The 5 Best Baby Bottle Warmers

When you're sleep-deprived and trying to calm down a crying baby in the middle of the night, the convenience of having a baby bottle warmer at your disposal can't be overstated. To ensure you're not keeping a hungry baby waiting too long, the best baby bottle warmers can heat up a typical bottle of expressed breast milk or formula in about three minutes or less. And if you want something multifunctional, look for a warmer that has the ability to sterilize or defrost.

While models today tend to boast plenty of bells and whistles, if they can't ace the basics (i.e. warm the bottle quickly) they're not worth the money. Heating times for a four- to five-ounce bottle can range from a few minutes up to six minutes (or even higher), and sometimes you really have to hunt down this information since manufacturers are not always forthcoming with it. Consider a unit that warms in three minutes to be the gold standard.

Just as important, your machine should also be compatible with the style and type (plastic, silicone, or glass) of bottles you prefer. Most warmers hold one bottle at a time and not all are designed with a universal fit, so it's important to have the dimensions of your most-used baby bottle on hand when you start shopping. This goes for all styles of baby bottles but is especially important to do if you like a wide-neck or breast-shaped kind.

You'll also want to consider what type of functionality you're looking for (if any) beyond warming. They will cost a bit more, but a multipurpose option with a sterilizer can keep your baby feeding gear to a centralized location. And some advanced warmers can also offer tired caregivers and parents peace of mind with auto-off functions or pre-programmable settings.

Based on these criteria, I've rounded up are the best baby bottle warmers you can buy on Amazon below.

1. The Overall Best

This Philips Avent fast baby bottle warmer is the most expensive pick on this list, but your investment buys you a state-of-the-art machine that offers a maximum amount of features. Not only does it heat bottles as quickly as three minutes, but there's also a smart sensor that keeps bottles warm — at the same temperature — for up to an hour automatically (before shutting off), which is especially convenient for those times when you have to unexpectedly delay a feeding. Other highlights include a dial with tick marks that indicate which temperature to choose based on how many ounces you're heating (negating the need to keep consulting with a product manual). Also on the dial, you'll find options to defrost or heat up baby food from jars. While the minimalist design makes it so simple to operate, there is one notable element missing: a clock. Still, there's an indicator light to alerts you when a cycle is done. This warmer is compatible with different bottle types including plastic, glass, and silicone, as well as wide-shaped bottles like ones by Comotomo and Dr. Brown's. Also, take note that, as with all warmers, the average heat up time of silicone bottles may take longer than the manufacturer's stated speed because of how much thicker silicone is as a material.

Helpful review: “Best bottle warmer!! I had a different one before this and threw it in the trash. Spend the money and get a nice bottle warmer, you use it 10x a day in the beginning. Warms at a perfect temperature and love that it keeps the bottle warm for an hour so I can make the bottle before she wakes up and have it ready."

2. The Best Budget-Friendly Warmer-Sterilizer Combo

With 2,000+ glowing reviews from Amazon customers, this GROWNSY bottler warmer and sterilizer is a great budget-friendly multitasker that saves you the expense of having to buy two separate machines. You can safely use a wide range of bottles (including wide-neck and/or breast-shaped ones made from glass, silicone, or plastic). This combination gadget can heat a bottle in as little as three minutes. Alternatively, you can use the timer setting to keep a bottle warm or defrost a frozen pouch for a set period of time, so you can feed your little one as soon as your baby is hungry (otherwise, there's an auto-shut off function for safety). Another time-saver that's especially helpful when it's the middle of the night and you're barely awake is the device's smart memory function, which remembers the last setting you chose.

Helpful review: "Game changer bottle warmer! Looks a little complicated to use but once you read the instructions you’ll get the hang of it. Warms quickly enough to get to my hungry baby, especially during her night feeds. Good design, it blends into my kitchen supplies and is a compact size that won’t take too much space."

3. The Largest Capacity

The biggest advantage of this MOSFiATA bottle warmer and sterilizer is that its large capacity allows you to heat up to four bottles at once, making it an especially perfect option for households with multiple babies. Plus, it doubles as a sterilizer, and thanks to its larger size, that means you can also throw in a combination of baby gear, like pump parts and pacifiers. The machine is compatible with an array of materials (plastic, glass, and silicone) as well as wide-shaped containers, and its LED display screen is easy to read and understand. Choose temperature presets for warming milk, formula, or baby food, or set a timer to start the machine up in advance. Thanks to the "defrost" setting, you can also heat up frozen milk pouches straight from the freezer. Keep in mind that the trade-off for a bigger capacity is that the wait time is a bit longer than other options on this list (a reported 6 to 8 minutes on the "rapid heating" mode). Your purchase also includes some helpful accessories, including a pair of tongs, two bottle brushes, and a removable tray to use when sterilizing small parts.

Helpful review: “Ultra sleek and cute baby warmer. Love the disinfect option for bottle nipples and pacifiers. It really is a lifesaver when I'm in a rush and need something clean in a hurry. Set up was simple and the warmer is easy to use."

4. The Most Portable

When you're on the road or not able to access an electrical outlet, this thermal flask-style Tommee Tippee bottle warmer with a leak-proof lid is a great tool to keep in your diaper bag. To activate the warming function, you'll need to fill the stainless steel container with boiled water that you've prepped before you left your house or asked the kind waitstaff at a restaurant to do. Then, when you think you're getting close to your next feeding, pour the right amount of heated water into the included BPA-free plastic cup and then place your bottle inside. The brand advises that you'll need to let it sit "for less than 15 minutes," but this varies depending on how long the water has been in the container (per reviewers, you can expect a range of anywhere from two to 10 minutes of wait time). It's compatible with plastic, glass, and silicone bottles, some wider-shaped ones, and you can also use it to heat up baby food jars and pouches.

Helpful review: “Love that the thermos keeps water warm for a really long time, you can potentially get multiple warmings from one fill, and it has its own top for submerging the bottle. So convenient!!! Also, can use as regular thermos later. Great investment!”

5. The Best Bang For Your Buck

For a no-frills, low-cost option, you can't go wrong with this Tommee Tippee Easi-Warm bottle warmer. It's capable of evenly heating up most sizes of plastic, silicone, or glass bottles, as well as baby food jars in as little as four minutes. It will cost you about half as much as some other options on this list, but there are some drawbacks to consider: There are only two fixed temperature settings and one to maintain the warm temperature and some Amazon reviewers mentioned it can be easy to miss the relatively quiet beep when the warmer is ready. In addition, this warmer is only meant to be used for bottles or jars; it's not recommended for warming up pouches. Still, if those aren't deal-breakers for you, this machine is a quality option at an affordable price.

Helpful review: "I did a lot of searching to find what I needed since I didn’t want anything super fancy. I only need it to warm up baby food and an occasional frozen breastmilk pouch. This has exceeded my expectations."