In a sea of “essential” gear and gadgets for newborns it’s only a matter of time before you come across bottle washers and sanitizers — high-tech gadgets that wash, dry, and sanitize baby bottles with the press of a button. But do you really need one?
Bottle washers are not necessary for safely feeding your baby, but they can have major convenience benefits, according to experts. To help you find the best bottle washers and sanitizers, we talked to two certified lactation consultants and a board-certified fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics about what to consider if you’re going to buy one.
SKIP AHEAD How we picked the best bottle washers | The best bottle washers of 2024 | How to shop for bottle washers | How to wash baby bottles
How we picked the best bottle washers
Washing bottles properly is “incredibly important,” especially for babies under three months old, says Chandani DeZure, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “There’s nothing magical that happens at three months, but the younger the baby is, the more vulnerable they are.” To find the best bottle washers and sterilizers, here’s what we looked for:
- Drying capability: “You will spend a lot of time of your life cleaning bottles and needing them to dry — they take forever to dry manually,” says Brandi Jordan, a board-certified lactation consultant, pediatric sleep and newborn care specialist, postpartum doula, founder of pregnancy and postpartum resource center The Cradle Company, and board member of Swehl. “Part of the reason why you buy these machines is to cut that time. It actually ends up adding more time if it doesn’t have that feature.”
- Sterilizing capability: The best bottle washers save you from needing to boil bottles (which can also pose a burn risk if you use glass bottles). “You want something that does it all — that will wash it, dry it, steam it, and sanitize it with one easy mechanism,” says DeZure.
- Storage capacity: The most convenient countertop bottle washers also double as a clean place to store bottles and pump parts when you’re not using them. All of our picks have room for multiple bottles for efficiency and easy storage.
- Ease of cleaning: To prevent the buildup of bacteria, you’ll need to periodically clean them, says DeZure. Our picks are all fairly easy to do so and won’t add a ton of time to your routine.
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The best bottle washers of 2024
Baby Brezza Bottle Washer Pro
- Does everything in one cycle
- Stores bottles
- Requires Baby Brezza detergent
- HEPA filter needs replacing
Both Jordan and Victoria Facelli, international board-certified lactation consultant and author of “Feed the Baby: An Inclusive Guide to Nursing, Bottle-feeding and Everything in Between” recommend the Baby Brezza Bottle Washer Pro, one of the only products on the market that actually washes, drys and sanitizes bottles. “It works really, really well,” says Jordan. To wash, 20 jets spray bottles with water form a pre-filled tank. A steam cycle follows for sanitization, and then HEPA-filtered hot air dries your bottles. One of the issues Jordan often sees with other combination bottle washer/dryers is that you have to run multiple cycles to get bottles fully clean and dry. “This one does pretty well,” she says, and has multiple cycle combination options (wash only, wash and sanitize only, sanitize only, etc.). It also has a “nice footprint” and doesn’t take up an unreasonable amount of space on your countertop, according to Facelli.
Wabi Baby UVC LED Sanitizer & Dryer
- Extremely roomy
- Perfect for storing bottles
- Drys and sanitizes
- Takes up counter space
- Expensive
I can personally attest to the usefulness of one of Jordan’s favorite sanitizers — the Wabi Baby UVC LED Sanitizer & Dryer — which has been sitting on my counter for the past 15 months. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t felt grateful to have a 30-minute dry and sanitize cycle right at my finger tips. Roughly the size of a small mini fridge, the Wabi Baby is large, but I’ve loved how much it can fit inside. At peak use times, I’ve crammed eight bottles, pump parts, and several toys inside. (I’ve also thrown my phone in there on occasion.) Some of my favorite features include the five-minute UV sanitize cycle and storage mode, which automatically runs a sanitize cycle every hour.
Wabi Baby UVC LED Sanitizer & Dryer MINI
- Compact
- Sleek
- Holds up to nine bottles
- Pricey
For those with less counter space but who still want a sleek dryer/sanitizer combo, Wabi Baby makes a mini version of their full-size sanitizer. “What’s great about the UV sterilizers is they tend to be useful for the long haul,” says Jordan. “You can put toys and teethers in there, you can put your remote in there, your cell phone — it’s useful beyond the bottle stage,” she says.
Philips Avent Baby Bottle Sterilizer Advanced
- Affordable
- Sterilizes bottles in minutes
- Small counter footprint
- Doesn't dry bottles
For a more budget-friendly option, Jordan likes the Philips Avent Baby Bottle Sterilizer Advanced, which uses a steam cycle to sterilize bottles, killing 99.9% of germs. Specifically, she likes the ease of cleaning, it has an easily removable heating plate (which you can hand wash in the sink) and that it seems to get less mineral scaling than other brands, she says. The sleekly designed pod has a small footprint (12 inches x 7 inches), fits up to six standard-sized bottles and doubles as a storage container that keeps bottles sterile for 24 hours.
