In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

Boon Orb Review

Not the best choice based on overheating and no glass bottle choices
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boon orb bottle warmer review
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Price:  $30 List
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Manufacturer:   Boon
By Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz  ⋅  Jan 2, 2019
52
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#9 of 13
  • Warming Efficiency - 25% 8.0
  • Ease Of Use - 30% 4.0
  • Health/Safety - 40% 4.0
  • Ease of Cleaning - 5% 7.0

The Skinny

The Boon Orb is a steam bottle warmer with a small footprint and multiple parts. This unit has a tendency to overheat bottles and the setup time seriously hurts how quickly you can prep and heat a bottle for little ones. With poor test results for both ease of use and health and safety, the Orb presents challenges and almost every turn. On the upside, this warmer is easy to clean with several dishwasher friendly parts and a single chamber where all the parts are reachable. Unfortunately, it isn't enough to offset the difficulties we had using and heating with this warmer. If you are on a budget and were considering the Orb, for this reason, we think the Chicco NaturalFit is a better choice.
REASONS TO BUY
Compact
Dishwasher safe parts
REASONS TO AVOID
Difficult to use
Tendency to overheat after shut-off
No glass bottles

Compare to Similar Products

 
boon orb bottle warmer review
This Product
Boon Orb
Awards  Best Value Award Top Pick Award   
Price $30 List
$26.30 at Amazon
$35 List$26 List
$18.97 at Amazon
$29 List
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$21 List
$20.75 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
52
73
66
51
42
Star Rating
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Pros Compact, dishwasher safe partsSimple, safe, keep bottle warm for up to an hourInexpensive, travel friendly, easy to useInexpensive, easy to clean, simple to useInexpensive, fast, quick second bottle heating
Cons Difficult to use, tendency to overheat after shut-off, no glass bottlesSlowerNo auto-shutoff, only works for one bottleInefficient, difficult to understand instructions, no auto-shutoffToo hot, hard to fill vial, gross build up
Bottom Line Not the best choice based on overheating and no glass bottle choicesExcellent value with a simple design that is easy to useAn innovative way for on-the-go families to heat baby's milkAffordable warmer with simple controls but below average performanceInexpensive, fast heating warmer with serious health and safety issues
Rating Categories Boon Orb Chicco NaturalFit Tommee Tippee Trave... Grownsy Fast 5-in-1 Munchkin Speed
Warming Efficiency (25%)
8.0
6.0
6.0
5.0
9.0
Ease Of Use (30%)
4.0
9.0
6.0
4.0
4.0
Health/Safety (40%)
4.0
7.0
7.0
6.0
1
Ease of Cleaning (5%)
7.0
5.0
9.0
5.0
6.0
Specs Boon Orb Chicco NaturalFit Tommee Tippee Trave... Grownsy Fast 5-in-1 Munchkin Speed
Heat Technology Steam Water Bath Water Bath Steam/Water Bath Steam
Temp or Timer Based Temperature Temperature N/A Have to manually turn off Timer
Auto Shut Off Yes Yes No No Yes
Audible Beep No Yes No No No
Water Resevoir No Yes No No No
Wide Bottle Capacity No Yes Yes yes Yes
Compatible w/ Glass No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Compatible w/ Breast Pump Bags No No Yes No No
Time to Warm to 99F 3:30 min:sec 9:15 min:sec 5:38 min:sec 12:00 min:sec 3:05 min:sec
Wait Time Between Warmings 10 minutes Allow bottle warmer to cool completely (approx 30 min) None Not Listed 5 Minutes
Dimensions 6.25"H (with lift out basket), 5"H (without) x 6.1"L x 6.1W 6"H x 5.5"L x 5.25"W 7.75"H x 3.5"L x 3.5"W 6"H x 4.75"L x 4.75"W 5.5"H x 5"L x 5.5"W
Temp. & Time at Auto Shut-Off w/ Warmer Chart Recommended Setting (4oz Refrig. Milk in Glass w/ Silicone Sleeve) 3:00 min:sec 89F 9:00 min:sec 94F NA NA 2:35 min:sec 93F
Max Temp if Left in Warmer 12 minutes 112F 104F 111F 90F 130F

Our Analysis and Test Results

Boon is part of a larger company, TOMY International, which also includes The First Years and JJ Cole. TOMY is a global designer and producer of toys and products for parents and young children. TOMY International's company mission is to "make the world smile" with innovative products and licensed characters.

