Category: kids

The Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup (Kelso) piqued my interest when I’d decided to throw out the plastic and polypropylene drinkware my toddler had been using. But did this stainless steel sippy cup turn out to be a better choice?

Summary (TL;DR)

Deciding to throw away plasticware

As I was updating my baby bottles post the other day, I discovered the lawsuit against Philips and Dr Brown. The two companies are being sued for using polypropylene for their baby bottles. Allegedly, this material, when heated, releases microplastics into the milk.

Now my little one had used her Philips Avent way past the due date (18 months). But reading about polypropylene, I knew I had to toss out the toxic polypropylene bottles stat, and find a good alternative.

So I bought a few Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cups.

PROS / What I LIKE about the Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup

The Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup has a simple design and form, and combines the use of stainless steel, plastic (lid, straw), and silicone (soft spout). It’s easy for little one to grip, and the drinking straw is a nice, big size. I think the purpose of this is for little one to get enough milk without having to try very hard.

No tricky parts

A while back, something our plumber said stuck with me: that sometimes, more parts means more parts could break. So I’m glad this sippy cup’s parts are easy to get to and clean.

This way, mold is less likely to find a spot to hide and grow. For this, I use a straw brush and a bottle brush. And it’s satisfying seeing the straw brush remove clumpy milk off the sides of the clear straw.

I do recommend getting a sippy cup cleaner or a set of small cleaning brushes, the ones for a toaster or humidifier. These will help you clean the nooks and threads on the lid or cover and soft spout/bite valve (a single unit) of this Zak sippy cup.

Replacement parts are also available for purchase from Zak.

Good price, seems durable

Price-wise, it seems to be mid-range at $17+ for this 12 oz. Kelso cup, compared to other stainless steel sippy cups. And while I have yet to find out how truly durable it is as it’s been under 2 weeks since I got these sippy cups…

So far, I don’t see any dents on the cup. It seems to be made of thicker metal that absorbs shock quite well, and doesn’t dent easily.

I’ve seen my little one chew on the soft spout as well, and her doing that doesn’t look like it’s damaged the spout.

No polypropylene?

I’m not sure if the plastic straw inside will release microplastics into the milk, but I feel like there are possibly less concerns with microplastics when it comes to this sippy cup. At least it seems that the use of plastic is minimal.

All in all a good sippy cup

With this 12 oz. sippy cup, my 3 yr. old usually ends up with leftover milk, but I think in time, she will likely be drinking more.

CONS / What I DON’T LIKE about the Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup

It hasn’t been 2 weeks, and the design is peeling off.

Granted, this is just a cosmetic thing and doesn’t really affect the way the stainless steel sippy cup works.

That said…

I guess at first, I thought the design would be covered with some sort of protective thing over it, so the design doesn’t peel off. But now it doesn’t look like it.

So looking at the sippy cups now, I’m thinking it may not have been the best idea to feature designs on them.

Now if the designs started peeling maybe months after buying the Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup, that’s more understandable.

But less than 2 weeks? 🤨 And to think I didn’t even put these in the dishwasher.

No protective silicone on the cup

I wish this stainless steel sippy cup had some type of handle or silicone thing on the body. To protect hands from the temperature of the liquid, whether it’s too hot or too cold. Maybe the silicone could also keep the sippy cup safer from impact. And if you drop this thing on yourself, it may just hurt a little less with the silicone. Maybe.

No “any angle” straw

I understand that this is a travel sippy cup, and doesn’t look like it was made for drinking while laying down, but an “any angle straw” option would’ve been nice.

Doesn’t convert

It doesn’t appear that the sippy can convert to an open cup. At least I don’t think it can. That would be a nice addition.

Does the Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup have toxic metals in it?

This wasn’t something I considered, because when I heard about what happens with polypropylene, my first instinct was to run away from plastic.

But now I wonder if finding the Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup is like finding happiness in a rebound boyfriend. Where after 2 weeks, you realize that your really cute rebound bf keeps insisting that the earth is flat.

So I decided to ask Zak about lead. And I received a likely copied and pasted template response. But I’m glad I was provided an answer. Here’s what Zak had to say.

Reading Zak’s response…

I felt entangled in some reality TV show drama.

First, they said they’re unable to click on “strange links.” Referring to the lead testing blog. Their words. Touché. This also tells you that gurl, the gloves are off.

Then here’s a summary of their response: there’s a “very small liquid pellet with trace amounts of lead” at the bottom of their vacuum insulated tumblers. But it’s really not likely that the sealing will come off from regular use, as the bottom cover is “welded” and “never comes in contact with the liquid inside.” They added,

“All of our products are tested by the global leaders in third-party testing to ensure that they meet all standards and requirements, including lead.”

– Zak (Customer Support)

And in the event that the sealing comes off, they said to throw away the tumbler and ask for a replacement.

For about a day before that, I felt extremely scared

And ended up on a paranoia spiral in my head, where I started questioning what we value as a society, if we have a skewed moral compass, and why we focus on innovating other things when we can’t provide our kids basic safety.

Why try to escape to another planet that we’ll just turn into Earth 2.0?

That planet will just be another place for us to destroy.

Though as I continued to read the lead blog, I did notice that one of the products they recommended was the Philips Avent bottle. Which I first thought was the best baby bottle available. But may be problematic.

This further worsened my fears and had me thinking that we can’t trust anything or anyone, that “BPA-free” is sometimes a red herring that makes you look at 1 good thing so you don’t see the maybe other bad things.

“At the end of the day, leak-free is no good if a product isn’t lead-free,” I thought.

This sippy sent me to a rabbit hole

But after about a day, I tried putting things into perspective. With self-preservation, it’s good to heed warnings and have a healthy level of fear. But sometimes, it’s a good idea to take things with a grain of salt.

Preferably with no lead in it. Sorry, I was still reeling from all the lead stuff I’d read.

Find out if the source of your information is reliable. Thinking about it now, I believe the creator of the blog is well-meaning. And yet I don’t know:

1. What kind of equipment they use
2. How reliable the lead test kits they use are (this article from CPSC says lead test kits can be unreliable)
3. If the blogger is a trained professional, or a scientist that is able to translate or interpret their findings as a professional

What ChatGPT Says

Sometimes, right before I go to sleep at nearly 5AM, I lie awake with a question on my mind: whose team is ChatGPT on?

ChatGPT says that these are the “safe alternatives” available: tempered glass or borosilicate, silicone, natural and safely-coated bamboo, no toxic oils or melamine binder coating.

