I’m a parent, and these are the best baby sterilisers

When I was pregnant, a baby steriliser was one of the first things I added to my newborn shopping list. Now, 20 months in, it’s still a total lifesaver. And honestly, thank goodness we bought one early! Research shows that over half of parents feel overwhelmed by childcare chores, with 89% of parents of under-twos reporting burnout. Sound familiar?

If you're like me, you know the choices for sterilisers can be overwhelming—steam, microwave, UV, electric… where do you even begin? The truth is, a good steriliser is an essential part of keeping your baby’s bottles, pacifiers, and feeding equipment clean and bacteria-free. Breast milk is packed with nutrients, but it can harbour bacteria that could upset your baby’s tummy if not properly cleaned. Since little ones don’t start building their own immune defences until about six months old, The NHS recommends sterilising feeding equipment until their first birthday.

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These are tried, tested, and parent-approved options to make your life easier and your baby’s gear germ-free—without blowing your budget.

Take a look at our full list of the best baby sterilisers for your little one's bottles and teats, plus breast pumps. We have carefully considered features, prices, and designs for all of our choices in this list, as well as used recommendations from our mum testers in the Mother&Baby awards.

The best sterilisers for 2024

Choosing the right steriliser for you

Superintendent pharmacist Abbas Kanani said there's a few thing to look for when choosing a steriliser.

"You'd aim to get one with a large capacity so you can sterilise multiple items helping you save time. Always check the sterilisation timeframe too, up to 15 minutes is convenient," he said.

"See if it's easy to clean and dismantled to be washed properly. Safety features like an automatic shut-off, cool-touch to prevent any accidents and child lock are all beneficial."

Here are things to take into consideration:

Space: How much room do you have for a steriliser? Can you stretch to a larger one that will sterilise several bottles at once? Or do you need a more compact product?

Time: How long will it take to sterilise each item? Will that then fit into your routine and schedule easily? Do certain features take longer than others?

Accessibility: Is everyone that needs to use it able to use it? Will it work for a family with multiple children?

Ease of use: Do you find all the features useful? Are you able to fit it into your daily routine with baby easily?

Convenience: Does it make the task of sterilising easier and more efficient? Does it take up minimal time?

Easy to clean: Will cleaning it be quick and simple to do? Will it need regular descaling?

Sterilisation method: What kind of sterilisation method will work for your bottles, pumps, and teats? Will it give you the peace of mind you need when it comes to cleanliness.

Where: Do you want something you can use while travelling? Or will you be using it at home with mains electricity?

Portability: Will you be able to take it with you if you're going anywhere with your little one?

When: Do you plan to ditch the steriliser once your baby is 12 months? Or would you like to use it again?

Additional accessories: What else comes with the steriliser that might make it easier to use and worth the money?

What are the different types of sterilisers?

There are six different types of bottle sterilisers. Pharmacist Abbas says: "Steam sterilisers are the most commonly used and tend to work well for daily use at home. They work quickly and you can sterilise multiple items at once."

He adds, "Cold Water can be good for when you have limited access to electricity. However, it involves using chemical sterilising tablets or liquids, which must be handled properly and rinsed thoroughly. This form of sterilising can take longer, typically around 30 minutes."

"UV is found to be effective too; the light disrupts microbe DNA, making them inactive. It can be more expensive to sterilise in this way, but no heat or chemicals are required. All methods are incredibly effective in sterilising so preference is usually based on lifestyle and budget."

Electric steam sterilisers: These clean your baby's bottles, dummies and breast pump by using steam to kill germs. This is plugged into the mains which turns into steam and sterilises the items inside.

Steam sterilisers are now being developed with fast cycles, which is always a winner, and they're a great option if you don't have a microwave in your kitchen.

The only downfall is you will need to clean or descale the elements every few weeks, which can be time-consuming. Electric steam sterilisers can also be quite bulky, so if you're pushed for space in your kitchen, this might not be the best option for you.

Microwave steam steriliser:  These also use steam to sterilise your baby's bottles/your breast pump, yet unlike electric sterilisers, they do not need to be plugged in and work in the microwave. Once you've added water, the bottles and the cover, you can simply pop these sterilisers in the microwave.

These take up a lot less space than electric sterilisers and do not need to be left out all the time. They do the job quickly and are much easier to clean. But you'll need to make sure the steriliser will fit in your microwave, as some of them can be quite bulky.

Cold water steriliser: A cold-water steriliser uses a sterilising tablet or liquid and cold water to sterilise bottles or feeding equipment submerged in it. It's a silent sterilising option if you're up in the middle of the night, and a huge plus of using a cold-water option is that your equipment will stay sterilised as long as they are submerged in water.

