Best Baby Bottle Drying Rack
The OXO Tot Bottle Rack is a top-notch product, providing functionality and durability. It offers generous capacity and effortless to clean thanks to it being top-rack dishwasher safe (a bonus perk for parents who don't have the time to handwash). The rack has multiple short pegs that can hold up to eight bottles (including glass baby bottles), pump parts, sippy cups, plates, bowls, utensils, and more. The detachable container is useful for containing and drying smaller pieces, like medicine droppers, feeding utensils, and straws. The tray's bottom has ribs, which keeps items lifted and away from water. We think this option will provide years of service, drying multiple items daily.
Unfortunately, the tray has no drainage holes, and since standing water can be a hotbed for grime, water pooling in the grooves occasionally requires TLC. But, regular emptying of water and dishwasher cleaning will keep this tray sparkling clean. With greater capacity comes a larger footprint, and this rack may not be ideal for families with smaller kitchens. Nevertheless, if you have kitchen countertop space to spare and need greater capacity, we think this product will meet your needs.
The Boon Grass, Stem & Twig is a breath of fresh air to the drying rack world. This innovative, smart-looking design is a product you will be happy to have on your kitchen counter. The blades of grass are slightly flexible and accommodate various bottle sizes and weights, accessories, and especially small items, like breast pump parts and medicine droppers. The Stem and Twig accessories hold nipples, bottle rings, and other little bits, leaving more room for larger items on the grass. Water drains and collects into the lower tray. This rack is not dishwasher safe, but cleaning by hand is not too bad. Remove the blades of grass from the base and wash with warm soapy water. Once the days of bottles pass, use this for everyday toddler dishware.
Since water drains to the tray below, it is out of sight, thanks to the grass. As the saying goes: "Out of sight, Out of mind," that standing water can be easily forgotten and not regularly cleaned, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. Luckily, remembering to wash this product frequently will avoid this issue. We recommend the Boon Grass to those who do not mind hand-washing the rack and accessories, and only use a minimal number of bottles daily as it offers medium capacity. If you fancy this product yet want more capacity, check out the larger-size, sister product, Boon Lawn, as well as the Boon Poke, a similar accessory that we think you'll appreciate.
Are you shopping on a budget? The Boon Sprig is hands-down a winner, plus it will add a pop of color to your kitchen. This functional, sturdy rack offers quality while taking-up less countertop space. This product is perfect for air drying up to six bottles of varying shapes, sizes, and weights, like glass. The sprig bed is where smaller items, like nipples and caps, sit to dry. An added perk of this product is that the sprigs spin on the white base, allowing easier 360 access. The springs are removable for easier storage and cleaning.
This product is not dishwasher safe, so it will need to be washed by hand. Although the overall task is more time-consuming, avoiding the high heat of a dishwasher can extend the product's longevity. The sprigs are nearly the same width, and it would be helpful if some were slightly thinner to provide more part arrangement opportunities. Also, some small, narrow pieces, like medicine droppers, can slip through the sprig bed. We recommend this product for those who do not need high capacity, enjoy the spunky style, and want function and quality on a dime.
The OXO Tot On-the-Go is a travel set for cleaning and drying bottles, pump parts, pacifiers, and more while away from home. It is sturdy and has multiple, short fingers and ribs that lift items and keep them away from water at the bottom. It includes a bottle brush and a built-in stand to keep the brush upright while bottles dry. It measures 10.8" in width when open, and 5.5" when closed, making it compact and ready for travel. Tuck this product into a diaper bag or luggage, or perhaps leave it at work for cleaning breast pump parts. It is top-rack dishwasher safe, which is a convenient perk for busy parents.
The OXO Tot On-the-Go has limitations in space and thus capacity. It holds a couple of bottles and accessories, or pump parts, but not all simultaneously. If you need generous space and capacity while traveling, this product would not be a great fit. However, if you appreciate this all-in-one travel solution and only have a handful of items to wash and dry each time, we like what this product offers.
The Philips Avent Drying Rack is sleek and modern in appearance, and despite its minimal footprint (which is great for small spaces), it can hold multiple parts. The branches hold up to eight baby bottles, sippy cups, and water bottles (plastic or metal) to air dry, as well as bottle tops and snack containers. Other items that don't fit on the arms, like pacifiers and lids, can be placed on the base to air dry. The arms run down the middle, so accessing items is relatively easy. Also, we appreciate how easy this rack is to dismantle and store thanks to its four removable arms. For easy cleaning, place the rack on the top-rack of your dishwasher.
The bottom tray does not feature a drainage hole, so you will need to empty water from time to time. Despite this drawback, if you want a sleek rack that has a smaller footprint that is effortless to dismantle for easy storage, we recommend this one for you.
The Termichy Bottle Rack gets the job done but offers no unique perks. It is sturdy, has a small footprint, and is relatively easy to assemble and disassemble. The branches range in height and snap in and out of the base, allowing you to customize the layout. Excess water collects in the drip tray below and will need occasional cleaning. This product comes with a fabric travel bag that is nothing fancy but helps contain items when on-the-go. We see longevity in this product as you will be able to use it to dry sippy cups, snack containers, and other items in the future.
Capacity wise, this product may be too small for families washing and drying multiple bottles and pump parts every day. It is also not dishwasher safe, so handwashing is needed, which is time-consuming considering the number of branches. We recommend this product to families who do not have a heavy load of bottles and items to wash and don't mind hand-washing this rack.
