Having a baby is rewarding and challenging all at once, and having twins is (at least) double the fun and the work, especially when it comes to feeding time. Bottle warmers can be a life-saver if you’re trying to heat up milk and have two babies screaming in hunger. Scary Mommy reached out to Stacey Stewart, a certified lactation educator (C.L.E.), to learn what to look for when shopping for the best bottle warmers for twins.
The Expert
Stacey Stewart, C.L.E., is the founder of Milkology, a destination for breastfeeding and pumping information designed to empower women to meet their breastfeeding or pumping goals. Stewart is also a mom of twins.
What To Consider When Shopping For The Best Bottle Warmer For Twins?
Stewart says that when you’re warming up two bottles at a time, saving time is is key. A double bottle warmer is a great, fast option to get two bottles prepped at the same time. The models below have a range of milk heat times, with the fastest double bottler warmer clocking in around 3 minutes — although this can vary depending on the size and material of the bottle.
You’ll also appreciate a constant warming function that allows you to have bottles prepped and ready for right when the two little mouths start to fuss for food. If there’s anything a mama of twins knows, it’s that preparation is everything.
Can I Warm Breastmilk In A Bottle Warmer?
Most bottle warmers can be used for both formula and breastmilk, which is convenient especially if you’ve stored breastmilk in the freezer and need to get it defrosted ASAP. Bottle warmers are also designed to evenly warm up bottles, so you don’t get hot spots like you would if you used a microwave — which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can destroy nutrients in breast milk anyway.
Is It Worth Buying A Bottle Warmer?
If you’re looking for a quick solution where all you need to do is push a button and set it and forget it, a bottle warmer is a relatively inexpensive gadget that can save your already stretched time. A standard double bottle warmer will run you about $40 to $50, but if you’re looking to save some money, you can buy a budget-friendly single bottle warmer, and warm up bottled back to back. Or use one of Stewart’s hacks: You can heat up a large bowl of water (half-full) in the microwave for about 90 seconds, and then put the bottle(s) in the heated water for a few minutes.
Another interesting hack? Stewart says that it’s not always necessary to warm breastmilk. “If your babies happily take cold breast milk or a bottle at room temperature, save yourself even more time and feed them that!” Just make sure to follow certain guidelines, like mixing in the separated milk fat so your baby gets the good stuff.
Ahead find six bottle warmers for twins that will help your babies drink milk safely and quickly.
1. The Overall Best Double Bottle Warmer
Stewart recommends this double bottle warmer, which has six different functions: two different milk warming speeds, steaming (for sterilizing nipples), food heating, and two different thawing speeds. It can be used for breastmilk or formula, and it has a built-in temperature sensor to make sure your milk is heated to the optimum temperature — and then it can keep it warm for up to 24 hours. Once it’s done heating, the warmer will automatically shut off, so you have one less thing to worry about.
Helpful Review: “[…] It’s easy to use, the quick warm setting is very convenient, and no rust. Having twins, this warmer makes it so easy and fast to warm up their bottles and the “Constant Warm” feature helps big-time in trying to have bottles ready before the little ones get antsy. Great product.”
Milk Heat Time: 3-11 minutes (depending on bottle size and material; see chart for details) | Constant Warming Function: Yes | Breastmilk Compatible: Yes | Auto-shut off: Yes | Sterilizing: Yes
2. Another Great Double Bottle Warmer With Extra Bottle Accessories
Another 6-in-1 tool, this bottle warmer can heat up two bottles at a time, as well as warm food or steam clean used bottles. There’s an easy-to-read LED display for the temperature, a constant warming function (up to 24 hours), and an auto-shut off feature. The warmer also comes with a shelf, a bottle clip, and three bottle brushes.
Helpful Review: “This bottle warmer works beautifully, the milk gets to perfect temperature every time. The sterilizing feature is beyond helpful especially on days when you don’t want to stand at the sink or run an entire load in the dishwasher just to have to do them again by hand. The LED display is great because there is no guess work. It fits almost all the bottles I have & works really well to defrost and heat breast milk without any issues. 100% would buy again.”
