Best sterilisers for baby bottles, breast pumps and more

In the hazy days with a new baby, keeping them safe is the number one priority – and also likely to be the biggest source of anxiety for parents. A steriliser can be used to kill bacteria found on lots of different baby feeding equipment like baby bottles, teats and breast pump parts. But which is the best steriliser to make your feeding schedules easier to juggle? After our latest intensive round of testing, we’ve got all the information you’ll need about our favourites.

It's been Mumsnet's mission to make parents' lives easier for over 20 years, so we know how much difference choosing the right product can make. That's why we obsessively research, review and vet everything we recommend - from the best breast pumps to the best changing bags.

We commissioned Rachel Jeffcoat, a writer and mum of three, to research and review the top sterilisers out there. As a parent to an eight-, six- and two-year-old, all of whom were combination-fed as babies, Rachel has years of experience using a wide variety of baby equipment, including sterilisers. As a writer, she’s written extensively on parenthood, including Mumsnet’s reviews on the best baby sleeping bags and the best baby bottles. After in-depth research and parent-led testing, we have the results.

Here are the best sterilisers to buy right now.

Best sterilisers at a glance

• Best overall steriliser: Tommee Tippee Super Steam Advanced Electric Steriliser

• Best budget steriliser: Medela Quick Clean Microwave Bags

• Best cold water steriliser: Milton Cold Water Steriliser

• Best travel steriliser: Milton Solo Travel Steriliser

• Best large steriliser: Dr Brown’s Deluxe Electric Steam Steriliser

• Best steriliser for drying: Nuby Natural Touch Steriliser and Dryer

More of the best sterilisers: tried and tested

Why do I need a steriliser?

According to the NHS, sterilising feeding equipment is necessary for the first 12 months to keep your baby free from bacteria that could harm their brand-new immune systems. If you’re planning on expressing breast milk, combination feeding or using a dummy during your baby’s first year, you’ll need to sterilise all the relevant baby equipment after every use.

Midwife and antenatal teacher Kate Bennett says, “Babies are particularly vulnerable to infections from bacteria, viruses and fungi in their first year of life as their immune systems are very immature. It’s good practice to reduce the risk of needless germs from feeding equipment in particular as this can make your baby very poorly, including symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and oral thrush.”

What should I use a steriliser for?

As well as baby bottles, teats and breast pump parts, you'll also want to steriliser dummies and teething rings, ideally once a day unless they are dropped on the floor outside.

Baby plates and bowls, cutlery and sippy cups will also need to be sterilised if they’re used before six months but, after that, washing in hot soapy water should be sufficient.

Should you sterilise baby bottles every time?

By the time they’re a year old, your baby’s immune system is much better developed so you can ease off sterilising toys and dummies then.

However, Kate says, “It is always recommended to sterilise your baby’s bottles and teats for as long as you continue using them. This is because milk and milk curds can remain in small amounts in the teat and bottle, and the bugs that feed on them can cause stomach upsets.”

How do I sterilise baby equipment?

The NHS advises that all used equipment – bottles, teats and breast pump parts that come into contact with milk – are cleaned as soon as possible after use using hot soapy water. A bottle brush should be used to clean inside bottles and teats can be turned inside to get into the nooks and crannies.

If you prefer, you can put bottles through the dishwasher (check your breast pump instructions to see which parts are dishwasher-safe, if any) – just make sure bottles, lids and teats are facing downwards, and remember that dishwashing cleans items but doesn’t sterilise them so you’ll still need to do that.

After cleaning, rinse off each item in cold, clean water and then you’re ready to sterilise. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly, especially when positioning items in the steriliser and adding the correct amount of water or sterilisation solution.

After the sterilisation cycle is complete, you can leave the items inside without opening the lid and they’ll remain sterile for a set period of time (often 24 hours, but it varies between products). Or you can take them out and use them once they’re cool.

It’s best to use sterile tongs to handle teats afterwards to prevent contamination, and the majority of sterilisers come with a pair – put the tongs in with the cycle and you know they’re OK to use.

Don’t rinse equipment off again afterwards as the water won’t be sterile. You don’t need to dry them as the cloth likely isn’t sterile either – just shake off the excess moisture and make sure it’s cooled down completely.

When can you stop sterilising baby bottles?

Guidance from the NHS recommends sterilising for at least the first 12 months. After your baby's first birthday, you can start phasing our sterilising as their immune system will be strong enough. However, it's important to continue cleaning all bottles, dummies and other feeding equipment thoroughly even after you've said goodbye to the sterilising tablets.

What are the different types of steriliser?

The type of steriliser that’s right for you will depend on your baby’s routine as well as your environment, so it’s perfectly alright to wait till after the birth – maybe buying a box of sterilisation bags as an interim measure – and assess your sterilising needs in the days and weeks afterwards.

Kate Bennett says, “This is such an individual choice. It depends on what you find easiest, what your budget is and how much space you have. That’s before you think about what you’ll be sterilising and how you plan to feed your baby.”

There are four main sterilisation units on the market: cold water sterilisers, microwave sterilisers, electric sterilisers and travel sterilisers. They all have their own pros and cons.

1. Cold water steriliser

Cold water sterilisers involve filling a container with water and adding sterilisation tablets or fluid to make a sterilisation solution. The active ingredient is sodium hypochlorite, which is a mild bleach that has been through a purification process to make it stable and non-toxic. It’s perfectly safe to use, but does smell vaguely of swimming pool.

The great advantage of cold water sterilisation is its flexibility. The Milton Cold Water Steriliser, for example, is a large five-litre bucket and, with the right number of tablets, an even bigger container could be used, which puts no limit on the amount of equipment you could sterilise at once (great for parents of multiples!).

The items are sterile after a manufacturer-recommended 15-minute cycle – the NHS recommends 30 minutes – and remain so for as long as they’re in the solution. Plus, they don’t need rinsing off when they’re needed. Items can continue to be added and removed as necessary over 24 hours when the solution will need to be remade.

The disadvantages are the smell, the need to continually buy new tablets and the inconvenience of keeping a large container full of water in a corner of your kitchen – especially relevant if you have other small children.

2. Electric steriliser

Electric sterilisers are units set over a heating plate that heats up water and sterilises the contents with steam. They’re usually generously sized, so can handle up to a day’s worth of bottles all at once, and require almost no preparation and no further outlay to use them regularly.

To sterilise, simply add the right amount of water to the heating plate and press a button – it’s quick and easy to do. The sterilisation cycle also tends to be shorter than with cold water sterilisation. The electricity required to run a cycle in one of these will almost always cost less than using a microwave steriliser.

On the downside, the heating plate will almost certainly attract limescale over time so the steriliser will need descaling once or twice a month. You can buy descaling liquid for this, though all steriliser brands now include instructions for natural descaling liquid from store cupboard ingredients which is a more eco-friendly option. Electric sterilisers are also the most expensive to buy.

3. Microwave steriliser

Microwave sterilisers also use steam to sterilise their contents, which may appeal to you if you prefer to sterilise without chemicals.

They are essentially a large, round, plastic box with a screw-on lid, usually with an internal basket to hold the bottles. Water is poured into the bottom (under the basket) and in the microwave it boils to create steam.

The advantage of microwave sterilisers is that they’re more capacious than travel models but smaller than electric ones, so they can be stored out of sight. The length of the cycle is almost always shorter than using an electric steriliser, too, which might come in handy with a very hungry baby.

Usually, they’re of a size that isn’t truly portable, however, and you still might find it inconvenient to find the cupboard space or take it with you to a grandparent’s house. Some of the larger models might not fit inside more compact modern microwaves either.

Plus, they’re usually more expensive to run than electric sterilisers as they have a smaller capacity (so you’ll be running more cycles) and microwaves ultimately use more energy.

4. Travel steriliser

Babies still need feeding on holiday (who knew?) so travel sterilisers are designed to provide a portable solution that works on the go.

Most of them are cup-shaped microwave sterilisers large enough for one bottle or one breast pump – though you might not always have access to a microwave when away from home so look out for ones that can be used with cold water solution as well.

Microwave steriliser bags have also become more popular in the last few years. These are reusable pouches made from a tough plastic and work by sealing baby equipment in the pouch with some water and microwaving for a set time. These tend to be more roomy than the cup model, with the best fitting two bottles in at a time, and able to be reused around 20 times per bag.

If you’re using bottles and breast pumps regularly but not intensively, you might find that a travel steriliser is sufficient for your needs – it’s certainly cheaper to buy and easier to throw into a drawer. If you’re bottle-feeding full-time, though, sterilising one or two bottles at a time will be too inefficient and labour-intensive to manage.

5. UV steriliser

Relatively new to the steriliser market are UV sterilisers, which use UV light to kill bacteria. Their versatility means that you can use them to pretty much sterilise anything, including mobile phones and keys, however some UV sterilisers may not be suitable for sterilising natural rubber and latex (think certain dummies and the ever-popular Sophie La Girafe).

While they tend to take longer to sterilise things than a steam steriliser, the advantage of a UV steriliser is that you don't have to contend with equipment that's hot to the touch after sterilisation, making them a safer option for most households. You also won't need to do any descaling after use.

What makes a steriliser safe?

Electric sterilisers sold in the EU should have the CE marking somewhere on the box or instructions. This indicates that the steriliser complies with relevant EU legislation on health, safety and environment standards.

Plastic used in any steriliser part should be BPA-free – the manufacturer almost always declares this on their website, but if they don’t you can follow up with their customer service department.

Electric, microwave and travel sterilisers using steam will all get very hot, so the usual cautions apply: wait the recommended amount of time before opening the lid after a cycle has completed, open the lid away from you to redirect any steam, use oven gloves to retrieve from the microwave if necessary, and of course keep any hot items away from children.

For cold water sterilisers, a full container will be very heavy and should be kept away from children so they can’t pull it over onto their head. Sterilisation fluid is made from sodium hypochlorite, a mild, non-toxic bleach that decomposes into water and a small amount of salt.

If sterilisation fluid is accidentally ingested by a child, Milton advise: “Because of the salt in the solution in the bottle, the child will usually spit the fluid out, or, at worst, be sick. If they are not sick, there should be no need to worry but a concerned parent can give the child a drink of milk. Because milk is a protein, it will neutralise the Milton solution. The Milton Sterilising Fluid formula should be neutralised by the saliva proteins and break down into salt and water. However, it is always best to seek medical advice or contact your GP to ensure complete safety."

How do I choose a steriliser?

1. Capacity

If you’re bottle-feeding or expressing full-time, you’re likely to get through a large pile of equipment in a 24-hour period and you don’t want to spend all of it refilling the steriliser.

If you mostly breastfeed and give an expressed bottle on occasions, your needs will be different. Sterilising no more than once or twice in 24 hours is ideal, so look for the stated bottle capacity and see whether it matches your expected daily use. Don’t forget to measure your microwave before buying a microwave steriliser to check it will fit.

2. Storage requirements

Do you have enough kitchen counter space to keep a sterilising unit out all the time? Would you want to if you did? Electric units usually stay plugged in on the counter – they’re too large to store and too bulky for it to be convenient to move them often.

Microwave sterilisers are smaller, but not exactly portable. They could sit on top of the fridge or stay in the microwave itself if you’d rather not keep them out.

3. Cycle time

The length of a sterilisation cycle varies wildly between brands. If you’ve got a set-up where you intend to batch-sterilise once a day, a longer cycle won’t matter so much. But if you’re planning on sterilising more often, you won’t want to wait by the steriliser juggling a hungry baby.

4. Noise

This only applies to electric sterilisers but is worth bearing in mind nonetheless. Several make loud beeps at the beginning and end of their cycle and some even during, making a dishwasher-like hum.

The beeping especially might be inconvenient with a sleeping baby in the house so you may want to check that before you buy.

How do I descale and clean a steriliser?

Electric sterilisers attract limescale on their heating plate over time so will need regularly descaling (manufacturers will specify a frequency, but it’s usually once or twice a month). To reduce limescale build-up, pour out the water after every use and wipe down with a soft damp cloth.

To descale, you’ll need descaling solution which you can easily buy in supermarkets – though most brands now give instructions for an eco-friendly version using vinegar. Pour in the solution over the heating plate and leave to soak for between 30 minutes and 24 hours, depending on the extent of the limescale. Pour out, rinse with cool water, wipe with a damp cloth, then run an empty cycle before using the steriliser as normal.

Microwave, travel and cold water sterilisers can be cleaned with hot soapy water as needed, and many can also go in the dishwasher (check the manufacturer’s instructions first). It’s not necessary to run an empty cycle after washing.

How much do sterilisers cost?

Electric sterilisers are unsurprisingly the most expensive. The cheapest starts at about £40 and they go all the way up to around £90, depending on the functionalities. They use less electricity than microwaves and should cost you around 25p a month in energy bills.

Microwave sterilisers vary wildly from around £12 to £40 – the more expensive ones will likely have small extra features like lockable lids or more robust plastic, but there’s not much variation in style regardless of price.

The bestselling cold water steriliser is Milton’s, at £17.99, but the point of cold water sterilisation is that it can be done in any container of any size. You’ll always have the ongoing expense of sterilisation tablets, though these shouldn’t set you back more than £1.50 or so a month.

Being much smaller, travel sterilisers are less expensive, retailing at about £10 for a cup-style model or a box of five sterilising bags. As their capacity is so much smaller, this will only be a long-term saving if you’re not using lots of equipment daily.

How real-life comparative testing makes Mumsnet Reviews unique

While all reviews must be subjective to a degree, we believe that the best way to judge one product against another is for a single tester to use them all in their own kitchen, in real-life circumstances and over some time.

Our tester, Maisie, is a mum of three with a six-year-old, four-year-old and an 11-month-old baby. She spent six months testing the shortlisted products with her own bottles and breast pump parts, each for a minimum of 10 days.

• She looked at whether each steriliser was available from a wide range of retailers, whether you’d need to buy any extras separately and whether it was possible to buy replacement parts.

• She also assessed the amount of unnecessary packaging, the usefulness of the instructions and whether there was a warranty or a customer helpline available, before timing how long it took to get the steriliser ready to use.

• Then, during day-to-day use, she looked at materials and finishings, how hot the steriliser got during use, how easy it was to knock lids off or knock the steriliser over, and whether there were any trailing wires or other hazards.

• She noted how many bottles or breast pump parts could fit comfortably into the steriliser, how long the cycle was, how loud the unit was in use (if appropriate), and how big the product’s footprint was on the kitchen counter.

• She also assessed how easy it was to clean or descale (if appropriate). For microwave or travel models, she washed them in the dishwasher with items covered in pasta sauce to see how they coped and knocked them over to see if they leaked in transit.

• Finally, she looked at whether the steriliser represented good value for money considering the features it provided for a wide customer base, noting whether or not she’d buy another if the sample model broke.

• During the tests, each product was scored from zero to eight in six key categories: purchase and assembly, safety and stability, day-to-day use, cleanliness, aesthetics and value for money. The scores were then added up and five stand-out products were given coveted Mumsnet Best awards. Five more were given honourable mentions.

How we tested and chose our recommendations

We commissioned Rachel Jeffcoat, a writer and mum of three, to research and review the top sterilisers out there. As a parent to an eight-, six- and two-year-old, all of whom were combination-fed as babies, Rachel has years of experience using a wide variety of baby equipment, including sterilisers. As a writer, she’s written extensively on parenthood, including Mumsnet’s reviews on the best baby sleeping bags and the best baby bottles.

Rachel spent 10 hours researching the current steriliser market. She looked into the different sterilisation modes and scoured the market for cutting-edge new products as well as old established favourites. She read scores of user reviews, including those in the Mumsnet forums, and collated Amazon and Which? bestsellers.

She investigated best practice safety recommendations from the NHS and sourced expert advice from Kate Bennett, a midwife of nine years and course teacher with antenatal education provider, New Life Classes.

Finally, she narrowed down her list of choices to 14 testing candidates from a mixture of sterilisation categories, brands and price points. After in-depth research and parent-led testing, we have the results.

Why you should trust our reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust – brands can’t pay to be featured in our articles or win a Mumsnet Best award.

We spend hours researching, speaking to parents, analysing data and listening to experts before we test out the products on our shortlist.

Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about how we tested the products we recommend. We won't always recommend the cheapest products or the ones with the most extra features. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones we'd recommend to our own friends and family.

There's no incentive for us to be lazy with our research or in our testing process. There's no reason for us to respond to pressure from retailers or brands trying to promote new products. It's actually quite the opposite and we think it's a good system, one that keeps us focused on making parents lives' easier.

About the author

Rachel Jeffcoat has worked for 15 years as an editor and writer, after starting her career managing science and technology journals.

She now writes and edits for businesses, including some in the nursery retail sector, and has worked with the Mumsnet Reviews team for several years. She has also had essays and poetry published in Huff Post, Fourth Trimester Magazine and Dear Damsels. She has three small children.