By Alex Ward
Updated Jan 30, 2018Best forTravelling with baby
Top BenefitsLiners come pre-sterilized, space-saving on-the-go option, less bottle washing time
ConsiderationsCan’t be heated, liners are not environmentally friendly
Bottom lineWhen it comes to on-the-go convenience, these bottles can’t be beat
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Review
Whether you're a family that travels a lot or you just want to lighten your load when you're out and about for a full day, the Playtex Baby Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners lets you take a single bottle wherever you go thanks to pre-sterilized disposable Drop-Ins Liners that make for quick prep and minimal cleanup. When baby's hungry, just pop a liner in the bottle, fill it up, attach the nipple and it's bon appetit time.
While convenience is a big feature of this bottle, it packs a whole lot of function too: the liner collapses as your baby feeds, keeping your baby from swallowing air and mimicking breastfeeding patterns, much like vented bottle systems. And the bottle is designed with mom and dad in mind, too. The hinged head allows you to use the bottle as you would any other standard bottle, or you can angle it with one easy click to give your wrist a break and more easily feed your baby in a semi-upright position (recommended to help prevent ear infections).
Thanks to the disposable liners and a scant four pieces (including the travel cap), we definitely spent less time cleaning the Playtex Nurser compared to other bottles we tested. We also love that the bottle neck is on the wider side and that we can take the bottom right off. However, when we left the disassembled bottle in a sink full of soapy water and pasta sauce overnight, the nipple stained a little, and neither hand-washing nor a trip through the dishwasher removed the staining.
The wider mouth of the bottle and the liners make bottle prep a breeze. While the liner insert does have measurement markings on it, a few of our hands-on parent testers noted that they were difficult to read. Also, on its own, the liner isn’t terribly sturdy—you’ll definitely want to place the liner in the bottle before you start prepping and use the measurement markers on the exterior shell of the bottle, as recommended. Bottle prep is simplest when the head is snapped into the upright position. As convenient as the liners are, it’s worth noting that they can't be heated or microwaved, so if your baby isn’t okay with room-temperature meals, you’ll have to heat the milk or formula before preparing the bottle.
The Nurser comes with a Playtex NaturaLatch nipple, which is available in slow, medium and fast flow rates. If you’re having latch issues, you might want to explore their much wider range of alternate nipples, which include angled, full-sized and petite alternatives. Bonus: Playtex nipples can be used interchangeably with other bottles they offer (including the VentAire).
This bottle is, ultimately, a great option for travel (who has room in a suitcase for several bottles?)—so how does it perform on the go? While the travel lid came off every time we dropped the bottle from counter height, the Playtex Baby Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners gets points for zero leakage in the same test. Better yet, when we popped a full bottle in a diaper bag and took a 30-minute walk, there was no leaking whatsoever. To ensure leak-free travel, you’ll want to make sure that the lid is screwed on properly—easy to determine as there are arrows on the side of bottle that line up with arrows on the collar, and when you've got it right, you’ll hear a definite "click."
The Playtex Baby Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners is a budget-friendly bottle option for families who are regularly on the go—or for those trips when you just don't want to waste luggage space on several bottles. Our hands-on parent testers said the Nurser offers good to very good quality and ease of use, and they wouldn’t hesitate to buy these bottles again or to recommend them to other parents.
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