Milk Heat Time: 4-11 minutes | Constant Warming Function: Yes | Breastmilk Compatible: Yes | Auto-shut off: Yes | Sterilizing: Yes
3. The Best Double Bottle Warmer On A Budget
This no-frills bottle warmer has settings for silicone, glass, and plastic bottles, and can heat seven ounces of milk in as little as five minutes. Once the milk is heated, a green indicator light and beep goes off, and then the warmer automatically switches to warming mode. The interface is definitely more low-tech than others on this list and it lacks a sterilizer function, but fans say it gets the job done when it comes to warming. Plus, it’s compatible with most bottles, milk storage bags, and food jars, and it can defrost frozen milk or food.
Helpful Review: “Fantastic bottle warmer! Works as described. Super easy to use. This is thoughtfully designed and awesome for small spaces! Multifunctional and easy to figure out and use! Good value and I would definitely recommend this.”
Milk Heat Time: 5 minutes (will vary depending on bottle size and material) | Constant Warming Function: Yes | Breastmilk Compatible: Yes | Auto-shut off: Yes | Sterilizing: No
4. A Double Bottle Warmer You Can Pre-Schedule
This bottle warmer can heat milk and food, and it has a preset function so you can prepare for feeding time (if it’s somewhat predictable). The warming function keeps milk heated for up to 24 hours, and the machine will shut off automatically when it runs out of water. There are buttons for different bottle materials for ease, and you can keep the warmer in the same room as your baby — it’s quiet and has a soft LED night light.
Helpful Review: “I am so so glad I decided to buy this bottle warmer. I am in complete control of choosing the material, amount of milk, and temperature. I have silicone bottles, but I also have glass breastmilk containers and so it’s so convenient to be able to warm my baby’s milk in either one of those with no problem just choosing the correct setting, which is very easy to do.”
Milk Heat Time: 4 to 26 minutes (depending on bottle size and material; see chart for details) | Constant Warming Function: Yes | Breastmilk Compatible: Yes | Auto-shut off: Yes | Sterilizing: Yes
5. A Single Bottle Warmer That’s Ultra-Fast
The Philips AVENT bottle warmer can warm five ounces of milk in as few as three minutes. It has sensors that adjust for different volumes and starting temperatures (cold versus room temperature versus frozen), keeps milk warm for up to 60 minutes, and then automatically turns off. There’s a defrost function for frozen breastmilk and baby food, and it’s compatible with most bottle types. Bonus: It’s compact so it won’t hog up all your counter space.
Helpful Review: “Great and quick little bottle warmer! Dial is easy to use and lights-up/blinks while bottle is warming up and signals fully lit dial when bottle is ready. We have been using this warmer for almost 2 months and so far it’s been great. Takes less than 5 min to heat a 4oz bottle which is so important when your babe is melting down and screaming.”
Milk Heat Time: 3 minutes | Constant Warming Function: Yes | Breastmilk Compatible: Yes | Auto-shut off: Yes | Sterilizing: No
6. An Easy-To-Use Bottle Warmer With A Cult Following
Boasting more than 6,400 Amazon ratings, this warmer, is a fan favorite for a reason. It can heat up formula, breastmilk, or food and has just has one dial to operate. There are two temperature settings: warm from fridge or room temperature, and a warming setting, and it can heat five ounces of milk in as few as four minutes. It’s compatible with most glass or plastic bottles and food jars.
Helpful Review: “Compact and easy to use! […]I pop the bottle in, make sure the water level is sufficient (I leave the water in there, which isnt what the instructions say but it’s worked fine for us)You need less time for bottles less than 4oz. or for room temperature water. I go up to 6 minutes got cold full bottles. This version does NOT have a timer, I use my Alexa for that. This pairs GREAT with the TommeeTippee bottles that have a heat sensor bar on the venting system. Im excited to use this for her baby food purees in the future! The bottle will feel hot when you take it out, but give it a swirl and its perfect.”
Milk Heat Time: 4 minutes | Constant Warming Function: Yes | Breastmilk Compatible: Yes | Auto-shut off: No | Sterilizing: No
Expert:
Stacey Stewart, certified lactation educator and founder of Milkology
