The Best Bottle Drying Racks for Every Space

As someone who lives in a small city apartment, a space-saving bottle drying rack was one of the first things I added to my baby registry. Once my son arrived, I was so glad I did—it was the kitchen hero I had hoped it would be.

Design-wise, the drying rack looks pretty nice. The nine angled pegs support glass and plastic bottles with no issues and the tray catches all the excess water, keeping it off of my counters. I also like how both the bottom and the top trays hold miscellaneous accessories like bottle tops and nipples, valves and other tiny bottle parts, pacifiers and even pump parts. 

But the real standout quality here is size. The drying rack easily fits under my kitchen cabinets, with room to spare, maximizing my precious countertop space. The rack's vertical shape allowed me to slip it between my paper towel rack and my cooking utensil jar, a spot that never would have worked with some of the larger drying racks I tested. 

As for washing, the whole thing is dishwasher safe, but a quick scrub of the base with suds and water also gets the job done. One note: The grates at the base can get a little yucky, so you may want to use a sponge or brush to get muck out of all the nooks and crannies. 

The Ubbi Vertical Bottle Drying Rack is another space-saving option you may want to consider if you're short on counter real estate. I tested it out, and while the removable top compartment was great, as was its durability for heavier glass bottles, it didn’t comfortably fit as many bottles as the Oxo and the design wasn’t as streamlined.

Additional Specs

• Dimensions: 4.25" D x 14.75" W x 10.5" H 

• Dishwasher safe? Yes

“If you ask parents about the gear they're still using years after the baby days have ended, many will include the Boon Drying Rack,” says Jen LaBracio, Babylist’s senior gear editor. Other Babylist team member parents agree. “I used the Boon with both of my kids and kept it on my kitchen counter for years, wayyyyy past the bottle days,” said another.

Why does the Boon Lawn stick around for so long? It’s huge, it’s durable and it securely holds all types (and sizes) of things really, really well: bottles, nipples, pacifiers and pump parts for the baby days, water bottles and all of their parts (IYKYK) and lunch box stuff for the toddler and big kid days and just about anything else you can think of. (Wine and beer glasses, we’re looking at you.) “It’s roomy, allows for great air circulation and the branches are perfect for hanging smaller items,” says LaBracio.

The Lawn is pretty big, so you’ll need a lot of counter space to accommodate it. The drainage also isn’t ideal. While it’s great for drip-drying, the water accumulates in the plastic tray below, so you’ll need to tip it out regularly. And it’s hand-wash only, no dishwasher allowed—another downside. Heads up: if you prefer a more neutral aesthetic, Boon makes different shades of grass! The Lawn is also available in a sage green, grey and white colorway. 

Additional Specs

• Dimensions: 13.6" D x 11"W x 2.5" H 

• Dishwasher safe? Hand wash only

BPA-free? Check. Thirteen branches in various sizes with a layout you can personalize to best suit your needs? You bet. A great price? Yes again. While the Sprucely Bottle Drying Rack may not have the bells and whistles of other bottle drying racks, it “gets the job done” at a good value, says LaBracio, and is even dishwasher-safe for fuss-free cleanup.

The vertical design and multiple stick types (called branches) mean this drying rack holds a decent amount of bottles and accessories without taking up a massive amount of counter space. Another perk is that the design of this drying rack allows you to customize the amount, layout and height of the branches, “so you can find the configuration that works best for you,” notes LaBracio. Since most other drying racks don’t give the user the flexibility, this is a standout feature for the Sprucely.  

As far as downsides, parents should take note that it doesn't hold as many bottles and accessories as other drying racks. “And if you're using wide-neck bottles, it holds even fewer,” adds LaBracio. Because of the design, the rack can sometimes look a bit cluttered when filled. And since there’s no back wall to this drying rack, water sometimes drips or collects on the counter beneath.

Additional Specs

• Dimensions: 5.9” D x 12” W x 8” H

• Dishwasher safe? Yes

If you use glass bottles for your baby, Dr. Brown's Drying Tower is an excellent choice due to its sturdiness and overall size. With its multiple sections and six large pegs, it’s also a great pick for high-volume bottle feeding and pumping households.

This bottle rack features three trays and a large top compartment, keeping everything organized in a streamlined, logical way. Of the bottle drying racks I tested, I liked the utilitarian design of this rack the most. (And I think other Type A parents would agree.)  I also really love the two cut-outs on the right-hand side storage trays to accommodate a bottle brush; it was the only rack I tested with this feature, and I think it’s a smart (and really useful) addition.

As for drawbacks, this bottle drying rack was a bit finicky to assemble (my husband saved the day and popped the prongs into place when he saw me struggling). One more thing: It’s not dishwasher safe, but it took me only about two minutes to clean with a scrubbing brush, soap and water.

Additional Specs

• Dimensions: 14” D x 6.4” W x 10.6” H

• Dishwasher-safe? No

LaBracio calls this a “one-stop shop for cleaning and drying on the go.” This is one of those baby items you don’t think you need until you use it—and then you can’t live without it. “I’ve used it in hotels, rental houses, friends’ houses and grandparents’ homes ever since my first son was born over a decade ago,” she says. That’s because it’s the perfect on-the-go drying rack solution. It’s light and compact, so it easily fits into a diaper bag or suitcase. There’s a bottle brush included and a built-in stand to let it drip dry. And it works for everything from baby bottles to big kid water bottles. 

“I love that it creates a separate, clean space for drying,” she adds. (While you can use a kitchen towel as a drying rack when you’re away from home, it doesn’t work as well and definitely isn’t as clean.)

In terms of cons, the main one is size: The compact design limits the rack to about four bottles + parts. And due to the shortened prong height, drying very tall things can sometimes be tough.

Additional Specs

• Dimensions: Closed: 8.5” L x 5.5” D x 2.2”H; open: 8.5” L x 10.8” D x 2.2” H

• Dishwasher-safe? Top-rack dishwasher safe only