Do I Need a Bottle Warmer?

Need? No. But want? Yeah, maybe.

The bottle warmer is one of those things that some parents never touch and others rely on, and you might not know whether you’re the former or the latter until after baby arrives. The reason being, a  bottle of formula or breast milk can be warmed in other, simpler ways than with a fancy contraption — namely, by putting it in a bowl of warmed water, or running warm tap water over its sides.

But some parents swear by their bottle warmers, because some babies are more particular than others about having their meals at the right temperature. These devices make it easy to get things thoroughly and evenly warm, quickly. Plus, there are no dishes to wash afterward.

If you plan to breastfeed, be careful. Some bottle warmers may not be approved for breast milk, as they may change the properties of the milk. Others, like the Kiinde Kozii, were made for breast milk, but you might find you’re just fine going the warm-water route. (Just never microwave breast milk!)

Our recommendation? Register for a bottle warmer if you think you’ll use it. Look for one that also heats baby food, so you get double duty out of it, and make sure it fits all the bottles you plan to use. And save the receipt just in case it doesn’t make it out of the box.