Dangerous—in other ways

One time, I lost my grip on this cup. Working the night shift, I am often sleepless and sometimes clumsy. And I dropped this stainless steel sippy cup on my foot.

Let me tell you, it hurt like a mutha.

On its own, the Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup, being made of mostly solid metal, is already fairly heavy. Now add 12 oz. of liquid to it. Then drop that baby on your foot (rhetorical—don’t do that).

Boy, it’s going to hurt.

As mentioned, the cup is fairly sturdy. So the sippy cup is going to be perfectly fine and dandy.

Besides, your foot absorbed most of the shock.

Now let’s say you have a tantrum-y toddler that likes to throw things. And they throw this Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup at your vehicle. This thing may leave your car with a dent.

You may then need literal physical and/or emotional therapy from the trauma this sippy cup could cause you. Just saying.

“Preposterous how ponderous this thing is!“

Lego pieces can fit through the straw

If your toddler is like mine, then they will likely try to stuff small things into things that those small things fit into. I found about 6-7 small Lego pieces, and some ended up right in the liquid. Just a heads up.

Similar stainless steel sippy cups

Owala Kids Flip Stainless Steel Tumbler with Spill Resistant Flexible Straw $$

Hydro Flask Kids Tumbler Jr. $$

Owala Kids Insulation Stainless Steel Tumbler with Spill Resistant Flexible Straw $$

And with all that information provided…

I’ll let you decide if you want the Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cup.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Before I end this review, I’ll come clean about something. During my like 36 hrs. of pure panic where I thought I was exposing my toddler to poison, I ended up buying a few “Brand G” (let’s call it that) insulated drinkware that was tagged as “lead-free” by the lead blog.

And I remember a piece of advice from the blog, telling people not to buy insulated drinkware with a “dimple” at the bottom, as these are supposedly the pellets with lead in them. Likewise, the blog adds that a cover or sticker may be covering that lead pellet.

Inspecting the bottom of these “lead-free” insulated Brand G tumblers recommended by the lead blog, it looks like there’s also a pellet there. Whether this has lead or not, I have no idea. But the dimple looks a lot like the pellet that’s welded to the bottom of the Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cups, from the blog pictures.

And Brand G’s pellet looks painted over, with no cover or sticker on top of it. The hard straw inside also appears to be made out of polypropylene (hard, semi-transparent plastic). And is dyed a dark shade of blue.

Allegedly, this infamous pellet is also used by the cult-favorite “S” tumblers that have become very popular here in the US.

So now it’s hard not to imagine these cups fighting like kids at a playground…

Sippy 1: Your mom has lead!
Sippy 2: YOUR MOM has LEAD!!!

And with all of that said…

Is there really much of a difference? Because at this point, it’s looking like a lot of these insulated travel mugs use these pellets. And it may just be standard practice to do that.

Maybe there’s no escaping that pellet. Or lead. Which seems to be everywhere.

What do you think?

Is there a sippy cup you would recommend? Are you an authority on drinkware safety? Please share your thoughts.

Pregnant with my second baby, I set out to find a good baby bottle sterilizer, one that would keep my baby’s developing immune system safe from bacteria.

Back in the day

Sterilizing baby bottles was a grand production. I remember mom would take a big pot of water, boil it, and sterilize lil bro’s baby bottles in the water.

Drying the bottles was another story, and in itself, time-consuming.

So isn’t it awesome how nowadays we get to enjoy the fruits of modern invention?

Rediscovering the Dr Browns deluxe bottle sterilizer

As I searched for baby items I wanted to put in my baby shower registry, I discovered this deluxe baby bottle sterilizer from Dr. Brown (hi, if you’re wondering, there is a Dr. Brown). It looked big and fancy. The cost was a bit high at around $60. But if it offered safety and convenience, it’d be worth it, I thought.

Fancy, yet simple at the same time

The Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Sterilizer has a top and bottom level, which allows me to separate parts. Big parts of the baby bottle and feeding bowls. Then the breast pump accessories go in the bigger compartment at the bottom. This area is huge, so I can put mostly anything in there. Bottle collars, nipples, pacifiers, and other smaller items like feeding spoons go in the top compartment. There are slats at the bottom, so water doesn’t pool there.

The heating element sits at the very bottom of the sterilizer.

This is what turns the water into ‘electric steam.’

Doesn’t that sound like a really exciting marketing term?

What’s included?

A measuring cup with a line, showing you how much water to use. It’s an accurate amount, you won’t need a lot. There’s also a pair of dark grey sterilizer tongs.

Then in the big compartment is a removable tray. I can lift this out and set it on a clean surface to dry baby bottles or wash and clean the tray.

PROS / What I LIKE about the Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Sterilizer

It’s awesome that I can organize things in this deluxe sterilizer. And it’s everything that I could keep the small and big parts separated, in the top and bottom compartments. This way, I know where to find what immediately, and it’s easier for me to put baby bottle parts back together.

I don’t need a lot of water to sterilize. And weighing the water once, I think it was less than 3 oz. So using different baby bottle brands is not a problem. Because they all fit fine in the big sterilizer.

Also, it’s electric. So I don’t need to use my gas stove . I like that.

Finally, the sterilizer has a simple structure. The parts are easy to reach and clean.

The Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Sterilizer works fast

Sometimes I boil water on the stove in a small saucepan, which takes around 8 minutes. How much longer would it take to boil water for 6 baby bottles? Not to mention that that manual process can be extremely dangerous, if we’re not careful.

With this Dr Brown’s sterilizer, I safely sterilize and dry baby bottles in 12 minutes.

Sterilizing (steaming icon in red lights up) only takes a few minutes, and then it’s cooling (blue snowflake icon). After a few more minutes, it’s good to go (green checkmark). At this point, I open the cover so the parts start to dry. I then use the tongs to move the bottles to my drying rack.

Sterilizing was not meant to be kind of fun.

‘Fun’ used to describe only things like eating salad. Or doing cardio.

Not sterilizing bottles. The word ‘fun’ was never meant for that.

But this Dr Browns deluxe sterilizer seems to have changed that.

Auto shut-off

Using this sterilizer also means not having to worry about ‘forgetting to switch the stove off.’ Because the sterilizer shuts itself off after doing its job.

Finally, an auto feature of it that I love is that it goes straight to cooling mode whenever I forget to put water in the sterilizer. So it knows that there’s no water in it and doesn’t try to sterilize.

When sterilizing has become the high point of your day…

and forgetting to sterilize the 1 bottle that ended up under the couch is the low point.

