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Choose from manual, electric and hands-free single or double breast pumps
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Mothers turn to breast pumps for a variety of reasons – perhaps they’re in a position where baby can’t feed and are exclusively expressing, or maybe the choice is to combine breast milk with formula feeds, or the need for a breast pump may be down to a lifestyle change, when returning to work, for example. Regardless of the situation, the best breast pumps can be a mum’s best friend.
Anxiety over the pressure of ensuring baby is well fed is something many new mothers face, all while battling with the sleepless nights, erratic hormones and potential engorged, sore and swollen breasts. So, it’s important to consider your choices when it comes to choosing the best breast pump for you, as you’ll want something that’s not only comfortable to wear but efficient and compatible with your lifestyle.
The breast pump market can be a minefield. You may be trying to decide between a manual or an electric pump; wondering if it’s better to opt for a single or double model; and pondering whether a hands-free version that sits in your bra can really work (the answer is yes, and we’re here for it).
To help you make that all-important decision when it comes to your pump purchase, we’ve tried and tested a range of electric, hands-free wearable pumps and manual options, to bring you a curated line-up of the best breast pumps on the market right now.
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We put each pump through its paces for around two weeks, expressing at varying times of the day and night, and at different stages of breastfeeding. We assessed each pump on comfort, efficiency (including suction and speed), how simple they were to set up and clean, and how easy it was to store the expressed breast milk. While breast pumps don’t come cheap, we also considered value for money.
Lola&Lykke is an award-winning brand founded by two Finnish mothers. Created with mothers in mind, the brand’s ethos is evident by just how simple this breast pump is to set up. This is partly due to the fact there are only five parts: the bottle, connector, valve, breast shield and motor.
The first highlight has to be how silent this pump is, which is brilliant if you’re feeding on the other breast or for middle-of-the-night feeds. Another highlight, and fundamental for expressing success, is the premium comfort. The ultra-soft breast shield mimics baby’s natural sucking pattern, and we found the whole experience super efficient. The smart touch-screen technology is not only clear to view and easy to use, it also features a memory button and timer for easy tracking and recording your pumping sessions, helping you to establish a routine, if you want to.
Convenience is also where this pump soars – not only are you pumping directly into a bottle, you can also express into Lola&Lykke milk bags, which doesn’t feature on many electric breast pumps. We only tested this pump with the bottle provided, but many other baby bottles would also fit.
The hospital-grade suction is top-notch. Promoting let-down (the release of milk from the breast), it has built-in four-phase smart functionality: stimulation, expression, automatic and memory. The first two phases express and the last two phases are to help you track and record. While this doesn’t offer a hands-free experience, we found it such a doddle to use that it felt like the perfect combination of a wearable breast pump and a more traditional one.
While the market is flooded with electric models, we believe there is still a place for manual breast pumps, and this example from Medela is the best we’ve found. While the significant reduction in price is appealing, there’s also lots to love about a manual option, including eradicating any battery fear.
This pump is so light, too, weighing just over 100g. With far fewer parts, it’s easy to pop this in your changing bag, or take away on holiday. We were impressed that, while this is a much simpler pump, it still boasts Medela’s two-phase expression technology. You begin the process with the stimulation phase, pumping the front of the handle in a faster action with your thumb. Then, once you can see the milk is flowing, you switch to the tail end of the handle and use your whole hand and adopt a slower, deeper pace. Of course, the downside to this is you have to put the work in yourself, but we did find this to be really efficient in expressing our milk and, although our hand ached the first few times, we soon got used to the pump action.
The breast shield itself feels comfortable, thanks to the good level of flex, meaning it moulds to your breast shape. Unfortunately, the shield only comes in one standard size of 24mm but you can buy alternative sizes, if required. We love that this breast pump comes with its own stand, to avoid any spillages, while being able to store the milk right away in its own bottle is so convenient.
We did find the cleaning part a little arduous, but it’s worth it for the budget-friendly price point and the positive results.
We found the Fraupow wearable breast pump one of the easiest to set up – it arrived already charged and it’s surprising how compact this pump is.
The LED screen on the top of the collection cup has a timer and enables you to change through the modes: massage, lactation, auto and expression. We found ‘auto’ did the trick, after a few unsuccessful attempts with the varying 12 levels, but the automatic function massages and then switches to expression level six.
