Best Breast Pump Reviews and Comparison

Welcome to my get-it-all best breast pump & breast pump comparison website! I’m Helen, a mom of three child.

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The common question among mothers is whether to pump or not to pump. If you’ve decided to pump, you would usually want your baby to benefit from your milk even when you’re not available. This is where a breast pump can be a great help. Yet, first, you must decide what kind of style and models of a breast pump that you want. In general, they fall into 3 main categories, namely:

Manual Breast Pumps

• Hand-operated, it is suitable for infrequent usage.
• Compact and light, it is a life-saver for short and last-minute trips.

Electric or Battery-Powered Breast Pumps

• If you stay back at work for long periods of time, this pump can withstand the bulk of your pumping.
• A popular choice with full-time working moms.
• Convenient but more expensive, this would require a bigger bag to store all the parts.
• Most pumps nowadays come with attractive carrying cases that can be used long after you’ve stopped pumping.
• Prices range between $200 and $350 and most pumps come with a one year warranty.

Food-Powered Breast Pump

• Foot-powered breast pumps combine manual and electric breast pumps ground together.

While a number of women use both, you may strongly prefer one over the other. As such, it is not necessary to buy both kinds of pumps. The main point is to find a pump that best fits your needs, lifestyle and budget – that will be your best breast pump.

Regardless of which pump you pick, it is a good idea to have it ready to use well before you return to work or leave your baby with a sitter. Since many babies will refuse a bottle offered later on, it is best to start pumping and introduce a bottle as soon as breastfeeding is established, when your baby is just 3 or 4 weeks old. That way, you can slowly ease your baby into accepting the bottle when you have returned to work.

Best Breast Pump Reviews – My Top Picks

Here are my top recommendations for the best breast pump models. Whether you are looking for a single or double breast pump, manual or electric, I have reviewed the best of them here.

• Best Manual Breast Pump
• Best Single Electric Breast Pump
• Best Budget Professional Double Electric Pump
• Best Professional Double Electric Pump

If you like to know more about the pros and cons of these top picks, head over to my Best Breast Pump reviews or you can read the detailed article of each of these four picks by clicking on the links above or check out my blog posts here.

Best Breast Pump – Top Picks & Quick Reviews

Finding the best breast pump is just like finding a needle in the haystack. No matter how much we research, we will never know until we use the product itself. So, I hope to aid you in your search for the best breast pump that suits different individual. From the many breast pumps reviews, I have narrowed them down to four categories, namely manual breast pump, single electric breast pump, budget professional-grade double electric pump and professional-grade double electric pump. Here are some quick links to the product detail & owner feedback, check them out:

Medela Harmony Breast Pump Review

For moms who pump occasionally, I would recommend that you do not splurge so much on a professional-grade pump. Instead, get a manual breast pump. Medela Harmony can help you express the occasional bottle of milk or relieve engorgement. Small, light, portable and convenient, it is inexpensive especially since you do not need to replace any electrical parts that might break down. However, if you plan to pump long-term, a manual breast pump might not be suitable as you can only express milk from one breast at a time and it is quite tiring if you have to express a few times a day.

• Best Manual Breast Pump – Medela Harmony

Medela Swing Breast Pump Review

As a small electric pump, Medela Swing is recommended for occasional use to replace a few feedings. If you dislike the extra work of expressing manually, this is a good alternative. Some parents even say that they prefer Medela Swing over bulkier professional-grade breast pumps because it is easier to carry, easier to use (battery operated available) and efficient. However, just like a manual pump, Medela Swing lacks a double pumping option which means that you would have to pump each side separately. I recommend Medela Swing only for occasional pumping.

• Best Single Electric Breast Pump – Medela Swing

Ameda Purely Yours Breast Pump Review

Ameda Purely Yours is a top-rated professional-grade double breast pump. The exceptional and special feature that distinguishes this pump from other professional-grade pumps is the contamination-free collection system. Other similar pumps such as the Medela Pump in Style, have open collection systems. This difference means that for the Ameda Purely Yours, there will not be any amount of milk that will condense or find its way into the pumping mechanism. This eradicates the possibility of bacteria or fungi growing inside the mechanism. You won’t have to worry about sterilizing the tube to prevent contamination of later batches of milk. This is the best breast pump if you’re a strong believer in hygiene and time-saving.

