Bottle Warmers Guide

Bottle Warmers Guide

 

The amount of baby gear you’ll add to your registry is a completely personal decision. While some parents choose the minimalist route from the start, others feel better adding all the things in anticipation of meeting the (many) needs of their new addition. A bottle warmer falls squarely down the middle in the “must-haves vs. nice-to-haves” baby gear debate. For some parents, it will be a skip—popping a bottle of breast milk or formula in a bowl of warm water gets the job done without any extra gear. (Just serving the bottle cold or room temp works too!) But for others—especially those with breastfed babies who are used to drinking warm milk or for babies who are just a bit more particular about how they take their bottles—a bottle warmer is an absolute must-have. A bottle warmer is a quick, safe way to uniformly heat a chilled bottle, freezer bag of milk or even refrigerated baby food so you can use it right away.

 

Do You Need a Bottle Warmer?

Whether or not you need a bottle warmer comes down to personal preference—both yours and your baby’s. Some parents choose to let frozen breastmilk thaw overnight in the fridge and serve it cold. Others choose to warm breastmilk or formula by placing the bottle in a bowl or a mug of hot water to slowly heat it up. (Microwaving breast milk or formula is a no-go, so skip that method.) But some babies are pickier than others, and some parents don’t have the patience to wait around for milk to thaw or slowly warm in the sink. A bottle warmer is a small, generally affordable piece of baby gear that helps speed up the heating process and gets warm milk to your hungry baby’s mouth quickly and safely.

 

Baby & Toddler Best Bottle Warmers

 

 

Best Overall Bottle Warmer – Baby Brezza Safe & Smart Bluetooth Connected Bottle Warmer – $89.99

 

 

Baby Brezza’s bottle warmer is packed full of warming options and other unique features that make it stand out from the crowd. There’s a separate setting for heating different types of milk and food, a useful feature if you’re heating breast milk and are concerned about too much heat that can ruin the milk’s nutrients. (“Quick Warm” uses steam for a faster warm, while “Steady Warm” uses a warm water bath to slowly warm breast milk.) You can control the warmer from the LCD screen or wirelessly via an app for your phone, another nice perk for when you’ve stepped away and want to know when your bottle is ready.

 

Best Affordable Bottle Warmer – The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve Bottle Warmer – $42.99

 

The Simple Serve is a great choice if you’re looking for a bottle warmer that won’t cost you a ton or if you’re hesitant about getting a warmer and would rather not commit to a pricier option. This warmer is designed to hold most types of baby bottles (as well as breast milk bags and baby food) and has a fairly compact design. You can prefill the water vial and store it in the warmer so you don’t have to measure in the middle of the night. It also comes with a basket attachment that works for heating up baby food jars and can sterilize up to two pacifiers at a time.

 

 

Best Bottle Warmer for Travel – Baby’s Brew Portable Bottle Warmer Pro – $249

 

 

If you’re on the go and trying to feed a hungry baby who’ll only take warm milk, you’re usually out of luck. Enter Baby’s Brew: the first-ever battery-powered bottle warmer. No cords or warm water needed; just screw on your bottle, hit one button and you’ll have warm milk in under ten minutes. Baby’s Brew is designed to fit most major bottle brands and also sells separate adapters for those that aren’t compatible. Some parents do complain about occasional leaks and inconsistent heat times, but it seems to be dependent on which brand of bottle you’re using and how much milk or formula is in the warmer.

 

Best Bottle Warmer for Breastmilk – Kiinde Kozii Bottle Warmer – $95

 

 

Kiinde’s bottle warmer is a popular choice among parents. It uses a low-temperature water bath to heat up bottles in about five minutes as well as breast milk storage bags and baby food jars or pouches. (Some parents do note that it can take two cycles to defrost frozen milk and food, though.) There’s a built-in timer and an auto shut-off so you don’t have to worry about overheating if (when) you get distracted. And the Kozii is one of the larger warmers on the market, making it ideal for wider bottles like the Comotomo.

 

Fastest Bottle Warmer – Philips Avent Fast Baby Bottle Warmer – $49.99

 

This warmer from Philips Avent is a mid-priced warmer that quickly heats up bottles and baby food. A medium-sized bottle takes about three minutes to evenly warm, and there’s a smart temperature control that prevents milk and food from overheating. Another benefit we love? The defrost setting that’s specifically for warming frozen breast milk or baby food.

 

Best Portable Bottle Warmer – Tommee Tippee Travel Bottle And Food Warmer – $26

 

 

Similar to Baby’s Brew, the Tommee Tippee warmer is perfect for on-the-go; the only difference here is the price (this one’s much cheaper) and instead of being battery-powered, you’ll need to fill this warmer with hot water before you head out. The two-part system contains an insulated, stainless steel thermal bottle that keeps water warm for 8-12 hours and a plastic cup. When it’s time for your child to eat, simply pour the water into the cup and submerge the bottle or food inside to warm up. Just note it does take a while for this warmer to work its magic as it’s powered only by warm water.

 

Most Stylish Bottle Warmer – Boon Orb Bottle Warmer – $35

 

 

If you’re not down with baby stuff that looks like baby stuff taking over your house, check out the Boon Orb. This stylish warmer is a nice departure from most other bottle warmers and won’t hog a ton of counter space, either. It steam-heats bottles and baby food containers in about three minutes and automatically shuts down to avoid overheating. It’s also really easy to clean thanks to its squat shape. Just keep in mind that you can’t use glass bottles with this warmer as they make break due to the rapid temperature change. It’s also not a great choice for twins as the warmer requires a 10-minute cooldown between uses.

 

Best Bottle Warmer for Twins – Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Deluxe Bottle Warmer – $64

 

 

This bottle warmer uses steam to heat most bottles in about five minutes. The digital display counts down to when the bottle or baby food is ready, beeps when done and automatically shuts off after 10 minutes. The warmer doesn’t require a cool-down period after each cycle like some models do, so it’s a great choice for warming bottles back-to-back. But you’ll want to make sure you only use distilled water, otherwise mineral deposits build up and it starts to smell funky. The warmer also doesn’t fit extra-wide, rounder shaped bottles.