This post is about how to find the best portable breast pump that suits your needs.
One thing that I will not say is that these are perfect for the working mom.
I was working from home during my 12 months of exclusively pumping and I felt that using a portable breast pump was just so convenient despite not working outside the home.
If anything, due to the busyness that is motherhood, having a portable breast pump was heaven sent!
As an exclusively pumping mom, I pumped anywhere from 4-8 times a day, which each pumping session lasting 20-25 mins. Thats more than 2 hours a day with a breast pump attached to me!
So no, I will not say these are perfect for the working mom because they are also perfect for the SAHM.
Best Portable Breast Pump
Due to the popularity of Amazon, wearable breast pumps have become increasingly more popular.
Amazon breast pumps are cheap and many women on social media rave about how much milk they can get by using them, despite not being hospital-grade strength.
I have personally tried those breast pumps, those who don’t even have a brand name and there’s like 20 that look exactly the same, but are called something different.
It could be user error, but those hands free portable breast pumps did not do much for me.
After my experience with these nameless breast pumps, I went back to the reliable breast pumps that are considered hospital-grade strength, even if they are more expensive.
In this article I will cover the top 5 hands free breast pumps, as well as some alternatives to consider for greater suction.
What to Look for in a Portable Breast Pump
Due to the many breast pumps out in the market today, it is understandably reasonable to not know where to even start.
You open up Amazon and search for breast pumps, and they all have hundreds, even thousands, of raving reviews!
Below are the five things you should keep an eye out when considering purchasing a wearable breast pump:
1. Different Settings for Personalized Pumping
Due to how personalized pumping is and how every pumping journey looks different for every woman, you can to get a breast pump that allows for a multitude of levels and settings.
There are typically two main settings, which is expression mode and massage mode.
Your breast pump should at least have these two pumping settings and each setting has to have between 5-10 levels.
2. Hospital Grade Strength
AeroflowBreastPumps describes hospital grade pumps as a “multi-user pump with a stronger strength suction featuring a more powerful motor, special wavelength, and programming that allows mothers with certain medical necessities to get the maximum amount of breast milk production possible.” (Source)
If possible, you should aim for a hospital grade pump due to its strong suction, which therefore could result in increased milk output.
Typically you can find whether a pump is hospital grade or not by reading their descriptions, but if it does not say, you can read it’s features to find the following: “Hospital-grade pumps generally have a vacuum strength of between 300 and 350 mmHg, while personal pumps are typically between 200 to 300 mmHg” (Source).
3. Reputable Brand Name
As mentioned earlier, you need to be weary of the many breast pumps that are coming up on the market (especially through Amazon) that are technically nameless.
These breast pumps typically have the same features and appearance.
4. Positive (Authentic) Client Reviews
This point is similar to item #3. If you are browsing Amazon for breast pumps, you can get overwhelmed with your options, especially since there are many nameless breast pumps with many positive reviews.
I personally do not know whether they are fake, bought, or actually authentic, but I would do a little more research before purchasing a portable breast pump that is only available through Amazon and does not have a website.
5. Good Responsive Customer Support
Just like any product in the market, there are times when the item is not delivered as it should or is malfunctioning.
Double wearable breast pumps, even the cheaper ones, are close to $100, and imo, that’s not a cheap price. Not in this economy!
So if you are paying that price (or more), it should be crucial that there is great customer support to help you should anything come up with your pump.
Some brands are so reputable that, for example, there’s even an Elvie and Willow support Facebook groups of thousands of women helping and giving tips to one another on their breast pump.
Best Portable Breast Pump
The recommended breast pumps that are portable mentioned below are all well-known brands and ones that many breastfeeding mother’s trust and recommend.
Elvie
The Elvie breast pump claims to be the smallest and most quiet breast pump. It comes with an app that helps you track your milk output, as well as your settings, as compared to pressing buttons on the pump itself. You still can do so if you wish so, but you can get a better visual to your settings on the app.
As mentioned above, the Elvie breast pump has an Elvie support Facebook group, where you can post your question and Elvie-loving mothers can help you out.
Unfortunately, the Elvie breast pump is not typically covered by health insurance, but they do offer it at a reduced price.
Willow 3.0
The Willow 3.0 is often compared to the Elvie. What sets the Willow 3.0 breast pump apart is that it states that it is hospital grade strength and that it allows for you to pump directly into breastmilk bags, which can also allow you to lay while you pump (a feature no other pump seems to have). It comes with an app and is a double electric wearable breast pump.
RELATED: Willow vs Elvie Pump: Comparison Post
Willow Go
The Willow Go is, I believe, Willow’s attempt to create a more affordable breast pump to compete with other breast pumps in the market. The Willow Go is about $100 cheaper than the Willow 3.0.
