The 9 Best Breast Milk Storage Bags to Preserve Your Liquid Gold

If you’re a pumping mom, there’s a good chance you’ve cried over spilt milk. Pumping is hard work, so seeing even a drop of your liquid gold go to waste can be pretty devastating—especially when you throw those big new-mom hormones into the mix. To prevent spills (whether of milk or tears), it’s essential to store pumped breast milk correctly. That’s where breast milk bags come in, and just like with most baby products, there’s an abundance of options to choose from.

With four kids at home, I’ve been through a slew of breast milk storage bags. I’ve learned over the years which are standouts and which will just hog precious freezer space (and possibly even leak). To save you the trial, error and potential breakdowns, we also spoke with Larissa O’Loughlin, a certified lactation consultant, registered nurse, parent educator and founder of The Mama Coach for her recommendations, and rounded up the best breast milk storage bags out there.

How We Chose the Best Breast Milk Storage Bags

A good breast milk storage milk bag can make the difference between having an ample milk supply at the ready for baby and dealing with leaks, spills and freezer space issues. When selecting our list of the best storage bags for breast milk, we:

• Talked to a certified lactation consultant to get her recommendations on important elements to factor in when shopping for these bags.
• Consulted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on proper breast milk storage and preparation to ensure all bags we chose fit the agency’s stringent recommendations.
• Analyzed reviews from real users to learn more about how these bags performed for a range of families in a variety of breast milk storage situations. Only breast milk storage bags with an average rating of four or more stars were considered.
• Relied on our real-world knowledge as parents who have used these bags for years. Having daily experience with breast milk storage bags gives us unique insight on what separates outstanding bags from the competition.

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The Best Breast Milk Storage Bags to Buy

How to Store Breast Milk

According to the CDC, freshly expressed breast milk can only be kept on the counter for four hours. If it’s going to be kept any longer, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator (for up to four days) or the freezer (for up to 12 months, although six months is best). In terms of cost and space, breast milk storage bags are the most efficient way to store your stash of breast milk. Made of sturdy, food-grade, BPA-free plastic, breast milk bags are specifically designed to keep your milk safe, organized and sanitary, no matter where it’s kept. The best breast milk storage bags will also prevent leaks or bursts, lay flat for storage, stand on their own for pours and provide ample space for measurements and labeling.

Tempted to use plastic baggies or disposable bottle liners instead? Don’t. Not only does the CDC advise against it, but neither are designed to hold breast milk—meaning the chances of spills, leaks or contamination are high.

What to Consider When Buying Breast Milk Storage Bags

Whether you’re a new mom navigating the daunting world of breastfeeding for the first time, or a veteran who has the basics of pumping and storage down (but still haven’t found a bag you love, even after a few babies), you’re never wrong to feel overwhelmed. But before you end up poring over thousands of online reviews—and trying out more bags than you can count on two hands—in your quest to find the best breast milk storage bags, we’ve put these tips together to help narrow and fine-tune your search. In O’Loughlin’s professional experience, she’s come in contact with every kind of breast milk storage bag, and she shared some important qualities to keep in mind when you’re shopping:

• Durability. Pumping breast milk can be a chore (one moms are happy to do for their babies, of course, but a chore nonetheless), so when you’ve done the work, the last thing you need is for the bag that’s holding your precious liquid gold to break or tear—whether you’re just filling it up or have had it in the freezer for a while. You’ll want to look for bags using food-grade, BPA-free materials with extra qualifiers for durability: thick, double-layer plastic or silicone, double-zipper seals/closures to keep air out, reinforced seams to prevent rips and even exterior trim to provide greater cushioning in case the bag drops.
• Accurate milk-measuring marks. Nearly all breast milk storage bags come with some measurement markings to quantify how much milk you’ve produced. Regrettably, most of the markers are inaccurate, notes O’Loughlin. “Most bags come with volume markings on the side, but these are inaccurate compared to measuring it in a bottle.” If you want the most to-the-ounce gauge (whether you’re closely tracking what baby consumes at each feeding or monitoring your own output), “always double-check the amount in a bottle first before transferring it to a bag.” You can do this by cross-referencing with a bottle or even weighing your milk on a digital kitchen scale (making sure to account for the weight of the bottle too).
• **Leak-proof and spill-proof design features. Breast milk storage bags are unique in that they’re pre-sterilized and ready for use as soon as they’re taken out of the box. Often they have a safety seal that needs to be removed before they can be filled (to prevent bacteria and contamination). But once the seals are broken and they’re full of milk, you’ll need a leak-proof design to ensure everything stays put—double-zippered locks are the gold standard, but screw thread caps are effectively leak-proof as well. When you’re pouring cold or recently thawed milk from the breast milk storage bag into your baby’s bottle, things can get messy and sticky quickly if the milk starts splattering or dribbling out uncontrollably. You’ll want a bag that sports a spout to streamline the process.
• Storability. Okay, so it’s leak- or spill-proof, but does it stand up in the fridge or stack well in the freezer? It might not be something you think about right away, but once you’re starting to stock up, being able to arrange your breast milk storage bags in a convenient, space-saving way is everything. If you’ll just be saving your milk for a day or two, a bag with a wide base that can stand up in the refrigerator is pretty handy. If you’re pumping regularly and building up a stash, then you’ll want bags that will lay flat and can stack.

Of course, reasonable pricing and availability (bags you can find both online and in stores) matter too, particularly if you’re an exclusive pumper who goes through bags at lightning speed. You might also consider sustainable breast milk storage bags, if single-use plastic bags just aren’t your thing.

About the writer

Korin Miller is a writer who’s penned dozens of health and shopping features for The Bump. She specializes in commerce, wellness and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Women’s Health, Prevention, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, SELF and more. Korin is a mom to four kids, ranging in age from 1 to 10 years old, including one she’s still breastfeeding. Korin has more than a decade of experience with breast milk storage bags and has firsthand knowledge of the products that make the pumping experience easier and that are more trouble than they’re worth. She has a master’s degree from American University and lives by the beach.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.