8 Best Travel Bottle Warmers for 2024
Traveling with a baby can be difficult because they need so many little things! Babies often require bottles, bottle warmers, and other supplies to be able to travel. But how do you choose the best travel bottle warmer to bring with you?
Truly, the best portable bottle warmer depends on the features you want in a bottle warmer. There is a portable bottle warmer for the car, a bottle warmer for the plane, a bottle warmer that can use USB power, etc. We have this post outlined and subdivided so that you can (hopefully) find exactly what you’re looking for!
[Need an awesome travel diaper bag to hold your awesome bottle warmer? Check out our post here for recommendations on the best travel diaper bag.]
How does a portable bottle warmer work?
A portable bottle warmer works just like a regular bottle warmer except that it is more adaptable for different traveling situations. For example, a standard baby bottle warmer plugs into a wall outlet and requires a set amount of time to allow the water inside to rise to the right temperature.
Here’s where they are different. A travel bottle warmer for baby who travels will come with features like battery power, USB charging capability, or no power at all. These models are great for trips to the park, road trips, and even plane rides!
Is a travel bottle warmer necessary?
Before you decide what you need, we want to help you decide if you actually need a portable bottle warmer. If you travel with a baby who needs milk at a certain temperature then I would say a travel bottle warmer is necessary for you.
If you travel with a baby who needs a bottle but is not set on a certain temperature, then I would definitely try to travel without it. After all, that is one less thing to pack with a baby who travels.
Best Portable Bottle Warmer Options for 2024
Each of these options has 1 or 2 unique features that we have described in detail to help you make your choice. We personally love the Tommee Tippee travel bottle warmer because it requires no power! Take a peek and see what works best for your family.
Baby’s Brew portable bottle warmer
Baby’s Brew portable bottle warmer is literally the latest (and in a lot of cases, the greatest) model of travel bottle warmer for baby. Baby’s Brew popped on the scene in 2018 and has been taking names ever since!
The only downfall: it may not be feasible for all budgets. The portable bottle warmer pro (pictured first) retails for $75. The portable bottle warmer pro set + all bottle adapters retails from $125, depending on the customizable options you choose.
If you know that is out of your price range then skip on down to Tommee Tippee. If you’re intrigued, keep reading!
What makes this travel bottle warmer for baby so great? Well, first and foremost it is a battery powered bottle warmer. It is literally the first of its kind to come with these features: battery life of 8-12 hours, heats within 5-10 minutes, stainless steel heat plate, and a BPA free silicone cover. You can warm a bottle anywhere.
The adapters pictured in the portable bottle warmer set are sized differently to fit different brands of bottles like Dr. Brown’s, Tommee Tippee, MAM, Comotomo, etc. You can purchase individual adapters separately on their website for $10 each.
You can check out more about their company and their products on their website!
Tommee Tippee travel bottle warmer
The Tommee Tippee travel bottle warmer is another option that does not require power to warm a bottle. This portable bottle warmer for baby uses a pre-prepared thermos full of boiling water to warm a bottle of either formula or breastmilk.
So, how exactly does that work? The parent fills the stainless steel canister with hot water. We always used boiling water because it stayed warm longer, but be careful if you warm a bottle soon after packing (the water tends to stay very warm for a long time).
You seal the canister with the twist top and then place the white cup over the canister and lock it into place. Pack a bottle of any milk in the way you would normally pack it (on ice, with an ice pack, etc.)
When baby is ready for the bottle, remove the white cup, open the canister, pour some hot water into the white cup and place the bottle into the hot water. Always test the milk before feeding directly to your baby as the temperature of the water affects how quickly the bottle will be warmed and how hot it will be.
One disclaimer: the Tommee Tippee travel bottle warmer is good for 1-2 warmed bottles per thermos of hot water. If planning to warm two bottles, use only half of the water in the thermos to warm the first bottle and then pour the used water back into the canister to reserve for bottle number two. Replace lid as quickly as possible to preserve warmth.
You can find this one on Amazon for about $20, making it one of the most budget friendly options.
Munchkin travel bottle warmers
Munchkin actually offers three different bottle warmers that all have slightly different features. They range in price from $20-50 and come with manual setting and digital setting options. It should be noted: though Munchkin is one of the most popular baby brands when it comes to feeding accessories, they currently do not offer a wireless bottle warmer. All of these travel well because they are compact and light weight, but will require a power source.
The first Munchkin travel bottle warmer retails around $50 is a stainless steel bath warmer (no steam) that warms bottles in 4-9 minutes (4 for a smaller bottle, 9 for a larger bottle).
It is wide enough to fit the major bottle brands’ different shapes/sizes but not so wide that it would be bulky to pack.
It has very easy to use settings that only require you to choose the size of your bottle and press the on button.
The second Munchkin travel bottle warmer is currently retailing for $40 but I anticipate that price will go up soon, given its features.
The Munchkin 98 Degree Digital Bottle Warmer heats formula or breastmilk to a perfect 98 degrees and can maintain that temperature for up to 30 minutes.
It has an easy on/off button that you hold for 2 seconds, as well as 4 adapters that come with it for all of the major bottle brands.
It also has an extremely compact, sleek base which allows it to pack easily!
Last but not least, the Munchkin High Speed Bottle Warmer retails for about $20 and uses a steam warming system to heat milk (or food) super fast. I mean, 90 seconds is really really fast!
This is one of the largest models we recommend but it is also the fastest on our list. Consider its size when planning your packing list and how much space you have. It is not the size of a blender, but it is about twice the size of the model listed above it.