CONS / What I DON’T LIKE about the Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Sterilizer

OK. So I’ve compared the Dr Brown’s deluxe sterilizer with boiling water in a pot on the stovetop. But I think a more practical thing to compare it with would be a microwave sterilizer.

Deluxe sterilizer vs microwave sterilizer

So yeah. If I’m being honest (or as the kids say nowadays, “ngl“), I haven’t been 100% loyal to my Dr Browns Deluxe Sterilizer.

I have been using a microwave sterilizer.

It’s low maintenance.

It’s like your only friend that shows up when you make a PSA that you need help moving to your new apartment.

You make this friend listen to you go into detail about your dreams. And complain to them about how Matt from Accounting always hangs around a little too long by the water dispenser.

And even when they disagree with something you say, they nod and try to understand your perspective.

You know they deserve the world, and yet somehow you end up getting them either a $7.99 mug or an $8.99 shirt from Amazon year after year for Christmas…

Why must you do this!?!!

While this microwave sterilizer requires 2x+ more water (7 oz), I can use just tap water with it. Yes. Tap.

Direct from the faucet. You don’t need to drive to the store to get water from a bottle. Just so you can clean another bottle.

Let’s face it: distilled water is not accessible unless you have a water distiller. Or live right next to a grocery store (my mom’s dream). And, well, maybe you don’t.

You don’t need a fancy futuristic car to get milk from the grocery store. Your Corolla will do just fine.

The Dr Brown sterilizer is big. I wouldn’t recommend lugging it around. In comparison, my Philips microwave sterilizer seems lighter and more portable.

Dr Browns vs Philips sterilizer tongs

The Philips microwave sterilizer comes with a pair of mini sterilizer tongs. While small, it has one purpose: to help you pull a bottle nipple through the collar without having to touch the nipple. It’s sturdy enough for this purpose.

Whereas Dr Brown’s sterilizer tongs are flimsy and awkward. Using these tongs, I struggle to pull the nipples into the collars of baby’s MAM bottles.

The fastest sterilizer

Last but not least, I mentioned above that the Dr Brown sterilizer works fast (about 12 minutes). Now that’s well and good. Mostly, compared to sterilizing bottles the old-fashioned way.

Because if we bring the microwave sterilizer into the picture, this throws a monkey wrench into the blender. At least that’s what I think the expression is. The microwave sterilizer works faster and is done sterilizing in just 2 minutes.

Price vs other baby bottle sterilizers

The Philips microwave sterilizer wins. It only cost like $16+ at Target when I bought it. Whereas the Dr Browns Deluxe Sterilizer cost around $60.

me after buying the Dr Brown’s deluxe sterilizer

AI says these on the left are plastic sterilization tongs. idk.

Any regrets with the Dr Brown’s deluxe electric sterilizer?

I can only sterilize my cutlery sets with metal in them in my Dr. Brown’s electric sterilizer. Also, I can keep parts more organized in the Dr. Brown’s. It seems to be able to fit slightly more bottles.

That said, it wasn’t all roses with the deluxe electric sterilizer. Towards the end of its lifespan, the heating element appeared to show some rust. This did happen after a good amount of use; not sure if by chance or otherwise.

At that point, I didn’t need to sterilize my baby’s feeding stuff anymore.

Similar bottle sterilizers

Hauture Baby Bottle Sterilizer with Drying feature $$

Baby Brezza Baby Bottle Sterilizer $$$

Dr. Brown’s Clean Steam Baby Bottle and Pacifier Sterilizer and Dryer (updated version with dryer) $$

I could recommend the Dr Brown sterilizer

⭐⭐⭐ (3 / 5)

If they can fix the rusting heating element. I feel like they should reconsider the placement of this heating element, so that it sits at an angle that allows water to naturally slide off of it and not pool on top of it.

And with that fix, I think this product would be close to perfect.
Obviously, none of us want our babies ingesting rust.

Rust aside, I see Dr Brown’s vision creating the Dr Browns Deluxe Sterilizer as sterilizing equipment that provides a smooth, enjoyable experience. In sterilizing your baby’s stuff. I guess that’s been a thing nowadays. Dr Brown says so.

Do I need the Dr Browns Deluxe Sterilizer?

No. I don’t need my fancy Dr Brown’s sterilizer.
But it sure is handy and fun.

And if you want a feeding bottle sterilizer that kills bacteria, offers convenience, makes sterilizing bottles fun, and makes you feel assisted and kinda fancy…

A simple, cheap microwave sterilizer will kill bacteria. But they have their limitations. They depend on microwaves. And you can’t put metal in them.

So cold.
So matter-of-factly.
So like…

“Your bottles.
I kill de germs.
Bye-bye.”

Whereas my Dr Browns Deluxe Sterilizer is kind of like this ridiculously chiseled butler who notices your new haircut.

(Aren’t the best products so intelligent and human-like?)

“Your baby’s bottle, ma’am.”

Or like my PCP. Who (he did make me wait almost 2 hours), said,

“The extra (baby) weight looks like muscle. You look good. I mean, lose 20 lbs., and you’re practically a bikini model.”

No…

But…

What’s your favorite baby stuff sterilizer, moms and dads? Share your thoughts and sterilizer experiences with moi in the comments 💖

I went on a quest to find the best baby bottles that wouldn’t be too expensive. Below, I rank these baby bottles from worst to best, based on my experience.

Summary (TL;DR)

As I started my search, I knew I wanted something BPA-free, and affordable. And also safe. When my nephew was a baby, I once saw him lose his grasp on his glass baby bottle, and it hit him on the forehead.

And while anything heavy falling on a baby will hurt, a heavier, more solid object will hurt more. So I figured I’d pass on glass bottles altogether.

Playtex Baby VentAire Complete Tummy Comfort Baby Bottles (9 oz) $$

⭐ (1 / 5)

Parts (6): cap, nipple, collar, bottle, (silicone?) rings/seals, vented base
Bottles in the pack: 5
Features: “BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free,” Anti-Colic, Anti-Reflux

These VentAire baby bottles were a gift. Now the box said “anti-colic” and “anti-reflux”—what mom wouldn’t want those, right? Unfortunately, this didn’t turn out to be the best baby bottle available.

There really was no way for us to find out if the claims were true. Because the bottles leaked like crazy around the vented detachable base.

“Maybe the parts are damp…”

Or so I thought. I then made sure they were completely dry. But did this fix the problem? No. How about tightening the base? That was the next thing that I tried, and the bottles still leaked. This was the point when I started to wonder if we ended up with faulty bottles. Idk.

