Grownsy Classic Review

Founded in 2015 in Los Angeles, California, Grownsy is a company that has a small selection of baby products designed to simplify the parenting process. They make two other bottle warmers with varying capabilities. The Fast 5-in-1 is the most basic option offered.

Performance Comparison

Health and Safety

Given the Grownsy's struggle to heat bottles quickly, there is less chance of nutritional loss when using the setting guidelines in the manual. However, given the frustration of slow warming, we suspect that some parents will instead use the hottest settings to try to speed the process. At the hottest settings, the Grownsy reaches 99F degrees at 7 minutes. Nutrition degradation happens around 104F degrees, which the Grownsy reaches at around 7.5 minutes. Auto-shutoff happened around 10 minutes, and the milk was over 138 degrees. This temperature is dangerously hot, and nutrition will be compromised.

Warming Efficiency and Consistency

The only thing the Grownsy does well is consistency. While it struggled to meet body temperatures using the manufacturer's suggestions, the range it reaches is pretty narrow, with similar content temperatures at shut off every time. At 12 minutes, the range was 93-98F degrees, which was very narrow for the group. Our test results indicate that waiting for 12 minutes with the Grownsy will yield relatively consistent results. At the time of auto-shutoff, nearly 4 minutes, the range is wider at 47-65F degrees.

Quickness of Warming

The Grownsy is a slow warmer, and we suspect most parents will get frustrated by the longer wait times. At auto-shutoff near 4 minutes, contents still weren't over 55 F degrees. Even at 12 minutes of heating time, the contents did not reach a body temperature of 98F degrees using the manufacturer's recommended settings. With a high temperature on average at 12 minutes of 95F, we don't think babies will balk at the milk temperature, but it feels unnecessary when other warmers can get milk warmer faster.

Ease of Use

While not the hardest, the Grownsy is harder to use than most. On the upside, the unit instructions are easy to understand and clear after one reading. It offers helpful photos and a warming chart on the unit, which keeps instructions close at hand.

The warmer comes with a measuring cup for adding water, and while this takes the guesswork out of it, it is one more thing to keep track of, and if you don't have it, you'll be guessing or looking for a measuring cup of your own.

The unit rides a line between having a basic, straightforward design and lots of bells and whistles, and it makes it harder to use than features. The buttons were easy to use, and we had no trouble in our one-arm test, but it felt more convoluted than needed. It does offer auto-shutoff.

Ease of Cleaning

The Grownsy was one of the most difficult to clean. The instructions on proper cleaning are limited, and they show it being wiped clean but don't give much information on the details. It recommends using distilled water to avoid scaling, which feels like one more thing you need to buy and keep track of. We suspect most parents will end up using tap water, and this expectation isn't realistic. Even if you use distilled water to heat bottles, descaling every four weeks is still recommended, and the water-to-vinegar ratio is in decimal points. We can't imagine that most parents would measure 1.7 oz of vinegar or 3.4 oz of water perfectly. Why does it need to be so complicated? The chamber itself is smooth and easy to clean, but overall, it was a challenge compared to more straightforward competitors.

Should You Buy the Grownsy Classic?

As one of the lowest-scoring options in the group, it is hard to recommend the Grownsy. No matter what your warming goals are, there is an option that can do it better than this choice. While it performed fairly well for consistency, it was harder to use, hard to clean, and took longer to heat than most.

What Other Bottle Warmer Should You Consider?

For a great all-around warmer that won't break the bank, we like the First Years Gentle Warmth Digital. This unit is a consistent option that is easy to use and clean. It doesn't get too hot, and there is less risk of nutritional degradation. If you value higher ease of use and health and safety considerations, the Chicco Digital Bottle Warmer & Sterilizer is similar to the First Years and ranks higher than the Grownsy.

Manufacturer Video