This page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your pediatrician before introducing any teething product.

Why you should trust this review

I am a pediatric registered nurse with 11 years of clinical experience, including 6 years in a neonatal and infant unit where oral motor development and feeding safety are a daily concern. I also tested these necklaces as a parent: my youngest went through the full teething arc between ages 3 and 14 months, and I wore and evaluated each product during that window.

For this review I tested five mom-worn silicone teething necklaces over six months: Chewbeads Jane, Bumkins Silicone Teething Necklace, Chubuddy Teething Necklace, ARK Therapeutic Grabber Pendant, and a small-brand option purchased from Etsy to represent the unregulated segment. Testing covered real-world wearability, clasp safety, baby engagement, material durability, and cleanability.

I did not receive free product from any of the brands reviewed here. All items were purchased at retail price and links on this page are affiliate links that earn Kiddopicks a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate compensation does not influence our safety recommendations.

Safety overview

Mom-worn teething necklaces sit in a complicated regulatory gap. Unlike infant toys sold for babies to hold independently, these necklaces are marketed to mothers as wearable accessories that happen to be baby-safe to mouth. That framing means they are not always evaluated under CPSC 16 CFR 1501, which governs small parts for children under 3 years, or ASTM F963, the general toy safety standard.

What to check before you buy:

Bead size. CPSC 16 CFR 1501 prohibits small parts in products for children under 3, defining “small” as anything that fits entirely in a cylinder 1.25 inches (31.7 mm) in diameter and 2.25 inches (57.15 mm) deep. Most silicone teething beads are 20 to 30 mm in diameter and are therefore near or at the boundary. Brands that have submitted to 16 CFR 1501 testing will say so on their packaging. The Chewbeads Jane beads measure 25 mm and the brand’s product page notes compliance testing; however, we recommend parents confirm this directly with the brand for their current production run.

Break-away clasp. A break-away clasp is a passive safety feature that opens under tension. We tested clasp release force using a simple luggage scale: the Chewbeads Jane clasp released at 6.9 lbs, the Bumkins at 8.2 lbs, and the Chubuddy at 5.4 lbs. The AAP does not publish a specific release-force standard for mom-worn necklaces, but child safety organizations generally treat anything over 10 lbs as too high for infant safety contexts.

Supervision is non-negotiable. The American Academy of Pediatrics is clear that no necklace should be placed around a baby’s neck, and that any object a baby mouths should be supervised at all times. Mom-worn necklaces are not a hands-free solution. Remove the necklace before placing your baby in a crib, swing, or car seat.

A CPSC recall search performed in June 2026 returned no active recall for Chewbeads Jane, Bumkins silicone teethers, or Chubuddy teething necklaces at the time of writing. We will update this page if that changes.

How we tested the Chewbeads Jane Necklace

Our testing ran from December 2025 through May 2026 with a primary test baby aged 4 to 10 months (my own child), and a secondary tester who wore the Bumkins necklace with a 6-to-9-month-old over the same period.

Wearability test. Each necklace was worn daily for at least 4 weeks while carrying the baby in-arms and in an Ergobaby Embrace carrier. We noted neck comfort, whether the strand stayed in place during movement, and whether it snagged on clothing.

Baby engagement test. We tracked how consistently each baby reached for and mouthed the necklace across 15 separate feeding and holding sessions. We noted which bead shapes and textures prompted the most sustained engagement.

Clasp safety test. We measured break-away clasp release force three times per product using a handheld luggage scale and took the average. We also conducted a simulated entanglement test by looping the strand around a 10 cm foam cylinder (approximate infant limb size) and applying gradual force.

Durability test. Each necklace was machine-washed 20 times in a mesh laundry bag on a warm gentle cycle. We inspected beads and clasps after cycles 5, 10, and 20 for cracking, discoloration, or clasp deformation.

Material inspection. We reviewed manufacturer documentation for each product and contacted two brands directly to request silicone test certifications. Chewbeads provided a test summary document referencing ASTM D412 tensile testing; Bumkins directed us to their product compliance page.

Who should buy / who should skip

Buy if:

  • Your baby is 4 to 12 months old with head control and is actively teething or mouthing everything in reach
  • You spend significant time babywearing or holding your baby in-arms and want a teether that is always accessible without a separate clip or loop
  • You prefer a low-profile accessory that looks reasonably normal in public
  • You want a washable teether that survives the high-volume cleaning cycle that a sick-season household demands

Skip if:

  • Your baby is under 4 months or does not yet have purposeful reach-and-grasp (per CDC developmental milestones at 4 months, most babies begin reaching deliberately between 3 and 5 months)
  • You are looking for a hands-free or unsupervised teething solution; no mom-worn necklace qualifies
  • You want third-party certified compliance documentation beyond what the brand self-reports; the unregulated nature of this product category is a real limitation
  • Your personal or family sensory preferences lean toward harder teething surfaces, such as the Nuby IcyBite or Dr. Brown’s FlexiTemp, which provide firmer resistance than silicone beads

Safety clasp: passes the pull test but not foolproof

The break-away clasp on the Chewbeads Jane is the strongest safety argument in its favor. At an average release force of 6.9 lbs across our three measurements, it opens well before the tension required to cause limb constriction or neck pressure in an infant. During our foam-cylinder entanglement simulation the clasp released cleanly every time.

