The Best Bottle Drying Racks to Keep Bottles Clean and Organized
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Quick Summary
Roll up your sleeves, break out the soap and get ready to wash some gear: Between the baby bottles and breast pump parts, there’s a lot that needs to get cleaned — and dried — when you have a newborn. If your bottles and accessories aren’t completely dry when they’re put away, it’s an invitation for bacteria and mold to grow. Enter the baby bottle drying rack, which can serve as a designated place to store bottles, nipples and pumping accessories after they’re cleaned.
How we chose the best baby bottle drying racks
The best baby bottle drying rack can hold at least eight bottles, and has spots for nipples, pacifiers and other small bottle accessories. Ideally, it doesn’t take up too much space on your countertop, either. You may, however, find that certain bottle racks work better, depending on what kind of bottles you have, how many you’re hoping to dry at a time and how much space you have. To help narrow down your choices, What to Expect staff and community members say you should consider the following factors when choosing the best baby bottle drying rack:
- Storage capacity: Parents know that bottles pile up when you’re feeding a hungry baby, so you’ll want to make sure your drying rack has enough space for your bottles and bottles parts to dry. Most racks can hold at least eight bottles, although capacity can depend on the size of bottle you use (read: bigger bottles might take up more space on certain styles of racks). Some racks have features like tiers or vertical accessory shelves to allow you to dry more bottles and nipples at once.
- Size: You’ll want to know how big your countertop is to ensure your baby bottle rack of choice doesn’t hug up precious space on your counter. If you have a small kitchen or sink area, you might want to consider slimmer options or ones that are clever with vertical space.
- How easy it is to clean: Like any dish drying rack, water can accumulate in a baby bottle drying rack — leading to mold and mildew if not emptied and cleaned frequently. Some racks are dishwasher safe, making them super easy to clean. Others have drains to ensure stagnant water doesn’t pool underneath your clean bottles. We gave priority to drying racks that were dishwasher safe for the easiest cleaning.
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Best Bottle Drying Rack Overall
Boon Grass Countertop Baby Bottle Drying Rack
- Holds a variety of cups
- bottles and accessories
- Not dishwasher safe
This Boon drying rack is an excellent example of form meets function. It looks like a cheery patch of grass that sits on your kitchen counter. But those blades of “grass” are made of flexible plastic that’s designed to hold the bottles and accessories, pumping parts, pacifiers and more as they dry. The water will drain into the lower tray, and it’s strong enough to hold glass bottles. There are also accessories you can buy separately to add vertical storage space to your “lawn” should you need it.
And man, do WTE parents love it. “Boon Grass all the way. My 1st “baby” is four years old. We use it every day for anything and everything,” raves one mom. Many say theirs come in handy long past the bottle years as a place to dry sippy cups, toddler utensils and even wine glasses.
Sarah Darby, What to Expect's Senior SEO Strategist, confirms this. "We used it for my son's wide neck bottles, now we use for his bibs, plates, utensils and even medication syringes." Stephen Klop, What to Expect's Director of Product Management, says he used it for both children, who used bottles of various sizes and styles.
Note: It’s BPA- and PVC-free, but not dishwasher safe. Parents say it’s prone to mold if you’re not on top of cleaning it regularly with soap and water. Although Stephen says cleaning it is easy, Sarah says it can be a bit of a pain but is "worth it for how easy it makes everyday cleaning." Luckily, it’s pretty easy to take apart and scrub with soapy water — something moms recommend doing at least once a week.
Bottle capacity: 5-8 plus accessories, depending on bottle type
Weight: 1 pounds
Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 2.5 inches
Best Spinning Bottle Drying Rack
Munchkin High Capacity Drying Rack
- Holds a lot of bottles and accessories
- Parents say that it’s a tad bulky
Short on space but big on bottles? This double-decker spinning rack holds up to 16 bottles with room for straws, pacifiers, pump parts and more. The innovative design even has an insert to dry the nipples thoroughly. You can customize the racks to your needs and if you have bulkier items than bottles, fold down pegs for additional space.
The adjustable height also allows you to raise the top tier to accommodate cups when your tot has outgrown bottles. The tray spins a full 360 degrees for easy access to all the items, and there's also a removable drip tray to make for easier cleaning. The whole thing is dishwasher safe (top rack only) for added peace of mind.
