Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator Review

If you’re looking for a safe, effective nasal aspirator that you can use on your little one from birth, the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator is a good choice. It comes highly recommended by healthcare professionals and has been used for years in hospitals, so you can rest assured that this nasal aspirator lives up to its claims and is safe for regular use.

What I like about the Snufflebabe is that it comes with a tube and separate sucking mouthpiece, so you won't come into contact with any mucus, thanks to its protective filter. All it takes is a bit of gentle suction, which you’re fully in control of, to effectively clear your baby's nasal passages.

Not only does the Snuffebabe Nasal Aspirator help to make breathing easier for sleeping and feeding, but clearing your baby’s mucus can also prevent further complications such as earache and stomach upsets. Plus this type of nasal aspirator can help to treat more serious viral infections such as bronchiolitis that can cause wheezing, coughing and excessive mucus buildup.

While it's a little fiddly to clean and isn’t dishwasher-safe, I found the Snufflebabe to be relatively quiet, non-invasive and as effective as other manual nasal aspirators like the NUK Nasal Decongester, with the added benefit of adjustable suction strength.

Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator in storage case

How we tested the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator

I used the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator for two months with my now 22-month-old toddler, particularly when she had a severe cold which lasted for a week. When using the Snufflebabe, I used varying degrees of sucking pressure and found it to work well to clear my daughter’s nasal congestion.

During testing, I scored this nasal aspirator on the five different criteria including: ease of use, comfort, effectiveness, ease of cleaning and value for money.

Read next: Best baby bouncers

How easy is the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator to use?

The Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator is different in design to bulb-shaped nasal aspirators like the NUK Nasal Decongester and the John Lewis ANYDAY Baby Nasal Aspirator, and electric nasal aspirators like the Braun Healthcare Electrical Nasal Aspirator.

There are two main parts attached together by a tube. To use, you gently insert the nozzle tip into your baby’s nostril, then suck the mucus out using the mouthpiece at the other end. Any mucus removed from the nose then goes into a sealed chamber in the nozzle, which has a reusable filter that prevents it from going into the tube.

There are no instructions included, but I had no trouble using it, especially as I had already tried the similarly designed NoseFrida the Snot Sucker.

How effective is the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator?

Suction strength entirely depends on you as the parent, but I found the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator to efficiently rid my toddler’s nose of mucus even by using a gentle suction. Snufflebabe says that it’s not possible to over suck and cause harm to your baby’s nose, but they do caution not to blow into your baby’s nose..

I found it equally as effective as other manual nasal aspirators I’ve used including the NUK Nasal Decongester, and like that I could control the suction strength at all times. This isn’t the case for an electric nasal aspirator such as the Braun Healthcare Electrical Nasal Aspirator, where the suction strengths are predetermined for you.

Read next: Best baby thermometers

How comfortable is the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator?

At first glance, the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator looks more menacing than bulb-shaped nasal aspirators like the NUK Nasal Decongester and the John Lewis ANYDAY Baby Nasal Aspirator, so my toddler wasn’t overly keen on me using it to clear her nasal congestion.

When using this nasal aspirator, you hold your little one with one hand while positioning the aspirator in their nose with the other. While it might sound complex, the process is quick once you get the hang of it, but it does rely on your toddler staying still which, in my case, can be a challenge.

Is the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator easy to clean?

Generally, yes, but there are five different parts that need cleaning separately, so it’s more fiddly to wash than two-part bulb nasal aspirators. This included the tiny filter, which can easily get lost, however a spare one is included should you need it.

This nasal aspirator unfortunately isn’t dishwasher-safe, so you’ll need to rinse with warm soapy water and then dry thoroughly.

While it’s not clear how many times you can use the filter, I like the fact that it’s reusable and doesn’t need changing after every use - something that’s needed with the NoseFrida.

Is the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator good value for money?

Absolutely. At just £9, the Snufflebabe Nasal Aspirator is one of the most affordable nasal aspirators you can buy. As well as the spare reusable filter, it also comes with a handy storage case, which makes it ideal to take with you on overnight stays or family holidays.

About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet. Mum to a one-year-old, she is fully invested in discovering the best and most affordable baby products on the market, and sharing her knowledge and findings with other parents.

With over seven years' experience as a full-time editor, five of which have been spent writing, commissioning and editing pushchair product reviews and round-ups, Laura has a keen eye for what parents love and likes nothing more than putting together honest reviews to make parents' lives that little bit easier.

In addition to her work as a writer and editor, she has also appeared in a number of baby product videos for Mumsnet's YouTube channel.