The Best Bottle Sterilizers for Quick, Easy, Germ-Free Cleanups

If you’re looking for a sterilizer that’s quick, easy to use and dries everything for you, the Baby Brezza One Step is our top pick. This electric sterilizer packs a two-in-one punch: it uses natural steam to sterilize bottles, pump parts and more, and features a drying function that’s 33% faster so your gear comes out clean and dry with no leftover moisture (which can encourage bacteria or mold growth). One Babylist parent raved in their review, “This machine is easy to use and so convenient. Saves a lot of time!” The Brezza One Step Advanced holds up to eight bottles at a time and two complete pump part sets and has an easy-to-use LCD control panel with four different functions.  

The two biggest gripes parents mention in their reviews have to do with occasionally needing to dry leftover water off of their bottles and pump parts. Quite a few parents mention that this machine requires a bit of maintenance in the form of descaling—one Babylist parent saying it felt like it constantly needed it—in order to prevent hard to clean build-up. 

If you don't have much counter space, purchasing a sterilizer and a bottle washer may not make sense for your family. The KleanPal is a great all-in-one solution for parents who want (or need) sterilizing in their regular bottle cleaning routine. “The best baby product I registered for was my Momcozy KleanPal Pro Baby Bottle Washer and Sterilizer. It has freed up so much time for me to be able to spend quality time with my baby,” one Babylist parent shared in our most-loved products survey.

It has four different washing modes—with one as fast as 19 minutes—and fits all kinds of bottles and breast pump parts. It sterilizes with steam and fully dries everything after, allowing you to store parts germ-free for up to 72 hours. And if you decide you don’t need to keep sterilizing things as baby grows, you can just use it for washing and drying (meaning you’ll definitely get your money’s worth!).

The capacity is a bit smaller than the other sterilizers on this list, which means you’d have to work in batches if you have a lot of bottles to wash. But the Quick Wash Mode (a faster cycle for small batches) is an easy solve for this. It also needs frequent descaling to keep it working well.

If you know you're only going to be sterilizing for a short amount of time, you might not want to spend that much, so an affordable sterilizer may make more sense. Dr. Brown’s All-In-One is a sterilizer and dryer that allows you to sterilize, dry and store everything once finished—keeping bottles clean for up to 24 hours as long as you don’t open the lid. “Air drying takes FOREVER and I used it to dry not just my bottles, but my pump parts, pacifiers, and now baby spoons. My number 1 recommended item for baby life,” one Babylist parent raved in their review.

It fits up to six bottles (and is particularly great if you’re using Dr. Brown’s bottles). It also comes in handy for smaller parts, as one parent pointed out in their review, “Before receiving this item off my registry I thought it might be a nice to have. Nope, I’d consider this a necessary item! I’m breastfeeding my baby and use this daily for bottles, pump parts, pacifiers, Haakaa, etc! It’s great.”

One thing parents wish was different is that it’s a bit noisy, one sharing: “My only dislike is the loud beeps it makes when you turn it on, run it and when it finishes. Aside from that, we’ve used this sterilizer every day since our baby was born.” But most agree the time-saving convenience makes it worth it.

At a fraction of the cost of other sterilizers, this microwave option is roomy, compact and easy to use. It fits four 9-ounce bottles and is compatible with both standard and wide-neck designs. Everything inside remains sterile for up to 24 hours if you keep the stay-cool latches closed. Its simple design is user-friendly. You’ll need something to measure the exact amount of water—seven ounces—each time you use it. It also doesn’t dry after sterilizing, so you’ll want to make sure you have a drying rack to set everything out to dry afterward. 

While it’s touted as travel-friendly, it won’t fit most hotel microwaves (but that’s where sterilizer bags come in handy; see below for our top pick). It also doesn’t fit taller bottles, like Dr. Brown’s, and some parents mention they wish it was a bit bigger.

Sometimes you might need to sterilize things when you’re not home, whether it’s baby bottles on vacation or pump parts while you’re not home. And these microwavable sterilizer bags are by far the best option for on the go. One Babylist parent wrote in their review, “The convenience of this sterilizing bag makes the purchase 100% worth it. We also have a countertop bottle washer/sterilizer but in a quick pinch these bags work great and [are] also user friendly.”

Simply fill one of these XL bags with whatever items you need cleaned and a little bit of water, pop it in the microwave and you’re good to go. This set includes six bags and each bag can be used up to 30 times. There’s even a spot to mark each steam cycle so you can keep track of how many times you’ve used them. 

Just be sure to let the bag and contents cool before handling (both will be hot and there may be some steam when you open it). Some parents say the yellow closure tab comes off easily and prevents the bags from sealing properly.