Bottle capacity: 16
Weight: 1 pound
Dimensions:12 x 12 x 3 inches
Best Space-Saving Bottle Drying Rack
Philips Avent Drying Rack
- Easy to clean
- simple design
- Some parents found that it can tip over
This sleek-looking drying rack is a minimalist’s dream. Its tree-like design holds up to eight bottles with room for bottle accessories and pump parts, and allows for maximum airflow for fast drying. Its slim size ensures that it doesn’t take up too much space on your countertop, either.
Leah Rocketto, What to Expect's Associate Commerce Director, did not originally buy the Philips Avent drying rack. But when her bulky device wasn't doing a good enough job, she made the switch.
"It was like night and day," Leah says. "All of a sudden I had so much extra counter space for drying non-baby items. But not only that, I would put the bottles on the rack at the end of the day, and they would be perfectly dry by morning." Even though her daughter has moved on to solids, Leah still used the Philips Avent drying rack for bibs, utensils, and even her own cups.
It has a removable drip tray for quick cleaning and can also be popped into your dishwasher for a more thorough washdown. You can remove the “branches” to make space for larger items or for when it's ready to be stored.
Bottle capacity: 8
Weight: 1.33 pounds
Dimensions: 12.99 x 8.07 x 2.68 inches
Best Travel Bottle Drying Rack
Oxo Tot On-the-Go Drying Rack with Bottle Brush
- Portable
- easy to clean
- comes with a brush
- Can't fit as many bottles
Lots of WTE parents swear by the OXO Tot travel drying rack for their babies thanks to its compact size and convenient features. The rack can accommodate a few bottles and nipples, and comes with a fan-favorite bottle brush and nipple cleaner. Some parents also report using the set for cleaning and drying their pump parts while they’re on the road.
The whole thing folds up to easily fit in your diaper bag or carry-on bag, and can be thrown in the dishwasher when you get home for a thorough clean. (The included brush is also dishwasher-safe, and snaps in half to store inside the folded up rack in between uses.) Some parents just wish it had space inside to hold dish soap for extra convenience.
Bottle capacity: 4
Weight: 13.1 ounces
Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 2.2 (closed); 8.5 x 10.8 x 2.2 (open)
Best Bottle Drying Rack for Multiples
Boon Lawn Countertop Drying Rack with Twig and Stem Accessories Bundle
- Holds a lot of bottles and accessories
- The water must be drained frequently
Multiples means more feedings — and more dirty bottles. The Boon Grass Patch with Stem & Twig Accessories provides ample room for drying those bottles and all the accessories that go along with them. Like the Boon Grass, our pick for best overall bottle drying rack, it has “blades” of PVC and BPA-free plastic that hold your baby bottles and all those parts upside down to dry them completely. The difference is that the lawn is larger and comes with “tree” and “flower” shaped accessory racks to provide more vertical space for nipples and pump parts. However, note that like the Grass model mentioned above, the Boon Lawn can get scummy quickly, so you’ll want to drain the water out of the bottom and clean the entire rack on a regular basis.
Bottle capacity: Not listed
Weight: 2.42 pounds
Dimensions: 13.5 x 11 x 2.5 inches
Our Research
We spoke to several What to Expect staff members, including:
- Sarah Darby, Senior SEO Strategist, mom of a 1-year-old
- Stephen Klop, Director of Product Management, dad of a 3- and 6-year-old
- Leah Rocketto, Associate Commerce Director, mom of a 1-year-old
We also canvassed What to Expect community boards to learn what bottle drying racks parents have used and loved, and to get a sense of what features parents prioritize in a drying rack.
FAQ
Do I need a bottle drying rack?
Many parents wonder if they really need a drying rack that’s made for bottles when they already have one for their regular dishes, pots and pans. While you could potentially make do without one, bottle drying racks are made to fit bottles and hold them upside down, which helps them get completely dry.
A bottle drying rack is also useful to keep all the various bottle parts (bottle, ring and nipples) and pump parts together in one convenient spot. Some parents report that they continued to use their bottle drying racks well into the sippy cup years.
How do you clean a bottle drying rack?
When it comes to cleaning and sterilizing the rack itself, many can be placed on the top rack of your dishwasher. If you don’t have one or your drying rack isn’t dishwasher safe, wash with warm soapy water and rinse well before drying.
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