Once placed in our bra, the pump was comfortable to use, albeit a little evident that pumping was taking place. It comes with a bra extender buckle, which we needed to help accommodate the pump. We did have a few wobbles with leakages at first but, once we found the correct positioning, expressing was pretty efficient. The breast pump can also be taken apart and put back together very easily for cleaning, and pouring into a bottle can be achieved with no spillages.
Fraupow also offers midwife support, via a live chat and video call service, which could be incredibly useful for anxious new mums.
Momcozy only produces wearable breast pumps, and we tested its hospital-grade version, which is competitively priced for a double pump, and we were impressed with its performance, too. We found it offered super suction and optimum comfort, even when we blasted it on the highest intensity setting (there are nine in total). The downside to all this power is things can get a little noisy, which didn’t faze us in our home environment but is worth noting.
Meanwhile, the double-sealed, skin-friendly silicone cups kept leakages at bay. It’s worth bearing in mind that you can’t store your milk in the cups, so a transfer is required. The visibility is great with this pump, too, as the cups are totally transparent. It’s also worth flagging they hold up to 230ml of milk, making this breast pump a fabulous option if you have a large supply or want to express larger quantities.
We also found that this pump offers a great degree of fit – you get two 24mm and 27mm flanges (the bit that sits against the nipple), as well as three smaller sized inserts. If you’re not entirely sure on your size, there’s a handy nipple ruler, too.
Mam is a baby brand with which many parents are familiar. Founded in 1976, it’s been helping new parents for almost 50 years. Famed for its range of bottles and soothers, the brand has recently launched its first wearable breast pump: the Mam move.
The sleek unit itself is larger than some other wearable breast pumps, so, while it only stores 150ml, it’s probably best suited to smaller-breasted women, as it’s quite bulky. Having said that, it does come with a bra extender, so it fits well once in position.
While we found it to be on the heavier side, particularly when full of milk, the silicone flange is very comfortable against the nipple and it comes with three additional funnel inserts in varying sizes (15mm, 17mm and 21mm), so you can get a great fit. It didn’t have quite the same power as some of the other breast pumps we tested, but we did like the modes it offers – three expression modes and five levels of suction, including a stimulation phase.
The display could be rather tricky to see, however, as dots light up to indicate the level, rather than a number displayed. There’s also no timer function. We did like that there’s a clever silent mode, which does make it super discreet, although, that does affect the suction power.
This product shines when it comes to cleaning, however. The milk collector can simply be popped in the microwave for three minutes and, hey presto, it’s sterile and ready, while the other pieces can be popped in the dishwasher or cleaned via your usual sterilising methods.
We love that you can also use the milk collector for storage in the fridge, rather than having to faff about with pouring the expressed milk into another vessel. It does also come with an easy start anti-colic bottle, which is a nice touch.
If there’s one brand synonymous with breastfeeding, it’s Medela. Founded in Switzerland in 1961, Medela is known for its breastfeeding and baby products, as well as healthcare solutions for hospitals. Given the brand’s history (and this breast pump’s hefty price tag), expectations were high.
Inside the box, there’s everything you need to get started, including two different sized breast shields for the best fit, but there wasn’t an overwhelming number of bits to get to grips with, and it all felt intuitive to assemble.
The brand rates its electric breast pumps on its two-phase expression technology, which, in essence, mimics babies’ natural sucking rhythms. With this being a double pump, we certainly found we collected more milk compared with a single pump, but found it a similar volume compared with other double breast pumps.
The technology works faster at first, to stimulate milk flow (the first two minutes), then slower to express milk for efficient pumping. We found this a comfortable experience – thanks to the lightweight collection cups – even when pumping from the passenger seat of our car.
We found the battery life reliable, and easy to charge via USB, but it is a little noisier than other breast pumps we tested. The technology is undeniable, though – there’s even an app that tracks how much you’ve pumped and how long for, making it easy to keep track.
The milk collected does have to be poured into a bottle or storage bag, but that’s a straightforward pour from the top of the cups. Overall, this breast pump is professional, portable, comfortable and super efficient.
There are quite a few parts to this electric breast pump from Vital Baby, which could be a little intimidating if you’ve no breast pump experience. The good news is, once put together, it’s worth it.
We found this to be a highly efficient breast pump, expressing a good amount of milk directly into a handy 5oz bottle. We attribute this to the two-phase expression, which promotes milk production by mimicking a baby’s natural breastfeeding action. You’ve also got nine speed settings to experiment with in each phase, to create a bespoke feeding routine that works for you.
The super-soft silicone breast cup feels supple and offers premium comfort while expressing, and we found it a bonus to be able to easily see how much milk was being collected. The downside to this means you must dedicate time to expressing, as your hands aren’t free, and the wire can be a little troublesome, but we did find the results speak for themselves.
The battery life is great, lasting several days but, be warned, you have to fully charge this product before you can use it. We found this quieter than other breast pumps tested, and like that you can convert this to a manual pump, eradicating the need to buy an additional pump if you wanted something more compact to take with you on the go.
Elvie revolutionised the breast pump world by introducing the first wearable pump – the Elvie pump – in 2018. For this review, we tested the Elvie stride, which is the brand’s hospital-grade model. Unlike the original Elvie pump, this model has tubing for extra suction power, which ensures an efficient session. We have to admit, initial setup was taxing, as you have to assemble the collecting cup, including the tube. However, it only took around 15 minutes to charge, and we were ready for action. You can also charge it using the included USB cable, which is pretty convenient, and the battery lasts for several pumping sessions.
As described, this truly is a wearable pump, enabling you to get on with daily life while you express. We did find it a bit of a squeeze in some of our tighter nursing bras but, overall, it was a comfortable experience. The compact ‘hub’ motor can be attached onto your belt or clothing, and we found it much quieter than others we tested.
Frustratingly, you can’t store your milk in the collection cups, so, you need to pour it into a bottle or storage bag after the pumping session is over, which isn’t ideal for overnight pumping. We did appreciate the 10 intensity settings with two modes (stimulation and expression), which means you can tailor your pumping experience to your preferences. You can also control this breast pump via the free app. Again, this contributes to the hands-free element, which this pump does really well.
British brand Pippeta produces a range of wearable breast pumps at relatively purse-friendly prices, so, we were keen to test one out for ourselves.
This was one of the easiest pumps to set up, with clear instructions and easy to clean parts. Unlike most breast pumps, the Pippeta classic can be worn in two ways: either as a wearable single pump or a wired double. We love that you have the option to be totally hands-free or use the base and tubing for double action. We did recognise that it would be nice for the base, when in dual mode, to have a clip to attach to clothing, but you can place in a pocket instead.
We found the positioning of the cups didn’t come quite as naturally, compared with using some other breast pumps – there were a few times we lost suction due to poor positioning. This was purely teething problems, though – by using the included bra extender, you can get a comfortable fit.
Because the cups have a larger capacity (180ml) than most wearable pumps, we didn’t find these very discreet, due to the size, making them a little clunky, in our opinion. The most important part, though, was that they expressed efficiently, thanks to the variety of modes available and the hospital-grade suction. The massage mode is used at the start to encourage your let-down, while the expression mode enables you to move up and down the 12 intensity levels. We found the auto mode – a combination of the massage and expression modes – did the trick for us.
To store your milk, you have to pour it into a bottle, but we didn’t incur any spillages, and we also praise this pump for its clear LED screen. The battery lasted for more than an hour, and it’s great that this product comes with extra parts such as the flange inserts for different nipple sizes, which is fabulous, given the price.
Although this breast pump has now sold out, you can sign up (via the brand’s website) to be notified when the pump is back in stock.
Manual: A manual breast pump is hand-operated and uses traditional vacuum suction to extract breast milk. These are usually only available as single pumps (you only have one pair of hands, after all) and are more portable and compact than electric pumps, making them great for travel. If you only plan on expressing occasionally, a manual could be a great option, too.
Electric: As you might expect, electric breast pumps create suction using a motor, powered either by mains or batteries. There’s no denying that most are bulkier, noisier, and more expensive than manual pumps, but they are highly efficient and often take half the time to get the job done.
Wearable: You’ll now also spot several brands boasting wearable electric pumps, which are designed to be charged up and slipped into your bra for hands-free pumping. These could be a good option if you need to continue working or pottering around the house while expressing – but they’re the pricier choice, for sure.
Everybody’s breastfeeding journey is unique – a pump that works for one person might not work for someone else. Although there is no perfect universal fit, for us, Lola&Lykke’s smart electric breast pump performed on all levels. If you are really keen for a hands-free experience, and you’ve a larger budget, we also highly praise Medela’s freestyle double breast pump, which is as efficient as it is discreet. However, if you’d rather same some money for other baby essentials, and don’t mind going manual, the Medela harmony flex breast pump is a decent option that won’t break the bank.
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