In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

The 4 Best Bottle Warmers

We tested bottle warmers from Tommee Tippee, Chicco, Kiinde, and more, to find the most efficient option
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The Best Bottle Warmers
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Friday February 16, 2024

If you are looking for a bottle warmer, look no further. We compared the top 11 warmers available today, putting them through extensive testing to help you choose. Since 2012, we have purchased more than 34 different warmers and used each to help you pick the right one for your family. We considered health and safety, warming temperatures and times, usability, and ease of cleaning. When you count the hours spent preparing a bottle while juggling a crying baby or multiple, having a bottle warmer that performs great while fitting with your family budget can significantly impact your daily life. Our extensive testing and ratings can help.

Gear up for when your baby's hunger strikes. Whether you are nursing or relying on bottles to feed your little one, our round-up of only the finest nursing gear can support your journey. Is your baby ready for solids? You can expect the introduction of other gear during this exciting milestone. Our list of baby feeding gear can offer recommendations, including our favorite baby bottles and the best sippy cup. Don't forget to grab a top-ranked bottle brush for easier cleanup after mealtime.

Editor's Note: This bottle warmer review was updated on February 16, 2024, with an all-new lineup of options and full side-by-side, in-lab testing.

Top 11 Product Ratings

Displaying 1 - 5 of 11
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Awards Editors' Choice Award Editors' Choice Award  Top Pick Award  
Price $28 List
$30.99 at Amazon
$80 List
$79.99 at Amazon
$60 List
$59.99 at Amazon
$80 List
$79.99 at Amazon
$22 List
Overall Score Sort Icon
68
68
67
64
64
Star Rating
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Pros Doesn't overheat, many settings, affordable, multiple featuresConsistent, easy-to-use, useful appEasy to use, useful fill lines, heat consecutive bottlesUnique, portable, easy to useSimple, portable, cheaper, effective
Cons Slower, finagling to find best settingsExpensive, doesn't get very warmSpendy, not very fastCleanup tools, flange sizes could limit bottle styleNot good for everyday use, must prep water ahead of time
Bottom Line A competitive warmer for a lower price with lots of features and setting that doesn't overheat contentsAn expensive warmer that is easy to use with some unique and smart featuresAn easy warmer with lots of features that can heat consecutive bottles, but is slower to heatFills a niche for those on the go who need to warm without an outlet or nearby kitchenWhile simple and effective, you can probably do this kind of warming with containers you already own
Rating Categories First Years Gentle... Baby Brezza Safe an... Chicco Digital & St... Momcozy Portable Wa... Kiinde Kozii Voyage...
Warming Consistency (30%)
6.8
7.8
5.5
6.3
6.4
Nutrition (25%)
8.4
6.1
8.8
6.6
6.7
Quickness of Warming (25%)
4.5
5.0
4.9
5.4
5.4
Ease of Use (15%)
7.7
9.1
8.8
8.0
7.1
Ease of Cleaning (5%)
7.2
6.6
7.0
6.0
8.3
Specs First Years Gentle... Baby Brezza Safe an... Chicco Digital & St... Momcozy Portable Wa... Kiinde Kozii Voyage...
Heat Technology Water Bath Water Bath + Steam Water Bath + Steam Ceramic Heating Element Water Bath
TIme & Temperature at Auto Shut-Off 10m 21s: 83.42°F 5m 2s: 76.12°F 7m 22s: 73.92°F 8m 48s: 94.70°F 10m 30s: 100.20°F
**No auto-shut off; thermos model
Manufacturer Stated Bottle Compatibility Works With Most Baby Bottles Fits virtually all bottles, storage bags, and food jars Compatible with a wider variety of materials (glass, plastic, and silicone) Fits All of the Major Bottle Brands and it includes 5 Adapters that come with it for all of the major bottle brands

Philip Avent/ Chicco, Tommee Tippee, Comotomo / Boon, Dr. Brown's Narrow 40mm / Medala 40mm, Dr. Brown's Wide-Neck 50mm
Fits most pouches, bottles, and jars
Compatible with Glass Not Specified Yes

*Safe and Smart Bottle warmer is compatible with most bottle brands. We suggest reaching out the specific brand of bottle you are using just to be sure.
Yes Not Specified Yes
Compatible with Silicone Not Specified No Yes Not Specified Yes
Compatible with Pump Bags Not Specified Not recommended

*This product is compatible with most bottles and storage bags. We suggest checking with the specific brand to make sure.
Yes No Yes
Compatible with Plastic Not Specified Yes

*Our Safe + Smart Baby Bottle Warming basket fits all bottle brands/types, most storage bags (frozen or thawed) and plastic/glass food jars
Yes Not Specified Yes
Compatible with Wide Neck Bottles Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
From Frozen Capability Yes Yes Yes No No
Baby Food Heating Yes Yes Yes No No
Temperature or Timer Based Timer Timer Timer Temperature Manual
Auto Shut-Off Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Audible Beep Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Consecutive Warming Wait Time Not Listed Wait for unit to cool down completely Can unplug unit dump old hot water and refill with room temp water for consecutive heating cycles Not listed Can do a consecutive warming until thermos is out of water
LED Indicator for Completed Heating Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Measured Weight 1 lb 3.6 oz 1 lb 11.6 oz 1 lb 8.4 oz 15.6 oz 14.8 oz
Measured Dimensions 5.2 in x 4.9 in x 10.3 in 6.0 in x 6.6 in x 11.8 in 5.2 in x 5.1 in x 12.4 in 3.5 in x 3.5 in x 5.0 in 3.8 in x 3.8 in x 8.6 in
Measured Time to 98°F at Manufacturer Recommended Setting DNR (Highest Temp at 12 min was 88°F) 9m 30s DNR (Highest Temp at 12 min was 96°F) 10m 00s 10m 00s
Contents Kept Below 113ºF/45ºC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Measured Max Temperature if Left in Warmer Using the maximum settings 108.4°F 135.3°F 101.7°F 119.7°F 120.6°F
Keep Warm Function Yes, up to 60m No No No No
Additional Info/Features Keep warm for 1 hour Bluetooth capability Delayed start function Rechargeable battery and portable Portable


Best Overall Bottle Warmer


First Years Gentle Warmth Digital


68
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Warming Consistency 6.8
  • Nutrition 8.4
  • Quickness of Warming 4.5
  • Ease of Use 7.7
  • Ease of Cleaning 7.2
Auto Shut Off: Yes | Heating method: Water Bath
REASONS TO BUY
Consistent
Unlikely to overheat
Easy Interface
REASONS TO AVOID
Slow to heat
Trial & error for best setting

The First Years Gentle Warmth Digital is a high-ranking bottle warmer that impressed us with its ability to heat contents consistently and comes in an easy-to-use design. This reasonably priced option is a smart choice for those who value consistent results or who worry about overheating bottle contents.

This warmer is slower than most, and it can take some trial and error to find the best setting for your bottle type and content temperature. However, once you find it, the consistency of warming was predictable in our tests. If fast warming is all you want or your primary goal, the Philips AVENT Fast is one of the fastest in the group. We like the Gentle Warmth and its easy-to-use design and think it is the right option for most bottle-warming needs.

Read more: First Years Gentle Warmth Digital

The Gentle Warmth is easy to clean with parts that do not require special brushes for most.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Most Consistent Bottle Warmer


Baby Brezza Safe and Smart


68
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Warming Consistency 7.8
  • Nutrition 6.1
  • Quickness of Warming 5.0
  • Ease of Use 9.1
  • Ease of Cleaning 6.6
Auto Shut Off: Yes | Heating method: Both
REASONS TO BUY
App connection
Ultra consistency
Super easy
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Slow warming

The Baby Brezza Safe and Smart is an app-driven warmer that provides distance setting and launching as long as both are turned on and connected. It offers some of the most consistent temperature results in the group, and the setup and user interface on the machine and the app are both easy to navigate.

This unit is expensive, and while you might get what you pay for and the quality appears nice, it is a potential deal breaker for those with tighter budgets or who want more straightforward warming. For an easy option that heats consistently for a lower price, the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital is a budget-friendly warmer that heats bottles without all the bells and whistles. If you like the tech side of electronics or want a high-quality choice, then the Brezza could be the right option for your gear lineup.

Read more: Baby Brezza Safe and Smart

The Brezza can be controlled with an app on your smart device if both are on and connected via Bluetooth.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Best Travel Warmer


Momcozy Portable Warmer


64
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Warming Consistency 6.3
  • Nutrition 6.6
  • Quickness of Warming 5.4
  • Ease of Use 8.0
  • Ease of Cleaning 6.0
Auto Shut Off: Yes | Heating method: Ceramic Heat Plate
REASONS TO BUY
Portable
Rechargable
Multi-use on single charge
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
More cleaning

The Momcozy Portable Warmer Is the perfect warmer for moms on the go. This small, transportable warmer uses rechargeable batteries to warm bottle contents directly on a ceramic plate. This unit is easy to use, warms quickly, and can be used multiple times before it requires a recharge.

This warmer is expensive and could be a no-go fo those with a smaller budget. The Kindii Kozii Voyager is a wallet-loving warmer that might work if you only need 1-2 bottle warnings and plan to do them with 4-8 hours of leaving home. The Momcozy is also requires swift cleaning or at least rinsing with clean water since the contents make direct contact with the heating element. This unique travel warmer is a cool option for those who will frequently need to heat bottles away from home or outlets. It is easy to use and offers something no other warmer does, making it our top pick for travel or use away from home.

Read more: Momcozy Portable Warmer

The unique design of the Momcozy requires screwing the open bottle onto a connecting flange and turning it upside down to be heated by a ceramic plate in the warmer body.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Fastest Bottle Warmer


Philips AVENT Fast


60
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Warming Consistency 6.0
  • Nutrition 4.1
  • Quickness of Warming 7.1
  • Ease of Use 7.2
  • Ease of Cleaning 5.4
Auto Shut Off: Yes | Heating method: Water Bath
REASONS TO BUY
Quick heating
Relatively consistent
REASONS TO AVOID
Quick to overheat
Harder to clean

The Philips Avent Fast is an uber-fast warmer that worked quickly and consistently in our tests for heating bottles. It is a straightforward warmer with a user-friendly design, consisting of a single dial you adjust based on the amount of bottle contents.

The Fast has the potential to overheat bottle contents even when using the manufacturer's directions. This could lead to milk that is too hot or has suffered some level of nutritional degradation. The First Years Gentle Warmth heats slower and doesn't overheat contents when used properly, making it a better choice for sleep-deprived or distracted parents. However, if your goal is a super fast warmer and you plan to monitor warming to avoid overheating, then the Fast could be the right option for you.

Read more: Philips Avent Fast

The Philips Avent Fast is a fast-warming bottle warmer with few steps.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Compare Products

select up to 5 products to compare
Score Product Price
68
First Years Gentle Warmth Digital
Best Overall Bottle Warmer
$28
Editors' Choice Award
68
Baby Brezza Safe and Smart
Most Consistent Bottle Warmer
$80
Editors' Choice Award
67
Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer
$60
64
Momcozy Portable Warmer
Best Travel Warmer
$80
Top Pick Award
64
Kiinde Kozii Voyager Travel Warmer
$22
61
Kiinde Kozii
$75
60
Philips AVENT Fast
Fastest Bottle Warmer
$50
Top Pick Award
58
Tommee Tippee Multiwarm Intuitive
$60
53
The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve
$22
52
Grownsy Classic
$59
44
Tommee Tippee Easi-Warm
$39

We tested a variety of bottle warmers to find the quickest, most consistent, and easiest to use.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Why You Should Trust Us


Having researched more than 45 warmers over time, we've tested more than 34 contenders side-by-side. We measure multiple factors such as warming temperatures, warming times, ease of use, and cleaning ease. Our extensive and detailed testing took place over several months and in various settings, including in-house at GearLab, tester's homes, and daycares. Our test process includes more than 15 individual tests for temperature accuracy, temperature changes over time, and monitoring of how temperatures change over time to simulate what happens if parents forget to remove the bottle. We think the extensive heat monitoring tests are imperative to finding a safe and easy-to-use warmer. All warmers are not created equal, especially when it comes to ensuring that your precious breastmilk is not overheated. We focused on metrics such as health and safety, ease of use, warming efficiency, and ease of cleaning to find the best during our extensive testing. Our scores reveal the performance of each warmer and the differences between each.

Our tests for warming efficiency were done repeatedly to also determine the consistency of each warmer's heating abilities.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

At BabyGearLab, we provide readers with the world's most scientific reviews of baby gear. Leading our team since 2012 is founder Dr. Juliet Spurrier, a board-certified pediatrician and mother of two. Using her knowledge of all things baby and experience as a medical practitioner, Dr. Spurrier selects products with safety and efficacy in mind to develop the important metrics included in testing. Also contributing to this review is Senior Review Editor, Abriah Wofford, as well as Senior Review Editor and mother of two, Wendy Schmitz, both testing and reviewing baby gear at BabyGearLab since 2015 and 2014, respectively.

