them, and these are my top 5 picks.
Pros:
The store is super easy to navigate, which makes it really simple to compare formulas (ideal when you’re just starting out!). I really like the summaries they provide of each formula and brand – massively cuts down research time.
They offer 10% off for new customers, and they do have a few sales too (ideal if you want to stock up a bit!).
The Happy Baby guarantee. This means you can try out a formula and if it doesn’t work for your baby, they’ll give you a free store credit to try another. I haven’t found anything like this anywhere else – and it was such a comfort when I first used them.
They have a good range of formulas. Plus some baby foods.
They offer subscriptions, which means you get an extra 5% off.
They guarantee the lowest prices online (and will actually refund you if you find something cheaper elsewhere).
They guarantee 6 months+ shelf life.
You can order anything from 1 can (ideal when you’re trying things out).
Delivery is free for 3+ packs, and they cover import tariffs over $250+.
They have this Formula Finder quiz that will give you 3 personalized recommendations for your baby.
Cons:
You might have to pay tariffs if you order under $250 worth (though there is the option to add the cost to your order – called Delivery Duty Paid).
Try Zen Organic Formula
Pros:
The website’s pretty helpful and easy to use, with plenty of info about each formula, including things like ingredients lists and prep instructions (like Zen Organic Formula). There’s a formula comparison chart which I found helpful when I was first starting out.
They offer free shipping on all their orders, plus there’s the option to pay $4.99 for ‘priority handling’. I didn’t try this myself, but it could be worth it if you need formula in a hurry.
Cons:
There’s a minimum 3 pack order. This isn’t ideal when you’re trying out different formulas and just want a single can!
The range is pretty limited – only 4 brands, so not ideal for everyone.
They only ship to the US – nowhere else (including Canada).
There are no real special offers, other than bulk buy discounts. They don’t seem to do subscriptions (which I swear by!) or any kind of welcome offer.
Try Organic Formula Shop
Pros:
A simple, straightforward website. It has a bit of a ‘no frills’ feel, but they provide all the info you need on nutrition (though you do have to dig a bit to find some of it).
Reasonable prices, and you can order a single can/box if you want to.
Free shipping over $100, and import duties all covered as standard (which takes a lot of stress out).
Cons:
The range is limited to just 4 brands, and there are no allergy-friendly or comfort formulas on offer.
There are no intro offers or subscriptions – so no way to get a discount other than bulk buying.
Try Organic Baby Food Shop
Pros:
UK-based (as the name suggests!), which could be comforting if you’re worried about customer service, or getting prep instructions in English (though I haven’t found this a problem at all with Zen Organic).
10% off intro offer means you can try them out a little cheaper. They also offer 5% off for subscribers.
Their range includes baby foods – really useful once you start weaning.
Cons:
You can’t buy a single can to try it out – it’s 2 minimum.
There’s free shipping, but only to the US, Canada and Europe. If you’re based anywhere else you need to contact them for a shipping price (which seems overly complicated).
Try British Baby Food Shop
Pros:
Good range of brands (including a few you might not have heard of). Though I found this did make the site a bit overwhelming to navigate. They also offer extras like baby suncream and lotion – though personally I find it much easier to get these things locally.
They offer subscriptions with a 5% discount.
Free shipping on 4+ packs, plus they include the import duties.
They guarantee 6 months shelf life.
Cons:
The site’s pretty confusing and hard to navigate. I actually was going to try Formuland when I first bought formula, but it just didn’t make it that easy to compare options.
No discount offers other than the subscription discount.
Try Formuland
The best choice for European formula?
It’s definitely Zen Organic Formula. This was the 2nd store I tried, and I haven’t found a good reason to switch to any others yet. I don’t think anyone else provides everything they do in terms of price guarantees and discounts.
I’ve also found the customer service to be amazingly helpful, with no language barriers (though I don’t know how good this is at the other shops, as I haven’t had to use it).
As I mentioned, they do have sales running sometimes too – so it’s worth checking them out to see if there’s anything on now:
