Silver Nipple Cups: Do They Really Work?

The short answer: the early research on silver nipple cups is genuinely encouraging, but it's still small, and a cup works best alongside a good latch, not instead of one.

If you're breastfeeding and your nipples are sore, cracked or bleeding, you're far from alone. Studies put nipple damage at somewhere around 80 to 90% of breastfeeding moms, usually in the first week or two, and it's one of the most common reasons women stop breastfeeding earlier than they'd planned. So it's no surprise that silver nursing cups have become a hospital-bag favourite. But do they really work, or is it just clever marketing? We went through the published research to find out.

What are silver nipple cups?

Silver nipple cups (also called silver nursing cups or silver nipple shields) are small, shallow domes of silver that sit over each nipple, inside your bra, between feeds. They aren't worn while your baby feeds, and they aren't the same as silicone nipple shields, which are worn during a feed to help with latch.

Using them is simple:

After a feed, place a cup over each nipple and put your bra back on.
Leave them on until the next feed.
Take them off, rinse them in warm water, and feed your baby as usual.

They come in two main types: solid 925 sterling silver, and "trilaminate" cups, which have a copper core sandwiched between two layers of 99.9% pure silver. Both put silver against your skin. Solid sterling tends to last longer, while plated cups are usually more affordable.

How do they work?

Researchers think the cups help in three overlapping ways. The first is well understood; the third is the least proven.

A physical shield. Sore skin rubbing against a bra or breast pad hurts and slows healing. The cup holds fabric off the nipple, so the damaged skin is left alone between feeds. A Turkish study of breastfeeding moms suggested this mechanical covering effect may be a big part of why they help.
A moist healing environment. Wound-care research going back to the 1960s shows that skin wounds re-form new skin faster when kept moist rather than left to dry out and scab. The cup traps a little breast milk and moisture against the nipple, which is the same principle behind modern wound dressings. The authors of a 2023 Italian study describe the cups as creating exactly this moist, protected area.
Silver's antimicrobial properties. Silver ions are known to be antimicrobial, which is why silver is used in hospital wound dressings. Cracked nipples can become infected, often with Staphylococcus aureus, so the theory is that silver helps keep bacteria down while skin heals. A lab study on a silver nipple cap found antimicrobial activity and good skin tolerance, but nobody has yet shown in moms that it's the silver, rather than the cover and moisture, that makes the difference.

One thing worth knowing: many silver cup brands claim the metal is anti-inflammatory and "heals" nipples. Those claims go further than the research on nipple cups currently does.

What does the research say?

A handful of studies have looked at silver nipple cups directly, and all of them point in a positive direction. Only one is a randomised controlled trial, the gold standard for showing that a treatment works.

The randomised trial (Marrazzu et al., 2015, Italy). Forty moms with painful cracked nipples were split into two groups: 20 used a silver cap and 20 had standard care, and all of them got support from a lactation consultant. There was no difference at day 2, but by days 7 and 15 pain had cleared significantly faster in the silver group. There were no skin reactions, and the moms preferred the cap.
The prevention study (Pilloni et al., 2023, Italy). Researchers followed 187 moms for four months, with no comparison group. Thirty-eight started wearing the cups at 35 weeks of pregnancy and 149 within a week of birth. Pain and cracks fell steadily in both groups, and moms who started before birth had less moderate or severe pain at day 7 (26% vs 46%). No side effects were linked to the cups.
The Japanese comparison (non-randomised comparative study). Forty-seven moms using silver protectors were compared with 50 earlier moms who didn't use them. The silver group had fewer cases of severe nipple damage and more signs of healing, and the protectors were judged safe.
The mom survey (Karabayır et al., 2025, Turkey). About 310 breastfeeding moms answered an online survey, and around half had used silver cups. Nine in ten users said the cups worked for them, although cracked nipples were no less common in users than in non-users.

The bigger picture matters too. A Cochrane review of nipple pain treatments, covering 656 women, found too little good-quality evidence to recommend any single treatment, lanolin included, and noted that poor positioning and latch are a common cause of pain. A 2024 meta-analysis reached a similar view on creams and other topical options. In other words, silver cups aren't up against a proven gold-standard treatment. Nothing for sore nipples has strong evidence yet.

The honest caveats

We think you deserve the full picture, so here's where the evidence is still thin:

The studies are small. The only randomised trial had just 40 moms, and a few dropped out. Promising, but not conclusive.
Most studies had no proper comparison group. Without one, it's hard to separate the cups' effect from the fact that nipple pain naturally eases over the first few weeks for most moms.
They mostly tested one brand. The two Italian studies used a single trilaminate silver cap, so results may not carry over exactly to every cup on the market.
We don't know which part does the work. It may be the silver, the physical cover, the moist environment, or all three together.
Reviews are cautious. A 2026 systematic review noted that silver cups have mostly been studied observationally, with high satisfaction but no clear proof they prevent cracks better than other options, and called for stronger trials.

Why moms love them

Even where the science is still catching up, the satisfaction is hard to ignore. In the Turkish survey, nine in ten moms who used silver cups said they worked, and in the Italian trial moms clearly preferred them to standard care. The practical reasons come up again and again:

Nothing to wipe off. Unlike creams, there's nothing to clean away before your baby latches, and nothing on your nipple that your baby might taste.
Relief from rubbing. Many moms say the biggest difference is simply not having fabric drag across raw skin between feeds.
A cooling feel. Moms often describe the metal as soothing on hot, tender nipples.
No mess. No sticky residue, no stained bras, and no tubes running out at 3am.
Reusable. One pair can last a whole breastfeeding journey, and sterling silver cups can carry on to the next baby.
Easy to start early. Some moms begin wearing them in late pregnancy, which the 2023 Italian study suggested may help.

So, do they really work?

Our honest take: silver nipple cups are a reasonable, low-risk option with promising early evidence and a lot of happy moms behind them. The research suggests they may help sore, cracked nipples feel better sooner, and no study has found meaningful side effects. What the research can't yet say is exactly how much difference they make, or that the silver itself is doing the heavy lifting.

The most important thing to know is that nipple pain is usually a sign, not just a symptom. A shallow latch or awkward positioning is the most common cause, and no cup, cream or pad will fix that on its own. Think of silver cups as a way to protect and comfort sore skin while you sort out the cause.

Speak to a lactation consultant, midwife or doctor if:

Pain is still bad at every feed after the first week or two
Your nipples are bleeding, or cracks aren't healing
You notice a red, hot or swollen area on your breast, or you have a fever
You feel deep, shooting or burning pain during or after feeds
You're worried about how much your baby is feeding

At Pandylane, we stock Silver Mama nursing cups in both 925 sterling silver and 999 silver-plated trilaminate. Pop in to our Parkhurst Experience Centre or chat to us online, and we'll help you work out which is right for you.

This article is for general information and isn't a substitute for advice from your healthcare provider.