The Easi-Warm in our tests heated almost too quickly and potentially...
The Easi-Warm in our tests heated almost too quickly and potentially could overheat swiftly.
The Voyager testing was done in the same manner as other warmers...
The Voyager testing was done in the same manner as other warmers despite its unique travel warming system.

Analysis and Test Results


While it isn't an absolute necessity, some parents may find having a bottle warmer is a welcome addition to the baby gear arsenal. If you have multiple babies or are only bottle-feeding, a simple, convenient, and safe option for heating your baby's meals could be a big timesaver or a stress reducer. Think of it as an extra set of hands!


Value


Finding a good value bottle warmer is more than finding a cheaper option. While your budget might be small, we suspect you still want a better-performing option that isn't frustrating to use. The First Years Gentle Warmth is a high-ranking warmer that provides consistent bottle temperatures, is super easy to use, and is a snap to clean. This warmer has a below-average price but helps protect the nutritional profile of the bottle's contents, making it even more valuable than just the lower price.

We monitored and recorded the bottle content temperatures for each warmer recording the values over time for comparison to one another and compared to their own values over repeated tests.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Warming Consistency


We tested each bottle warmer for its ability to heat bottle contents consistently when using the manufacturer's directions. These tests were done to identify the warmers that can create predictable bottle temperatures time after time to avoid the possibility of parents creating bottles that are too hot or too cold.


We tracked the content's temperatures as they heated the bottles for over 12 minutes, again using the instructions provided with the unit.

bottle warmer
Credit: Abriah Wofford

We ran five trials and compared the values at the time of auto-shutoff (when the warmer stops heating the water bath) and 12 minutes, the time in which we stopped testing. Parents deserve a warmer that allows them to trust that the warmer will create similar temperatures time after time.

bottle warmer
Credit: Abriah Wofford

The highest performers in these tests were the Baby Brezza Safe and Smart with a temperature range of 11 degrees at auto-shutoff, and 5 degrees at 9 minutes when it first hits 98F degrees (the ideal temperature for bottles). The First Years Gentle Warmth Digital also performed well with a second-place score, and the Grownsy Classic and the Kiinde Kozii followed close behind.

The Easi-Warm heats quickly and doesn't have any kind of auto-shutoff, which led to overheating contents in our tests which results in potential for the degradation of nutrition.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Nutrition


Protecting the nutritional content of bottles should be a priority when choosing a bottle warmer. You want to avoid overheating or unevenly heating the contents. Doing so can cause hot spots or alter breast milk's nutritional or immunologic value. The best way to handle breastmilk, while upholding the nutrition, is to avoid exceeding a temperature of 104 F / 40 C. Ideally, milk stays at or below body temperature, 98.6 F / 37 C, for the entire warming process to help protect the nutritional profile.


We quickly formed preferences for specific features during testing. We became partial to products with warm water bath technology over steam heat, mainly because they aren't as hot and have a reduced risk of a scalding injury to you and your baby. Bottles tend to come out of these warmers slightly cooler and more comfortable to handle. There is also a lower likelihood of overheating internal contents.

bottle warmer
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Overheating Breastmilk Results in Nutrient Loss


The ideal drinking temperature for a baby's bottle will match that of your body, 98.6F/37C or less. So, it is essential to pay close attention to your warming process, especially regarding breast milk. As a living substance, breastmilk includes an incredible array of beneficial nutrients, like enzymes and probiotics, immune factors (such as IgG and IgM antibodies and immunoglobulin A), complex growth factors, and hormones.

