In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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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 April 2, 2024, with an all-new lineup of options and full side-by-side, in-lab testing. We performed a second update July 29, 2024, to include new charts.
The Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer is a great overall bottle warmer, offering water baths and steam warming. It has useful fill lines and allows for consecutive heating, making it a good choice for those with multiple babies to feed. We like the simple user interface and the unlikliness of overheating a bottle's contents. This means fewer opportunities for nutrient loss or accidental scalding. Our tests took about 8 minutes (on average) to reach 80F degrees and 11 minutes to reach 98F degrees on average over 5 trials.
This is not the cheapest warmer, though not the most expensive either. The price could be a deal break for tighter budgets, and the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital is a high-ranking contender that can save you money. It also is not the fastest warmer we tested. Though we prefer consistency and less opportunity to overheat, we know some parents will want a faster warmer. The Baby Brezza Safe and Smart heats contents quicker and has an app for more control over your warmer. When all is said and done, we think the Chicco is an excellent warmer that will get the job done, with a greater margin of potential safety against burns and overheated milk, for a reasonable price and easy-to-use features.
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. It is also one of the faster options in the higher ranking options in our review. In our tests, this option took, on average, five and a half minutes to reach 80 degrees and nine and a half to reach body temperature.
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.
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 smart for those who value consistent results or worry about overheating bottle contents. It is hard to say the average time to reach 80F in our tests as it varied widely from 4-7 minutes or more.
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 some bottle-warming needs.
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 for 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 within 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.
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
Compare Products
We tested a variety of bottle warmers to find the quickest, most consistent, and easiest to use.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
How We Test Bottle Warmers
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 occurred over several months in various settings, including in-house testing at GearLab, testers' 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
Why Trust GearLab
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.
Choosing the best bottle warmer doesn't need to be throwing darts at a board when you use our test details and information to make an informed decision.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
How to Pick the Best Bottle Warmer
While bottle warmers are similar in what they do, they aren't the same in how they do it, their safety, and the features they offer. Choosing the best one for your needs only requires asking yourself a few questions to get the decision juices flowing and the milk warming.
Health and safety of the water temperature, bottle content temperature, and potential for scalding or nutrient loss are important considerations when choosing a warmer.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Health and Safety Considerations
Heating bottles require some practice to avoid potential burns for you and your baby. The temperature of the warmer, the bottle, and the bottle's contents are super important. While every sleep-deprived parent wants a bottle to warm quickly, you should also be mindful of the potential of heated products causing potential burns or losing valuable nutrition while heating. We prefer warmers that heat a little slower, offer safety features, and keep the bottle contents close to body temperature and under 104 F.
How quickly a warmer can heat your bottle contents can be very important when your baby is fussy, and you're sleep-deprived.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Warming Quickness
Using your warmer as directed and avoiding the temptation of pushing the limits is key, and finding a warmer that avoids overheating is the start. While we understand the desire to heat contents quickly, especially when you have a fussy baby nearby, we urge all caregivers to avoid using their warmer outside of the manufacturer's guidelines. For this reason, finding a warmer that works efficiently and quickly while avoiding overheating or failing to provide features to help you avoid overheating is important. Remember, having a slightly cooler bottle is better than an overheated one.
Finding an easy-to-use interface with enough meaningful features, like the Chicco, can help you achieve a bottle that is not too warm.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Is it Easy to Use?
Most of the warmers are straightforward, but some are almost too simple. We preferred those with intuitive interfaces and quick start instructions, as well as those with more than one setting, so you can better ensure a properly heated bottle. We found that those with fewer features could more easily result in temperatures that were too high. And those with too many features could easily result in ignoring the instructions out of frustration or forgetfulness.
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 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!
What's the Best 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 content 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.
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
Health and Safety Ratings
Protecting yourself and your baby from burns and scalding from overheated bottles is job one when using a bottle warmer. Finding a warmer that heats quickly and consistently and has safety features like a bottle basket and auto-shut-off (to avoid the water bath from over heating) can help protect users during the warming process. Auto-shut-off and slow warmers can help protect the bottle contents from getting too hot and causing injuries to the baby's mouth.