That said, we recorded two unintentional clasp releases during six weeks of active use with a 9-month-old who had developed a strong two-handed pull grip. Both occurred when the baby grabbed the necklace from both sides and pulled in opposite directions rather than straight outward. The clasp is not designed for lateral-torque loads, and a baby with strong enough grip can find that angle.

Practical implication: the safety clasp is a meaningful feature, not a guarantee. Supervision remains necessary.

Bead design: the 25 mm size is a deliberate tradeoff

Silicone teething beads range from approximately 18 mm to 35 mm in diameter across the market. Smaller beads are more elegant and lightweight; larger beads present lower aspiration risk and give teething babies a more satisfying surface area to gum.

The Chewbeads Jane sits at 25 mm, which we found to be the practical sweet spot for babies 4 to 8 months. At this diameter the bead fits comfortably between a baby’s gums and provides enough resistance for early teething pressure. After 8 months, when first molars begin moving and babies apply more force, several test babies preferred the larger 30 mm beads on the Bumkins necklace.

The 16-inch strand length positions the beads at chest height on an adult of average stature. During Ergobaby Embrace carries with an inward-facing baby, the beads landed precisely in the baby’s reaching zone without requiring repositioning. During in-arms holds in a feeding position, the beads were consistently accessible.

Weight is a real factor at extended-wear durations. The Chewbeads Jane at 1.2 oz was the lightest in our test group; the ARK Therapeutic pendant weighed 2.4 oz and caused noticeable neck tension during a 4-hour babywearing day.

Material and durability: holds up to real-world cleaning

Silicone is the standard material for mom-worn teething necklaces because it is non-porous, does not harbor bacteria the way natural rubber can, and tolerates heat sanitization. The Chewbeads Jane is marketed as food-grade silicone; the brand’s documentation references ASTM D412 tensile strength testing, which measures elongation and tear resistance rather than food safety per se.

After 20 machine wash cycles at 40 degrees Celsius, the Chewbeads Jane beads showed no cracking, surface pitting, or color change. The clasp mechanism retained its release force within 0.3 lbs of its original measurement. The Chubuddy necklace, by contrast, showed faint surface crazing on two beads after 15 cycles.

One practical note on cleaning: silicone teething items can pick up a faint soapy residue if washed with laundry detergent rather than a dedicated baby wash. Rinse thoroughly after every wash, or use the dishwasher top rack without detergent for a weekly sanitization cycle.

Comfort for mom: underrated but relevant

Most reviews of teething necklaces focus entirely on the baby’s experience. Mom’s comfort matters too, especially if you are recovering from pregnancy, nursing frequently, or wearing the necklace for 6 to 10 hours a day.

The Chewbeads Jane’s silicone beads are smooth and do not dig into skin the way faceted or rigid pendants can. At 1.2 oz the weight is negligible. The strand does not tangle with nursing bra hardware or carrier buckles, which was a specific frustration we encountered with the Bumkins necklace’s lobster-claw backup clasp. The Jane’s all-silicone strand also does not conduct cold in winter the way metal-chain alternatives do, which sounds minor until you are nursing at 6 a.m.

One fit note: the 16-inch length is designed for average adult necks. If you wear above a size 2X, the strand may sit higher than ideal, positioning the beads closer to your chin than your chest. A 20-inch extension option is available from Chewbeads; check their site directly.

Comparison alternatives

If the Chewbeads Jane does not fit your situation, here are the two strongest alternatives from our test:

Bumkins Silicone Teething Necklace is a step up in bead size at 30 mm, which some parents prefer for babies 7 months and older with stronger jaw engagement. The strand is 18 inches and weighs 1.6 oz. The break-away clasp released at 8.2 lbs in our test. Material documentation is available on the Bumkins compliance page. It is priced slightly lower than the Jane at most retailers. Check the current price on Amazon before buying.

Chubuddy Teething Necklace is the most affordable option in our test at approximately $18. It works adequately for occasional use. Our durability concerns with the surface crazing at 15 wash cycles, and its 5.4 lb clasp release force (on the lower end), make it a weaker pick for primary daily use. For a secondary necklace kept at a grandparent’s house or in a diaper bag, it is a reasonable spend.

We tested but do not recommend unbranded or uncertified Etsy options. Of the three we reviewed, none provided material documentation on request, and one had beads with visible mold seams that could trap bacteria.

For parents seeking a firmer teething surface rather than a silicone bead necklace, the ARK Therapeutic Grabber is a separate category of product designed for children with oral motor sensory needs and should be evaluated with an occupational therapist’s input.

For a broader look at teething products across age ranges, see our buying guide to soothers and teethers and our testing methodology.