Comfee Countertop Dishwasher
- Can also use for dishes
- Washes, dries and sanitizes
- Bulky
Another option to make washing bottles easier is to purchase a countertop dishwasher, particularly “if you want something that’s going to be able to do more than bottles longer term,” says Facelli, who likes this Comfee Countertop dishwasher. It does the same things as a bottle washer like the Baby Brezza (washes, sanitizes, and dries) while also being able to fit a few dishes. “The main difference is the internal structure,” she says. “The baby-specific ones have different levels for pacifiers and nipples and bottles, but that’s not strictly necessary,” she says. The Comfee has capacity for up to 30 items including nine and a half-inch plates.
Babymoov Turbo Pure 3-in-1 Sterilizer
- Customizable storage layout
- Multiple cycle lengths
- Dishwasher-safe
- Small
Facelli also recommends the Babymoov Turbo Pure 3-in-1 Sterilizer, which sanitizes bottles with steam and then uses hot HEPA-filtered air to dry in a single 38-minute cycle. For quick sterilization, the Babymoov also has a sterilize-only cycle that takes just eight minutes. For ease of cleaning, the display features an alert for limescale buildup, letting you know when it’s time to descale.
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How to shop for bottle washers
If you’re stressed about buying yet another baby gadget, rest assured you don’t need a bottle washer to safely feed your baby. Hand washing and sterilizing bottles is perfectly safe, as is running bottles through a sanitize cycle on your dishwasher, according to the experts we spoke with.
These gadgets are all about convenience. So before you buy, consider the following factors that will make your life easier:
Size
Bottle washers and sterilizers come in a range of sizes. “Some of them really take up a lot of counter space, so if you’re living in a studio in Brooklyn, you may not want to have the UV ones that tend to be really, really large,” says Jordan. The upside of larger models is that they not only clean more per cycle, but can safely store more bottles when you’re not using them.
Interior storage configuration
Bottle washers also come with a variety of internal storage configurations — some models have racks specifically designed to hold a set number of bottles and nipples or small pump accessories, while other models are basically hollow cubes, which can hold any number of variously sized items. If you prefer the organization of the former, keep in mind that it may not fit every type of bottle on the market, says DeZure. If you have a specific bottle brand you know you’ll be using, check product descriptions and reviews to make sure it’s compatible.
Length of cycle
The main convenience people like is that it’s a much faster way to have clean and dry bottles, says Facelli. Pay attention to how long a full cycle takes on your model of choice. Longer cycles (around 60 minutes) may be great to wash a full load before bedtime but inconvenient if you need a bottle ASAP. Personally, I love having the option for a short (10 minutes or less) sterilizing cycle commonly found on UV sterilizers, which is extremely handy when a favorite pacifier or teether ends up on the floor.
Ease of cleaning
Remember bottle washers themselves will need cleaning. “You’re going to have to periodically descale it,” just like you would with a coffee maker, says Jordan. “If you don’t take care of that buildup, you might not be getting the bottles as clean as you would using a bottle brush and soap.” Models that have water reservoirs for wash cycles or steam sanitizing also carry the risk of mold buildup, much like a humidifier. Make sure you closely follow the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning and maintenance instructions. “If they’re not cleaned appropriately, that runs the risk of infection for the baby,” says DeZure.
How to wash baby bottles
Even if you are using a bottle washer or sanitizer, properly cleaning baby bottles still involves some manual labor. “Particularly for bottles that have breast milk in them, which tends to have a much more fatty consistency [than formula], you do still need to actually take a bottle brush to scrub them or you’ll be left with a waxy film,” says Jordan. To do this, you don’t technically need a countertop bottle washer or sterilizer — but these gadgets can make the process significantly more convenient. “If you’re a new parent, convenience is no minor thing,” says DeZure.
To clean your bottles, you’ll need to thoroughly scrub all bottle parts with soap and hot water in a clean basin. (Bottles should never be thrown directly into the sink, which often harbors bacteria.) Ideally, you should also sanitize bottles with steam, boiling water or UV light at least once a day to kill any lingering germs, says DeZure. To prevent bacteria buildup, experts recommend replacing your dedicated bottle brush at least every 90 days, says DeZure.
To dry, place items on a clean, dry towel or use a sterilizer with a drying function. If you’re handwashing bottles, “the recommendation is to put a clean paper towel over a clean dish towel and then set everything to air dry,” saysFacelli.
You can also use your dishwasher to wash baby bottles. “It’s going to do the same thing as a bottle washer but you can use it much more long term,” says Jordan. She recommends using a dishwasher detergent that’s free of chemical additives.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Chandani DeZure, M.D., FAAP, is a board-certified pediatrician in San Diego and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who specializes in newborn care, neonatal intensive care and acute care.
- Brandi Jordan, IBCLC, is an international board-certified lactation consultant, pediatric sleep and newborn specialist, postpartum doula, founder of pregnancy and postpartum resource center The Cradle Company, and board member of Swehl.
- Victoria Facelli, IBCLC, is an international board-certified lactation consultant in North Carolina.
Why trust NBC Select?
Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist and former Glamour editor who has covered pregnancy and postpartum care for over a decade. For this article, MacKenzie spoke to three newborn care experts — two international board-certified lactation consultants and a board-certified fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics — and drew on her personal experience as mom to a one-year-old.
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