Best Baby Bottle Brushes

Best Easy-To-Use Bottle Brush: 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

• Did the best job at cleaning bottles in our tests.

• Suction cup base so you can keep the brush close by the sink and allow for all around air drying.

• Dishwasher safe.

• Affordably priced.

What Needs Work

• Handle could be more grippy. Dr. Brown’s brush’s “no slip” handle wasn’t as grippy as we’d like and it was a bit short.

• No 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.

• Could last longer! We hear some complaints from our readers 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 Durable Bottle Brush: OXO Tot Bottle Brush with Nipple Cleaner and Stand

Let’s be honest: most baby bottle brushes only last for a few weeks . . . or a month at best. If you are looking for something more durable, we’d suggest OXO Tot’s Bottle Brush.

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. And when we put it through its paces, we thought it was excellent.

What We Liked

• Excellent cleaning.  The overall cleaning job was great–it worked in most bottles including water bottles, unless the mouth is super narrow.

• Long, grippy handle. The soft, grippy handle made it easy to apply pressure to dried-on milk.

• Sturdy base. 

• Separate nipple brush with bristles that screws into handle (not just plastic ridges like Mama Bear and Dr. Brown’s).

What Needs Work

• Nipple brush isn’t a fan favorite. It’s a great idea and it cleverly screws into the handle, but our readers told us it broke too easily and was too short for some longer nipples. We confirmed this with our testing.

• Base collects water. 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.

•  Not clear if it is dishwasher safe. Oddly, this isn’t anywhere on the package that we purchased. It should be alright for top racks of dishwashers, in our opinion based on our testing.

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 Budget-Friendly Brush: Munchkin Sponge Bottle Brush

When it comes to baby bottle brushes, there are different camps of fans: those who like bristle brushes and those that prefer the sponge style (new silicone brushes are gaining a following too—see our review above).

If you are in the sponge fan group and looking for some bang for the buck, we’d recommend Munchkin’s Sponge Bottle Brush. We liked the sponge at the tip better than other combo brushes.

Another bonus: this two-pack of brushes is easy on the wallet.

What We Liked

• Excellent cleaning.

• Dishwasher safe (top rack).

• Affordable two pack.

• Nipple brush in twist off base.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Doesn’t stand up well. Yes, this brush is supposed to be able to stand up on its own with its narrow base—but it didn’t work well for us.

• Rigid nipple cleaner not a favorite. We think it worked ok in our tests, but our parent readers generally gave this cleaner a thumbs down.

• Sponge tip breaks off. Let’s be honest—we love sponge brushes, but the sponge will eventually break off no matter how careful you are. Munchkin suggests replacing this brush every 30 to 45 days . . . which seems like a tacit acknowledgement the brush doesn’t last forever!

That said, we noticed some cheaper knock-offs of these brush must be replaced twice a month . . . so Munchkin is more durable than that!

Best Silicone Bottle Brush: haakaa Silicone Cleaning Brush

And now for something different—a bottle brush made from silicone. We tried out a handful of these bottle brushes before deciding that haakaa’s version is the best bet for cleaning baby bottles. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Sturdy! 

• Extra long handle makes cleaning bottles easier.

• Soft bristle head that can bend to clean nooks and crannies.

• Doesn’t stain or hold odors.

• Dishwasher safe.

• Wall hook to hang it up.

What Needs Work

• Soap doesn’t foam up as much compared to sponge brushes. To be fair, this is a problem with all silicone bottle brushes, in our opinion. Silicone just doesn’t froth up the soap as much. Still, we thought it did a good job cleaning.

• A bit pricey.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability. When we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money. 

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!