There were 5 bottles in the pack—they all leaked. Looking back now, I’m not even sure it’s possible that the bottom wouldn’t leak. They literally looked like the nozzle of a watering can. Were these VentAire bottles tested for quality control?

It’s like even if you were to donate these, there wouldn’t even be anything you could say to your friend to get her to take the baby bottles. And your sales pitch won’t be like from when you wanted to get rid of your old couch so you wouldn’t have to pay the $150 junk removal fee.

(“Great condition, just a bit scratched up in 2 small areas. You can’t even really see the scratches.”)

Trying to give away these VentAire
bottles be like…

“The leak probably won’t turn into a pool of milk.”

(Said no one ever.)

Evenflo Vented + Angled Baby Bottles (9 oz) $

⭐⭐⭐ (3 / 5)

Parts (4): cap, nipple, collar, bottle
Bottles in the pack: 6
Features: BPA-free; free of polycarbonates, PVC and phthalates; anti-colic, anti-gas, “prevents fussiness”

When I saw these online, I was thrilled to get them. I like cheap, simple things that work, and many other anti-colic bottles have more than 4 parts. Taking parts apart, washing them, setting them in the sterilizer and sterilizing them 2x daily is never the high point of my day (well, OK, maybe a little bit—because my sterilizer is fun to use).

However, these baby bottles always gave me the feeling that they’re not all they claim to be. While my baby has not had gas issues, I’ll be honest. And maybe this is just a feeling, or even pure paranoia. But I’m a little suspicious of these bottles.

Did Evenflo, in their labs, really make certain discoveries that led to the all too simple construction of these anti-colic bottles?!

Maybe. I dunno. Sometimes you buy something so cheap you realize you can’t trust it.

I was the one that purchased these bottles, indeed. So there’s that. Still.

Newborn (slow flow) nipples

These are the nipples that come with these bottles. As a result, my baby takes forever and a day to drink from these bottles.

So get the medium flow nipples? 🙄

lt’s been a struggle to find medium flow nipples at stores, and online. So I tried to make the holes are bigger myself – by poking holes in them. And ruining them in the process (well, 3 of the 6). My bad. But one thing’s for sure. Evenflo’s idea of ‘slow flow’ seems to be slower than regular slow flow nipples.

Perhaps they should rename the brand.

To Evenslo…wer.

On top of that, as these things go, Vented + baby bottle nipples have a unique structure to them, or their very own baby bottle nipples for this specific line of their products.

So I couldn’t just use any other standard baby bottle nipples with these.

And then the measurements on the bottle are raised. Which at some point had me wondering if they double as some type of braille. But no, braille numbers don’t look like that.

Maybe so the numbers don’t get erased from the bottles? That’s not it. Because there are printed designs on the bottles.

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Baby Bottles (9 oz) $

⭐⭐⭐🌠 (3.5 / 5)

Parts (4): cap, nipple, collar, bottle
Bottles in the pack: 3
Features: BPA-free; anti-colic valve on the nipple

Why I asked for these in my baby registry

1. I thought it was cute how chunky these were, and the chunkiness meant it would be easier for baby to hold them.
2. My sister used these with her baby.
3. BPA-free and anti-colic features. I guess this does came in third, while cuteness and my sister using these bottles are higher on the list.
4. They seemed more affordable compared to a bunch of other baby bottles.

What’s not to love?

Apart from the fact that the nipple collapses (caves, then baby has to wait for it to resume its shape), the bottle has to be held at an angle, or they leave a mess of formula on my baby’s chin and neck area.

What angle that is, I always forget. Since we use a few different baby bottle brands.

But do we really need to remember angles just so the baby bottle doesn’t leak? Besides, a lot of us have mommy brain, and will likely forget that correct good angle. With the best baby bottle in this list, the angle the bottle has to be held at is never an issue.

So yeah, that is really asking too much from sleepless mamas.

Another thing is that whenever I prepare these Tommee Tippee bottles, it seems the bottle nipples tend to pull all the way out through the collar. When they’re supposed to ‘sit’ on the collar.

All in all, these Closer to Nature baby bottles really seem closer to messy…

Medela Breast Milk Storage Baby Bottles (5 oz) $

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 / 5)

Parts (4): cap, nipple, collar, bottle
Bottles in the pack: 3
Features: BPA-free, leak-proof

This one came with my first breast pump, and yes, this bottle is intended for breastmilk. But I use it with baby formula.

A good baby bottle, but…

Each bottle can only hold as much as 5 oz of milk. It seems with this capacity, this baby bottle is more for infants and younger babies.

Another issue is that the nipples also tend to collapse, and baby has to stop feeding so the bottle nipple could resume its shape.

MAM Baby Bottles

⭐⭐⭐⭐🌠 (4.5 / 5)

Parts (6): cap, nipple, collar, bottle, (silicone?) rings/seals, vented base
Bottles in the pack: 1
Features: BPA-free, anti-colic

The MAM brand is Austrian (not where Raygun is from), from Europe.

The shape of MAM nipples

These nipples have a specific ‘flattened’ shape to them, so they lay flat on the baby’s tongue. Now I like that idea. Thing is, I don’t think the flat side of the bottle nipple will always end up flat on my baby’s tongue, as it should. For the most part, this is OK.

But sometimes, in the dim light of my room at 4:26 AM… Knowing that I have to wake up at 8AM… I just can’t find the energy to make sure my baby’s feeding from the bottle correctly. And the thought of the bottle nipple not laying flat on the tongue is just too much.

I also feel like 3 times out of 5, I have to make sure that I screw the collar onto the bottle correctly. Otherwise, one side sits higher, the seal is not complete, and formula starts to leak. This happens easily.

Rings/seal and vented base

While these bottles have 6 parts to them, no leaks come from the vented base. If you make sure you form a tight seal. Playtex could learn a thing or 2 from MAM here.

Plusss…

The rings/seals, vented base, collars and nipples fit both the big and smaller bottles. Yes! The parts are interchangeable! So I never have to think about which parts go with which size bottles!

WHICH IS AWESOME!

Because I usually only sleep 5 hours and don’t always like to think.

I also noticed that the caps of these MAM bottles have measurements on them. From 10-50 mL and 0.5 to 1.5 US fl oz. My guess is that these are for formula, in case you misplace the scoop? But I’m really not sure. These were a nice addition, though.

