FOR AGES 0 MONTHS TO 1 YEARS
Breast milk is, by design, body temperature.
When mothers start using breast pumps or switch to formula and the milk cools down in its bottle, the change can be off-putting for little ones. This is where a good baby bottle warmer comes in.
Though not every parent needs a baby bottle warmer (there's no danger in giving cold milk to your baby), many parents tend to find their baby prefers warm milk. Though it can be tempting to pop a bottle in the microwave, this can often result in uneven or overheating that could burn your baby's mouth, not to mention a loss of all that essential nutrients that makes breast milk so good for your child.
According to the NHS, the optimum temperature of the water for baby milk is about 70 degrees. You can tell if it's too hot or cold by shaking a few drops onto your wrist and taking a note of how it feels. A good bottle warmer takes the stress out of the process, warming your bottle quickly and evenly to the perfect temperature so you don't have to think about it. A good one will work with most bottles and can be used to heat bottled breast milk, ready-to-use formula or sometimes even baby food.
We've gathered together a range of baby bottle warmers in this handy list so that you can find the best bottle warmer for you.
This Phillips bottle warmer is accurate, efficient and affordable, warming 150ml of milk in three minutes and then keeping it at the right temperature. It's super compact too, meaning it will fit easily in the corner of a kitchen counter (or even on your bedside table, if you want to avoid running to the kitchen for night feeds). The dial and indicator lights make it super easy to operate and all you need to do to get it going is add water, which swirls round and round to gently warm up your baby's milk. It can be used to warm baby food and there is also a defrost setting.
Tommee Tippee products are among the best bottle warmers you can buy. This 'perfect prep machine' prepares a bottle of formula at the perfect temperature in less than two minutes, whilst also boasting bacteria-fighting powers: a hot shot of water is released into the formula to kill any bacteria there before it is prepared. It works with most bottles and alerts you when your milk is ready.
This NUK bottle warmer is one of the fastest we found on the market. It uses steam to heat bottles of formula or breast milk to the right temperature in just 90 seconds - perfect for parents short on time (which, let's be honest, is every parent). It automatically switches itself off when it's done heating and the little basket makes removing the bottles and jars safe and easy. Also suitable for baby food jars, this product is a real lifesaver.
We found this Tommee Tippee portable bottle warmer to be the best for warming a bottle on the go. The design is simple and effective: fill the stainless steel thermal flask with hot water before you leave the house then, when you're out and ready to warm up your bottle, tip the water into the plastic container and submerge your baby's bottle within. The flask keeps water hot for an impressively long time (it says 8-12 hours but we found it still hot after 24!), it's streamlined enough that it will fit easily in your bag and cheap enough that it won't break the bank.
This Dr Brown's machine heats both baby bottles and food jars, and does it one after the other without you having to add more water, a great time saver. The cycle memory remembers your preferences from the last time you used it, making for an even swifter and more efficient experience with every use, and the easy-to-use LCD panel omits visual and sound alerts when the bottle is at optimum temperature.
This sleek bottle make be pricey but it will change your life. Fill the cartridge with dry baby formula then twist and shake the bottle to mix it with hot water and get the heating process started: the intelligent heating control will heat and keep the water at 37 degrees. LED lights indicate when the formula is ready and the fresh mixing of the formula every time means you don't risk the nutrient-loss associated with pre-preparing it. It's a great option for feeding on the go, too.
As the cheapest non travel bottle warmer on our list, this Nuby machine is the best bottle warmer for families on a budget, and though it may not have a ton of flashy features, it still does the job perfectly well. It fits all kinds of bottle and jars, warms up breast milk, formula and baby food in three minutes, and has an option for frozen milk, too. A great bargain buy.
This easi-warm bottle warmer is super simple to use: just add water and turn the dial. Its works with most kinds of bottles and jars and can warm bottles of breast milk or formula in four minutes. It's lightweight, too, so easy to take away on visits or trips. Naturally, as a simpler model, it's not as heavy in special features; there's no LED screen or automatic turn off switch, so you might need to set a reminder to remember to turn it off.
This MAM warmer also comes with a built-in steriliser; super convenient for parents who are short on space. Sterilise your feeding equipment then warm bottles of milk or formula in just two and a half minutes, and frozen milk in under ten. A 'keep warm function' that will keep your bottle at optimum temperature for 45 minutes after it's warmed.
This Tommee Tippee all-in-one warmer is a great little machine. At four minutes, the warming time is a little slower but it warms any type of container and intelligently works out the optimum warming time based on the volume you insert and its starting temperature (even frozen). Just one thing to note, the beeping is a little loud - something to be mindful of if you're doing a night feed.
Kidadl Best Buys selects the top parent-recommended products across the web for families and children of all ages. If you liked our guide to the best baby bottle warmers, why not take a look at our pick of the best baby sleep suits and pyjamas? Or take a look at our guide to the best sensory toys that will aid your baby's development.
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