Are you continually on the go and looking for a portable bottle warmer? Munchkin travel bottle warmers offer solutions for feeding babies while on the go or traveling. Whether you are on a long road trip, day trip, or traveling by plane, Munchkin has the right product to meet your feeding needs.
Why You May Need a Travel Bottle Warmer
There are several circumstances when a portable bottle warmer may come in handy:
- Day trips
- Hiking or spending time in nature
- Long and short road trips
- Errands
- Eating at a restaurant
- Traveling on an airplane
Portable bottle warmers are great for parents who are on the go. For those who love traveling, it offers the option of merging the role of parents with passionate travelers and allows you to warm the bottle instantly when you travel without asking for warm water or any assistance. They are ideal on a road trip with limited stops.
Use a travel bottle warmer to heat milk to the desired temperature. Timing will vary depending on the warmer. It will be slower than the one you plug in at home, but it still gets the job done. It also warms the bottle completely, without any hot spots that can burn the baby’s mouth.
The best part is that you can immediately feed the baby. There is no waiting.
Types of Munchkin Travel Bottle Warmers
Munchkin makes two distinctive types of portable bottle warmers. The main difference between them is one is that one is designed primarily for car use, while the other is for air travel. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, and the right one for you will depend on your situation.
Munchkin Travel Car Baby Bottle Warmer
This bottle warmer is a great choice when taking your baby on outings and road trips. It comes equipped with an adapter that conveniently plugs directly into the car’s lighter. The digital display indicated the remaining heating time and the milk temperature.
The light-up display makes it easy to use – even at night. The band that heats the bottle is elastic, allowing it to heat most baby bottles. It can also fit easily into most car cup holders. Parents appreciate this travel baby bottle warmer because it is easy to carry, lightweight, and good at keeping milk warm.
Warming up a bottle using this warmer tends to be very slow. For frozen milk, it can take a full hour to warm completely. If the milk is at room temperature, it takes between 20-30 minutes to heat.
If your baby has an established feed schedule, you can plan ahead and compensate for the long wait. If you have frozen milk, you can allow it to thaw a bit so that it is closer to room temperature. Then, you can warm it up using the bottle warmer.
You can also plan to warm up the frozen milk an hour in advance of when you’ll need it. The downside of this is that you must be driving for the entire hour to receive any benefit, which may work well on longer trips but is not ideal for shorter voyages.
Additionally, the car adapter is substantially larger than it needs to be. It may not fit in some car lighters. You can try to squeeze it in, but it will require a lot of force and pliers to remove it, which may ruin the car lighter permanently.
Overall, the bottle warmer is quite functional, yet not perfectly ideal.
Pros:
- Elastic band fits almost all baby bottles
- The display is easy to see even in the dark
- Safe for breast milk
- Automatic shut off
- Long cord
Cons:
- Slow to warm up bottles
- The car adapter may not fit
- Can’t set the desired temperature
Munchkin 98° Digital Bottle Warmer
This bottle warmer combines the convenience of at-home use with portability. The advantage to this bottle warmer is that it tucks away into a diaper bag. It has a small footprint and can travel anywhere.
It warms up food and milk and even sterilizes baby items. It is extremely lightweight, only weighing about 20 ounces.
While it sounds exceptional, you can’t use it everywhere. This portable bottle warmer needs electricity to function. It will not work well for long road trips, extended rides, all-day outings, or extensive errands. If you are without electrical access, this is not an ideal bottle warmer.
Yet, it is perfect to use in apartments, hotels, airports, or anywhere you can plug it in. It warms up the bottle in a fraction of the time compared to warmers that plug into a car lighter.
It is easy to use and can adapt to almost any bottle. The warmer comes with four adapters to fit the following bottles:
- Dr. Brown’s Original
- Tommee Tippee
- Avent
- Medela
- NUK First Essentials
- Parent’s Choice
- EvenFlow Feeding Classic
- NUK Simply Natural
- Munchkin Latch
You do not need an adapter for Avent Natural in 4- and 9-ounce bottles and EvenFlo Balance 4- and 9-ounce bottles. Unfortunately, there are no adapters to fit Comotomo bottles.
To use the adapter, attach it to the bottle, place the bottle on the base, and select go. The warmer will quickly heat the milk or food and indicate the temperature as it is warming up. Water is not required, and it is easy to use.
This warmer will keep milk warm at 98.6°F for 30 minutes. Even if you get distracted, the baby isn’t hungry yet, or the feeding is a little delayed, the bottle will still be ready when the baby needs it.
You will need to descale the unit after each use to remove residual deposits from the silicon seal and heating plate. To do this, mix 0.5 oz white vinegar with 0.5 oz cold water. Pour them into the warming chamber. Allow the solution to stand in your unit until the limescale has dissolved. Discard the liquid and rinse with clear water.
Repeat using the Clean Cycle to remove any remnants.
Pros:
- Small footprint
- Portable enough to carry in a diaper bag or carry-on
- Doesn’t require water
- Includes four adapters to fit most brands
- Fit is leak proof
Cons:
- Requires being plugged into an outlet to work
Comparison Between the Two Munchkin Travel Bottle Warmers
These two Munchkin travel bottle warmers are very different. One is better suited for car rides, while the other is best suited for plane travel or hotel stays. The one that is best suited for you will be the one that is the best for your situation.
If you frequently run errands, go on short day trips, or travel on the road, you may want to consider the Munchkin Car Baby Bottle Warmer. It plugs right into the car lighter and allows you to track how much time is left until the bottle is ready.
However, this bottle is not exceptionally useful for newborns who have not yet established a feeding schedule. It takes a lot of planning to use this warmer effectively. No parent likes to hear their hungry baby crying, and no baby likes to be in distress. When using this bottle warmer, you will need to time things out so the milk is ready when the baby is, ideally within a few minutes of each other.
This bottle warmer easily encircles any sized bottle and generates even heat. Your baby will not notice any hot spots. It is easily portable and tucks neatly away into a diaper bag.
The Munchkin 98° Digital Bottle Warmer is quite revolutionary, but there are advantages and disadvantages to it as well. It is a great travel bottle warmer in the sense that it isn’t bulky, is portable, and contains a very small footprint. It conveniently tucks into a diaper bag or carry-on. Unlike most bottle warmers, it also warms up food and baby items.
You can use it longer than most alternatives. It can be used from infancy to toddler without having to make a separate purchase. You don’t need water to use it, and it comes with four adapters to suit most bottles. Most parents will not need to make a separate purchase.
It heats milk or food in just a few minutes, and you can additionally use this product at home so it does perform “double-duty.” The indicator also lets you know when the bottle has reached its desired temperature.
Is it dreamy? Absolutely! Is it practical? Maybe not entirely.
This portable bottle warmer only works when plugged into an electrical outlet. This isn’t an issue if you are traveling via airplane or have access to a lounge, hotel, or apartment while traveling. If you have electricity, you are golden. Your baby will have milk or food within minutes. It works much faster than the first Munchkin travel bottle warmer.
However, this option is completely impractical for car rides and some locations. You also may require an adaptor for it to work with your bottles.
Use the Munchkin Travel Car Baby Bottle Warmer if you are frequently on the road. If you don’t mind the wait or can time things out to when your baby might be hungry, then this portable warmer makes perfect sense.
If you are looking for a Munchkin travel bottle warmer that will travel easily for flight, then the Munchkin 98° Digital Bottle Warmer is your best option. You will be able to plug it into any electrical outlet, and it heats up faster than the first option.
Both bottle warmers will heat the milk evenly, so parents do not need to worry about hot spots burning their child’s mouth. Which one is best for you is determined by your travel methods.