UV Sterilisers: are they the best for baby bottles?
There’s a new steriliser in town for baby bottles. The UV steriliser. It’s making steam seem old-fashioned and the cold water method look medieval. Even though the technology has actually been around since 1878. But they’ve only recently started becoming popular in homes as an easy, water-free way to disinfect baby bottles. So are they any good? What are the pros and cons? And is this now the best way to ensure your baby’s bottles and dummies are completely germ-free?
Do I really need to sterilise baby bottles?
Yes. According to the NHS. They say it’s important to sterilise bottles and teats until your baby is one year old. This is because germs love hiding and can lead to an upset tummy, which isn’t nice for anyone.
What are the different options for sterilising?
Steam is very commonly used either in electric machines or microwavable containers or bags.
The cold water method is where sterilising tablets or liquid are added to a container of cold water and the bottles are submerged.
The cheapest option is to boil the bottles in a pan for 10 minutes.
Some dishwashers have a sanitise cycle, but it would need to reach 90°.
And now - UV sterilising.
How do UV sterilisers work?
Instead of using heat to rid bottles of bacteria, UV light destroys germs by breaking down their molecular structure.
It’s UVC rays that carry out this massacre. These aren’t the suntan ones. There are three different types of rays that come from the sun:
UVA rays: the ones that cause skin ageing and wrinkling. The bad ones!
UVB rays: the one that causes sunburn. The really bad ones!
UVC rays: the ones that don’t naturally reach Earth as they’re absorbed by the ozone layer. If they did, we’d all be a bit fried. The really, really bad ones!
But in the right environment, they’re actually very good and artificially created UVC rays are commonly used to sterilise medical and clinical settings like hospitals and laboratories. And they’re now branching out - onto the kitchen counters of new parents across the country.
These baby bottle sterilisers use LED lights to zap bacteria and have very reflective surfaces to bounce the UVC light around to ensure every area is covered.
Are UV sterilisers safe?
Yes. UVC light is used safely in many areas of life. As well as sterilising surfaces they are utilised in water purification and welding torches. You wouldn’t want to stare at the light for any length of time but the sterilisers are designed to make that impossible. So don’t worry, you won’t need those big welding goggles.
Are UV sterilisers safe for plastic baby bottles?
There have been recent concerns over steam sterilising plastic baby bottles as the high temperatures required can cause the shedding of microplastics. (The advice is to let them cool first, then rinse them with cooled boiled water three times before using.)
Obviously, there are no high temperatures with UV sterilisers, which is good, but can the UV light degrade the plastic? Yes, but only over a long period of time. And continuous exposure would be much more of a problem than intermittent exposure.
If you do have any concerns about this, use glass baby bottles or change your plastic bottles regularly and definitely if they start to appear cloudy.
What can you put in a UV steriliser?
Their versatility is a massive plus point. They are great for baby bottles and dummies. But because there’s no water involved you can disinfect pretty much anything like toys, makeup brushes, remote controls, mobile phones and keys.
The only exception is latex and natural rubber. Some sterilisers cannot be used with these. So check what your dummy and teats are made from. And no Sophie the Giraffe and no condoms. And definitely not both of those together as that would be weird and creepy.
how do you use UV sterilisers?
They are very easy to use. After washing your bottles, you put them in and press a button. The only slight faff is that you must make sure everything is disassembled and nothing is touching. This is because UV light can’t pass through materials. It needs to reach every surface to sterilise it. This also means that some items like narrow tubing from a breast pump might not be suitable for UV sterilising.
What features should I look out for?
Drying cycle: Some UV sterilisers have the option to start with a drying cycle so you can put the bottles in wet right after washing. (Just make sure you shake off any excess water or this will collect at the bottom of the machine.) This will usually also mean they have a filter which needs to be changed occasionally.
Storage mode: If you leave the door shut, many will keep the bottles fully sterilised with intermittent bursts of UV light.
Capacity: If you have a young baby that is solely bottle fed you will want a steriliser that takes as many bottles as possible.
Sterilising time: This seems to vary quite drastically from 3 minutes to 61 minutes. If you’re using a lot of bottles, a quicker sterilising time would probably make life easier.
Auto shut off: This ensures that the UV light automatically shuts off if the door is opened. All UV sterilisers should have this for safety reasons.
Life cycle of the LED bulbs: These are generally very long-lasting - anything from 2000 to 10,000 hours. If you used the steriliser once a day, even just 2000 hours would give you around 10 years of use. But if you’re that mum who’s had 22 kids and counting - go for the longer-lasting bulbs or a steriliser where the bulb can be replaced.
What are the pros and cons of UV Sterilisers?
Pros:
You don’t have to add water, which means no getting burned by steam or hot water, no leaks and most importantly - no descaling. Or rather, no guilt about not descaling.