However, as temperatures rise over 104 F / 40 C, a degradation of nutritional and immunological benefits begins. In fact, scientific studies show that both temperature and duration at high temperature is very significant. Relatively little loss of nutritional value occurs until temperatures rise above 113 F / 45 C, but the higher the temperature, the faster the degradation rate. For example, after 10 minutes at 113 F / 45 C, a study showed a loss of only about 10% of key nutritional-activated enzymes. But, if you raise the temperature higher to the temperature of hot tap water in many homes (too hot for breastmilk), just a minute at 131 F / 55 C resulted in the loss of half the activated enzymes.

bottle warmer - each warmer, including the first years gentle warmer shown here...
Each warmer, including the First Years Gentle Warmer shown here, underwent multiple tests for the temperature of bottle contents using the manufacturer's instructions and the highest setting possible.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Basic Bottle Warming Test


We did a comparative, controlled heating test to differentiate warmers for possible nutritional integrity. We determined which options were more likely to heat to recommended temperatures and successfully maintain breastmilk nutrients. We measured maximum temperatures at the manufacturer's recommended settings and fully cranked the maximum settings to account for the worst-case scenario if a user doesn't follow instructions. We also left the bottle in the warmer for up to 12 minutes to see how warm the milk gets if you forget to remove the bottle or can't get to it right away.

bottle warmer
Credit: Abriah Wofford

At recommended settings, we found that most of the warmers prevented overheating, as long as you keep an eye on them and don't let them sit. The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve, Philips AVENT Fast, Tommee Tippee Easi-Warm, and the Tommee Tippee Multiwarm Intuitive all heated bottle contents over the 104F mark before the 12 minute cut off. So, if you are the type to walk away or get distracted, these warmers might not be the best option for you. Alternatively, the highest scoring options in this metric that were highly unlikely to reach higher temperatures even at the full 12-minute test time were the Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer and the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital. The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve and the Tommee Tippee Multiwarm Intuitive also performed well in these tests.

bottle warmer
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Overheating is Possible at Maximum Settings


In a second test, we set the warmers to the maximum heating setting (not the manufacturer's recommended setting) to see if the warmer's misuse could result in overheating breastmilk.

bottle warmer - the baby brezza exceeded 104f in about 4 minutes on the highest...
The Baby Brezza exceeded 104F in about 4 minutes on the highest setting.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

The Baby Brezza reached temperatures exceeding 104F at around 4 minutes on average using the highest setting. It is the fastest and the most likely to overheat the bottle's contents when used at the hottest setting. At 12 minutes cut off time, all of the warmers were over the 104F limit with the exception of the Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer. Many of the warmers reached temperatures of 120+ F. This is way too hot for anything baby drinks, which is a severe concern for us. Some were closer to 140F! Even though this test used settings outside of the manufacturer's recommendation, we suspect many parents could make this mistake for the sake of time or forget the bottle is in the warmer.

bottle warmer - all bottle contents should be tested on your inner wrist after...
All bottle contents should be tested on your inner wrist after swirling and before giving to your baby. The inside of your wrist has thinner skin and is more sensitive to temperature than your hands.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Always Swirl
You should swirl a warmed bottle for about 30 seconds to remove potential hot spots. You MUST check the contents' warmth by putting a few drops on your inner wrist to ensure the temperature isn't too hot or too cold for your baby. The skin on your inner wrist is thin and sensitive to temperature. Milk warmed to body temperature will feel barely warm, not too warm, and definitely not hot.

bottle warmer
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Quickness of Warming


Warming efficiency is the ability to consistently heat a bottle's contents to a similar temperature at a similar rate each time. No cooling period or shorter wait time between heat cycles is beneficial, especially if you have multiples or are in a daycare setting. We ran our warming quickness tests using the manufacturer's instructions for each unit using the water bath option if two options exist.


Steam heat technology helps warm bottles quickly. However, as mentioned earlier, steam heat has its drawbacks. For example, steam heat technology is incompatible with glass bottles due to breakage potential during rapid temperature changes. More importantly, steam warmers present a real risk of overheating milk if used at their maximum settings and potential for scaling injuries to users. With water bath warmers, the warming process takes significantly longer. We think these longer times are worth the wait so that the bottle contents aren't too hot, and the risk of steam-related injury isn't a concern.

bottle warmer - we tracked bottle content temperatures using a device that recorded...
We tracked bottle content temperatures using a device that recorded the time and temperature simultaneously to ensure accurate results for comparison.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

The quickest options when using the instructions were the Philips AVENT Fast and the Tommee Tippee Easi-Warm. Both reach body temperature quicker than competitors with both units heating on average to 98F around 6 minutes. The slowest options were the Tommee Tippee Multiwarm Intuitive, Grownsy Classic, and the Kiinde Kozii.

Thawing Breast Milk
We recommend thawing frozen breast milk overnight in the refrigerator before use. Thawing will shorten warming time, which means you'll be able to get that hungry baby drinking faster.

The Baby Brezza is one of the easiest options in the review to use and can be paired with a user-friendly app.
Credit: Matt Lighthart

Ease of Use


If your baby is exclusively bottle feeding, you may find yourself using a warmer every 2 or 3 hours. Having a simple, easy-to-use warmer with clear instructions can make it easier for you and other caregivers who may help you. We based our ease of use results on factors such as assembly out of the box, clear and specific instructions, quick set-up for each use, versatility, compatibility, portability, and useful elements like a water reservoir, timer, and auto shut-off.


The top-scoring warmer in the ease-of-use metric is the Baby Brezza Safe and Smart. This unit is straightforward and easy to operate and includes the ability to connect a downloadable app. This warmer is followed by the Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer, which has a simple design and instructions that make setting the warmer easy. The Kiinde Kozii and the Momcozy Portable follow close behind. The hardest option to use is the Tommee Tippee Easi-Warm because it is almost too simple, and it can be challenging to warm a bottle the same every time and requires an external timer not included on the warmer.

The First Years Simple Serve includes a water vial to ensure you fill the reservoir with the perfect water amount.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Water Reservoir


A warmer with an integrated or attached water reservoir can save you time and effort. You don't need to add water with every use. Steam-based warmers require you to fill a small vial with a precise amount of water each time you use the unit. It's easy to spend almost as much time filling the vial as you do waiting for the bottle to warm, which can be tedious.

bottle warmer - many warmers include a quick reference chart for easy setting...
Many warmers include a quick reference chart for easy setting selection, though we find you still need to do a little finagling to get everything just right.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Setting Timer and Warming Charts


Most products include charts to help you set the timer for perfect warming. These charts can range from simplistic to frustrating. Many of the instructions give directions for different bottle sizes, materials, and temperatures. Having multiple directions can complicate matters, but it is essential to consider all the variables.

We found that some products need a bit of a fiddle factor to achieve the best results. Be aware that you will inevitably go through trial and error before you consistently reach the perfect setting for daily use. However, it shouldn't take more than a day or so of fiddling to get a working mojo going with your new warmer.

The Kiinde Kozii Voyager is easy to clean with a bottle brush and several components can be placed in the top rack of the dishwasher.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Cleaning


Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential, but the frequency (every day vs. every use) depends on the unit. The external cleaning process typically involves a quick wipe with a dry cloth.


However, because warmers use water, mineral deposits can build up internally. These deposits mean you need to descale the units every few weeks, particularly in areas with hard water. The descaling or demineralization process removes calcium and lime deposits that can build up on surfaces inside the warming chamber and the heating element after prolonged contact with water. Soaking the bottle warmer's internal surfaces in vinegar, usually explained in manufacturer instructions, will remove deposits. Some products require extended soaking time, which could be a deal-breaker if you rely on your warmer for frequent feeding.

The Momcozy Portable includes its own brush for getting the ceramic heating plate clean.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

We also considered how difficult it is to get things very clean. Some products have hard-to-reach nooks and crannies with narrow and deep warming chambers and a poorly designed water reservoir that makes it impossible to get inside for scrubbing. The units that scored well in this metric had fewer parts and accessories and easy-to-access water reservoirs.

The easiest to keep clean was the Kiinde Kozii Voyager Travel Warmer, which is just a collection of cups for the most part that you can easily wash in the sink, or some are dishwasher safe. While you might be able to wipe them without a bottle brush, it will make it easier, and there is no descaling required. The First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve, First Years Gentle Warmth Digital, and the Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer follow close behind. The hardest to clean were both Tommee Tippee options, thanks in large part to hard-to-read and vague descaling instructions.

We tested various bottle warmers from different brands to find the best options for every goal.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Conclusion


Some might think that a bottle warmer is a "nice-to-have" instead of a "must-have" item in your baby's feeding gear. However, it can help create a simple and efficient feeding routine for formula or breast milk. The perks for many parents are worth the time and money to invest in a great warmer, especially for parents with multiple bottle users. To find the best bottle warmer for your needs, we put each product through extensive testing. We evaluate the safety, warming efficiency, and ease of use to gauge its functionality in the real world. We can confidently choose the top performers and make recommendations for every need and budget.

Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz