Yes, You Really Do Need A Bottle Warmer — Here's Why

When the time comes to start putting together your baby registry or list of must-have baby products, it can get a bit overwhelming. Being prepared with a few essential items will help make your first year with your little one a bit easier. When you need warm milk at 3 a.m. for your crying baby that refuses to take cold formula or expressed breast milk, having a warmer will save you precious time.

Bottle warmers heat formula and breast milk to 98ºF without hot spots and take the guesswork out of preparing a baby's bottle so milk is at the perfect temp within minutes, every time. Some bottle warmers offer different features like a digital timer, automatic shut-off, and on-the-go travel options, perfect for the diaper bag. And best of all, most of these bad boys are relatively inexpensive, ranging from $15-$50.

The experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles Lab review parenting products of all kinds, from maternity clothes to diapers to potty training seats and more. To find the best bottle warmers, we considered five essential criteria: Warming efficiency, safety features, cleaning ease, bottle type size, and cost. Here are the best baby bottle warmers to make your life a little easier.

• Best Overall Bottle Warmer: Philips Avent Fast Bottle Warmer
• Best Value Bottle Warmer: First Years Simple Serve Bottle Warmer
• Most Convenient Bottle Warmer: Kiinde Kozii Baby Bottle Warmer
• Best Steam Bottle Warmer: Dr. Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Warmer
• Best Smart Bottle Warmer: Baby Brezza Safe & Smart Electric Bottle Warmer
• Best Travel Bottle Warmer: Tommee Tippee Portable Travel Baby Bottle Warmer

Do I really beed a bottle warmer?

Yes, having a fast and reliable baby bottle warmer at hand is a must for new parents. While it is definitely appropriate to prepare formula or milk in a bottle and run it directly under hot water from the tap or by boiling water in a pan, bottle warmers offer a quick and safe method of feeding your baby that will leave you both happy. Bottle warmers are also great for heating up stored or frozen breast milk and they are designed specifically to quickly warm liquids to that ideal body temperature of 98ºF. Although there is no proven research that says warm milk is better for babies' digestion than cold, babies tend to feel happier and sleep better when they take warm milk because their bodies use a lot of energy to warm cold milk.