Choosing Shore A Hardness for Baby and Pet Silicone Products
Hardness drives how a silicone product feels, bends and performs. These are the ranges buyers most often request for each category.
Hardness is one of the first specifications we discuss, and one of the easiest to get wrong on paper. It is measured on the Shore A scale, where a lower number means a softer, more flexible material. Teethers and soft feeding accessories are commonly requested in softer ranges, while suction bases, pet bowls and structural parts need firmer compounds to hold their shape.
Hardness on its own is not enough. Wall thickness, the size of the part, how it is gripped and how many dishwasher cycles it must survive all influence the final feel. Two samples in the same nominal hardness can behave differently once the geometry changes, which is why we recommend evaluating a physical sample rather than selecting from a chart.
The practical route is simple: send a reference sample or state your target hardness, tell us how the product will be used, and we will produce trial parts in one or two candidate materials. Comparing them side by side usually settles the decision in a single round.
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