How to buy the best baby bottle, steriliser, warmer and other feeding essentials

Whether you're breast- or formula-feeding, baby-led weaning or spoon feeding, choosing the right equipment can make it a much easier, safer and altogether more enjoyable experience. 

We've rounded up our top tips to help you decide which feeding products are best for you and your baby, along with safety advice and a list of popular stores to buy from. 

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Baby bottles 

Whether you feed your baby expressed milk or formula, choosing the right bottle is important. Finding the best fit for your baby may take some trial and error, though, so be prepared to test different bottles and teats. 

Top tips for buying baby bottles 

• You’ll want to have six bottles or more if you're solely bottle-feeding. If you're breastfeeding, or planning to, some people still like to have one or two bottles to hand. And you’ll need them if you plan to express breast milk.
• Most bottles will hold 250ml (9fl oz) of milk, although you can get smaller bottles for new babies that are 150ml (5fl oz).
• Think about what material you want to go for, whether it's BPA-free plastic or glass. Since June 2011, it's been illegal to sell baby bottles containing BPA (bisphenol A) in the EU. This came after the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) warned that BPA can leach into the milk and if absorbed by the body, can interfere with healthy growth. 

Baby bottle types

Standard baby bottles

These narrow, cylindrical bottles are a familiar sight. You can buy them plain, or decorated with various designs. They will fit a range of standard teats, and have self-seal lids.

Pros: Most widely available, most likely to fit accessories such as bottle coolers and sterilisers, the least expensive type of bottle.
Cons: The narrow neck means they can be trickier to fill than wide-necked versions.

Wide-necked baby bottles

These are shorter and fatter than standard bottles, but take the same amount of milk. They usually take silicone rather than latex teats and will normally have a self-sealing lid.

Pros: Easy to clean and fill, some are designed to have anti-colic properties.
Cons: Less versatile, take up more space (you may not be able to fit as many bottles in a steriliser).

Anti-colic bottles

Anti-colic bottles are designed to reduce the amount of air a baby takes in while feeding, which is thought to be a possible cause of colic (uncontrollable crying in a healthy baby as a result of wind). This is done through air vents, tubes or collapsible bags for the milk inside the bottle. 

Pros: Reduce the amount of air babies swallow – some parents find this helps to reduce colic.
Cons: May not work for all babies, more expensive than other bottles, can be tricky to clean.

Self-sterilising baby bottles

These bottles, made by baby feeding brand MAM, don't require any additional equipment for sterilising provided that you have a microwave. You pour water into a chamber in the base of the bottle, arrange the bottle components on top and microwave for three minutes.

Pros: No need for other sterilising equipment, useful for travel.
Cons: Only made by one brand.

Other types of baby bottle 

• Disposable baby bottles These aren't so much disposable bottles as disposable sterilised bags that fit into a bottle. They can be convenient for use when you're on the go. 
• Heat-sensitive baby bottles An in-built temperature sensor in these bottles changes colour if the milk is too hot.
• Glass baby bottles While not widely available, these are one to consider if you're concerned about the environmental impact of using plastic bottles. 

If you are, or you're planning to express breast milk, see our guide to buying the best breast pump.

Baby bottle teats

Choosing the right teat for your baby's bottle will make for a more comfortable feeding experience for your baby – and you. This is because the teat controls the flow of milk into your baby's mouth. 

Top tips for buying baby bottle teats

• Teats are either latex or silicone. Although there's no great difference between them, silicone teats have a reputation for being more durable, while latex teats are said to feel more like a nipple.
• Teats vary in shape. They can be bell-shaped, or naturally shaped to resemble a nipple.
• When it comes down to teat shape and feel, there is no evidence to suggest that one is better than the other, so it's really a question of which your baby prefers.

How do I know if my baby needs a faster flow teat?

The pace at which milk goes into your baby’s mouth, known as the 'flow rate', depends on the number and type of holes in the tip of the teat.

The flow rate suitable for your baby is not necessarily related to his or her age. Change the teat to a slower flow if your baby is spluttering milk out and choking, or to a faster flow if he or she is sucking hard but seems to be getting frustrated.

You can also buy variflow teats, which work either by increasing the flow as the baby's sucking increases, or by you rotating the teat and bottle into different positions.

Read our disposable nappy reviews to see which brands will keep your baby dry.

Baby bottle steriliser

You'll need to keep sterilising bottles and other feeding equipment that comes into contact with milk until your baby is at least a year old. This is because small babies are especially vulnerable to the bacteria that can develop in them.

You should also wash baby bottles and teats thoroughly before sterilising, either with hot soapy water using a brush, then rinse them under running water, or in a dishwasher.

Top tips for buying a steriliser

• Sterilisers that take both standard and wide-necked bottles are more versatile – you may find your baby gets on better with one type of bottle, so if your steriliser only takes the ‘wrong’ type you may have to buy another one.
• Some sterilisers can be used with more than one method of sterilisation – for example, microwave and cold water. This can be useful if you need to sterilise away from home.
• Sterilisers with drying cycles included mean you can use the bottles straight away, rather than waiting for them to cool down.

Types of sterilisers

Electric steam sterilisers

With this type, you place your washed bottles upside down in the steriliser, add water and switch it on. The water is then heated electrically. When sterilisation is complete, usually after about 10 minutes, the steriliser switches off automatically. Provided the lid isn't opened, the contents will stay sterile for a while (usually about six hours).

Pros: Easy and quick to use, minimum preparation.
Cons: Pricier than other types of steriliser, the inside of the unit can get hot enough to burn your hands.

Microwave steam sterilisers

You place the washed bottles in the steriliser with a small amount of water, fasten the lid, place it in the microwave and operate according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Sterilisation takes about 10 minutes.

Pros: Convenient, fast and simple, one of the cheapest methods.
Cons: Generally these only take four bottles (other types take six or eight), some sterilisers can’t be used in the most powerful modern microwaves, some may not fit in smaller microwaves.

Cold-water sterilisers

Tablets or liquid containing diluted bleach are placed into a measured amount of cold water inside the steriliser tank. Bottles must then be completely immersed in the solution, making sure there are no air bubbles where bacteria could survive (you need to be especially careful about this if the bottles are sterilised lying on their side).

Sterilisation usually takes around 15 minutes, but bottles also need to be rinsed in recently boiled water before use to completely get rid of the chemical solution.

Pros: Nothing to heat up so no chance of painful accidents, no need for electricity or a microwave so you can use it anywhere.
Cons: More fiddly than other methods, solution needs to be changed every 24 hours, relatively slow sterilising process, you have to use separate sterilising tablets.

UV sterilisers

These types of steriliser use UVC rays. They typically come as boxes with reflective surfaces inside, which allow the UV light to cover all surface areas on the objects where you put it. As with other sterilisers, it's crucial to wash your bottles and teats in warm, soapy water before placing them in. This is because any dirt left on the bottles and teats will make the UVC rays less effective. 

Pros: No water or chemicals used, most come with drying cycles so bottles can be used straight away, don't need to descale.
Cons: Tend to be more expensive compared with microwave and steam sterilisers and can have long sterilising cycles (up to one hour), unclear what the long-term effects of UV are on plastic bottles.

Do you really need a baby bottle steriliser?

If your baby has an occasional bottle, and you don’t want any more baby paraphernalia taking up space in your kitchen, boiling bottles in water is a cheap and relatively quick method of sterilisation.

You put the items you want sterilised into a large pan of boiling water. The water should be brought back to the boil, and boiled for 10 minutes before removing the items. A disadvantage with this method is that it can make rubber teats spongy and swollen – check them regularly and discard any that seem damaged.

You should also set aside a pan that is used only for this purpose and not other cooking.

If you are, or you're planning to formula feed, see our guide on buying the best formula milk.

Baby bottle warmers

Using a bottle warmer can be a convenient way to make sure your baby’s milk is heated to the right temperature. Most bottle warmers will also be able to fit jars of baby food.

Is a bottle warmer worth it?

If you're making up formula to feed your baby, you shouldn't need a bottle warmer, as the government advice is to make fresh formula for every feed.

As formula isn't sterile, it’s recommended that you make it as your baby needs it, using water that's at least 70ºC, and to use it within two hours.

However, if you are using ready-to-use formula cartons or expressed milk – which, according to the NHS, can be stored in the fridge for up to eight days at 4°C or lower in a sterilised container or breast-milk storage bag – you might want to warm up the milk before feeding your baby.

Whether or not you need a bottle warmer depends on whether your baby wants heated milk, and how happy you are with just using a jug of hot water to raise the milk temperature.

Types of bottle warmers

Standard bottle warmers

Most traditional bottle warmers will heat up one bottle of milk (or jar of food). You place the bottle in the central vessel of the warmer, fill around it with water from a jug and switch it on. An element heats the water, which in turn heats the bottle.

These warmers normally have an indicator light that goes off when the milk reaches the right temperature, and a thermostat, which keeps the temperature of the water constant. 

It's useful to buy one with a timer so you know how long the milk has been in and you'll need to descale regularly unless you use softened water.

If you think you'll be using the bottle warmer to heat jars of food as well as milk, choose one that has an adaptor for holding jars at an easily reachable height – otherwise you can end up having to reach down into the hot warmer for your jar. Some warmers have the facility to heat food in a bowl, too.

Other types of bottle warmers

• Portable baby bottle warmers These allow you to warm up a bottle easily when you're out and about, although the milk will generally take longer to warm up than in other types of warmers.
• 'Flask' type baby bottle warmers These are made up of two sections: an inner flask, and a lid deep enough to hold a bottle. Before you go out, fill the flask with boiling water and attach the lid. When you need to heat up the bottle of milk, remove the lid, put the bottle in it, then fill around it with the hot water from the flask. 

Find out what essential baby products you need from day one, so you can stock up before your baby is born.

Baby cups

Once your baby reaches six months, it's recommended that they start to learn how to drink water from a cup. There is a wide range of designs to try with your baby including trainer cups, leak-proof cups, open cups and more. 

Types of baby cups

Trainer cups

These come with grippable handles, which make it easier for your baby to hold, though keep in mind that it could get messy if they use the handles to wave the cup about and it's not leak-proof. 

When your baby is first starting to use a cup, a small cup with a soft plastic spout is ideal as a transition from a bottle. Once your baby has got used to holding it, you can move onto a hard spout or straw cup.

Leak-proof cups

Many parents prefer the security of a leak-proof or ‘no-spill’ cup. These usually have a self-sealing valve so the drink is sealed in after each sip.

However dentists recommend choosing cups that allow liquid to flow freely to avoid prolonged tooth contact with sugary drinks. Therefore these are a good option to use only occasionally or as a transition step to an open cup.

Other issues with leak-proof cups include the fact that the valve can wear out over time, so you’ll need to replace the lid. It's also worth checking that the lid as well as the beaker is dishwasher-proof as some aren't.

Open cups and Doidy cups

Teaching a baby to use an open cup as early as possible is a good idea. 

Doidy cups are a good starting point for some babies. These plastic cups have handles and a slanted side which helps the baby to see the contents of the cup and guide the drink to their mouth. 

Though you should expect the cup's contents to regularly get spilled as part of the learning process.

Travelling cups

A compromise is a ‘travelling’ cup, with a spout that you can lift up when your child wants to drink, and put down when he or she has finished. 

The lids to these are often screw-on, so are easy to remove, but don’t come off when the cup is thrown on the floor.

However, this sort of cup may not be completely leak-proof if it gets jiggled around a lot in your bag or in the car.

Ensure your little one is happy and comfortable during mealtimes by choosing one of our best high chairs for babies and toddlers.

Baby feeding accessories

• Bottle brush You'll need a bottle brush to clean your bottles properly before sterilising, and a teat brush to get into the tips of the teats.
• Baby bottle cooler bag These insulated bags keep milk fresh when you’re out and about; single or multi-bottle sizes are available. You may also have a bottle-insulating compartment in your changing bag.
• Bottle drying rack A unit for the draining board designed for easy drying of hand-washed bottles and teats.
• Baby bowl Plastic bowls with high sides and a ‘lip’ or gripper on the edge for you to hold are convenient for when you're feeding your baby. Once they are trying to self-feed, bowls with lower, gently curving sides and a textured easy-to-grip rim can help them stay in control.
• Baby spoon Shallow spoons made from flexible plastic will help a young baby to feed and are also liked by some babies as a teething accessory. Self-feeding babies and toddlers will need a deeper spoon with an easy-to-grip handle.
• Plastic scoop bib These have an in-built curved ‘catch’ tray at the base of the bib, so food falls into the tray rather than into your baby’s lap.
• Cover-all bib Usually made from plastic-coated fabric or flexible PVC, these bibs are designed to provide maximum protection especially if baby-led weaning. As well as covering the front, some versions have full sleeves while others cover the shoulders and upper arms. 

Where to buy baby bottles and other feeding essentials

There are a whole host of stores and websites that sell baby feeding products at a range of prices. Wherever you shop, make sure you pay attention to the returns policy and check for warranties.  

Popular online retailers that stock bottles and other baby feeding essentials include:  

• Boots stocks an extensive baby and child feeding range, including bottles, sterilisers and bibs, plus weaning products such as bibs, cups and bowls. If you have an advantage card and join its parenting club, you get 8 points per £1 spent on baby products.
• Argos sells products from a range of popular baby feeding brands including Tommee Tippee, MAM, Medela and Philips Avent. 
• Amazon has thousands of baby feeding products, including bottles and bottle teats, as well as bowls, spoons and cups to use with your toddler. 
• John Lewis offers bottle feeding accessories as well as weaning products in its baby and child range. You can even book an appointment with one of its nursery advisors (in store or virtually) if you need help with what to choose.
• Asdaand Tesco supermarkets are an excellent place to pick up baby feeding products. Both stock big brands like Nuby, MAM and Tommee Tippee and cover a wide range of products.  
• Kidly offers a smaller selection of boutique brands. Its pricier compared to high-street retailers, but it gives you the chance to discover some less-known baby brands. 

Shopping for your new arrival? See our round-ups of the best child car seats, top pushchairs and high-scoring baby monitors.