Best Bottle Brush Overall: Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush

Dr. Brown’s makes its bottle brush primarily for its own line of bottles, but we tested it on competitors’ bottles as well and found that the clever combination sponge and bristle head works quite well. The advantage of the sponge is less scratching of the plastic bottles than a bristle-only brush.

What We Liked

1. Suction cup base so you can keep the brush close by the sink and allow for all around air drying.
2. Dishwasher safe.
3. Affordably priced.
4. Available in a three pack as well.

Flaws—But We Could Live With

So what’s not to like? Well, Dr. Brown’s brush’s “no slip” handle wasn’t as grippy as we’d like and it was a bit short. The brush doesn’t have a separate nipple brush; instead you’re supposed to use the ridged plastic handle tip (see pic below) to get into the small space of the bottle nipples. Some parents didn’t think it worked as well as other competitors. However, we thought it was ok in our cleaning tests. Here’s what the nipple cleaner looks like:

Finally, we heard some complaints that the bottle brush didn’t last more than a couple months. In our opinion, any sponge or brush would give up the ghost if it was used several times a day for two months, so we weren’t as surprised at its lifespan as some folks.

Bottom line: we think the excellent cleaning, sponge/bristle combo head and suction cup base make this a great pick.

Best Bottle Brush and Nipple Cleaner: OXO Tot Bottle Brush with Nipple Cleaner and Stand

OXO Tot is ubiquitous in the kitchen gadget arena, so it’s no surprise their baby bottle brush is a popular choice of many parents we interviewed.

What We Liked

We purchased the OXO Tot Baby Bottle Brush and put it through its paces. We liked the long, grippy handle and the sturdy base—but the base is a hassle to clean (see below for discussion). The OXO Tot brush also has a separate nipple brush (with bristles, not just plastic ridges) that screws into the handle—see below.

The overall cleaning job was great–it worked in most bottles including water bottles, unless the mouth is super narrow. The soft, grippy handle made it easy to apply pressure to dried-on milk.

Flaws—But We Could Live With

We weren’t so crazy about the nipple brush. It’s a great idea and it cleverly screws into the handle, but parents told us it broke too easily and was too short for some longer nipples. We confirmed this with our testing.

The base collects water when the brush is drying, but then you have to drain the base and frequently wash its two parts to avoid mold. That’s more washing than we think a baby bottle brush should require.

Plus, we can’t find any indication the brush itself is dishwasher safe.

Despite these issues, we like the OXO Tot bottle brush. It cleaned just as well as our top pick—but the extra cleaning with the base and the fragile/short nipple brush takes this one down a notch.

Best Brush for Small Bottles: Munchkin Sponge Bottle Brush

For parents who prefer smaller, wider bottles (like the Como Tomo or Tommee Tippee baby bottles) we recommend Munchkin’s Sponge Bottle Brush. It has a shorter handle than other bottle brushes, giving you a better grip and torque when scrubbing those bottles. Here’s more to on the Munchkin bottle brush:

What We Liked

Aside from the shorter handle, the Munchkin looks a lot like out best pick overall, the Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush. It also has the sponge on top with bristles on the bottom. And it comes with a nipple brush, concealed in the base.

Munchkin’s two pack is a bit less expensive than the Dr. Brown’s version and these brushes are top rack dishwasher safe–a big plus.

Flaws—But We Could Live With

Sorry to say, the Munchkin does have a few issues: first, it has a wider base which should help you stand it up on your counter. However, the base isn’t really wide enough–a breeze will likely knock it over.

The sponge end of the brush is not as durable as the Dr. Brown’s brush, although it does a good job cleaning while it lasts.

How We Tested

Testing bottle brushes means washing lots of bottles. Step one: we used regular formula to make a bottle (we used Avent 9 oz. bottles, since they are popular).

After making the bottles, we sat them in a refrigerator for 24 hours (the outer limit for mixed formula). We took them out, emptied them and then let the dirty bottle sit there for several hours. Here’s what they looked like after that time:

And then we scrubbed.

The key features we looked for included brush flexibility, length of handle and overall cleaning ability. We also tested the brushes’ nipple cleaner (some had separate cleaners, others were built into the handle). Finally, we looked at our own reader reports on durability and long term quality.

Besides baby bottles, we also tested the brushes on water bottles, dishes and pots and pans.

Of course, we also factored in price and wide distribution.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing baby gear, including baby bottles and baby bottle brushes since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward safety, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Baby Bargains is your independent and unbiased source for expert baby gear reviews.

Conclusion

Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottle Brush has the best quality, cleans your bottles without scratching them, can be washed in the dishwasher, and has a suction cup base for easy drainage. As for drawbacks, we don’t care much for the nipple cleaning tip on the end of the handle. And the sponge will deteriorate faster than the bristles—but overall we found the durability to be best in class.