While I have prided myself on being able to almost exclusively breastfeed my two oldest children, by the time I got to my son, the baby cow, I had to come to the realization that a little formula never hurt anyone. The final brand of formula we used in his first year was Kirkland Signature Infant Formula with DHA, ARA and Iron. Since hindsight is 20/20, it appears we should have used that brand from the beginning.

Like most formulas, Kirkland Signature Infant Formula has a smooth powdery consistency, in a nice pale yellow. I found it to be less grainy in texture than Enfamil Lipil, but once it's mixed up with water, it all looks the same. Once mixed, the Kirkland Signature Infant Formula has a slight milky scent, not nearly as strong as certain other brands.

Mixing Instructions
Like darn near any other brand of formula, Kirkland Signature Infant Formula with DHA, ARA and Iron comes with a little 8.7 gram scoop for measuring the powder. The general ratio is to mix one scoop of powder for every two ounces of water. Kirkland Signature instructs that you should always add the powder to the water, and not the other way around.

Once a bottle is prepared, you need to use it within 24 hours. If you have already started the feeding, you should dispose of the formula after an hour, according to Kirkland Signature.

Nutrition Info
In talking to my pediatrician about formula brands, he told me that the generic formulas are actually made by the same companies as the name brands, so all of the formulas were pretty much the same nutrition-wise. By comparing the nutrition facts of Kirkland Signature Infant Formula to Enfamil Lipil and Similac Advance, my pediatrician looks to be correct in his assessment. Per 100 calories, all three have nearly identical amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrate and water. Linoleic Acid (I have no idea what that is) is the only thing that all three brands have varying amounts of, and Kirkland Signature falls right in the middle.

Looking down the list of vitamins and minerals, the only notable difference is that Kirkland Signature has more Phosphorus per serving (56 mg versus 43 and 42 for Enfamil and Similac, respectively) and less Potassium (83 mg versus 108 and 105). Otherwise, Kirkland Signature Infant Formula has identical quantities of at least one of the two main competitors of each vitamin and mineral.

Every formula manufacturer touts their inclusion of DHA and ARA as bonuses to their brand, being nutrients naturally found in breast milk. Kirkland Signature contains 17 and 34 mg of these ingredients, respectively, which is on par with Enfamil and significantly higher than the amounts found in Similac Advance.

Cheaper than the rest -- in price only
Compared to the grocery store or Babies R Us, I quickly found that the best prices on formula were at Costco. Kirkland Signature Infant Formula with DHA, ARA and Iron is available exclusively at Costco (or online), in quantities of two 25.7 ounce cans, usually for $17.99. Currently, Costco sells a 34 ounce package of Similac Advance for $27.89 and a 38 ounce can of Enfamil Lipil for $32.49. From a cost perspective, Kirkland Signature Infant Formula blows these other two brands out of the water. Factoring in the nearly identical nutritional factor, it seems like a no-brainer: this is the formula to buy.

Final Thoughts
There's one more reason why I wish I had started out purchasing the Kirkland Signature Infant Formula with DHA, ARA and Iron from the beginning: it's my son's favorite. He had an eight ounce bottle of Enfamil Lipil a day for about nine months. Then, we went to the Safeway brand for a month (which I do not recommend!), then Similac Advance for a month before trying Kirkland Signature. After a month of drinking Kirkland Signature Infant Formula, my husband found a handful of leftover Enfamil Easy One Sticks. We tried to offer him the last couple bottles of Enfamil, and my son refused them, but jumped at the chance when offered a bottle of Kirkland Signature afterward.

I highly recommend Kirkland Signature Infant Formula with DHA, ARA and Iron as a nutritious and inexpensive formula. My son loved it and refused to go back to any other brand after getting hooked on this stuff.

Recommended: Yes