The Munchkin Fold may be minimal in appearance, but this rack is sturdy and durable. With pegs close together, it can hold more narrow bottles, like Dr. Brown's, than wide-neck bottles, like Tommee Tippee or Philips Avent. It offers two different peg heights to hold bottles and accessories, pump parts, and more. As items dry, the base collects excess water. It features additional space to keep eight bottle sealing discs and posts to dry straws upright. The pegs fold flat for easy storage and have rounded tips to prevent scratching.
A disadvantage of this product is that it does not have a drainage hole, and standing water is not ideal. Thankfully, regular removal of the water and cleaning will solve this issue. If you use narrow bottles like Dr. Brown's, you don't mind regular cleaning, plus you appreciate a rack that can quickly and easily store, then the Munchkin Fold is one we recommend.
Are you looking for a double-decker bottle drying rack? The First Years Spin Stack may fit the bill. This rack fits bottles and accessories on two adjustable spinning levels, holding up to 16 bottles, cups, or pacifiers. Water drains into the sink or a removable drip tray. To store, the pegs and center spindle dismantle. Also, the rack is top-rack dishwasher safe, which is convenient.
While the pegs felt snug during testing, in comparison to the durability of other contenders, we worry they will grow weak after repeated use. A slight lip on the draining spout keeps water from escaping, and a tilt of the rack is needed to nudge the water along. With that said, if you use multiple plastic bottles each day, need high capacity, plus a budget-friendly price, then The First Years Spin Stack may be a good fit.
The Prince Lionheart Deluxe offers an organizational layout with specific locations for bottles, nipples, bottle rings, and slots on top for utensils and straws. Once the bottle days pass, use this rack to air dry sippy cups and snack containers.
This product is not dishwasher safe and will need to be washed by hand. When fully loaded with bottles and accessories, it can be challenging to reach items on the bottom level, behind the bottles. In our opinion, the task of assembling and disassembling this rack can be challenging due to multiple plastic tabs that click together. Also, the rack has many nooks and crannies to clean, which is not ideal and time-consuming. Although this product gets the job done, it is not one we would quickly recommend among the group. However, if you really like the organizational layout of this rack, you may find it suitable.
The OXO Tot Space Saving frees up valuable counter space with an upright design that fits under most cabinets. It can hold up to nine bottles with multiple pegs, plus a top compartment and base tray for small items, like valves, pacifiers, and more. The removable top compartment and base tray are safe to go through the dishwasher on the top-rack, but the white rack is not and will need to be hand-washed.
Unfortunately, the pegs angle is not steep enough and water pools at the neck of the bottles, which is far from ideal and results in a longer dry time. Users report the lack of space between the lowest row of pegs, and the base tray can make it challenging to store and access multiple parts. Also, wet items in the top compartment drip water onto the counter behind the rack, not on the base tray. We placed a towel behind or underneath the rack to soak-up water, but we wish this issue did not exist in the first place. Nevertheless, despite these flaws, if your mind is set on this vertical design to save countertop space, this product will get the job done. However, it does not stand out among the competition, and it is not one we quickly recommend.
Why You Should Trust Us
When it comes to baby gear and products, the BabyGearLab Team is exceptionally passionate and equally knowledgeable. We have extensively tested multiple products, including baby bottles, and bottle drying racks are an extension. Leading our review is Molly Bradac, Senior Review Editor, and Nanny. With over 14 years of childcare experience, Molly knows all-things-baby. For Molly, proper bottle cleaning, drying, and sanitizing are familiar territory. Take advantage of her expert knowledge and recommendations to help guide you to the perfect product. We tested each product side-by-side for ease of cleaning, capacity, and more to find the best in the bunch.
Analysis and Test Results
To simulate everyday use and compare rack performance, lots of washing and hands-on testing with a variety of bottles and accessories, like breast pump parts, medicine droppers, pacifiers, and more occurred, providing us a sense of which products outshine the competition and what did not.
Ease of Cleaning
Standing water either in a bottle or on a tray is a no go because it will allow bacteria and mold to grow. Therefore, a bottle drying rack must have an open, breathable design to promote airflow to help bottles and accessories dry quickly. In general, we recommend hand-washing plastic products as it is better for a product's longevity; however, as busy parents, top-rack dishwasher safe products are convenient and easier to clean regularly. Several products in our review are dishwasher safe, like the OXO Tot Bottle Rack and the OXO Tot On-the-Go. On the flip side, the Prince Lionheart Deluxe is the most time-consuming and challenging product to dismantle to clean by hand.
Footprint Size
Consider the amount of countertop space you are willing to sacrifice to a bottle drying rack. A rack with multiple levels, like the The First Years Spin Stack and the OXO Tot Space Saving, will help in this endeavor but needs to fit under a cabinet. The Philips Avent Drying Rack has a smaller footprint and offers one level with medium capacity. On the other end, the OXO Tot Bottle Rack has a large footprint and will take up space in your kitchen.
Capacity
No busy parent has time to play Tetris with a drying rack, so you'll want to find a product that offers enough space to house the number of bottles your child uses in 24 hours, plus pumping parts, pacifiers, and any other baby items that you would like to wash and dry. By pre-determining your ideal capacity, this will help narrow down the options. The OXO Tot Bottle Rack and The First Years Spin Stack offer higher capacity, whereas the OXO Tot On-the-Go does not; however, it is meant for travel, not as a primary rack.
Conclusion
Washing and drying baby bottles and accessories will be a regular task in your baby's beginning years. Therefore, we suggest finding a product that fits your needs and countertop space. Thankfully, we provide the details and recommendations you need to narrow down the options. We are confident there is a baby bottle drying rack in our review that will meet your needs.
— Molly Bradac