How to Carry Bottles to Daycare: The 5 Best Baby Bottle Coolers

One of the most time-consuming parts of having a baby in daycare is preparing the bottles. No lie! I was so happy the day my daughter moved to the toddler class and couldn’t have bottles anymore.

It’s challenging to find a daycare bottle bag that transports bottles to daycare well. The bag needs to be well insulated, easy to clean and be able to hold three or four bottles. Baby bottles can have different shapes and sizes, so you may need to experiment to find the bag that works best for you. I have at least four baby bottle cooler bags left over from my two daughters’ infant years. 

I’ll tell you everything you need to know to pick out the right cooler for daycare bottles!

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How to Carry Bottles to Daycare without Spills

When you’re moving bottles to and from daycare, you want to make sure the precious milk or formula arrives without a problem. Spilled or warm bottles mean a major disruption to your morning! You want your baby to eat while you’re at work, so protect those bottles. 

Keeps bottles cold

The cooler’s first job is to keep the bottle cold. Choose a cooler that you put in the freezer, like Packit, or one that will hold an ice pack. The cooler should be well-insulated and an insulated zipper is a bonus. 

Holds 4 bottles + an ice pack

You’l probably bring three bottles each day plus a backup bottle, at least when you’re first starting out. Make sure that your daycare bottle cooler bag can hold all four bottles, plus an ice pack. Decide on the type of bottle you’ll be sending to daycare first so you can choose a cooler that’s the right fit.

We used Tommee Tippee bottles, which are short and wide. Dr Brown’s, another popular brand, are tall and narrow. A cooler that works for Tommee Tippee will not really work for Dr Brown’s, and vice versa. So choose your bottle first and then find an insulated bottle cooler bag that can accommodate them.

Keeps bottles upright

This probably goes without saying, but the cooler needs to hold the bottles completely upright. If the bottles tip over, they’ll start leaking a little bit out of the nipple and you’ll have a big mess on your hands. Save yourself the headache and make sure your bottles stay upright. If the cooler you’re using has extra space in it, fill it with another ice pack or kitchen towels. 

Closes completely

Get a bag that zips closed. Some coolers have just a snap at the top to keep them mostly closed, and that will NOT work when you’re trying to keep baby bottles cool. If you happen to have a spill, it will only be contained by a cooler with a zipper. 

Load Bottles Upright

Many of the standard coolers or lunchboxes lay flat for loading, and then are carried upright. (Think about the old-school lunchboxes from when you were a kid!) That won’t work with bottles. You need a cooler that stays open so you can load the bottles in an upright position.

Best baby bottle coolers for daycare

Based on my experience and research, these are some of the coolers you should look at for daycare bottle transportation. 

Dr Brown’s Convertible Bottle Tote

If you’re using Dr Brown’s bottles, do yourself a favor and buy this tote! It holds up to four Dr Brown’s bottles of any sides, is made of neoprene and folds over to make the bag snug for smaller bottle sizes. It also is easy to clean and has room for an ice pack. 

Number of Bottles: 4

Holds ice pack: Yes

Works best with bottles: Dr Brown’s, any others that are narrow

Columbia Badger Ridge Bag

It’s not the cutest bag out there, but Columbia’s Badger Ridge Insulated tote has a ton of room for baby bottles. The bag has easy to clean lining, interior straps to keep contents in place and exterior mesh pockets. It looks like it has plenty of room for four of the wider bottles, plus an ice pack. 

Number of Bottles: 4+

Holds ice pack: Yes

Works best with bottles: Comotomo, Tommee Tippee, Dr Brown’s (Regular + Wide Neck)

MomCozy Multi-Function Cooler Bag

This bag is so cool (haha)! It has an upper and lower compartment that can be converted to one big compartment. If you have taller bottles, you might need to combine the two compartments. For shorter bottles, you can have two separate compartments. The bag fits many different brands of bottles, including Dr Brown’s, Tommee Tippee, Comotomo, and more.

My favorite thing about this bag is that you can use the top compartment for food when your baby is ready for solids! No need for a new bag at all. If you’re looking for a versatile bag that will last for your baby’s entire first year (and beyond), check this one out.

Number of bottles: 3-4 in bottom compartment

Holds ice pack: Yes

Works Best with Bottles: Most

Insulated Bottle

Instead of an insulated bag for the bottles, you could also consider using an insulated baby bottle. This insulated, stainless steel bottle gets amazing review and keeps liquids hot or cold for 10+ hours. You would have to check with your daycare to see if they would allow a bottle like this. If so, it could be a great option. The daycare won’t have to heat up the bottles and you don’t have to worry about buying a special bag!

Insulated Backpack/Cooler

Parents who walk or take public transportation to daycare might need a hands-free option for transporting milk to daycare. An insulated backpack could solve this problem. Although insulated backpacks tend to be larger than necessary, they have ample room for 3-4 bottles. You’ll also probably have room to carry some baby food and maybe even a few changes of clothes or other essentials.

Keep in mind that with a large bag, you need to pack it correctly to make sure that the bottles don’t tip over. Get extra ice packs or kitchen towels to stabilize the bottles. If the bottom of the bag is soft, you can also put a small piece of plastic or carboard in the bottom for further stability. 

Number of Bottles: 4+

Holds ice pack: Yes

Works best with bottles: Comotomo, Tommee Tippee, Dr Brown’s (Regular + Wide Neck)

Finding the right daycare bottle bag

It’s hard enough being a working parent with a baby. You have plenty to learn without spending time figuring out how to carry bottles to daycare! Make your life a little easier by getting the right daycare bottle bag. A good cooler bag for daycare will keep your baby’s bottles upright and cool for the duration of your daycare trip. That means your baby will have a full belly all day long!