More parts, more problems

Every now and then, I remember something our plumber said one time, when we had a leak under our kitchen sink. I had the stop valve to replace the broken one, but he wanted to use a different stop valve. He said that sometimes, more parts means more parts can break, and opted for a simpler stop valve.

Cleaning 2 extra bottle parts twice a day means cleaning them 730 times in a year. Now maybe mentioning that means I’m just being lazy. But I have about 5 of the MAM bottles. Which means that I’ll be cleaning and sterilizing 10 extra bottle parts 2 times for 365 days (sorry, didn’t mean to conjure a math problem) until my baby is a year old.

“I see you sterilizing extra baby bottle parts…
7,300 times in a year…”

As a sleepless mom, I can’t say I’m happier cleaning extra baby bottle parts. That’s like saying…

“I’m perfectly happy doing unpaid overtime work, thanks so much!” 😅

– Not you, or me

Why sign up to clean more baby bottle parts when you don’t have to?

Dr. Brown’s Options Baby Bottles (8 oz) $$

⭐⭐⭐⭐🌠 (4.5 / 5)

Parts (6): cap, nipple, collar, reservoir bulb & tube, insert (green silicone), bottle
Bottles in the pack: 1
Features: BPA-free, anti-colic

Another seemingly popular baby bottle with 2 extra parts. When I got this as a baby shower gift, true to form, I threw away the box without reading what was printed on it. After looking at online listings for the product, I’m just now finding out that using the reservoir and insert is optional.

Although the whole optional thing confuses me. Why were the reservoir and insert added, if using them is optional?

Colic vs. no colic — that’s the option? 🧐 Yeah, clearly I’m not understanding things.

Also, I need to do what every time?

Sorry, more complaints coming for these 2 baby bottle parts. I have to touch the reservoir and insert whenever I mix a bottle of formula. Doesn’t that somehow defeat the purpose of sterilizing them?

How about using sterilized bottle tongs, brah? Maybe use sterile gloves, or something?

Tried that. I only have plastic ones, and the insert just slides off and ends up on the dirtiest part of my floor at 3AM.

Now I could try to find silicone bottle tongs..

Or I could just give up and say using the insert and reservoir just isn’t practical.

Is Dr Brown really asking us sleepless mamas to go through all that trouble to prepare a bottle of formula? This I think is the reason why this bottle is not #1 in my list.

The #1 baby bottle in this list is also anti-colic.

Yet it doesn’t have the bulky reservoir and insert that the Dr Brown’s Options Anti-Colic baby bottles have.

I’m also getting O.C. about the fact that these Dr Brown’s Options baby bottles can only hold 8 oz of milk, when many other bottles this size can usually hold 9 oz.

Clearly, my non-favorite reservoir and insert take up a good amount of space inside the bottle.

Just the same, even though these Dr Brown’s Options bottles are not my favorite, they’re OK. I prefer them over the ones higher up on this list.

I just wouldn’t choose them over my #1 favorite baby bottles.

And the #1 baby bottle IMHO is…

The Philips Avent Natural Anti-colic Baby Bottle (9 oz)

The best baby bottle available?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Parts (4): cap, nipple, collar, bottle
Bottles in the pack: 3
Features: BPA-free, anti-colic, “natural response” nipples come in levels 1-5

Vented, tight dome-shaped cap

This baby bottle is the only one with a vented cap. Likely created to prevent accidental suffocation. There is a dip on the cap where you can place your thumb, and the cap pops right off.

The tight seal of the cap wasn’t something I liked at first, but I think this was made to offer added protection. If this is the worst thing about this baby bottle, it’s still a party 🥳 (Scroll down—it isn’t).

Proportion + structure

The shape of these bottles show the perfect balance of width and height. These baby bottles are not too wide, nor too tall.

These are my favorite baby bottles of all. And it does matter that I like the bottles. 😄 Since I’m the one that has to clean and prep them.

Each baby bottle only has 4 parts. So the bottle nipple pulls tightly and securely into the collar, and does not end up getting pulled all the way out, when I try to pull the bottle nipples into the collars. There are US/UK measurements that sit side by side, for oz, which are easy to see.

With the Philips Avent bottles, the collar always sits correctly on the bottle.

There’s no way to plop the collar and nipple onto the bottle and end up with one side sitting higher than the other. To me, this tells a good story of research, testing and workmanship.

With these bottles, I feel like there was a reason behind the creation of each and every detail. These are the least problematic baby bottles that we have.

2025 Update (Important)

So the tight cap wasn’t the worst thing about my previously #1, the Avent. I’ve just shortened my review of the baby bottle, and have burned my I heart Avent signs. Because after all that fangirling, it turns out I can’t recommend the Philips Avent, after all. Or possibly any plastic baby bottles.

There’s a class action lawsuit against both Philips Avent and Dr Brown for using polypropylene in their baby bottles. This material allegedly releases a significant amount of microplastics when heated.

Are there plastic baby bottles not made of polypropylene? I don’t know.

It’s upsetting. This isn’t even like the Mr Perfect situation. It’s more like being given given your favorite ice cream. Then finding out it’s chockful of lead. And this had to happen to our little ones. 😔

I don’t know what I’d consider to be the best baby bottle out there. Is polypropylene fairly safe if milk is served cold, or at room temperature? Not sure. Now I don’t trust the material at all.

Recommendations

My little one is a toddler now, and doesn’t need to drink milk out of a bottle anymore. But after finding out about polypropylene, I just bought a couple of Zak Designs stainless steel sippy cups.

For infants and babies

It may be worth considering glass bottles. I just don’t know how shatter-proof these are.

Or get on the waitlist for the Chicco Duo (currently out of stock at a lot of retailers, including Chicco), which is also anti-colic and is made with glass on the inside and plastic on the outside.

Another option that I found is Yooforea—not sure if this is You for rea(l) or Euphoria. But look into Yooforea Silicone Coated Glass Baby Bottles.

Good luck with your search, mama 💖.

I hope this review was useful and entertaining to you. Which brands of baby bottles do you use, and what’s your experience with them? Which one/s would you recommend, or not recommend? Let me know below 🙂

Getting ready for baby #2, I knew I wanted a stroller that would offer safety and convenience. But what made me decide to choose the Evenflo Pivot over other modular travel systems?

Summary (TL;DR)

The tale of the 4 baby strollers

As I think about my son’s baby strollers from when he was small, I begin to wonder if people plan on ending up with 4 different strollers. Or does it happen when you realize how unhappy you are with each one?

