Portable Pumps: Willow vs. Elvie
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Due to the frequent requests/questions + insurances beginning to cover these pumps, I took one for the team. I decided it was time to test out 2 of the most popular portable breast pumps: Elvie Pump + The Willow Pump.
My goal was to compare the 2 portable pumps to each other, and then compare them both to a typical hospital grade pump-- like the Spectra or Medela PISA. I will go through my experience & the pros + cons I found with each. I'll also be sharing a closer look at each pump in my Instagram stories.
A little background: I have pumped with multiple hospital grade pumps including the Spectra, Medela PISA, and Ameda. I was sent the Willow Pump a few years ago + have used it on and off (times when I really need to be hands-free) while pumping for my 2 girls. I have thus had multiple years of experience teaching these pumps at work and utilizing these pumps myself. I was then sent Elvie Pump about a month ago & began using it immediately when I was needing to pump on and off. I have learned a lot about it + I am excited to share my thoughts!
The Elvie Pump (top) and the Willow pump (bottom).
Elvie Pump + Willow Pump Side-By-Side
Elvie Pump
Willow Pump
WHAT EXACTLY IS A PORTABLE BREAST PUMP?
THINK: no tangled cords, no being tied to a wall for 20 minutes with toddlers running around, pumping anywhere, anytime-- sounds like a dream, right?! It doesn't have to be anymore! With a portable breast pump you can be on-the-go, hands-free, and pumping anywhere, any time. Just slip this pump in your bra, pull up the app, and you're ready to roll!
With a portable pump, it is important to ensure that you have a tight fitting bra, charged batteries in your pumps, + you have downloaded or upgraded to the latest app.
WILLOW PUMP
The Willow Pump is near and dear to my heart, because it got me through going from 1-2 babies & learning how to manage being a really busy mama! I have nothing but love for the Willow (mind you, I have the old school one where you can only pump into bags), and now they have revamped the pump to make it more efficient by pumping into a reservoir as well! I think this is a huge upgrade, as one of the "cons" I would state about this pump is the fact that you had to pump into bags only *again, this has since changed*. Another "con" of mine is just the learning curve. There is a lot to learn with putting this pump together properly, keeping charged adequately, and syncing with the app. It's also a learning curve at the end, just getting the milk to suction from the tubing + into the pump.
ELVIE PUMP
The Elvie is another portable breast pump that I was sent about a month ago. I have found that there are so many pros with the Elvie + just a couple cons. I loved being able to pump into a bottle/reservoir + how seamless that process seemed to be. I am extremely impressed with this pump, though I was a little weary that anything could compete with my Willow Pump, I gave it a try! I loved that you can align your nipple in the flange + make sure it's properly positioned before snapping on the pump piece. This ensures that you have an appropriate fit. This is huge since you cannot see your flange once the pump is placed on! The Willow does not allow for this, but they do recommend practicing with the flange by itself to see how it feels when on appropriately.
Willow on Right Side, Elvie on Left Side
COMPARING THE WILLOW PUMP VS ELVIE
In comparison, I found that the Elvie was overall much quieter + much smaller than the Willow Pump. If your goal is to be discreet: The Elvie Pump is the way to go 100%.
NOISE: Elvie Pump was extremely quiet during the entire pumping session, no matter which mode I was in. The Willow Pump is quieter than my Spectra, but louder than the Elvie Pump. It tends to make a few "machine-like noises" during the pumping process and was louder overall than the Elvie.
I also noticed that the Elvie Pump was much more discreet when wearing. It doesn't draw as much attention to the chest + wasn't as bulky as the Willow Pump was.
OUTPUT: I will say that after pumping with the Willow and Elvie Pumps, I felt that my output was pretty even-keeled between the two pumps. I don't feel that I had more milk extracted from one pump versus the other. The Willow Pump only holds 4oz, where Elvie Pump holds 5oz. I do think that the Willow Pump suction is stronger, but more suction does not always equal more milk, so that shouldn't have much of an effect overall. I loved that when fully charged, these can both last throughout the day (~3-4 pumps). I also loved that they both have the ability to track everything through their apps (see below). You can see your suction, speed, mode, output, time pumped, etc. The milk output reading on the app is generalized and never the absolute exact amount I pumped (just FYI)
COMPARING PORTABLE PUMPS VS HOSPITAL GRADE PUMPS
OUTPUT: When pumping with the portable breast pumps, I definitely noticed that I was not getting my typical output on a consistent basis when compared to my Spectra. It wasn't *too much* less when using my Elvie Pump or Willow Pump, but varied anywhere from 0.5oz-1oz less than I would get at the same time, on the same schedule with my hospital grade pump. I noticed this when comparing the Willow Pump + the Medela PISA a few years ago as well. I think that this is still an important factor to consider when choosing a pump.
LETDOWN MODE: You all know how much I love the letdown button when pumping, right?! If not, check out my breastfeeding course. One thing I wish the portable pumps had on the actual pump is the letdown button. You can switch modes from stimulation to expression in the app, but I found that there are multiple times when my phone is not in my hand--ie: doing dishes, wrangling toddlers, letting the dog out, etc. It would be nice to hit the letdown button right on the pumps when I feel my milk letdown (because sometimes it happens sooner than expected!)
All in all, I do think that utilizing a hospital grade breast pump is extremely important and necessary when *bringing in mature milk* (aka the first few days of baby's life). Not all women need to pump in the hospital, but if baby is being supplemented due to low blood sugars, jaundice, prematurity, etc and mom's goal is to exclusively breastfeed, stimulation with a hospital grade pump is recommended over a portable breast pump. I do think that the portable pumps do a great job maintaining a stable/regulated milk supply for busy moms on the go, however, if there are struggles that arise with supply, supplementation needed, etc--I think a hospital grade pump does a better job extracting more milk overall.
The concept of these portable pumps are incredible, and they really do a great job in keeping supply regulated by removing milk efficiently. Where I am right now in my nursing journey with Lou, for example, these pumps come in clutch for me to be able to chase my toddlers, go to Cam's soccer games, run errands while my husband cares for the kids, etc. Being able to throw them in my purse or diaper bag and literally pump on the go has brought so much peace to my day! I know for many of my previous patients who have reached out after using the portable pumps-- being able to pump in the car on the way to work + pump while in meetings or working throughout the day has been incredible for them. It's all about what you need and how you look at your situation!
I hope this helps bring insight to help aid in an informed decision when choosing your breastpump! Pick whichever one fits your lifestyle.
The Willow Pump can be found here
The Elvie can be found here
So, mamas-- what pump do you use?!
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