One thing I will tell you about this breast pump was that I was nearly convinced to buy it! Moms everywhere were expressing their love for this breast pump! The only drawback back then was that the pump was fairly new (in 2022), so pump parts were often sold out and women couldn’t replace their pump parts when needed. This issue has now been fixed because its more established than it was back then due to its popularity.
You can also find this at a reduced price through health insurance.
Momcozy M5
The Momcozy brand is one that you have probably heard of already if you follow any mom content creators on TikTok. They have good marketing strategies, but not only that, the pump can speak for itself. With more than 2500 Amazon reviews, many moms exclusively use the Momcozy breast pump as their main pump.
The Momzocy M5 allows for a more discreet look and additional features that helps it compete with the breast pumps above. As of me writing this (January 2024), I have not found that health insurances cover it, even at a reduced price.
Imani i2
The Imani i2 Plus was created by Ledendairy Milk, and if you’ve looked into increasing your milk supply, then you’ve probably heard of their lactation supplements.
What makes the Imani i2 make it to this list is that it is up to par with the Momcozy brand, but it can actually be covered by health insurance, or even be offered at a reduced price.
Other Alternatives
These alternatives to the aforementioned breast pumps are more affordable, but not as discreet, as there could be wires and they may be more bulky.
Elvie Stride
The Elvie Stride is a wearable hands free breast pump, but one thing it is not is discreet. Due to having the breast pump separate from the cups, the Elvie Stride is considered hospital grade strength. The pump itself is small and lightweight, which allows for you to hang it from your neck with a lanyard, or clip it to your pants for a truly hands free experiences.
Medela Freestyle with Collection Cups
Companies are learning what moms truly want, and that is a portable breast pump.
Medela just recently came out with their milk collection cups, and have now began adding them to their already existing rechargeable pumps.
The Medela Freestyle is very similar to the Baby Buddha. Except the Medela Freestyle is quiet and comes with Medela’s newest collection cups that have less parts to wash.
Medela Pump in Style with Collection cups
Not only did Medela release the Medela Freestyle with their new milk collection cups, but also the Medela Pump in Style breast pump with milk collection cups. Medela is also one of the most popular breast pump brands, so it is nice to see them listening to their customers, many of which have been wanting collection cups and less pieces to wash.
With these new milk collection cups added to their most popular pumps, such as the Medela Pump in Style, which is typically offered for free through health insurance, Medela is making pumping easier for every pumping mom.
READ MORE: Spectra vs Medela (Spectra S2 vs Medela Pump in Style Review)
Spectra S1 with Collection Cups
This is my personal favorite combination. For about 4-5 months of my exclusively pumping journey, I used this combo. This allowed me to use a hospital grade strength breast pump (Spectra S1) as a hands free wearable breast pump.
Due to how big the Spectra S1 is, if I had to walk, I had to carry it myself, but I mostly used it when doing dishes or cooking. By using the collection milk cups, I did not have the flanges and bottles getting in the way.
READ MORE: Legendairy Milk Cups Review
Baby Buddha with Collection Cups
Now, I also used the Baby Buddha breast pump with collections cups. I did this before I used the collection cups with the Spectra S1. My experience was very similar to using the Elvie Stride. I bought a phone clip and attached it to the pump itself and would clip it on my pants for the hands free experience.
The Baby Buddha pump has one of the most powerful suctions, so be weary of that if you choose to go that route. Because I used it with silicone milk collection cups, the vacuum strength was slightly less than it would be with traditional breast pump flanges.
Momcozy
Remember when I said earlier that Momcozy is getting up to par to more renowned brands such as Medela and Elvie, well, Momcozy has released their own hospital grade strength breast pump: Momcozy V1.
Due to the separate motor from the milk collection cups, such as the Momcozy S12 Pro, Momcozy has been able to create their hospital grade strength breast pump. This is huge because they are now competing with other breast pump brands and, may I dare say…., catching up to them.
Best Portable Breast Pump
Depending on your needs (and budget), there is a breast pump for everyone out there! The wearable breast pumps mentioned above are those from trusted brands that are known to strive in making breast pumping easier and more accessible for women, which is why many of these brands are either fully covered or partially covered by health insurance.
P.S. If you are postpartum, I recommend reading next: Fixing Postpartum Hormone Imbalance After Childbirth & Breastfeeding
Other Breast Pump Posts:
- How to Organize Breast Pump Parts
- How Much Does Milk Supply Decrease During Period
- How to Increase Milk Supply During Period
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- What is a Breast Milk Brick and Why Should You Make Them
Other Breast Pump Review Posts:
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- Legendairy Milk Cups Review
- Legendairy Milk Barrier Bags for Breast Milk Storage Review
- Motif Luna Breast Pump Review
- Willow vs Elvie Pump: Comparison Post
- Elvie Stride vs Willow Go Breast Pumps: Comparison Post
- Willow Go vs Willow 3.0: Comparison Post
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