The first stroller was big with plastic parts. It was a pain loading it into the trunk of our compact sedan, which had about 30 articles of clothing at any given time.

For a lightweight alternative, we bought an umbrella stroller. Then got another hand-me-down. Both ended up with 1 wobbly wheel when we sat on them by accident. We used 1 during the pandemic, and people would often ask us if we needed help, or a sip of water.

Finally, our last stroller was bulky like the first one. We bought this dino for a San Diego trip when we somehow forgot all 3 strollers at home. How do 2 people forget 3 strollers at home? 🤷‍♀️

That said… This 4 strollers nightmare story taught me the importance of finding that one perfect stroller that meets all our needs.

Why I bought the Evenflo Pivot Modular Travel System

Reading positive reviews for the Evenflo Pivot with SafeMax Infant Car Seat (not the Xpand version), I figured the stroller was what I needed to keep my baby safe. The market price seemed standard for modular travel systems, at around $300.

Before getting the Evenflo Pivot, I will say that I didn’t go to a store to test the stroller or see it in person. Thinking back now, I think doing that would definitely have influenced my decision.

During this time, I remember looking around and noticing that many parents seem to proudly show off their strollers and use them as a type of status symbol (wealth, achievement, or just being in the know of the latest accessory marketed by influencers). Which is fine, but I mostly wanted something that would protect my baby and offer me convenience.

PROS / What I LIKE about the Evenflo Pivot

The stroller feels sturdy, and its size suggests that it was made to protect your tiny baby. The structure also shows that the Pivot is made to endure wear and tear, judging by its ginormous wheels.

Touching the handlebar, it feels comfortable in my hands.

Very spacious under seat storage basket

I’ve washed the stroller a few times now. I can say that the material cleans easily and dries fast. Likewise, folding The Pivot has never been a problem—except when we were first learning how to use the stroller.

The 4 wheels are great, and maybe it’s just me. But I feel like 4 wheels offer more safety than jogging strollers with 3 wheels.

It’s awesome how I can set the bassinet to face me, or face out. With the forward facing feature, baby can watch people and pets at the park.

It’s easy to check on baby

There’s a peek-a-boo window (mesh + flap for full coverage) on the bassinet. So when the bassinet faces forward, I can quickly lift the flap to check on baby and make sure she is fine.

Maneuvers with ease

Yep, it’s easy to turn left, right, or any other way. And while not technically an all-terrain stroller, it does seem to have good shock absorption abilities.

2025
Update

Baby is now a toddler, and I’m using a different stroller (which I rarely need, but it’s convenient for whenever she falls asleep).

The wheels of that other stroller are small.

Pushing it through a rocky area is a struggle. And I’m quickly reminded of how easy doing that was, with the Pivot.

The snack and cup trays on the safety bar of the bassinet are nice. Apart from that, there’s a coffee/cup holder for mommy’s drink.

Wiiiiide

According to the official page for the Pivot, it’s 25 1/2″ wide. In a way, I like that because it doesn’t make me feel……………………………as wide. Do I even need to lose the baby weight?

Light as a feather bassinet

Which I appreciate. It’s easy to attach it to the stroller, and the 5-point harness and safety bar give me peace of mind. I’m also glad that baby could either sit down or sleep here, as needed.

Baby can lay down and sleep

When he was small, my son would often fall asleep in the umbrella stroller. Unfortunately, this was a basic umbrella stroller, so there was no way to get it to lay back and convert into some type of bassinet / bed. Every time, he would end up in this slumped, awkward position, with his head bowed down uncomfortably.

Obviously, umbrella strollers were made to get our little ones from A to B in the most efficient way possible—not so much for comfort. I felt bad for my little guy.

CONS / What I DON’T LIKE about the Evenflo Pivot

After 6 months of use, the wheels started squeaking a bit. I had to WD40 them. Not a big deal, but I didn’t encounter this with other strollers. Eventually, the wheels also splayed out (bent inwards), losing their symmetry. To think we never accidentally sat on this stroller.

Lightweight?

Despite the claims, it turned out that the stroller was still heavier than what I thought “lightweight” would be. Did they mean lightweight compared to a 4×4 truck?

I began to wonder if strollers for infants need a certain weight and bulk to them, to provide better protection. But this Babylist article talks about how that’s not always the case.

The Evenflo Pivot is definitely heavier than the main stroller that I used with my son. That one was mostly made of plastic.

Boy, is it wide

I mentioned that the width of the Pivot has this accidental slimming effect, which I like. Except the wideness isn’t entirely a good thing.

One time, I walked to pick up my son from school, with baby in the Evenflo Pivot. On the way there, we passed an area with some construction. There were sandbags by the sidewalks. And what was supposed to be an easy stroll turned into an obstacle course.

Because of the Pivot’s width, I feel like I’ve developed some kind of sixth sense.

These days, I more or less know if we’re about to hit something with the stroller’s rear wheels (like restaurant doors), if we’re not careful.

Of course, the wheels are set even wider than the wide stroller base and bassinet.

So even with the extra effort and awareness, I still hit things with the stroller’s rear wheels from time to time. It’s that wide.

Evenflo Pivot + small vehicle = no

When I got the Pivot, I had a subcompact SUV. It wasn’t easy to fit the Pivot in the back.

After a lot of effort, I figured I would have to take the bassinet off the base to fit it in the back, every time. My first attempt to fit the entire stroller in the back required time, effort and strategy. Only to eventually find out this wasn’t gonna happen.

Because the process required me to slam the rear door hard to force the hatch to close, risking damage to the car. After that, I realized that the setup kept the hatch cover raised, which covered a significant portion of my rear windshield. Which would’ve made driving unsafe.

So I had to decide to take the stroller apart each time. I would place the bassinet in the front, and store the base in the back. A fwp, but something I wasn’t too happy doing, and at my son’s school, I wasThat Lady That‘s Always Fighting With Her Stroller.

Small cup holder

Like someone that’s 6’7″ and wears size S gloves, the big Pivot has a tiny cup holder that can’t even hold my baby’s The First Years trainer cup. Granted, this cup holder is probably for mom or dad’s drink, but I doubt it would fit a Starbucks Grande frap, either. This isn’t vital, but I wish more thought went into it.

Requires both hands to fold

Finally, I’m trying to convince myself that this shouldn’t be something of note and is just a nitpicky fwp. But there are plenty of situations with baby where I find my hands full. Now if I have baby in one arm and holding her bottle of milk as well, and have something else in my other arm (you know how it is, moms), then trying to unfold the stroller, too, then this situation could be dangerous for the baby.

That said, Graco’s strollers have a “one hand fold” feature, and I think that that’s a good, well-thought-out safety feature.

Was the Evenflo Pivot modeled after this?

Some part of me wonders if the stroller designer was checking out their swole gardener through their plantation shutters when they took notice of the structure of the lawnmower and wheelbarrow in their garden, thereby finding their inspiration for the Pivot.

Not a big issue, just pointing out form similarities.

“By golly, I think I’ve got it! It would be most wise…
to fashion a baby carriage after a wheelbarrow!”

Similar modular travel systems or baby strollers

Measurements given (LxWxH) are in inches. Weight provided is for entire travel system.

The Evenflo Pivot $$ measures 34 x 25.5 x 47 inches and weighs 38 lbs.

Graco Modes Element LX $$

LxWxH: ‎22.3 x 20.9 x 31.2 / Weight: 26 lbs.

Graco Modes Trio $$

LxWxH: 31 x 25.5 x 47 / Weight: 43.9 lbs.

Baby Trend City Clicker Pro $$

LxWxH: 41 x 24.5 x 45 / Weight: 33 lbs.

Summer Myria $$

LxWxH: 20.63 x 23 x 46 / Item Weighs 36.2 lbs.

I could recommend the Evenflo Pivot Modular Travel System

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 / 5)

While the Evenflo Pivot is a good stroller and modular travel system, I have a feeling it’s very comparable to the other strollers mentioned above.

But the Pivot boasts of “structural integrity“

Tell me if I’m wrong. But there are safety standards set by the law, and stroller manufacturers have to meet these. When I researched different safety standards for modular travel systems, I often encountered the claim that the modular travel system does “meet or exceed” safety standards.

As far as I know, anything that doesn’t meet safety standards are recalled. The other Chicco stroller that I got has a sticker on it that says it is JPMA certified. That’s a good thing, right?

What was the 1 reason I chose the Evenflo Pivot?

It looked sturdy, and I was able to get it for a good price (under $200). That’s about it.

Of course, I haven’t really used any of the other strollers mentioned above, not firsthand. So this is mostly based off of others’ positive reviews for the other strollers.

And if you own 1 of these modular travel systems or strollers, I’d love to hear your opinion below.

Before making any purchases, of course I do recommend testing out the modular travel system you’re interested in, if you get the chance.

What 1 thing made me rethink my choice to go with the Evenflo Pivot?

I don’t believe it’s that special. At least not any more than similar models are special. Other modular systems seem very similar in features and construction.

What is the USP of the Evenflo Pivot? I’m not sure.

It’s as if someone came up with a template, and the different modular travel system manufacturers just created minor spin-off versions of the template, to create their own vision of the modular travel system.

Did the Pivot turn out to be the one and only stroller I needed?

No. In fact I got a second (Chicco Liteway), third (Kolcraft umbrella stroller from my mom) and fourth stroller (Ingenuity 3Dquickclose CS+ Compact Fold Stroller). At some point, I was itching to get a fifth stroller, but did some self-reflection and convinced myself that doing some retail therapy won’t make all my other problems go away.

It’s not as if I’d check my bank account and suddenly, there’s more than $2 in there. But yeah… The reason for the many strollers was that I didn’t feel that the Pivot was the best stroller for each and every situation. Only to realize that the perfect stroller probably doesn’t exist.

Like with the Dr Brown Deluxe sterilizer, using the Pivot felt like driving a huge, gas-guzzling SUV to buy a single pen from the store. You don’t really need all of that for the simple thing you need to do.

If you could do it all over again, which stroller would you pick?

Whichever is cheaper, and of similar quality. I still think the Evenflo Pivot is good value for the money. But based on other reviews, the Graco Modes Element seems to be a good alternative.

Whatever brand or model I end up with in some alternate reality, I hope it’s also a bit more compact and has the one hand fold feature.

Do you have an Evenflo Pivot, or any of the strollers mentioned above? What do you love or not like too much about your baby’s stroller? Share your experience with us in the comments.

Baby likes her milk warm, and this is where the Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Warmer comes in handy. Yet many people give the bestselling bottle warmer low ratings?

Summary (TL;DR)

My first time using the deluxe bottle warmer

When my son was a baby, he would wake up crying for milk in the middle of the night. And so this bottle warmer was convenient to use for nighttime feedings. I didn’t need to go down to the kitchen to heat up a bottle of milk.

This bottle warmer was a necessity, and I remember trying to buy the exact same one during a week-long trip to Tampa, as I didn’t get to bring the Dr Browns Deluxe bottle warmer.

So when I found out I was pregnant again many years later, I instantly wanted another Dr Brown’s deluxe bottle warmer. I didn’t put much thought into it. And it didn’t occur to me that better options might be available from other brands, 6 years later.

I just wanted something I knew, I guess that’s human nature. The first bottle warmer was my nightly companion for nearly 2 years.

So I got the new version of this bottle warmer for baby #2. I didn’t want to spend a lot and was just going to use it to warm baby bottles. So I got the basic one that didn’t double as a sterilizer.

How is the new Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Warmer different from the new one?

From my experience, I’m not sure there were major differences between the two.

Apart from the fact that the old one was blue.

Oh look, I rhymed – woohoo.

Um…let’s not turn this into a Dr. Seuss type review.

Anyway.

It seemed the old and new Dr Brown bottle warmers were the same.

Now I need to stop rhyming, or this is about to get real lame.

PROS / What I LIKE about the Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Warmer

The bottle warmer’s heating element heats up water fast. After about a minute, a small amount of water is boiling, producing steam that warms the baby bottle.

It’s intelligent

Just like the Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Sterilizer, this bottle warmer is like…a robot. It’s intelligent. It remembers my preferred last setting, so I don’t have to set the timer each time.

Not to say that changing the timer isn’t as easy as pressing the up/down arrows. And if you want the numbers to go faster on the LCD screen, just keep the button pressed down.

5 beeps = it’s ready

Most of the time, I use the bottle warmer half-asleep as many moms do, and fall right back to sleep while it’s warming a bottle. So it’s good to hear the 5 familiar beeps to remind you that the baby bottle is ready.

CONS / What I DON’T LIKE about the Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Warmer

One thing I noticed after purchasing this bottle warmer was that any customers would often leave bad reviews for it. Apparently, many are unhappy with the product.

But of course I just had to find out for myself.