• Best Budget Professional Double Electric Pump – Ameda Purely Yours

Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump Review

This pump is by far the best breast pump recommended not only by mothers but also by lactation experts. It is perfect for all, even for mothers who have trouble expressing milk or have larger nipples. With its 2-phase expression pumping to mimic a baby’s natural nursing pattern, this pump brings a new meaning to the word comfort. In the first phase, the pump copies the baby’s initial rapid suckling pattern to stimulate milk flow. After two minutes, it switches to the expression mode where the slower stronger and deeper setting is to promote more efficient milk collection. However, there are some mothers with multiple or delayed let downs who commented that they preferred the customizable settings of the Pump in Style original breast pump than that Pump in Style Advanced. Besides that, the only downside to this edition is the user-unfriendly bag. Overall, I would say that this pump is a worthwhile investment especially for full-time working moms because it constantly delivers without fail.

• Best Professional Double Electric Pump – Medela Pump In Style Advanced Limited Edition

7 Basic Steps for Comfortable Pumping

1. Determine how often you will need to pump. How long will you be away from your baby or if you work shifts, and how long are your shifts?
2. If you are working part-time, consider a manual pump especially if you pump occasionally. They are cheaper and convenient to travel with.
3. Consider either a manual of small motorized pump if you will be pumping just once or twice daily. These pumps are not expensive and are portable.
4. If you will be away from your baby for more than a couple of hours each day, the best breast pump for you will be a full-size automatic electric pump. Although they are slightly pricey, they are more effective in the long run since they allow you to double pump and maintain your milk supply for a longer period of time.
5. When you purchase a pump, find one with insulated cooler bags and blue ice packs if no refrigerator is available in your work station. With cooler bags, you can store your milk up to a full day.
6. Ask your insurance company if it will cover the purchase or long term rental of a pump if you need to pump for medical reasons.
7. If you travel on the road often, find a pump that comes with a car adapter. While you may not want to pump while you drive, you can always pull over in the middle of your journey and pump in the back of your car discreetly.

Now that you know the general kind of pumps, here are a few quick points before you go shopping for the best breast pump:

• Don’t buy used breast pumps
• Consider your individual needs
• Consider renting
• Work-friendly
• Look for adjustable suction features
• Efficiency
• Ease of use & durability
• Comfort
• Check the warranty

These are just the main points. I have written a more in-depth article on these points to aid you to learn more about finding the best breast pump. If you would like to read more, do take a look at my article How to Choose the Best Breast Pump.

Once you have bought your pump, you may find that the best time for you to pump is first thing in the morning. Even if you have the best breast pump, you might want to consider some accessories to help you to use your pump more efficiently and more comfortably.

Accessories

• Pumping Bra/ Band – Holds a collection bottle at each nipple to free your hands while you pump both breast simultaneously.
• Storage Bags/ Containers – Makes collecting, storing and freezing your milk easier.
• Microwave Bags – Lets you steam-clean pump parts in the microwave.
• Breast Shields – Soft shields massage the breasts during pumping, soothe sore nipples and increases milk flow. Find the right size as they are catered to accommodate smaller and larger nipples. This is not necessary if the breast pump that you buy comes with a shield that fits you. Additionally, if you are buying separately, make sure the shields work with the brand of the pumps that you are using.
• Insulated Bag and Cold Freezer Packs – Keeps your milk cool throughout the day when there isn’t a fridge nearby.

Nursing Aids

• Hot/Cold Breast Packs – Gel packs can fit inside a nursing bra and can be used hot or cold to soothe any swollen or sore breasts.
• Lanolin Ointment – Blissful in relieving sore nipples.
• Nursing Pads – You can buy either disposable or washable pads; whichever that is most convenient for you. They absorb milk from leaky breasts and prevent spotting on clothes.

Best Breast Pump - Comparison

These tips are just the tip of the iceberg for comfortable pumping. You can head over for more tips in my other article which elaborates on more handy tips in my blog here: Best Breast Pump- Comparison. However, remember that without practice, pumping can still be a chore. Therefore, the more often you pump the more of an expert you’ll become. So keep pumping and in no time, you’ll find it a breeze. 

Good luck to all mothers! 

Happy Pumping! And thanks for reading my best breast pump & breast pump comparison website.