Breastfeeding is a personal choice, and, ultimately, fed is best. But if you decide to go the nursing route, you’ll want a good breast pump to back you up in your journey. After all, the best breast pumps allow you to leave your baby (and a bottle) with a trusted caregiver and get back to life as a fully functioning adult, whether it’s going to back to work or having the odd night out with your partner or friends. Pumping can also be an avenue to getting your baby breast milk when they have trouble nursing.
The Lansinoh Smartpump 2.0 Double Electric Breast Pump is portable and affordable.
Selecting a breast pump is also personal. You’ll want to bring home a model with the right amount of suction and convenient features that match up with you and your lifestyle. This might include pumping in the middle of the night, over your laptop, in the break room or even in your car. Snag a device with subpar suction and you could face a dwindling milk supply. Some breast pumps can also suck a little too hard, leaving you with sore nipples. Last, it’s important to consider price range and insurance coverage. Depending on your insurance and the brand of your device, you might be able to get the cost of the pump partially or fully reimbursed—an important consideration with the other pieces of equipment you’ll need for your nursery.
Overall, a “double electric pump is the best fit for most families,” says certified lactation education counselor Rebekah Huppert, R.N., B.S.N., a lactation consultant at the Mayo Clinic. “Some women will do well with a manual pump but that does not work well if she is pumping with any type of consistency,” she adds. Ultimately, “it is important to remember that everyone responds differently to different pumps. There is no one size fits all,” says Leigh Anne O'Connor, board-certified lactation consultant and La Leche League leader.
I’ve been breastfeeding on and off for about a decade and am currently nursing my fourth child. I’ve relied on Medela for my breast pumps since I had my oldest son in 2013 and am currently using the Medela Sonata while breastfeeding my 5-month-old. I had the opportunity to test out several other pumps over the last few weeks to compare features and to try to determine what might be the best option right now. Here are those results. Also be sure to read about our favorite nursing and pumping bras.
The Medela Pump In Style is a popular breast pump that efficiently gets the job done. This pump features MaxFlow technology that’s inspired by hospital-grade pumps to deliver some serious suction power. Compared to my trusty Medela Sonata, which eases you into the pumping experience, this was eye-opening. You may need to dial back on the power at first—it gets to work ASAP and doesn’t hold back, although it does go through a two-phase expression technology to mimic your baby’s natural sucking rhythm.
The Pump In Style doesn’t have a lot of parts to keep track of, which is a perk. There’s just the pump itself, breast shields, bottles and tubing—and it all easily stores in a petite bag you can stash in your go-to tote for daily travel. Choose between two sizes of the brand’s PersonalFit Flex breast shields to find one that most comfortably covers your size nipples. There’s also a battery pack and included cooler for pumping on the go. If you’re having trouble getting enough milk expressed, or if you’re dealing with a lower-than-desired flow, this pump and its intense power is sure to help you max out your breastfeeding potential.
The Spectra S2 isn’t as intuitive out of the box as a lot of the competition. In fact, I mistakenly believed at first that you can only pump one breast at a time (the instructions show a person pumping with one breast and the pump is set up for solo pumping when you open it). There is a connector for a second tube, but it’s hidden under a cover you have to pry off. But, once you get the hang of using this pump, it’s easy to see why it has so many fans. The S2 has an impressive 12 suction levels in expression mode and five levels of cycle speed, giving you plenty of options. It also remembers your preferred pumping speed and vacuum, so you can pick up right where you left off for the next session. An easy-to-read LED screen and night light makes it simple to see what’s happening, not matter what time you’re pumping. There’s also a 30-minute power off in case you get distracted during a work call.
At just 9.5 inches high and 13.5 inches wide and weighing in at 1 pound, the Medela Freestyle Flex is downright teeny compared to other pumps. It’s also powered by a USB rechargeable battery, so you can seamlessly pump on the go. I took it to a wedding, and it was easy to conceal my pump in an oversized tote. My sturdy Sonata would have been obvious. Despite its petite size, the Freestyle doesn’t skimp on power: This pump can provide impressive suction, although not at the same level as hospital-grade pumps. It also features two-phase expression technology to mimic your baby’s natural feeding pattern. Choose from two sizes of breast shields for that just-right fit. Once you’re done, store your milk in the included cooler and toss your gear in the included carrying bag.
As someone who has used standard pumps that hook up to a machine, the idea of going hands-free is definitely appealing—and a little intimidating. The Freemie Independence II takes some practice to get the hang of if you’re more experienced with traditional breast pumps. The cups slip into your bra. Note: If you’re wearing a fitted shirt, people will be able to tell there’s something in there, but you can pump without feeling exposed. The actual pump can be clipped onto your waistband or slipped into your pocket, and you can adjust things from there.
The Freemie is surprisingly strong for a pump that’s hands-free. You can choose from more than 100 pump settings, including a Turbo power that delivers an intense extended draw and release cycle. There’s also a memory function, so you can get back to your favorite pump settings ASAP. It’s not noiseless, so you probably won’t want to pump in a library. But, since this is a truly hands-free pump, you’d likely feel comfortable wearing it around your place or in your office while you get things done. One more thing to be aware of: It takes a little practice to remove the cups without spilling any of your liquid gold. Edgepark Breast Pumps can help you get the Freemie—plus many of our other top picks here, which can be 100% covered by insurance—so you don’t need to shell out cash for one at a retailer. See below for more details.
The Lansinoh Smartpump has a lot of features that make it easy to use—and a lower-than-average price tag to go with it. It sets up similarly to most pumps: You simply connect the tubes to the machine and bottles and get down to business. Enjoy eight suction strength levels and three pumping styles, along with hospital-grade strength to really help empty your breasts. I felt like the Smartpump got a little more out of me than my standard Sonata, which is always a plus. The Smartpump is quieter than many other pumps, so you can actually use it during work calls without having to repeatedly put yourself on mute. Enjoy three power options: a plug, AA batteries or a separately purchased car adapter. A built-in carrying handle makes this pump easy to tote around. The whole thing is Bluetooth compatible, so you can track all the action from an app on your phone.
To choose the best breast pumps, we looked at the top breast pumps on the market and spoke to parents and lactation consultants about which pumps they preferred. I then tested several options and analyzed them for things like ease of use, suction power and comfort. These were the top winners.
Yup. Most insurance companies will cover some or all of the cost of your breast pump, and a website like Edgepark makes the process easy. The company offers pumps that are 100% covered by health insurance, so you don’t need to shell out cash for one at a retailer. They also handle processing the order through your insurance for you.
“We offer two options for moms who are looking to order a breast pump through insurance: You can order on our website or by calling over the phone,” says Mary Zinfon at Edgepark. To order online, you go to the website, choose a pump, then provide your due date and insurance, doctor and shipping information. Once you’ve placed your order, “We take care of the rest,” Zinfon says. Edgepark will even contact your doctor for your prescription information—you don’t need one in advance of ordering.
Prefer to order over the phone or have questions about pumps you’re interested in? You can call the company at 855-504-2099.
“A good breast pump is a great tool to have when it is needed, but not everyone needs a pump,” says Meghan Devine, R.N., B.S.N., I.B.C.L.C., clinical supervisor for the Lactation Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “If you are directly breastfeeding, your baby is growing well and you are rarely apart from each other, a pump is not necessary.” But, if you and your baby are unable to directly breastfeed for any reason, Devine says you’ll want to have a pump.
In general, “you will need to express your milk at least as often as your baby normally breastfeeds or a minimum of every two to three hours, eight or more times in 24 hours,” Devine says.