Sponsored by Bobbie.
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Before bringing my son home almost 11 months ago from the hospital, I’ll admit, I thought “formula” was a dirty word. Everything I’d always heard was “breast is best” – but what about those who can’t breastfeed? And more than that, what about those who don’t want to or need to combo feed? It’s 2024, people, and fed is best. Having had an exclusively-formula-fed baby for nearly a year, we’ve tried several formulas over the months… and let me tell you, all formulas are not the same! Bobbie, one of our favorite formula brands, recently launched a Whole Milk Formula ($23) – so naturally, we had to try it. Even better, we’re comparing it to another formula leader, Kendamil, in one of our famous throwdowns.
Meet the Players
Bobbie: Founded in 2018, Bobbie was born out of one mom’s frustration with the ingredients in the formula aisle. Determined to change the game for parents everywhere, Laura Modi and her eventual co-founder Sarah Hardy created the first and only female-founded and mom-led formula brand. Since 2018, in addition to the Whole Milk Formula, they’ve launched a Gentle Formula, as well as supplements that are safe for babies. Today, the brand is also one of the most family-friendly employers in the country.
Kendamil: Kendamil got its start back in 1962 with a factory in the UK. In 2016, the founders took their experience from those early days and launched Kendamil as their own formula brand. When the U.S. faced a formula shortage in 2022, Kendamil stepped in. Now, it’s still on shelves in the States and has even caught the attention of the royal family for its global success.
Test 1: Ingredients
Bobbie: Bobbie has always been known for their premium ingredients – after all, that’s why the company was founded! The Whole Milk Formula, which took the R&D team over 3 years to develop, includes a 60/40 whey-to-casein protein ratio, which is very similar to mature breast milk. Made from the whole milk of 365 pastured-raised, grass-fed cows, it has 20mg of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). This is important because it surpasses the US’s admittedly low standards in this area and actually meets the regulatory standards in the EU for this. Perhaps more importantly, Bobbie’s Whole Milk formula doesn’t include some of the less desirable ingredients found in other formulas – think palm oil, corn syrup, and maltodextrin.
The Whole Milk Formula also is made domestically, yet meets most EU standards. Bobbie has won tons of awards proving its “clean” ingredients, such as the prestigious Clean Label Project Purity Award. The product also goes through over 2000+ quality checks to ensure accuracy and safety – because it counts. It’s your baby!
Kendamil: Kendamil’s Whole Milk Formula seems to have a pretty good ingredient list, as well. This makes sense, as it is made in the United Kingdom which, again, does have higher standards in this area than the US does. Made from the milk of grass-fed cows as well, it’s free of a lot of the “bad stuff” and seems to even have some positive ingredients that I look for. The biggest difference to me comes in the recognition from different organizations shouting out “clean” formulas. I won’t lie: awards matter to me as a consumer. If you can get validation from 3rd parties that you’re doing a good job, it goes a long way for me.
Winner: Bobbie
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We don't like
Test 2: Tummy Troubles
Bobbie: Love my boys, but they have pretty sensitive tummies. We are no strangers to vomit and spit-up around here, especially with my baby. For the first 7 months of his life, he was always spitting up… like a lot. Hardly anything has helped, but he has done really well on Bobbie. His sensitive tummy seems to agree nicely with the formula. Even more than that, he has pretty regular poops now with good texture. Look away, squeamish friends, but his poop is perfectly “peanut butter-y” and healthy colors, which I am so thankful for. There’s nothing worse than seeing your baby not feeling well, so anything that helps him feel his best is a favorite of mine.
Kendamil: Teddy didn’t necessarily have tummy troubles on Kendamil, but he definitely had less consistency with his poop. He usually works like clockwork, pooping before 8 am each day. That was less consistent on Kendamil, as was the consistency of the poop. Again, not bad, but just nice to have predictability for poo.
Winner: Bobbie
Test 3: Availability
Bobbie: Bobbie is known for its subscription model where families can get formula shipped straight to their door on a regular basis. This guarantees you have formula to feed your baby (never forget the infamous formula shortage of 2022) and guarantees inflation-proof pricing. I’m personally not a big subscription person since we travel pretty frequently, so the fact Bobbie can be found in Target and Whole Foods nationally is a win for our family. Bobbie is also manufactured domestically, so it does not sit in customs or have international supply chain issues.
Kendamil: Kendamil is available by one-time DTC purchase, but not via subscription. It is also available in nationwide retailers like CVS, Target, and Whole Foods. While they may be in more retailers, I have struggled to find it in several stores near me.
Winner: Bobbie
Test 4: Cost
Bobbie: I’ve always been vocal about the fact that Bobbie is not an inexpensive formula. Formula is freaking expensive in general, and Bobbie definitely sits on the higher end of that spectrum. That being said, I think they’ve heard the cries of parents’ wallets everywhere with this launch. Coming in at $23/can (their most accessible SKU yet), we’re looking at $1.49/oz. If you subscribe, you can get that cost down to $20/can, or $1.45/oz – plus free shipping. PS: the smaller can is amazing for traveling!
Kendamil: Kendamil’s Organic Infant Formula is $39.99/can for 800g. No worries my friends, I did the conversion work for us. That comes out to $1.42/oz (when ordered direct). While slightly cheaper than Bobbie, I don’t believe shipping is included, which certainly increases your price to your door there.
Winner: Tie
Overall Winner: Bobbie
All things considered, Bobbie clearly takes the cake here. Not only are its ingredients superior, my baby also seemed to do much better on it. He’s not a picky guy per se, but he definitely knows what he wants! From my perspective, I’m a huge fan of the widespread availability and general messaging the brand puts on. You know the feeling when you walk into a Trader Joe’s? I get the same feeling with Bobbie. From their funny little messages on the can to the way their social runs, they just get motherhood. They believe fed is best – and so do I. Even though our formula journey is coming to a close (my wallet will thank me), I’ll forever be thankful for the impact Bobbie has had on our family over the past almost year.