Bottles can be taken straight out and used, unlike steam sterilisers when they are often very hot to the touch.
They are very versatile so you can put a wide variety of objects in there.
They generally have a much low power consumption compared to steam sterilisers.
No chemicals are required.
Cons:
They do tend to take longer than other methods of sterilisation. An electric steam steriliser usually only takes a few minutes. Whereas a UV steriliser can take as long as an hour.
You need to be careful about how you place the bottles inside so that they’re not touching and the light can reach all surfaces.
The biggest downside is the price. They are much more expensive than other sterilisers.
Can UV sterilisers kill coronavirus?
Remember Donald Trump’s suggestion that to cure coronavirus we could ‘hit’ the body with a tremendous amount of ultraviolet light? Oh, how we laughed. And are still laughing. It would definitely be a bad idea to expose ourselves to this kind of light. But there have been studies to see if UV light can kill Covid-19. Early findings suggest that with very high exposure it is possible and in China, buses are being bathed in UV light overnight to disinfect them.
Which are the best UV sterilisers to buy for baby bottles?
I would always buy one specially designed for baby bottles because the UV light has to reach inside for full sterilisation. Here are the best five on the market right now.
1. Vital Baby Nurture advanced Pro UV Steriliser and Dryer
Claims: Kills 99.9% of bacteria
Capacity: Around 4 bottles
Length of cycle: Sterilise in 7 minutes. Sterilise and dry in 29 minutes.
Storage mode: Yes, it can keep items sterile for up to 72 hours.
Drying mode: Yes
Filter change: Yes every 6 months. New filters can be bought through the Vital website. A pack of two costs £9.99.
Lifespan of LED bulbs: Roughly 20,000 hours
Auto shut-off: Yes.
Anything else: It can sterilise anything that will fit. But do not use it with latex or natural rubber. This is the new and improved version.
2. Tommee Tippee Ultra UV steriliser
Claims: Kills 99.9% of harmful bacteria and viruses.
Capacity: Six bottles and can be used with a wide range of bottles.
Length of cycle: 35-45 minutes of sterilising. Up to 60 minutes if drying and sterilising.
Storage mode: Yes, it will automatically emit light every 2 hours so you can keep the items sterile for as long as you want.
Drying mode: Yes
Filter change: You are advised to check the filter regularly and clean it when you can see build-up on the sponge. A spare washable filter is also included.
Lifespan of LED bulbs: roughly 6000 hours and the bulb can be replaced with a Phillips TUV TL Mini bulb.
Auto shut-off: Yes
Extras: No
3. Nuby baby bottle UV steriliser
Claims: Kills 99.9% of bacteria
Capacity: Two bottles
Length of cycle: Three minutes
Storage mode: If unopened the bottles will remain sterile for 24 hours.
Drying mode: No
Filter change: No
Lifespan of LED bulbs: Roughly 10,000 hours
Auto shut-off: Yes
Anything else: Comes with a Nuby bottle and teat and dummy. Do not use with latex. There is also a small portable version with a strap and a mini dummy steriliser.
4. Spectra UV bottle steriliser
Spectra are known for their excellent breast pumps but they now also make a UV steriliser designed for baby bottles and other baby items.
Claims: It can kill 99.99% of E.coli, salmonella and other harmful bacteria.
Capacity: Around six baby bottles.
Length of cycle: 20 minutes for sterilising. 40 minutes for drying and sterilising.
Storage mode: Yes for up to 10 hours.
Drying mode: Yes
Filter change: The removable filter should be cleaned occasionally with water.
Lifespan of LED bulbs: 6000 hours. They can easily be replaced via Spectra’s website for £4.95 per bulb.
Auto shut-off: Yes
Extras: Mute mode to ensure the device doesn’t disturb a sleeping baby. It comes in white and dark grey.
5. Munchkin Mini UV Steriliser
Claims: This is a very small portable steriliser designed only for dummies and bottle teats, which kills 99.99% of bacteria
Capacity: One dummy or one bottle teat
Length of cycle: 59 seconds
Storage mode: Unknown
Drying mode: No
Filter change: No
Lifespan of LED bulbs: roughly 3000 hours
Auto shut-off: Yes
Anything else: Charges with USB or 3 AA batteries and has a strap to attach it to a changing bag or buggy. Munchkin also does a larger UV steriliser but they don’t recommend using it with baby bottles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Annabel Port is the founder of Get Get Got and in a former life a Sony award-winning radio presenter. After the birth of her son, she brought her forensic research skills to the world of baby products to help new parents not repeat her mistakes.
If you buy through a link, we may earn a small affiliate commission. This will never influence our selections. 5% of profits are donated to UK Baby Banks to help parents in need of essentials like nappies and clothes.
