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Naturally, breast milk is body temperature so having warm milk is more preferred by babies and is more soothing. If you are storing your breastmilk and need to reheat it to feed to your baby you may want to consider one of the best bottle warmers below.
Compared to microwaves, they don’t create hot spots on the milk that can burn baby’s mouth so they are much safer.
Here’s what you need to know to pick out the best bottle warmer for you:
Do you need a bottle warmer?
When you are expressing milk and storing them in the fridge or freezer, you need to thaw it first before giving it to the baby. You could give it to the baby cold but if your baby fusses and won’t drink it, you may need to warm the milk up first.
You can use a bowl of hot water to warm up the milk slowly but you also wouldn’t have control over the temperature and overall the process would take longer compared to having a baby bottle warmer.
Related: How To Properly Store Breast Milk: A Guide For Pumping Moms
Advantages of bottle warmers:
Consistent heat
Bottle warmers will be able to control the temperature of the milk when heating so that it doesn’t get too hot and you won’t end up losing all the nutrients found in the milk.
Speed in heating
It could differ depending on how cold your milk is but the average time it takes to warm your bottle is around 3 minutes.
More convenient
All you have to do is turn on the machine and wait for it to do its work. There are also some bottle warmers that will indicate that it is warm enough and ready for baby. While waiting, you can multitask and do other things you need to do.
Kinds of bottle warmers
- A home bottle warmer system that uses steam to warm up your bottle of milk.
- A bottle warmer that heats a water bath that your bottle will be sitting in to warm it up.
- A portable baby bottle warmer that you can bring around while traveling. This system would either use a thermos that you can fill with hot water or the bottle warmer itself can be plugged to your vehicle to make the device work.
How bottle warmers work
A baby bottle warmer that uses a water bath will slowly heat up the bottle using consistent heat. Bottle warmers that use steam to heat up the bottle will work more quickly than the water bath system although the temperatures could get higher so you have to be more careful. You may also need to wait a little bit for the outside of the bottle to cool down before giving it to your baby.
Factors to consider when choosing the best bottle warmer:
Temperature control
There are bottle warmers that have a set temperature that will heat your bottle to while others will have adjustable dials. The important thing to remember is that milk shouldn’t be heated to over body temperature (40 degrees Celsius) since this will mean the nutrients will already be lost. The milk should be warm but with no hot spots.
Ease of use
Bottle warmers should not be complicated to use. Make sure the one you choose will have dials that are easy to use and also a feature that will tell you when the bottle is ready.
Easy to clean
By taking care of your bottle warmer and cleaning it properly, it will last you longer and perform better. Take note that bottle warmers that use steam reservoirs will have the tendency to develop mold so it’s very important to always do a checkup and clean them if you end up going for this kind.
Safety
Look for baby bottle warmers that warm up to body temperature or those that use controlled steam. Some devices might claim to heat up really fast but it could be more dangerous and will pose more risks for scalding.
Size
There are some bottle warmers that will fit tall and narrow bottles so if you have a wider bottle, you might have problems fitting it in. It is best to go for a bottle warmer that can be flexible and fit different dimensions and shapes of baby bottles.
Multiuse
Some bottle warmers can be used to warm up baby food, which means you’ll get the most out of your investment as your baby gets older. There are also some devices that have extra functions like sterilizers or food processors.
Portability
If you are going away for the weekend, it is best to have a portable bottle warmer to bring with you. You can also find one that is compact that will fit your suitcase or bag.
Related: The Best Breast Pumps For Nursing Moms
The Best bottle warmers
1. Philips Avent Fast
- Gently and evenly heats no hotspots as the milk circulates during warming; The voltage is 220-240 V
- Works with all Phillips Avent bottles, toddler cups, and most food jars
- Heats 4 ounces of milk in 3 minutes
- Convenient defrost setting that defrosts breast milk and baby food
- Small design fits on counter or nightstand
This bottle warmer can defrost breast milk and even baby food. It can also accommodate different kinds of baby bottles so you aren’t limited to the Avent branded bottles. It can heat a medium sized bottle in about 3 minutes.
It uses warm water to evenly heat the water bottle and prevent hot spots. Keep in mind that there is no timer or feature that will automatically stop it so you have to time it yourself and keep track of the time in order to keep from overheating it.
2. Tommee Tippee Travel Bottle & Food Warmer
- Thermal flask securely stores hot water, for warming on the go
- Baby bottle travel warmer is portable and convenient, no electricity needed
- The securely fastened lid protects from leaks and spills
- The warmer's compact design should easily fit into baby's diaper bag
- Designed to hold Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature baby feeding bottles and all standard sized bottles
This travel bottle is affordable and a great one to bring around during your trips. It doesn’t require electricity so you can use it anywhere. It has a thermos that you can fill with boiling water in order to heat the bottle.
It will take around 10 to 15 minutes to heat up your milk bottle once you transfer the water to the BPA free plastic where you will place your milk bottle in.
