Baby bottles UK: if you use them

Do you need baby bottles before the baby arrives?

Only if you already plan to use them. Many UK units supply formula if it is needed on the ward. A cupboard of mixed brands is a panic buy, not a plan. If you are breastfeeding and not expressing, you can skip this aisle. If you will bottle-feed from the start, a small starter plus a sterilising method is enough.

This is a kit page, not a feeding method lecture. NHS pages on breastfeeding and bottle-feeding remain the free clinical layer. We will not rank formula brands. We will not tell you to “just in case” a steriliser into the hospital bag — see hospital bag UK. Newborn essentials still puts sleep and the car seat first.

What sterilising methods does the NHS actually list?

Steam (electric or microwave), cold-water sterilising solution, or boiling for at least ten minutes. Wash in hot soapy water and rinse first. A dishwasher cleans; it does not sterilise. NHS advice is to sterilise until at least twelve months. Follow the maker on steam kits. Skip UV claims we cannot source to that NHS page.

Source: NHS — Sterilising baby bottles (checked 13 Aug 2026).

Best Start in Life also walks through steam, cold water and boiling (checked 13 Aug 2026). That page is the method. A “smart” steriliser with an app is not a better method. Boiling still works if the items can take it; teats wear faster.

Source: NHS Best Start in Life — How to sterilise equipment (checked 13 Aug 2026).

How many bottles is a starter set, not a cupboard?

Four to six bottles in one system is a start, not a collection. Teats wear and are brand-specific. Buy the anti-colic story only if you will return what they refuse. A bottle warmer is optional; a mug of hot water is the old method. Formula machines are a later want, not a first-month essential.

Which baby bottles and sterilisers are worth comparing?

Compare a Tommee Tippee-style starter, a MAM-style system, and a steam or microwave steriliser — not a ranked “best bottle 2026”. We have not timed feeds. Skip mixed teats across brands. Skip this whole compare if you do not plan to use bottles. Awin hops can sit beside Amazon when live.

Compare bottles and sterilisers at John Lewis*

When should you skip feeding gadgets?

Skip warmers, makers and “perfect temperature” apps until a simple bottle has failed you. Skip packing formula “just in case” unless the unit asked. Skip a high chair as feeding kit for a newborn — [high chairs](/guides/high-chair-uk) waits for sitting. Changing-bag bottle pockets only matter if you bottle-feed away from home.

If feeding is going badly, a midwife, health visitor or feeding supporter beats an affiliate round-up. This page will not compete with them.

Is a bottle set a good newborn gift?

Only if the parents asked. A starter set is a bad surprise for someone who planned to breastfeed. A voucher, muslins or sleepsuits are safer gifts. Nappies and newborn essentials still outrank gadgets. Include a receipt so they can swap the system.

A steriliser without bottles is an incomplete gift. A mixed-brand hamper of teats is how cupboards fill with parts that do not fit.