Best Lower-Cost Infant Formulas From Our Tests

Price: $23.00 at Bobbie
Ounces per can: 14.1 oz
Cost per ounce: $1.63

Bobbie’s Grass-Fed Whole Milk formula is cheaper than their organic version, but it still ranks among the Top Choices in CR’s independent lab testing of infant formulas. It’s also made with several organic ingredients, including organic whole milk and organic whey protein concentrate, though it’s not fully certified organic. 

Price: $31.99 at Target
Ounces per can: 24.7
Cost per ounce: $1.30

Similac’s Pure Bliss Irish Farms powdered infant formula uses nonfat milk from cows in Ireland as its main ingredient and features lactose as its primary carbohydrate source. It also has whey protein concentrate and prebiotics. Pure Bliss Irish Farms is formulated without corn syrup and doesn’t include palm oil or palm olein oil, which several studies suggest may hinder the absorption of fat, DHA, and calcium. In our tests for contaminants, it ranked among the Top Choices. 

Price: $38.49 at Target
Ounces per can: 28.2
Cost per ounce: $1.36

British formula maker Kendamil’s classic infant formula is widely available at Target and costs just $1.36 per ounce. Made with whole cow’s milk and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), a fat-protein layer that surrounds fat droplets, along with human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), which are prebiotics that may support digestion, Kendamil’s formula is designed to closely mimic the composition of breast milk, according to the manufacturer. 

Price: $63.99 at Costco
Ounces per can: 84
Cost per ounce: 76 cents

Available only at wholesale club Costco, the Kirkland Signature ProCare infant formula is the cheapest formula on our list, coming in at just 76 cents per ounce. But it doesn’t skimp on premium ingredients: It’s made with nonfat milk and lactose, and without corn syrup solids or palm oil. It also includes added lutein for eye development, the fatty acids DHA and ARA for cognitive development, and two strains of HMOs as a source of prebiotics.

Price: $36.98 at Sam’s Club
Ounces per can: 48
Cost per ounce: 77 cents

The Member’s Mark Advantage Premium infant formula found at Sam’s Club is also one of the lowest-priced formulas on our list, at just 77 cents per ounce. In terms of ingredients, it differs only minimally from the Kirkland Signature ProCare, so depending on which club membership you have, you can take your pick. 

Price: $24.97 at Walmart
Ounces per can: 23.2
Cost per ounce: $1.08

Walmart’s store-brand Parent’s Choice Advantage Premium infant formula performed well in CR’s testing for toxic contaminants. Made with nonfat milk, lactose, whey protein concentrate, and added HMOs, fatty acids DHA and ARA, as well as nucleotides, which some research shows may support infant growth and weight gain, it’s a solid choice.

Price: $38.97 at Walmart
Ounces per can: 30.8
Cost per ounce: $1.38

Similac Advance formula uses nonfat milk, lactose, and whey protein concentrate as its primary ingredients, and includes GOS, a prebiotic usually added for digestive support. As for extra ingredients, it contains lutein, DHA, ARA, and nucleotides. It’s made without corn syrup or palm olein oil. 

Price: $41.99 at Target
Ounces per can: 36
Cost per ounce: $1.17

Target’s Up&Up offers a Premium Infant Formula made without corn syrup and with no genetically modified ingredients. Using nonfat milk and lactose as its base, it also includes one strain of HMO, MFGM components, and nucleotides, along with ARA and DHA. Its fat source is a plant oil blend that includes palm olein oil, soy, coconut, and safflower or sunflower oils. It performed well in CR’s contaminant testing.

Price: $34.57 at Walmart
Ounces per can: 21
Cost per ounce: $1.65

At $1.65 per ounce, Earth’s Best Organic Dairy formula offers a good value for a USDA-certified organic formula. It contains organic lactose, organic nonfat milk, organic whey protein, and organic oils, including palm oil, soy, coconut, and safflower or sunflower oil. It also contains DHA and ARA fatty acids for neurodevelopment, lutein for eye and brain development, and nucleotides for growth and immune function. (For more information on these extra ingredients, see our formula buying guide.)

Price: $35.99 at Happy Baby
Ounces per can: 22.9
Cost per ounce: $1.57

The cheapest fully organic baby formula on our list, Happy Baby Organics’ Organic Infant Formula is certified organic in both the U.S. and the European Union, where it’s produced. Made primarily from organic lactose, organic nonfat milk, and organic whey protein concentrate, it is also one of the only formulas on our list that contains added probiotics and prebiotics. The fat source is an organic plant oil blend that includes palm oil, and there’s no added corn syrup.

Price: $34.57 at Walmart
Ounces per can: 21
Cost per ounce: $1.65

It’s difficult to find a sensitive or gentle formula for under $1.65 an ounce, but the Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Infant Formula hits the mark. Using organic glucose solids as its primary ingredient, along with organic whey protein concentrate and milk protein concentrate, this infant formula is certified organic and contains 95 percent less lactose than Earth’s Best standard infant formula, the company states. It’s worth noting that lactose is the primary milk sugar in breast milk, and experts say it’s rare that an infant would have lactose intolerance or sensitivity. Still, if you’re looking for a gentle formula that’s also organic, this one ranked highly in CR’s tests. Like Earth’s Best’s other infant formulas, they’re made with palm oil or palm olein oil as part of a vegetable-oil blend. 

Price: $29.34 at Amazon
Ounces per can: 22.5
Cost per ounce: $1.30

As a lower-lactose infant formula, Amazon’s Mama Bear Sensitivity Premium brand uses corn syrup and milk protein isolate as its primary ingredients, along with sucrose and a plant oil blend that does not contain palm oil or palm olein oil. It has added HMOs as a prebiotic and fatty acids DHA and ARA. The company says the formula is designed for babies who have fussiness and gas when sensitive to lactose, but talk to your child’s pediatrician if you have questions about your baby’s response to formula.

Price: $42.84 at Walmart
Ounces per can: 32
Cost per ounce: $1.34

Designed for easy digestion and softer stools, the GentlePro formula from Dr Browns and Good Start is formulated with a probiotic strain that’s also found in breast milk, and uses a partially hydrolyzed whey protein blend to make it more easily broken down by babies’ developing digestive tracts. It uses lactose and corn maltodextrin as the primary carbohydrate sources, and has a vegetable oil blend that includes palm oil. But at just $1.34 per ounce, it’s a good value for a specialized formula, which tends to be pricey.

$4.97 at Walmart
Ounces per can: 13
Cost per fluid ounce: 38 cents

Concentrated liquid formulas tend to be more expensive than powdered formulas, but if your baby is under 2 months old or has a compromised immune system, it may be a safer option, as powdered formulas are not made to be sterile. The Enfamil Concentrated Liquid Formula performed well in CR’s contaminant testing, and it’s made with water, lactose, and nonfat milk. It also has prebiotics and added nucleotides, in addition to DHA and ARA. It uses palm olein oil as part of a vegetable oil blend. 

$11.82 at Walmart
Ounces per container: 32
Cost per fluid ounce: 42 cents

Enfamil’s NeuroPro Ready-to-Feed formula uses water, nonfat milk, lactose, a vegetable oil blend (including palm olein oil), and whey protein concentrate as its main ingredients. Prebiotics, DHA and ARA fatty acids, and MFGM make up the extra ingredients and are modeled after breast milk’s composition, the company says, and there are no genetically modified ingredients. It was among our Top Choices for having low or no detectable contaminants in our lab tests.