How does a bottle warmer from a well-known brand created by the pediatrician Dr. Brown end up with so many bad reviews?

The idea seems solid. But is it that hard for a product to maintain a rating of at least 4 stars?

Doesn’t fit other baby bottles

Especially the chunkier ones. It makes sense that the bottle warmer was mostly made for the Dr Brown Options baby bottles. On the box, it does say that. But yeah, when I try to use it with a different baby bottle brand, I can’t close the cover.

Now the circumference of a chunky baby bottle fills that space between the baby bottle and the bottle warmer, trapping the steam underneath. This warms a bottle of milk all the same. So not a very major issue.

Formula collects at the bottom

I’m not sure how it happens. Because I always keep baby bottles covered when I warm a bottle. Also, I don’t feel like the heat from the bottom gets the formula hot enough that the bottle nipple starts spewing milk from the baby bottle nipple.

Usually, I have my bottle warmer set to just a little over a minute, so this never results in piping hot formula. And yet formula ends up collecting at the bottom of this bottle warmer, anyway.

Another thing is that when I don’t get to clean the bottle warmer for a while, I notice that the water at the bottom and in the water reservoir becomes cloudy.

Then a certain smell (stench) begins to come out of the bottle warmer. At first, I wasn’t sure I believed the smell was coming from the bottle warmer. I figured the diaper pail was left open, or something.

But no.

And the smell was similar to…

Y’all ready for this?
SEWAGE.

Now I realize I’ll probably never be accepted as a Dr. Brown brand ambassador. Not that I’ve ever applied to become one. Because I don’t fit the influencer profile. But at the end of the day, I think I’d rather try to save babies from this sewery stuff.

Reservoir buildup

In the water reservoir itself, some gunk can also build up after some time. So it needs to be cleaned, too.

By shaking uncooked rice in it. The non-instant variety.

Now that’s not a cleaning method that I invented on my own. Or discovered after Googling a random online how-to. This information is directly from the Dr. Brown’s site in AU.

Not really complaining, but with all this technology and convenience, it feels silly to have to clean the reservoir using rice.

It’s like you’re given a fancy robot helper, only to be told that…

You can only clean it by doing the shakey shakey rice dance.

It’s like meeting Mr. Perfect. Then he tells you to call (111) 111-1111 to get in touch.

He adds that you must call him using a banana.

Also, it’s the only way to reach him.

One would assume that the Dr Brown’s team could at least include a special tube brush to clean the reservoir of this deluxe invention.

Yet one would be wrong.

Maintenance requires time & effort

As suggested, I recently used vinegar to descale my Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Warmer, and to sanitize it.

Yet immediately after using vinegar, the bottle warmer continued to smell bad.

After some more flushing of the dirty water, it was fine.

But just so you know, it does take time and effort to keep this bottle warmer clean.

Short cord

Not that big a deal, but this can make it inconvenient to use, depending on where you choose to keep the bottle warmer.

Requires learning these skills?

Putting water into the tiny reservoir or ‘water tank’ hole can be challenging. Hopefully, you have some spouted beaker type thing to help with this.

But if you’re like me, you will likely attempt to finagle things by pouring a small amount of water into the reservoir—directly from your gallon jug of distilled water.

And it’s probably safe to assume that you will end up with spillage and mess.

Then you’ll get upset that your attempt didn’t work.

Then there’s putting the water reservoir back into its compartment. There is a trick to doing this, and you will likely need to practice to get it right. And the first few attempts will likely leave you with a mess of water.

Because you’ll need to put in the reservoir…
Upside down.

At this point, I’ve done this many times, and don’t mind it so much anymore.

However, I wish there had been more of a heads up that we would need to learn tricks.

Just to warm up our baby’s bottle.

Why!?

Deluxe?

How? The experience of using the bottle warmer is nowhere near like using the Dr Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Sterilizer. There is a world of difference in using the two. This bottle warmer creates a big mess.

And in and of itself, thinking about it now, is a mess.

Just my opinion, but having to put in the reservoir upside down, having to clean it with non-instant rice, and having to descale with vinegar, plus there’s no tube brush or spouted container for pouring water into the reservoir = maybe not ‘deluxe.’

A bottle warmer from a pediatrician

If you’re interested, here is the story of how Dr Brown came up with his discovery of anti-colic baby bottles. The baby bottles were a hit, and I guess the demand created the company.

On that note, for current and future bottle-feeding moms, I do wish someone would come up with a faster, safer (no milk buildup at the bottom) bottle warmer. One that is more practical to clean.

This bottle warmer will be for glass baby bottles, or hybrid ones that are glass on the inside and plastic or silicone on the outside, so no (or less) microplastic issues.

I would love to see a bottle warmer created by a germophobe mom that’s also maybe a scientist, or an engineer. The same mom that wakes up and bottle-feeds their crying baby and changes their dirty diaper at 3 AM.

Similar deluxe bottle warmer

Dr Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer $$

Philips AVENT Fast Baby Bottle Warmer with Smart Temperature Control and Automatic Shut-Off $$

I could recommend the Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Warmer…

⭐⭐⭐ (3 / 5)

If you can commit to keeping it clean, and use glass baby bottles, or at least something that’s glass inside and silicone or plastic on the outside.

As far as I know, a lot of plastic baby bottles are made of polypropylene, and heating them releases microplastics into the milk. And in order to warm up the milk inside, that bottle warmer will have to be fairly warm. That probably increases the amount of microplastics that go into the milk.

Do you have the time & effort to keep the Dr Browns deluxe bottle warmer clean?

Think about using white vinegar and cold water every few days, and running the bottle warmer until all of the water is gone from the reservoir. You will likely have to do that again, to clean the bottle warmer thoroughly. If that sounds like a lot, then this bottle warmer is probably not for you.

When I actively used this, I would run the bottle warmer for 8 minutes (maximum setting) four times. Then I’d often wait between cleanings, because the steam would be really hot, and I didn’t want to damage the bottle warmer.

Now imagine doing this every other week, until your baby no longer feeds from the bottle.

This is on top of your entire workload as a mom. Do you have a day job, too? Good luck.

Oh, and don’t forget that you will need to do the shakey shakey rice dance to clean the water reservoir of the bottle warmer, to remove the gunk off of the sides of the container.

You’ll be doing all of these for maybe a year or so.

Does that sound fun? Or something you don’t mind doing at all?

Then you and the Dr Browns Deluxe Bottle Warmer are a match made in heaven.

Got any recommendations for baby bottle warmers? Please share with us.