If there’s one thing every pumping mama knows, it’s that having the right equipment can truly save your sanity.
Not to mention your time and your milk.
We all know how a good pump is crucial to survival when returning to work. But, finding the best cooler for your breast milk is just as key.
Sure, you might be rolling your eyes right now, thinking that just any cooler will do—so long as it keeps the milk chilled, right? But, on a hot summer day, or while enduring a flight delay, a quality cooler can absolutely mean the difference between coming home with milk for your baby or having to dump that liquid gold down the drain.
The problem? There are approximately a 1,000,001 cooler options on the market (but who’s counting?) and there’s no great way for a working mom to weed through all those options and figure out which cooler is best for her breast milk storage needs.
Well, don’t worry, mamas. We’ve got you covered. We scoured the Internet, read through reviews, and asked all the moms on our team for advice on which coolers worked best for them. And after all that research, these are the coolers we recommend.
Top Rated on Amazon
Let’s not beat around the bush: Amazon Prime is our addiction and we’re not ashamed to admit it. If everything you buy these days comes from Amazon, you probably put a fair amount of stock in their review system. Which is why the Medela® Breast Milk Cooler Set should be at the top of your radar when looking for the best breast milk cooler.
With over 600 reviews, the Medela pump has managed to maintain a 4.6 star rating. It’s the #1 physician recommended breast milk storage product in the U.S. and can transport and cool up to four bottles at a time.
The one downfall? It’s designed to work with the Medela pumping system and bottles, so if you have a different pump, you might want to consider a different cooler option.
It also only carries 20 ounces at a time. So if you’re planning on traveling or need to store more than a day’s worth of milk, this one probably won’t work for your breast milk storage needs.
The Priciest Cooler on the Block
While most breast milk coolers run at around $20, spending a few hundred on a cooler may sound overly indulgent. But, when it comes to the Yeti® Hopper Backflip, some swear by it.
There are a few advantages to this cooler that may make it worth the price. For one, it’s not a traditional breast milk cooler—which means you can easily extend the life on this one by using it for other cooling needs in the years to come.
It’s also more durable than the average breast milk cooler, waterproof and resistant to mildew, punctures and UV rays. And with its ColdCell insulation, some moms say it keeps their milk colder far longer than traditional breast milk coolers.
The one downside (besides the sticker shock) is that it can be quite heavy. However, depending on the size you get, you may be able to store up to a week’s worth of milk (or more) in one of these things. And as a bonus, all sizes can be worn as a backpack for easier carrying.
The Most Fashionable Cooler Bag
When most of us think of finding the best cooler for breast milk, we probably aren’t picturing anything fashionable. But the Neoprene 6 Pack Bottle Carrier comes about as close as one might hope for. This cute carrying bag features a chevron design and bright green details, while also sporting enough room for six bottles (up to three inches in diameter) to be kept cool for a short period of time.
Honestly? This is not a freezer and we wouldn’t recommend storing your milk in it overnight. But, for short trips out with your baby, it will keep your bottles cool until your little one is ready to eat.
For cooling needs beyond that, you’re probably going to want to look for something a little more durable and a little less fashionable. But at just under $20, this could be your cutest breastfeeding accessory!
The Mid-Range Cooler
If you’re looking for a breast milk cooler that can store a lot of milk, without having to fork over quite as much money as you would for the Yeti, you may want to check out an AO Cooler.
Like the Yeti, this isn’t exclusively a breast milk cooler. But plenty of mamas swear by it for just that purpose, especially those who have to take longer trips away from their little ones and need a cooler that can pack a few days of milk.
The AO Cooler is still more expensive than some of your smaller cooler options, and unless you’re traveling you probably won’t need this much storage space. For those who need to pack away more than a days’ worth of milk, this can be a more reasonably priced option than the Yeti.
The Packing-Light Cooler
On the flip-side is the breast milk cooler for moms on the go who know they won’t have to pack much away. The FlexiFreeze Pocketbook Breastmilk Cooler will only hold a few bags of breast milk at a time, but if you’re just looking for something to keep your milk cool as you go about your day, or for a way to store the milk you pump at work—this could be the sweet and simple solution you need.
With 16 cubes of water built into this cooler, you’ll need to pop it into the freezer every night to get it nice and cold. This wallet-sized cooler can easily be carried with you from the boardroom to your office in complete discretion, keeping your milk cool and out of sight while you take over the corporate world.
When it comes to finding the best cooler for your breast milk, we’re confident one of these options can fit just about every mama’s needs. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed and can’t possibly make one more decision in the midst of all this new-baby-prep, we hope you can find the cooler you’re looking for on our list.
For the mamas who need to research everything, we feel you! And we fully understand why you may not want to just take our word for it when making this all-too-important breast milk cooler decision. So talk to your friends, do your own research, and read those reviews for yourselves.
Then, let us know if there was a cooler we missed—one that should be on our list!
Getting Milk from Point A to Point B and Everything in Between
And, remember, if you’re looking for a cooler to ship milk from Point A to Point B and everything in between, Milk Stork can help! Whether you need to overnight an entire frozen stash, a day’s supply or a batch from a donor or surrogate — fresh or frozen, domestic or international, Milk Stork makes it easy to get your milk where it needs to go. We even have an option where you can ditch the refrigerator and freeze dry your breast milk for a 3 year shelf life!