When using steam sterilisers, once the lid has been opened, the bottles are no longer sterile. However, unlike steam sterilisers, when using cold water methods, you'll need to wait up to 15 minutes.

Travel sterilisers: These are usually microwave steam sterilisers but on a smaller scale which is perfect if you're on the move. Whether it's that first family holiday or just a weekend with the grandparents, these usually only fit one or two bottles.

They can usually be used both in the microwave and with cold water tablets (which is a good backup when staying in hotels). However, you won't be able to fit too much in, so you might find you're constantly using it depending on how young your baby is.

Self-sterilising bottles: These work in a similar way to microwave steam sterilisers. Simply fill the base of the bottle with cool water and pop it in the microwave. They're super easy to use and a great option for when you are on the go. The only downfall is you are only sterilising one bottle at a time.

UV bottle sterilisers: These gadgets are new on the market and innovative. They use special LED lights to emit UV, killing off bacteria safely and quickly. They're easy to use, with no mess or water required, but are the most expensive option of all bottle sterilisers.

Do I need a steriliser?

Whether you are planning to breastfeed or bottle feed your baby, a steriliser is always handy to have. If you are not using baby bottles, you might still need a steriliser for dummies or teething toys for your baby.

You can also sterilise some breast pumps with a steriliser which can be incredibly useful.

Sterilising safety

Is it necessary to sterilise baby bottles?

It is important that you sterilise anything that goes into your baby's mouth to ensure that they remain safe.

Pharmacist Abbas said that a steriliser is important as, "babies are at a higher risk of getting sick because their immune and digestive systems are not fully developed, making them more sensitive to contaminants."

"Sterilising baby items helps to reduce the risk of your baby coming into contact with harmful bacteria and viruses that could cause illnesses."

This should be a part of your routine with your child for at least the first year.

How do I clean bottles before I sterilise them?

It's important to clean bottles, teats and other feeding equipment in hot, soapy water and rinse all your equipment before sterilising.

You can use a clean bottle brush (only use this brush to clean bottles) and a small teat brush to clean the inside of the teats. You can also turn the teats inside out and then wash them in hot, soapy water. Don't use salt to clean teats, as this can be dangerous for your baby.

Your baby's feeding equipment can also be put through the dishwasher to clean. Be aware that the dishwasher will clean but not sterilise. Ensure bottles, lids, and teats are facing downwards.

What is the difference between sanitising and sterilising?

Sterilising - This will remove the microorganisms that cause infections, preventing issues like diarrhoea and vomiting.

Sanitising - This will kill bacteria, removing them from surfaces that your baby may be touching like the table.

Do I need to sterilise bottles after every wash?

Before your little one hits the six-month milestone, it is best to sterilise their bottles after every use and wash. After six months, their immune system will be stronger, so you can sterilise them once a day (still washing after every use). If they're poorly, we'd recommend returning to sterilising more frequently.

How do you store bottles after sterilising?

To keep everything sterile, we would recommend keeping the bottles and their teats/lids in the steriliser until you need to use them. If that's not possible, make sure the teats/lids and bottles are stored away somewhere clean, with teats/lids put on the bottles as soon as they're removed from the steriliser.

How long do bottles stay sterile for once out of steriliser?

As you can see by our list above, different sterilisers promise to keep your bottles etc sterilised for different amounts of time. On average, they're likely to stay sterile between 3-24 hours, so it's best to double-check when buying your choice of steriliser.

How we test and choose recommended products

Our product recommendations are based on a combination of real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers and the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team and product specialists. Where we can, we also consult experts who specialise in that field to ensure you get the right advice along with the right product, and we listen to what you say as well.

Our thriving mum community on our Facebook group #mumtribe consistently provides great insights into which products mums like best and why, helping us highlight the products that will meet your needs.

For essential products, our annual Mother&Baby Awards shortlist the top products tested. Full reviews from our mum testers can be found on our product pages. The winners and runners-up for each category will also appear in our top picks article for that product, along with other products that were rated highly by our team.

About the expert

Abbas Kanani is a Superintendent Pharmacist at Chemist Click. He graduated in 2013 and spent three years working for high street multiples, before moving to a consulting role within the NHS.

Sophie Knight is a journalist and mum of two, and previously edited motherandbaby.com before moving on to write about family cars for Parkers.co.uk - now Sophie is Commercial Content Editor for Mother & Baby, Closer, Heat, Empire, Yours, Garden News, and WhatsTheBest.co.uk