In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Philips AVENT Fast Review

A simple yet well-designed warmer that is easy to use and warms milk quickly
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Philips AVENT Fast Review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $50 List
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Manufacturer:   Philips
By Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz  ⋅  Apr 2, 2024
57
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#8 of 11
  • Health and Safety - 35% 3.0
  • Warming Quality - 25% 6.4
  • Warming Time - 20% 8.5
  • Ease of Use - 15% 7.2
  • Ease of Cleaning - 5% 5.4

Our Verdict

The Philips AVENT Fast is a favorite bottle warmer for those who want to heat their bottle fast. The Fast is a straightforward bottle warmer that is easy to use, warms quickly, and has an average price. While there is much to love about this warmer if your goal is to get it done fast, it is harder to clean, can get too hot if you aren't careful, and isn't as consistent as some, making monitor for overheating more challenging. Overall, it isn't the right option for everyone, but if your main goal is to heat bottles quickly and you plan to monitor the warmer as it works, then the Fast could be the right option for you. If you need something to heat while you do other things and could be distracted, it is probably not the right choice.
REASONS TO BUY
Straightforward
Easy to use
Warms quickly
Easy to add more time
REASONS TO AVOID
Can overheat on keep warm feature
Editor's Note: The AVENT Fast is a new warmer in our update of the bottle warmer review launched on March 29, 2024.

Compare to Similar Products

 
philips avent fast
This Product
Philips AVENT Fast
Awards  Best Value Award
Best Budget Bottle Warmer
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Bottle Warmer
  
Price $50 List
$39.99 at Amazon
$28 ListCheck Price at Amazon$22 List$22 List
$19.75 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line A straightforward warmer that warms quickly and is super easy to useThe lower price, features, and multiple settings are appealingA higher-price warmer that is easy to use and can heat consecutive bottles but it isn't very fastSimple and effective warming but requires prep work and could possibly be done with things you already ownCheaper warmer that is easy to use but doesn't heat consistently or enough
Rating Categories Philips AVENT Fast First Years Gentle... Chicco Digital & St... Kiinde Kozii Voyage... The First Years 2-i...
Health and Safety (35%)
3.0
8.7
8.7
4.5
5.1
Warming Quality (25%)
6.4
7.0
5.6
7.2
2.3
Warming Time (20%)
8.5
4.0
4.7
6.5
7.5
Ease of Use (15%)
7.2
7.7
8.8
7.1
6.1
Ease of Cleaning (5%)
5.4
7.2
7.0
8.3
7.4
Specs Philips AVENT Fast First Years Gentle... Chicco Digital & St... Kiinde Kozii Voyage... The First Years 2-i...
Heat Technology Water Bath Water Bath Water Bath + Steam Water Bath Water Bath + Steam
Max Temp 116.5 °F 88.4 °F 92.2 °F 117.2 °F 108.7 °F
Frozen Capability Yes Yes Yes No No
Baby Food Heating Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Audible Beep No Yes Yes No No
Measured Dimensions 5.2 in x 6.0 in x 6.3 in 5.2 in x 4.9 in x 10.3 in 5.2 in x 5.1 in x 12.4 in 3.8 in x 3.8 in x 8.6 in 4.6 in x 6.2 in x 7.2 in
Contents Below 113ºF/45ºC No Yes Yes Yes No
Time to Reach 80F 4.5 min 10.0 min 8.5 min 5.0 min 5.0 min
Time to Reach 98F 6.5 min N/A N/A 10.0 min 7.5 min

Our Analysis and Test Results

Philips got its start in 1891 when Gerard and Frederik Philips, a father and son team, established Philips & Co. in the Netherlands. Their original goal was to “manufacture incandescent lamps and other electrical products.” In 1895, little brother Anton Philips joined the team, helping them become one of the leading producers of light bulbs. Royal Philips is now a health technology company working toward products for healthy living, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and home care.

Performance Comparison



philips avent fast - the avent fast can quickly overheat contents which can cause the...
The AVENT Fast can quickly overheat contents which can cause the degradation of nutrients once over 104F degrees.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Health and Safety


The FAST did not do well in our tests for health and safety. Maintaining the nutritional quality of bottle contents largely depends on not overheating the milk. Avoiding burns and scalding mouths is also critical. Temperatures over 104F degrees can cause degradation of the milk nutrients. We ran tests using the hottest settings, assuming some parents will resort to this for faster, warmer times. We aim to identify units that could result in milk that is too hot and result in a diminished nutrient profile.

The AVENT Fast is a water bath warmer with no bottle basket, and the water temps can get high enough to cause pain if touched. We prefer a basket to help prevent burns. Using the instructions, we had a max observed temperature of 121.6 degrees. This temperature is over the temperature you want for safety and comfort. This warmer surpassed 104F degrees near the 7-minute mark in our tests.

The Fast has a straightforward user interface with adjustments based on the amount of liquid in the bottle being warmed.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Warming Efficiency and Consistency


The AVENT Fast is not the most consistent warmer in the group, but it is not the worst either. These tests use the manufacturer's directions for the settings, and we monitor and track internal content temperature over multiple tests.

At the auto-shutoff point (near 5.5 minutes), the unit has a temperature average of 89F degrees. The range is 76-98 degrees. That is a range of 22 degrees. There is a huge variation between warnings for the same settings and the same starting milk temperature for the same amount of time. This range decreases as it reaches body temperature, and around 6.5 minutes, the range is 93-106F, which is 13 degrees difference. None of the warmers were really consistent, but the key is finding a setting that works for you and creates warm milk that isn't too hot most of the time.

The Fast is a straightforward warmer with few steps.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Quickness of Warming


The quickness of warming is where the AVENT Fast shines. At 5 minutes (auto-shutoff time), we got our first reading of body temperature, but the average temperature was still only 88 degrees F. At 6.5 minutes, the average content temperature was 98F, which is the goal temperature for most as it mimics the internal body temperature of breast milk, and the range was 93-106F. So, to be safe, pulling the bottle at 6 minutes should get you a warm enough bottle that is not too hot. No other option was this fast, using the manufacturer guidelines for setup.

The Fast has a cord storage feature on the bottom of the unit.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use


The AVENT Fast is easy to use and earned a higher score in this metric than the average.

The AVENT Fast has some directions on the side of the unit about...
The AVENT Fast has some directions on the side of the unit about filling for warming.
The Fast has a single dial that you press to start and rotate based...
The Fast has a single dial that you press to start and rotate based on the oz/ml in the bottle you are warming.

It has almost too many instructions, however, and some of the written instructions seem to conflict with the pictograms they also include. This warmer is easy to fill with water and easy to set with a single dial. It has an auto-shutoff and can be completed using only one hand if you need to perform the steps while holding a baby.

philips avent fast - while unlikely under ordinary use, if you spill milk or formula into...
While unlikely under ordinary use, if you spill milk or formula into the AVENT, it can reach on the heating element, and you cannot reach it to clean it.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Cleaning


The AVENT Fast earned a lower score for ease of cleaning than most competitors. The manual does not offer text on how to clean and instead relies on somewhat ambiguous icons and pictograms.

The images show dumping the water and wiping it clean. There is no information on using a detergent of any kind or doing more in-depth cleaning. It does offer information on descaling, and the written instructions walk you through the ratio amounts and how to run the unit for descaling. Descaling isn't a long process. If you spill milk inside the unit, you cannot reach the heating element to clean it, so you'll want to rinse it as quickly as possible.

philips avent fast - if your goal is fast warming and not much else matters, the avent...
If your goal is fast warming and not much else matters, the AVENT Fast could be the right choice for you.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Should You Buy the Philips AVENT Fast?


Maybe. If your goal is to get a bottle warm as quickly as possible, then the AVENT could be your best choice. However, it requires monitoring, and if you are the type to get distracted, it could potentially overheat your bottle faster than you realize. This results in milk being too hot to drink and potential degradation to the nutrition in the milk. It also could result in the potential to cause burns or scald baby mouths. If you only plan to use your warmer for overnight feedings, plan to stand right there (set a timer) and avoid the bottle sitting in the warmer for a prolonged period of time, then this quick warmer could be the right one for your needs.

What Other Bottle Warmer Should You Consider?


The First Years Gentle Warmth Digital is one of our favorite warmers that offers consistent warming and is easy to use and clean. It is slower and requires some patience to warm your bottle to body temperature. Still, with some preparation, this warmer can keep things cool enough to drink and avoid nutritional degradation. It also has a lower price and can save you some money if you don't need the fastest unit possible. If you want a fat warmer with less risk for overheating than the FAST, then the Baby Brezza Safe and Smart is a potential contender. It is more expensive than the competition, but depending on your goals, it could meet your needs.

Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz