Mums are probably the busiest people in the world—working or stay-at-home. And when mums are on-the-move, it may sometimes be impossible to find the time to pump and feed. Because of this, many mums opt to store their breastmilk or formula to ensure that their babies can be fed on-time, no matter what. However, to keep the milk fresh and safe for consumption, they have to be stored in a cool and dry place—which means that to feed them to a baby, they will have to be warmed up with a bottle warmer. Read on for our comprehensive guide on selecting the best bottle warmers for any lifestyle.
What are bottle warmers?
A bottle warmer is specially designed to warm babies' milk in bottles evenly and safely. It contains a reservoir where water is stored and when turned on, gently circulates warm water around the milk bottle. This helps to bring the temperature of the milk up to the optimum temperature for your baby's consumption.
How to select the perfect bottle warmer
Suitability for breast milk vs formula milk
When selecting a warmer, you should consider if it can accommodate both breastmilk and formula. Although you may begin breastfeeding, you may find yourself switching to baby formula at some point. As a result, you'll need a warmer that can heat both types of milk.
Size and design
How big are your bottles, and how many do you want to heat at once? Also, do you have a lot of space to keep it, or do you want something more compact? Another factor to consider is the bottle warmer's size and design.
Although you want your baby bottle warmer to be large enough to accept baby bottles of all sizes, it should also be built to be compact and free of extraneous functions. Furthermore, the smaller or slimmer the item’s body, the easier it is to store it.
Bottle versatility or compatibility
It's understandable to choose a bottle warmer that suits the size of your existing bottles and baby food jars. If you don't already have bottles, attempt to purchase bottles that are compatible with the bottle warmer you select.
There are many different shapes and sizes of infant bottles, and most houses will have a range rather than just one sort of bottle. Many bottle warmers are exclusively designed to work with a specific type of bottle, limiting your capacity to warm additional bottles. As a result, a baby bottle warmer that can accommodate a variety of bottle styles is excellent.
Safety
Because you are dealing with hot water, a non-slip baby bottle warmer is the safest option. This ensures that the warmer stays where it was placed and cannot be bumped or knocked over. Hot water burns are excruciatingly painful and can be fatal, so the last thing you want is a warmer that is unstable and slips easily on the countertop.
Choose a BPA-free baby bottle warmer for your child's health and safety. Ideally, you should look for warmers made from food-grade material which are free from contaminants. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical commonly used in the production of plastics, particularly in drink containers and water bottles. Studies have shown that BPA can seep into food or beverage that is stored in a BPA-containing container. This exposure can impair newborns' and children's brains, behaviour, and prostate glands.
Multi-function
Choose a baby bottle warmer that can also heat little jars of baby food to make preparing your baby's meals easier. This will save a lot of time and work, ensuring that the temperature of the food is optimised for your baby.
The baby bottle warmer should include an automated shut-off feature to avoid overheating or scorching the milk. It is a valuable function for safeguarding your house from the risk of fire if an electrical short circuit occurs with a warmer that is heated for extended periods.
Other useful multi-functions include 3-in-1 systems that can sterilise, warm and dry your milk bottles.
Best Bottle Warmers in Singapore 2021
From quick-heating warmers to portable ones, you can find numerous varieties of bottle warmers in the market. Before you browse through the endless options, take a look at the best bottle warmers in Singapore that will make your job easier:
Best for speed
Why it’s great:
This warmer allows for quick and even warming of milk with no hot spots in just 3 minutes with an intelligent temperature control function. Compatible with most baby bottle and food jar brands, it quickly heats milk evenly and shuts off automatically once done. With one of the shortest heating times, Avent is indeed an efficient and speedy bottle warmer.
Features we love:
- 3 minutes heating time
- Intelligent temperature control and defrost feature
- The heat retention of up to 1 hour helps to retain nutrition
- Features auto shut-off mode with a light indicator post-heating
- Safe and easy operation
Best for budget-conscious
Why it’s great:
This affordable bottle and food warmer helps you warm up milk and baby food while retaining nutrition and optimal temperature. Compatible with all bottle sizes. Pigeon’s multi-function bottle and food warmer is a must-have in your home. This is one of the most cost-effective bottle warmers!
Features we love:
- Three heating modes
- Night lamp function
- BPA - free
- Compact and easy storage
- Simple and durable design
Best for travel
Why it’s great:
This is a great bottle warmer for parents on the go. LollaBaby has multi-temperature settings, portability, heat retention, and quick heating feature. It is easy to carry around and ensures that your baby can have meals anywhere in no time!
Features we love:
- Compact and portable design with modern digital display
- Multiple temperature settings
- Heat retention up to 12 hours
- Modern design and easy operation
- Compatible with most wide-neck bottles
- Auto power-off for safety purposes during travel
Best for technology
Why it’s great:
Attend to your little one’s hunger pangs instantly with the latest technology. This electric steam warmer has intelligent cycle memory, which lets you save your preferred heating time. It alerts you that the warming is complete with a light and audio signal. Save time and costs with this baby care product!
Features we love:
- Programmable with cycle memory and one-button operation
- Uses electric steam for fast warming
- LCD control panel and sound alarm on end-of-cycle
- Auto power-off post 10 minutes of inactivity
- Compact with ample chamber space
Best for durability and energy efficiency
Why it’s great:
Jiffi’s latest generation warmer offers quick and efficient heating so that your baby gets fresh, warm milk on the go. As a durable bottle warmer, it lets you heat milk to 4 times and keeps it warm for up to 5 hours with a single charge. With so many reheats and an auto heat conservation mode, say goodbye to those last-minute meal preparation woes.
Features we love:
- Three heating temperatures for quick and efficient warming
- Portable and high power capacity
- Auto heat conservation mode
- Includes USB chargeable battery for greater portability
- Heat retention up to 5 hours
- Compact and easy to use
Best for ease of use
Why it’s great:
Spend more quality time with your baby while this one-dial operation bottle warmer warms food and milk for you in just 4 minutes. While the gentle warming feature ensures that all nutrients are retained, the temperature-control settings help avoid overheating. With just the press of a button, you can now warm milk more easily than before.
Features we love:
- One-dial operation for ease of use
- 4 minutes heating time
- Prevents overheating
- Comes with a heat and defrost feature
- Safe, BPA-free, modern and compact design
Best for convenience
Why it’s great:
For parents looking for a 3-in-1 bottle, food warmer and steriliser, Beaba BabyMilk offers a 2-minute heating system and steam sterilisation. Its rapid heating feature allows back-to-back warming, and the precise timer helps reach the right temperature based on the bottle material or size. If you are looking for a convenient and multifunction bottle warmer, this is it.
Features we love:
- 3-in-1 bottle, food warmer, and steriliser for ultimate convenience
- Steam sterilisation, 2 minutes heating time
- Air-tight lid for heat retention
- Accurate timer to reach the right temperature
- Insulated area on the bell-lid to prevent burns
- Audio signal for end-of-cycle
Are bottle warmers necessary?
There's nothing wrong with feeding your baby cold formula or breast milk, but most babies prefer their milk at standard temperature or slightly warmer.
You can leave a bottle out for about an hour to bring it to room temperature, or you can run it under warm water to achieve the desired temperature. However, if you're a busy parent, you could discover that a bottle warmer makes your life a lot easier.
A bottle warmer is an electric device specially designed to warm babies' milk in bottles evenly and safely in layman terms. It contains a reservoir where water is stored, and the milk bottle can be placed directly or through a small basket. When the warmer is turned on, the water begins to boil and circulates the milk bottle, warming the milk.
Why it is a good idea to use a bottle warmer
Consistent heating at the right temperature
If you intend to breastfeed your child exclusively, a bottle warmer is an absolute must. This is because you will frequently pump milk and freeze it, especially when you return to work. Warming frozen breastmilk by putting it under running water or pouring it in a dish of warm water can take an eternity.
Furthermore, it is not recommended to warm breast milk in a microwave because overheating can decrease the quality of the proteins, destroying rich nutrients. Also, using a microwave can create uneven hot spots in the milk that could scald your little one.
A bottle warmer quickly and evenly heats the milk or formula to just the right temperature without losing nutrients. A temperature control button allows you to heat milk to the proper temperature without the risk of overheating.
Bottle warmers do not only heat milk at the proper temperature but also a consistent temperature. The temperature you specify at the start remains constant throughout the heating process until the milk is evenly warmed, ensuring that the milk is fit for consumption. This is done through a thermostat system or the use of intelligent sensors.
Time savings
It is faster to heat milk in a bottle warmer than to boil water in a kettle and then place the bottle in until the milk is warm. Also, the milk will overheat, and you will have to wait a few minutes for it to cool down. Using a bottle warmer will keep the milk at a steady temperature and prevent overheating. As a result, you save time that you can spend on other activities.
Convenience
A bottle warmer allows you to warm your baby's milk at any moment, including in the middle of the night. If your infant frequently feeds at night, there are various bottle warmers explicitly made for nighttime feeding. Some bottle warmers come with a cooler in which you may store milk bottles from the freezer and instantly warm them in your room to feed your baby at night
