Best Bottle Warmers to Take on an Airplane

Having a bottle warmer at home that safely and effectively heats up your baby's milk can be very helpful. Having one that actually works as you need it to while on the go is practically a lifesaver. I think we've all either tried to give our baby a cold bottle while out and about or had to do some MacGyver maneuvering to actually get the milk warm somehow. Rarely do either of these situations end with a positive outcome. And trying to do this when you're stuck on an airplane is even worse. Luckily, there are now travel bottle warmers you can take on the plane to ensure your baby is getting the perfectly warmed milk she needs. 

These are our best bottle warmers to take on the airplane. And bonus - they actually work!

1. The Baby's Brew Portable Bottle Warmer

This is by far the best choice for a portable bottle warmer on this list. Why?

• The Baby's Brew is the only battery-powered bottle warmer available! It doesn't require any sort of cord or charging station and maintains a charge for up to 12 hours!
•  It is mess-free! Everything is contained within the warmer or the bottle itself with no possibility of leaks. You also don't have to deal with the possibility of hot water spilling everywhere on a turbulent flight. 
• There are 4 temperature settings. This makes it easy to get your baby their milk exactly the way they prefer it. There is even a setting for 98.6 degrees - perfect for breastmilk!
• With only 3 steps of twist, press, shake, your baby's bottle is prepared in less than 25 seconds. After that, your baby's bottle will be ready in 5 - 10 minutes. The great thing is that water will stay hot for up to 12 hours (breastmilk is only allowed to be hot for 1 hour), so you can prepare it before your flight even begins so it's ready for your baby as soon as they get hungry. Long flight and need a second bottle? No problem! You can heat multiple bottles throughout one charge.
• Formula feeding moms will love the option to have a detachable dispenser for mess-free bottle preparation. 
• It works with most bottles out of the package. Otherwise, adapters are available for the perfect fit!

2. Cherub Baby Warmer - Click 'N Go Bottle Warmer

This is a cordless bottle warmer that uses a "click" activated heating system. Included are two parts: the reusable gel sleeve which is the warming device and a travel pouch that it fits into.

How it works:

The gel sleeve is activated by clicking the attached metal disc. Once clicked, a reaction takes place that warms the gel inside. It will begin to warm your baby's bottle once the bottle is placed inside the gel.

Because there is no hot water to deal with, the gel sleeve is a good airplane travel solution for warming your baby's milk. And it's safe in that it won't overheat your baby's bottle. Do note that once activated, it will only stay warm for an hour. Be sure not to click it until you are ready to warm your baby's bottle. This sleeve works well on a flight where your baby will only need one bottle since it cannot be reactivated again until it is boiled in hot water.

3. Tommee Tippee Travel Bottle Warmer

The Tommee Tippee Travel Bottle Warmer is the most "no frills" on this list. Sometimes no frills can be good if it does what it's supposed to do. And this will heat up your baby's milk on the go as intended.

There are two parts to this bottle warmer including the stainless steel thermal flask that holds the hot water, and the plastic cup used for warming the bottle.

Since you cannot take more than 3 ounces of liquid on an airplane, you won't be able to put boiling water into this at home before you leave like you could otherwise. But you should be able to get hot enough water from your flight attendant once you board. After that, your baby's bottle will be placed directly into the plastic cup filled with hot water. Be sure you test the bottle before you give it to your baby.

A word of caution with this warmer: Though it does work well to warm your baby's bottle, an airplane can be bumpy. Since the water is essentially in a "cup" be careful that it's not filled too high that some of the water could spill out.

4. Prince Lionheart On-the-Go Bottle Warmer

This warmer is made from an inner PVC pouch with a zip cotton cover. These work together to keep your baby's bottle insulated until it's time to for them to drink your milk.

How it works:

The inside pouch must first be placed into boiling water which can be done at home before you leave for the airport. It's then activated by clicking a button. Once that's done, the liquid will harden and heat, which will then heat your baby's bottle. Users report that a bottle will stay warm this way for up to 3 hours.  

If you are only going to be giving your baby one bottle on the airplane, then this bottle warmer will work well for you. After one bottle is warmed, you'll have to reactivate the pouch by boiling it again, which will of course have to be done at your arrival destination.

Using a Bottle Warmer on an Airplane

A word to the wise. Each of these bottle warmers take time to warm your baby’s bottle up. But so does warming a bottle properly at home, too. Heating bottles up too quickly can cause hot spots as well as destroy important nutrients in breastmilk, so it is actually best to have a portable warmer that takes 10 - 15 minutes to warm up your baby's milk. Make sure you anticipate your baby's needs so you are prepared with a warm bottle and not dealing with a fussy, hungry baby on the airplane while you wait.

Also, there are other portable bottle warmers out there which use a car adapter in order to work. Make sure that you don't end up with one of these on the airplane...or your baby will be left with a cold bottle of milk!

Traveling by airplane with your little one soon? Be sure you print our Travel Packing Checklist before your head off!