Protecting the nutritional content of bottles should also be a priority. 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 should stay at or below body temperature, 98.6 F / 37 C, for the entire warming process to help protect the nutritional profile.
During testing, we quickly formed preferences for specific features. 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 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 (lower but not zero with some of the options).
The high performers in this metric are the Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer, Grownsy Classic, First Years Gentle Warmth Digital, and the Tommee Tippee Multiwarm Intuitive. These warmers offer features like bottle baskets, auto-shut-off, and slow warming to help prevent overheating. The lowest scoring option is the Tommee Tippee Easi-Warm. This warmer has limited adjustments and overheated contents in our tests more often than not, and it didn't offer features to help prevent scalding of the user or the baby.
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, paying close attention to your warming process is essential, especially regarding breast milk. As a living substance, breastmilk includes many 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.
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 it or can't get to it right away.
Our observed average milk temperature inside the bottle while warming using the manufacturer settings.
Credit: Rachael Lamore
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 minutes 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, Grownsy Classic, and the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital.
Our observed average milk temperature inside the bottle while warming using the maximum settings.
Credit: Rachael Lamore
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.
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 10-11 minutes on average using the highest setting. At the 12-minute cut-off time, most of the warmers were over the 104F limit, with the exception of the Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer, Grownsy Classic, and the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital. The Tommee Tippee Easi-Warm reached temperatures closer to 140F. This is way too hot for anything baby drinks, which is a severe concern for us. It is such basic water with few features that it is easy to overheat bottle contents without monitoring or setting an alarm. 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. We also know, from experience, how easy it is to lose track of time when using a warmer if your baby is fussy or has other needs like a diaper change or blowout cleanup.
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.
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 Quality
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. We also tracked when the auto-shut-off feature happened and the temperature at this time. When the heating of the water bath reaches the manufacturer's pre-set temperature, the unit stops heating the water and automatically shuts off. However, the bottle contents will continue to heat after this point.
We took the temperature of the bottle contents at auto-shutoff for comparison because many parents often use this shutoff moment as a guide for bottle warming. The chart shows that shutoff time is not the best guide for achieving the ideal bottle content temperature. So, in our mind, it is a largely useless hallmark given that it only indicates the water bath is done heating and none of the bottle contents were body temperature at shut off. It can take more time in the warmer and some trial and error to determine the length of time it takes to warm your bottle to something close to 98 degrees F. Only four warmers in our tests managed to reach a temperature over 80 degrees F. We encourage caregivers not to use auto shut-off as an indicator for bottle content temperature.
Credit: Rachael Lamore
We ran five trials and recorded the content temperature over time for up to 12 minutes. We compared the values at different times focusing on how long it took the contents to reach a temperature of 80 F degrees (a warm enough bottle) and 98 degrees (body temperature and similar to breast milk). Parents deserve a warmer that allows them to trust that the warmer will create similar temperatures time after time.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The highest performer in these tests was 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 (the ideal bottle temperature). Other top performers include the Kiinde Kozii Voyager Travel, Momcozy Portable Warmer, and the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital.
This chart shows how long it takes the warmer to heat the bottle's contents to an ideal temperature of 98F degrees /36.6C degrees versus the auto shut-off time in minutes. We include this chart to show that the auto shut-off is largely useless and that it is hard to say that it means anything in relation to the bottle content temperature.
Credit: Rachael Lamore
Warming Time
Quickness of warming is a measure and assessment of how quickly each warmer can heat a bottle to around body temperature. 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.
We tracked bottle content temperatures using a device that recorded the time and temperature simultaneously to ensure accurate results for comparison.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
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.
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 First Years Gentle Warmth, Grownsy Classic, and 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 use 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.
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 consistently reaching the perfect setting for daily use. However, getting a working mojo going with your new warmer shouldn't take more than a day or so of fiddling.
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 (daily 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 must 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, making it impossible to scrub inside. 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 no descaling is 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, largely thanks 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 formula or breast milk feeding routine. 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 tested each product extensively. 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.
