Feeding, sleeping, changing nappies – parents of newborns have a lot on their plate. The last thing they need is to spend hours stressing over the best way to sterilise their baby bottles.

From steam sterilisers to cold-water solutions, the options are vast, and with most claiming to kill 99.9% of germs, it can be hard to know which to choose. 

In this article, we break down four of the top-selling sterilisation products: the Milton Cold Water Steriliser, Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced Electric Steamer, Munchkin Microwave Steriliser Bags and the Bebello Washer.

We weigh up their pros and cons so you’ll have a clearer idea of which option best suits your needs, giving you one less thing to worry about.

Milton Cold Water Steriliser (est. annual cost: £145.65)*

A quick glance at Amazon highlights Milton’s strong presence in the top seller lists for baby bottle sterilisers. Their cold water steriliser bucket, along with the convenient tablets and fluid options, remains a popular choice among parents.

Pros

• Affordable upfront cost: The bucket and Milton Sterilising Tablets retail at a combined price of £26.57.
• Eco-friendly option: Unlike steam-based alternatives, there is no heating of water required with this method.

Cons

• Long term cost: Using the cold water steriliser and tablets for 2 sterilising sessions a day will set you back £145.65 over a twelve-month period.
• Chemical concerns: No studies have yet examined the impact of pathogen-killing chemicals left on surfaces.
• Touch contamination: Transferring bottles from the steriliser to a drying area instantly breaks the sterility, with bacteria able to grow in the drying space.

Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced Electric Steamer (RRP: £74.99)

The Super-Steam Advanced has been the most popular traditional steam steriliser in the UK for many years. Using steam, it sterilises bottles and breast pumps in five minutes.

Pros

• Straightforward to use: A simple one-button start and automatic shut-off make operation effortless.

Cons

• Cleaning: Milk deposits crust on the water heating plate creating a nasty smell, meaning regular cleaning is required.
• No drying function: Bottles remain wet after sterilisation, meaning a drying rack or designated space is required. Learn about drying sterilised baby bottles here.
• Touch contamination: Much like cold water sterilisation, transferring bottles to a drying area introduces a break in sterility and the opportunity for bacteria to grow on drying racks.

Munchkin Microwave Steriliser Bags (est. annual cost: £59.90)**

This sterilisation method involves placing bottles inside the bag along with a small amount of water. The bag is then microwaved, which turns the water to steam, sterilising the bottles in the process.

Pros

• Affordable for occasional use: A pack of six reusable bags retails for £11.98.

Cons

• Expensive with frequent use: Each bag lasts for only 30 sterilisation cycles, meaning regular repurchasing is needed.

4-in-1 Baby Bottle Washer, Steriliser, Dryer & Protection from Bebello (£349)

This innovative device offers the safest and smartest way to clean and sterilise baby bottles. It automatically washes, sterilises, dries and protects bottles and pump parts with minimal effort. 

The Bebello Washer’s quick-dry mode eliminates the need to transfer parts to a drying rack, ensuring sterility is maintained.

 

Pros

• Safety: Maintains part sterility by avoiding the need to use bacteria-filled bottle brushes and drying racks. The 72-hour protect mode keeps parts in a sterile environment until needed.
• Effortless: automatic functionality eliminates the need to handwash and manually move parts between sterilisers and drying racks. This gives back lots of time to get on with other tasks, or catch up on sleep.

Cons

• Up-front cost: Is a more expensive up-front cost, but the huge time savings are invaluable. The cost can be spread out by renting via Baboodle.

Conclusion

There are many ways to achieve 99.9% sterility for your baby bottles, so the key factors to consider are safety and time. The Baby Bottle Washer from Bebello stands out as the safest option, eliminating hand contact after sterilisation. The product’s fully automated process can save you up to an hour of time a day with multiple washing sessions. 

This frees up valuable time to do pretty much whatever you want, providing your little one allows it!

Note: For this article, we have chosen not to review UV sterilisation options, such as the Tommee Tippee Ultra UV, as this method is not recommended by the NHS.

*Calculation based on RRP of Milton Cold Water Steriliser (£21.99) and Milton Sterilising Tablets (£4.58 for a pack of 28 tablets) to complete two sterilisation cycles a day for 12 months.

**Calculation based on RRP of Munchkin Cool Touch Microwave Steriliser Bags (£11.98 for a pack of 6 bags) to complete two sterilisation cycles a day for 12 months.