Performance Comparison


boon orb bottle warmer review - the boon orb is a good looking bottle warmer that heats quickly...
The Boon Orb is a good looking bottle warmer that heats quickly using steam technology.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Health and Safety


The Orb is a steam bath warmer, which hurt it's ranking, earning a slightly below-average score for health and safety. The steam technology allows it to heat bottles quicker, but the steam is hot and can lead to potential burns if you aren't careful; something sleep-deprived parents may find difficult in the middle of the night, holding a wailing baby.

Following the instructions will yield results in the acceptable temperature range (91F at 3 minutes). Still, if you change the setting or forget to remove the bottle when the cycle is over, it can quickly overheat. For example, because there is no audible beep to signify when the heat cycle is over, the bottle could theoretically sit in the warmer too long. This issue can easily result in overheated liquid. In our tests, the contents of the bottle reached 114F when left in the warmer for 12 minutes and 104F after only 5 minutes; this is the temperature where breastmilk begins to lose nutrients.

boon orb bottle warmer review - the orb has a single user button which can make setting the warmer...
The Orb has a single user button which can make setting the warmer challenging and require regular check-ins with the warming chart.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Use


The Boon is more complicated than it looks, earning a so-so score in ease of use, showing that this metric is not its strongest. While the initial setup of the warmer is simple and the instructions are fairly clear, actually putting it to use is another story. The warmer requires filling a small graduated tube for each use. The tube is small, and the markings can be hard to see, the amount of water required also varies based on the chart included with the Orb, which requires regular referencing.

The water measuring tube on the Orb is pretty cool and tucks into...
The water measuring tube on the Orb is pretty cool and tucks into the side so you are less likely to lose it.
The water vial for the Orb has white line markings that are hard to...
The water vial for the Orb has white line markings that are hard to see while filling. To make matters worse, the warming chart instructions can be challenging to decipher.

The lines on the vial have arbitrary letters assigned to them, which means you could be lost if you lose the warming chart and get a new bottle or increase the bottle's contents. Plus, the fill lines on the tube are so close, it can take excessive time to fill the tube correctly. This prep is required for each use, making the time to prep and heat similar to the time to heat of the slower water bath warmers.

Further problems with the Orb are that you can't use it with glass bottles or breastmilk storage pouches, and wide-bottles will not fit, which limits how you can use the warmer.

boon orb bottle warmer review - the orb quickly heats bottles but it lacks an audible indicator that...
The orb quickly heats bottles but it lacks an audible indicator that the cycle is over and it can easily overheat contents if you leave the bottle in the chamber after the end of the cycle.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Warming Efficiency


The Boon is reasonably efficient at warming with an above-average score, but not high-ranking. At recommended settings, it turns off at 3 minutes with a temperature of 91F on average. However, you need to remove the bottle right away to prevent overheating to temperatures too hot for your baby and breastmilk. While it heats quickly, the lack of audible beep means you better watch this warmer like a hawk or set an additional timer.

boon orb bottle warmer review - the orb uses steam technology to warm bottles and it lacks an...
The Orb uses steam technology to warm bottles and it lacks an audible shutoff beep. Both design choices increase the potential for injury.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Temperature Testing
It is important to test the temperature of the contents of each bottle before feeding your baby. After removing the bottle from the warmer, you should swirl the contents to mix in any hot spots before dropping some on the inside of your wrist. The contents should be warm but not hot.

Boon recommends a wait time of about 10 minutes between uses to allow the heating element to cool down. These instructions are relatively typical for steam warmers, but it may make it a poor choice for multiple babies or daycare centers.

boon orb bottle warmer review - while the orb has multiple parts to clean, the plastic parts are...
While the Orb has multiple parts to clean, the plastic parts are dishwasher safe and the chamber is easy to wipe.
Credit: Abriah Wofford

Ease of Cleaning


The Orb attracts attention in this metric with an above-average score, while the rest of the competition ranks average or below. On a day-to-day basis, this unit only needs sponge wiping. The plastic basket is easy to remove, exposing the hot plate, and the chamber is accessible being wide and easy to fit most hands inside. Mineral deposits need to be removed once a month by soaking the inside of the chamber for 2 hours with white vinegar. The accessory parts are cleaned separately by hand or in the dishwasher on the top rack.

Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz
 

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