It fits the major bottle brands and comes with one adapter ring to be used with smaller bottles or baby food.
Best travel bottle warmer for car
This is really going to depend on how long you plan to be in the car. For us personally, we have used the Tommee Tippee travel bottle warmer and it worked really well. We filled it with hot water before we left which was enough for a 4-6 hour trip.
Pro-tip: Gas stations have boiling water because they make coffee. Ask for some to warm your baby’s bottle and they will most likely give you a cup no questions asked. We have never had an attendant charge us or tell us no.
If you do not want the hassle of dealing with hot water in a moving car (been there, spilled that) then I would say our next recommendation for a travel bottle warmer for car would be the Baby’s Brew portable bottle warmer. The battery-powered feature is really nice and the device is so effective. We have friends who swear by this one!
Best baby bottle warmer for plane
Again, this depends on the length of your flight, the features on your flight (think Spirit vs Delta here) and how many bottles you need to warm. One thing to note: taking a powerless version (like Tommee Tippee) means a little bit more work for you because you have to find boiling water before you get on the plane but after you’ve passed security. It is definitely doable (and trust us, it has been done) but it does require a little bit of extra thought.
Taking something like an empty thermos (which is essentially what Tommee Tippee is) is a lot less of a hassle in terms of clearing security than a full bottle warmer is. Security rules and regulations seem to change daily for different airlines so always double check you flight information for carry-on instructions before attempting to bring a bottle warmer on a flight.
Amazon’s Choice: Baby Portable Bottle Warmer
Amazon ranks items by number of purchases, price, most searched for features, and obviously reviews. They offer a feature called Amazon’s Choice which combines many of those rating factors and finds a product that fits the needs of most consumers who search for a keyword. For baby portable bottle warmer, the Amazon Choice is this one:
The Grownsy 6-in-1 Fast Warmer features: fast bottle warming (under 3 minutes for a 4 oz bottle!), steaming, food heating, fast defrosting, keep warm, and timer features. The fast bottle warming speaks for itself. Steaming is used to sterilize bottles and bottle accessories safely. The timer feature offers a 24 hour thermostat system which can keep the set temperature stable for up to 24 hours. This is particularly useful for middle of the night feedings!
The Grownsy brand offers two models: a basic and an upgrade. The portable bottle warmer pictured above is the upgraded version which retails for around $40 and features all of the aforementioned options. The basic model retails for around $20 with all of the same features, minus the LCD display.
Best Reviews Overall
What makes a portable bottle warmer the best? Well, according to reviewers it needs to warm quickly, warm without a direct power source, pack lightly, and be user friendly. Based on those criteria, the best portable bottle warmer is *drum roll* ….
…what appears to be Amazon’s version of the Baby Brew. It is competitively priced at $60, offers 4 adapters that fit most major bottle brands within that base price, warms milk in 2 minutes, and, best of all, it is rechargeable!
PLEASE always read product reviews before trusting something like a blog post to make a purchase. The reviews for this one are overall very positive but one common theme is to make sure you secure the adapters very tightly or it can leak.
Most Budget Friendly Travel Bottle Warmer
Unfortunately, “budget friendly” does not usually equate to battery operated or wireless portable bottle warmers. So, the most budget friendly travel bottle warmer for this category is The First Years 2-in-1 compact bottle warmer. On the plus side, it packs lightly and is a compact design that fits all bottle types. So no extra adapters required! The downside is it still requires an outlet since it has a plug.
This was the first bottle warmer we ever purchased and it was a really great introduction to bottle warmers for us. It comes with an easy to use measurement vial that you can use to pre-fill the bottle warmer.
The water can sit in the warmer until you are ready to heat a bottle. In the middle of the night, only having to turn it on was a life-saver. It does take 5-10 minutes to warm a bottle depending on the size of the bottle.
FAQs
How do you warm bottles when traveling?
Well, this depends on which of our lovely choices you decide to bring with you. We have always been fans of the “hot water” method because you typically have access to hot water anywhere there is coffee (think planes, gas stations, airports, hotels, etc.) which is much more convenient than trying to find an outlet.
However, newer portable bottle warmers like Baby’s Brew make it really easy to warm a bottle from anywhere since they are wireless.
Can I take a portable bottle warmer on a plane? How do you warm up milk on a plane?
You can, but you should always check specific airline requirements before you take a portable bottle warmer on a plane. See our recommendations above in the “best baby bottle warmer for plane” section.
Can you use a portable bottle warmer for breast milk?
Yes! A few of our options heat milk (of any kind) to exactly 98 degrees which most closely mimics a regular body temperature. Breast milk warms exactly formula does. The only difference I have found is that it typically warms faster since it is slightly thinner than formula.
How do you warm a bottle when traveling?
This will depend on what you are traveling in. If you are in the car, I highly recommend reading our section on car travel bottle warmers (above). We break down how we use them and what we prefer.
If you are traveling by plane then you can check out our section on best portable bottle warmers for airplanes. Always always always check airline restrictions for carry-on items before sneaking what is essentially a hot plate onto a plane.
How can I keep my bottle warm while traveling?
Aside from using a bottle warmer, I would recommend choosing a diaper bag that offers insulated pouches. The smaller pouch, the longer it stays warm. If you are in the market for a new travel diaper bag, check out our post here!
Wrap-Up: Best travel bottle warmers
We really hope this helps you find exactly what you are looking for! Do you have a travel bottle warmer you love? Please let us know and share the link! Happy traveling 🙂
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