-Product recommended by annarack99
What’s the Milton Solo Travel Steriliser like to purchase and assemble?
The Milton Solo is widely available from Boots, Tesco, Amazon and others – though it’s worth remembering that, if you intend to use it with cold water solution, you’ll need to buy sterilising tablets or fluid separately as it doesn’t come with any.
It comes pre-assembled and will just need a quick wash before its first use.
Instructions are helpfully printed on the box as well as on a separate leaflet in colour (unusual!) and there’s lots of information about how the product works on Milton’s website, including an explanatory video.
Milton’s FAQ section is particularly helpful if you have questions about the sterilisation process.
Is the Milton Solo safe?
The steriliser is made from tough, BPA-free plastic and feels robust and well-made. Our tester, Maisie, did wonder whether the air valve in the lid might become a weakness over the course of a few months, but it stayed in perfect condition during the 10 days she used it herself.
Speaking of that air valve – the Milton Solo’s lid screws closed tightly, but the valve pops out quite easily so it shouldn’t be left within reach of children, especially when hot.
The unit does get very hot, in fact, after a microwave cycle. Its wide diameter means it’s a two-handed job to open it, which is tricky when it’s too hot to touch. Our tester recommends leaving it for a few minutes before attempting to remove the lid.
There’s a small, flat lip on the lid so it can be laid down horizontally in a compact microwave, which also means there’s no danger of it rolling around and falling off the kitchen counter.
What’s the steriliser like in day-to-day use?
As a small travel unit, the Milton Solo is easy to store, pack away or take with you to a grandparent’s house – though it’s worth remembering that, while it’s watertight when upright, it does leak when on its side so it would need to be carefully positioned in transit (assuming you were using it to sterilise when travelling).
It’s roomier than the Tommee Tippee 2-in-1 Travel Steriliser, which we also tested, though not quite as capacious as the microwave steam steriliser bags, like the Medela Quick Clean Microwave Bags.
Our tester fitted one regular-sized bottle, i.e. any bottle but the extra-large Dr Brown’s, and also managed to fit all her breast pump parts in it easily (separately, not at the same time).
It’s also incredibly straightforward to use, sterilising the contents in a rapid two minutes in the microwave or 15 minutes in cold water sterilising solution as per manufacturer instructions – the NHS recommend 30 minutes. Once the cycle is done, the contents will stay sterile for 24 hours.
There are markings on the side showing the correct water level for cold water sterilisation, although none for microwaving, and our tester felt that would have been a useful addition.
Unlike the other travel models we tested, like the Tommee Tippee or the microwave bags, the Milton Solo is designed to be able to lie on its side if necessary so it should fit in even the smallest of microwaves.