This is the best bottle warmer for portability purposes.
3. Kiinde Kozii Bottle Warmer
- SAFE & EASY WARMING: The Kozii baby bottle warmer creates a flowing warm water bath (NOT dangerous steam) to quickly and gently thaw and warm breast milk according to CDC and USDA guidelines. Unlike other warmers, Kozii does not require that you measure or add water with each use. It uses an auto-shutoff feature, so when the time is up, the warmer shuts off and completely removes the heat source from the bottle.
- A GREAT BABY SHOWER GIFT: Every new mom knows convenience is key when it comes to feeding a baby. Kozii is a great way to heat up expressed breast milk, baby formula, or baby food as safely and quickly as possible. It’s an excellent product to use alongside other accessories, including a breast pump, bottle sterilizer, and bottle set. Put one of these baby registry best sellers on your registry today!
- UNIVERSAL WARMING CHAMBER: Kozii’s warming chamber is designed for bags, pouches, bottles, and jars alike and it’s great for first-time moms. It’s gentle enough to thaw frozen breast milk and powerful enough to heat up pureed baby food. It heats foods to the perfect temperature for Baby so you don’t have to worry about overheating. You’ll be able to use Kozii from birth through the toddler years.
- PRESERVES NUTRIENTS IN BREAST MILK: Breast milk is full of the great stuff! That’s why Kozii uses gentle heat to preserve the unique set of nutrients found in breast milk. You won’t have to worry about the integrity of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and white blood cells naturally occurring in a mother’s milk.
- WARMS MANY CONTAINERS & MATERIALS: Kozii can heat up virtually any reusable or disposable container including milk storage bags, milk pouches, baby bottles, food jars, or liner bottles. It can handle both frozen and thawed breast milk and is great for heating up baby formula. Bottle steamers can overheat easily and aren’t effective for all materials. That’s why Kozii uses gently flowing, warm water.
This bottle warmer uses a low-temperature water bath to heat the bottles. It is a great bottle warmer for breastmilk since it prevents overheating and won’t destroy the natural antibodies and nutrients found in breastmilk.
It also has a timer so you don’t need to worry about getting the milk too hot. It has a dial timer that can also be used to defrost breast milk.
Since it uses more time to heat milk (around 5 to 8 minutes), you would need to make sure you prepare the milk just at the right time to feed your baby without them getting too hungry/fussy. This bottle warmer is also great for glass and steel bottles.
4. Dr. Brown’s Bottle Warmer
- Easy-to-use LCD Control Panel features an easy-touch keypad plus a one-button start function
- Effectively warms several bottles before water refilling is necessary
- Audio and visual alerts let you know when warming cycle is complete
- Automatically shuts off after eight minutes plus features a cycle memory to repeat preferred heating time
- Adjustable basket fits different sized bottles. BPA free
This bottle warmer uses steam and can heat the bottle in about five minutes. There is also a timer that indicates when the bottle is ready and will even automatically shut down after 10 minutes.
It can also fit various kinds of bottles and even baby food jars. It can also heat a lot of bottles before you need to refill it due to its reservoir on the side. It can also remember the last time setting that you previously used so it’s pretty convenient.
5. The First Years Quick Serve Bottle Warmer
- Multi-use bottle warmer: quickly warms breast milk, milk formula, baby food jars and sanitizes multiple pacifiers at once
- Easy to use: prefill the water vial to desired amount and then store in warmer - no need to measure in the middle of the night
- Compact bottle warmer: compact size fits easily on counter so you can keep in nursery or on Nightstand for easy access during the night
- Compatible with most baby bottles: works with most wide, narrow, angled and even disposable bottles
It is affordable and user-friendly. It is BPA free as well and can be used for a variety of bottle sizes and types. You would just need to add a small vial of water to the unit and hit the button to start warming the bottle and it can heat it in under 5 minutes.
It also has a light that goes off to indicate that the bottle is ready. It also has a basket where you can heat baby food jars and also sterilize pacifiers.
This is the best bottle warmer that has multiple functions.
6. First Years Night Cravings Bottle Warmer
- Removable cooler holds 2 bottles and stays cool overnight
- Warms breast milk, formula and baby food jars
- Auto shut-off for added safety. BPA Free
- Works with most bottle systems—wide, narrow, angled, even disposables.Bottles not included
- Keeps bottles cool for up to eight hours; Care Instructions: Spot Clean
It uses a water pot to heat up the water to warm up the bottle. It can also fit different kinds of bottles. What’s unique about this machine is that there is a cooling system at the back that can fit two bottles.
It is great to use at night by placing a bottle or two inside with an ice pack and once you need to do a feeding at night, you can just get the bottle and place it in the warmer. This is easier than having to go to the fridge in the middle of the night.
The goal of using a bottle warmer is to be able to warm baby’s milk in the quickest and safest way possible. Depending on your budget, you can purchase one to match your needs. It is best to also get one that is easy to use and can fit a variety of bottles.
Which do you think is the best bottle warmer?