You’re on a day out with your baby and one of you (or both) has just hit panic mode because the milk bottle needs to be warmed. When you’re on the go, giving your baby a warm bottle can feel like an impossible task. And since babies let you know exactly how they feel about being kept waiting, you need a solution ASAP. A travel bottle warmer can be a fast and reliable solution.

Whether you’re in the car, on a plane or on a boat, with the best travel bottle warmers you’ll never have to worry about adjusting your travel plans to fit your feeding schedule. Portable bottle warmers mean that baby can hang. Your child can travel with you no matter where you’re going and still have the comfort of a warm bottle. Some bottle warmers need an outlet but others can be powered with a power bank. If you don’t want to deal with any of that then you could always use a thermos-type container. If you want your bottle warmer to pull double-duty then, consider one that also accommodates food pouches.

Warming up milk on the go is one of the great bonuses of technological advancements. But, even if your bottle warmer has temperature control (some do and some don’t) it’s still a good idea to test the temperature before giving it to your child.

How to choose the best portable bottle warmer

The best thing about a travel bottle warmer is that it won’t intrude on your family’s vacation plans. Traveling with a baby is not for the faint of heart so anything that can make it easier needs a spotlight. But, how do you choose the portable bottle warmer that’s right for you? Here are a few things to consider:

Power source

Depending on where or how you’re traveling, you might not always have access to an outlet. In that case, you might opt for a battery-operated, usb-powered or thermos-style bottler warmer.

Weight

When kids are involved “traveling light” isn’t exactly a thing. Still, with everything else you’ll need, if you’re short on space you might want to consider a travel bottle warmer that’s as compact as possible.

Size

Babies can be finicky bottle aficionados. So once you find the brand and style they like, there’s no switching things up! Unfortunately, not every bottle is compatible with every bottle warmer. Double check that the bottles you use will work with a particular warmer or if they include an adapter that matches.

Warming time

If you know your baby won’t patiently wait for warmed up milk then, one thing to keep in mind is how fast the warming time is.

Clean-up

The factor that will affect how breezy clean-up can be all depends on what the bottler warmer is made up of. Consider hand-wash vs dishwasher safe.

The best travel bottle warmers

tommee tippee bottle warmer

Tommee Tippee

Closer to Nature Portable Travel Baby Bottle Warmer

$18.97

This compact travel bottle warmer can heat up your baby’s milk and it’s conveniently sized to fit in your diaper bag. Lock hot water into the insulated stainless-steel thermos. When it’s feeding time, you just pour the water inside the frosted white container and place your baby bottle into the warm water. Plus, it’s BPA-free!

The insulated keeps water hot for at least 8 hours so you can use it multiple times. You can get the matching Tommee Tippee milk bottle but the brand does state that most popular bottles should fit inside the white container. You can also use it to warm up food pouches.

philips avent bottle warmer

Philips Avent

Baby Bottle Warmer

$49.97

There’s a reason this bottle warmer was featured on Babylist’s top 30 most registered-for product of 2022. It warms your baby’s bottle in just 3 minutes and it can keep milk warm for up to one hour. Works with all Philips Avent bottles and most other brands. There’s also a handy defrost setting!

It features smart temperature-control and automatic shut-off so you don’t have to worry about leaving it on.

dr brown's bottle warmer

Dr. Brown’s

Insta-Feed Baby Bottle Warmer

$24.49

Dr. Brown’s bottle warmer can warm bottles and food pouches in as little as 80 seconds. It also doubles as a sterilizer so, you can sterilize accessories like nipples and pacifiers. Fits all Dr. Brown’s bottles and the brand states that it fits most other brands.

the first years bottle warmer

The First Years

Baby Bottle Warmer and Sterilizer

$19.99

Warm up milk, baby food and sterilize pacifiers with this bottle warmer. Simply, fill the water to the amount you need and then it’s a one-button push-to-start so, you can’t control the temperature. The best part? It features automatic shut-off.

It’s compatible with most bottles. The water vial, basket, adapter ring and sanitizer lid are all top-rack dishwasher safe.

mumgaroo bottle warmer

Mumgaroo

Portable Bottle Warmer for Travel with 4 Adapters

$68.99

Battery-powered, compact and perfect for your next vacay. Full charge will get you 40 minutes of continuous heat. It can also keep 4 oz of milk warm for 12 hours. It has a large 9000mAh battery and it comes with a 3ft USB cable. It comes with 4 adapters which can fit a lot of different bottle brands including: AVENT, NUK, Dr.brown’s and Tommee Tippee.

There are 4 temperature settings and it takes about 4 minutes to heat up milk. The LED display will show you the temperature and battery level.

bololo bottle warmer

BOLOLO

Portable Milk Warmer with Super Fast Charge

$69.99

In 5 minutes, the Bololo bottle warmer can go from room temp to 104°. The fast charging adapter can take you to 100% in 2 hours or 80% in 1 hour. When it’s fully charged, it can heat 9 ounces of milk up to 7 times.

The LED display shows the temperature and there are controls to adjust higher or lower. Plus, the inside container is stainless steel so you won’t have to deal with any lingering smells.

A version of this post was published August 4, 2023. It has been updated.