We all know that a baby comes with love and God knows that we want the best of everything for our bundle of love. But it comes with a price too, it is either your time, your youth or simply your wallet.
Baby stuff like diapers, wipes, car seats, strollers or rash cream are must-have items for parents. But other stuff falls right in the middle of the “must-have” and “nice-to-have” debate. While many people find them handy, others find them expensive and unnecessary. In which, a bottle warmer is an item that parents find it hard to decide on.
So do you need a bottle warmer?
In this article, we will give you some aspects to help you decide.
Ready? Let’s jump right into it.
What is a bottle warmer?
A bottle warmer is a gadget to warm up milk for babies. In addition, this machine can also warm water, baby food as well as sterilize food. This type of machine helps to heat and maintain the natural heat of the bottle by receiving heat transfer from the steam or the steel layer of the body.
Most bottle warmers have a simple structure consisting of 1 body and 1 plug. The body of the device has a heating element at the bottom and a compartment used to put the milk bottle in the kettle. The compartment is large or small depending on the type of machine. If the compartment is large, it can hold 2 to 3 bottles of milk.
There are two popular types of bottle warmers on the market
Water-based bottle warmer
The water will be heated by electricity inside the machine, then it will pass through the bottle and warm the bottle.
Waterless milk warmer
With this type of machine, the heat is transferred through the stainless steel layer thereby heating the milk. More chosen due to convenience.
Most milk warmer products have a super-speed warming function, you just need to wait for about 2-3 minutes for the milk to reach the desired temperature.
Do you really need a bottle warmer: Pros and Cons of Bottle Warmers
Pros
The bottle warmer has many functions to help mothers easily take care of their babies. Here are the benefits that a bottle warmer offers.
Keep the nutrients and taste
The milk warmer has a quick heating effect, keeping the milk warm for a long time but still retaining the inherent flavor of the milk.
Warms milk and retains heat naturally
The bottle warmer naturally heats and retains heat thanks to steam or heat transferred through a stainless steel mesh, thus retaining all the nutrients in milk and baby food .
Safe to use
The bottle warmer has an automatic power-off function, so mothers can feel more secure when using it.
Sterilize baby bottles
Depending on the type of bottle warmer, mothers can sterilize 1-2 bottles at the same time. Sterilizing baby bottles will help ensure hygiene and protect the health of babies.
Save time for mothers
Just use a milk warmer, choose the appropriate warming mode, and after 3-5 minutes, you will have a delicious bottle of milk for your baby.
Compact, easy to carry for travel
The types of bottle warmers are designed to be simple and compact, which is very convenient for mothers to carry when going out, traveling,...
Cons
Need to invest in it
Need to wash and clean frequently
How to choose a bottle warmer
Origin and brand
To choose good quality products, you should buy products at reputable big electronics or children's stores with a clear warranty.
Quality and material
Quality is a prerequisite when buying baby products in general and bottle warmers in particular. The machine needs to be made of high quality materials, does not contain harmful substances, does not affect the quality of milk.
In addition, the machine's power source needs to be stable, not leaking water out causing danger as well as ensuring milk quality.
Capacity
If you have twins or your baby is used to bottle feeding, ... then a large capacity bottle warmer is essential.
Machine capacity is also an important factor that cannot be ignored. The power will determine how fast or slow the milk is to warm up. The higher the capacity, the faster the mother can warm the milk. With a capacity of 80W, it can warm milk in about 6 minutes.
Other features
The main feature of a bottle warmer is to warm milk to the most suitable temperature, usually about 37 - 40 degrees Celsius, close to the baby's body temperature. Remember not to reheat the breast milk more than once.
In addition to the main feature, the baby bottle warmer now also integrates many other convenient features to help mothers save a lot of time such as: sterilization milk bottle, orange juicer mode, food warming,...
Price
There are many types of milk warmers on the market today, so the products will have different prices depending on the purpose of use and brand.
The Bottom Line: Do I Really Need a Bottle Warmer?
There’s no right answer either way on whether or not you should add one to your baby gadget list.
If you don’t find an urgent need for a bottle warmer, then save yourself some counter space and skip it. You’ll be saving money, kitchen space and some time in your day.
If you think you prefer your breast milk to be reheated nicely without you worrying too much about the time and temperature, then feel free to get a bottle warmer. If you do so, remember to check out my guide to buy the best bottle warmer for your little one.