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. I absolutely love my Avent microwave sterilizer! It's so amazing and fast. I use it every morning to sterilize my pump and bottles for the day." 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 instructions are quite specific about how to arrange bottles and breast pump parts on the steriliser’s inner tray, but our tester found it easy enough to do (and also to ignore when she wanted to sterilise non-standard parts). There’s plenty of room inside for large bottles, small toys, dummies and breast pump paraphernalia.

During the first year of a baby's life, parents have a lot to worry about, not the least of which is that a baby's immune system is the most fragile at this time. Camille Sabella, M.D., Director of the Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, states that “an infant’s immune system doesn’t mature until around 2 to 3 months.” While there's not much one can do to avoid exposure to household germs altogether, there certainly are steps to take to help ensure they are bacteria-free. Enter the bottle sterilizer – these nifty gadgets make it easy to sanitize (99.9%) bottles, nipples, toys, pump parts, and anything the baby may put into their mouth (which is, like, everything.)Microwave sterilisers also use steam to sterilise their contents, which may appeal to you if you prefer to sterilise without chemicals. It comfortably fits four bottles that aren't Tommee Tippee and we can squeeze five in. It's so handy if you're off somewhere and need to take it along to use as it's not too big." More expensive than some other electric models, like the Tommee Tippee Super-Steam Advanced Electric Steriliser or the Nuby Natural Touch

The exact length of the sanitizing cycle depends on your microwave's wattage; it ranges from two to six minutes.CDC. 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How to Clean, Sanitize, and Store Infant Feeding Items. https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/childcare/clean-sanitize.html Opens a new window [Accessed April 2023] 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.

The steam comes from the water reservoir, which parents like because it keeps them from having to fill it every time. There’s an alarm that tells you when the bottle is done sterilizing, and an auto shut-off feature helps avoid the risk of overheating.

It's cheap to buy, fast, easy to use and will last forever. You can use steriliser fluid or tablets. It's by far one of the best buys we made when I was pregnant." Babies still need feeding on holiday (who knew?) so travel sterilisers are designed to provide a portable solution that works on the go. 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. I find the nuby natural touch steam steriliser really good - it dries the bottles too. It is tall and fits lots of different shaped bottles and other bits!" Tried and tested by Mumsnet user Sjh84 Our verdict 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?

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

If you choose to use a bottle sterilizer for your baby's bottles, there are two ways to go about it — microwave or electric. Both types use the steam to kill approximately 99.9% of harmful bacteria in just a few minutes, so it's simply a matter of personal preference which one you should choose, and they are both safe and effective given the right devices. Here's a breakdown: