Elvie offerings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAs a busy, traveling mom who exclusively pumps, I started to resent how pumping with my hospital grade and Spectra felt like time out every time, and wondered how I could keep up once we started traveling as a family. <\/p>\n
I knew early on that I had to make a change in order to make pumping it sustainable, so enter the Elvie!<\/p>\n
The freedom:<\/h3>\n There are plenty of days where it\u2019s just me and my little one and during the 15 to 20 minutes that I might be pumping, chances are good he will need something, or perhaps I<\/em> will need something. Being able to put food together and eat, drink, pee, do laundry, wash dishes, whatever, is too important, and being hooked up to a wall is prohibitive of doing any of these things.<\/p>\nThen there are the times we\u2019ve been flying all day, or are on a road trip. <\/p>\n
My life changed when I entered the world of wearable pumps. I was no longer in time out. I got hours of each day back. To me that\u2019s invaluable.<\/p>\n
Great output:<\/h3>\n One of my hesitations with getting a wearable pump was the warning that I might not get as much output as with other pumps. That has not been my experience at all. I actually get more output with the Elvie than I do with my Spectra.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all about making sure you have the correct flange (the 24 and 28 that it comes with are too big for me, so I ordered a 21), and are putting it on correctly, which they have tutorials for. I didn\u2019t have much issue figuring it out.<\/p>\n
Easy to clean:<\/h3>\n Every pump requires cleaning and every pump has multiple parts. I find the Elvie to be just as easy to clean as any of my other pumps. It has around the same amount of parts and they can be thrown in the dishwasher. In addition, the refillable bottles come with caps so you can easily store them in the fridge after you pump.<\/p>\n
I also appreciate that the Elvie comes with four milk storage containers, cutting down on the washing frequency required.<\/p>\n
You can truly pump anywhere<\/h3>\n Picture this, you\u2019re traveling on a train, plane, or in a car for work. Your engorged AF and you\u2019re not with your little one, so breast-feeding is out (or maybe you\u2019re in exclusively pumping mom and it\u2019s time to get a bottle filled.) With a plug-in pump, where are you going handle this, especially on a long flight? Even with a hand pump, are you going to sit in the bathroom for 30 minutes? With the Elvie I can just go into the bathroom, insert it, come back to my seat, and go back in when it\u2019s time to remove it. Or if I\u2019m feeling particularly bold I can just do it all in my seat.<\/p>\n
The app<\/h3>\n\n
<\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe app that goes along with the Elvie is excellent. I love that I can open it up and see exactly what my output was for my last few pumps, track it back to every pump I\u2019ve ever done, and that I can see when I last pumped. I have hard-core mom brain. I can\u2019t be expected to remember on my own, so this function is really nice. Unfortunately the Willow Go app is very bare-bones and doesn\u2019t include any of this, Which makes one wonder what the point is.<\/p>\n
I will say that the app usually over-estimates my output, as it attempts to measure how much you\u2019re pumping in real time. I almost always have to adjust it for less than it is estimating. I had a supply dip issue and this messed with me mentally a bit at the time, but the estimate is important so that you don\u2019t overfill the container and leak.<\/p>\n
Although I love it, It\u2019s not perfect.<\/p>\n
The Bad of the Elvie<\/h2>\nNo pump has managed to tick all my boxes, and there are some common issues that people run into with the Elvie.<\/p>\n
Leakage<\/h3>\n This was one of my biggest hesitations in purchasing this pump, because I read reviews where people mentioned leakage and as any mom knows, you definitely cry over spilled milk when it\u2019s your own. Unlike the Willow 3.0, you can\u2019t lay down or move in any position you want with this pump. This only works with the Willow because it fills disposable bags (The Willow Go has a container, and you can buy a separate container for the willow 3.0, however it also means you don\u2019t have as much mobility), but I really didn\u2019t want that much of an ecological footprint, so I risked it with the Elvie.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve leaked a few times and learned you really can\u2019t lean over. I\u2019ve also leaked when I didn\u2019t put the pump together perfectly. Although it\u2019s user error, you can\u2019t see that you\u2019re leaking until you feel it since the pump is tucked into your bra.<\/p>\n
The bottle fills up<\/h3>\n The pump will probably tap out around 110 to 120 ml at which point you\u2019ll have to empty it in order to keep going. This isn\u2019t a huge deal to me, but if you\u2019re pumping for twins or are an over-producer you may find yourself pausing to empty frequently.<\/p>\n
Not as discreet as one would hope<\/h3>\n\n
<\/noscript>Choose your outfits wisely<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAlthough these are a favorite pump for nurses and other professionals who are working on their feet, you have to be careful with your outfit choices. <\/p>\n
It will make you look like you have crazy huge boobs. This comes as a surprise to some people, although it makes sense to me that a pump is going to have to add some extra girth in order to have the motor, fit your boob, and of course fit the milk.<\/p>\n
I find that layers, scarves, or anything that\u2019s not formfitting gives a little bit more discretion if I\u2019m out pumping in the wild. <\/p>\n
And although the pump is delightfully quiet, It\u2019s not completely silent.<\/p>\n
Some other common complaints I\u2019ve seen are battery life, which I haven\u2019t had an issue with. I can usually go 6 or so pumps without having to recharge. I\u2019ve also seen complaints that the pumps have other mechanical issues all of which I\u2019d rectify directly with the company as they have a 2-year warranty. <\/p>\n
The Ugly of the Elvie<\/h2>\nObviously the price point at $550 is high for the Elvie pump (check if they have a sale, as they sometimes do!). You probably already know about that and are weighing if it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n
Despite the minor issues, it is still my favorite pump. The output and the ability to have mobility still it more than worth it for me. I probably would have given up by now if I didn\u2019t have access to a wearable pump, so it\u2019s saved breastfeeding for me.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not perfect, but it\u2019s as close as I have in my repertoire.<\/p>\n
Tips for Making it Work for You:<\/h2>\nSizing<\/h3>\n\n
<\/noscript>The extra inserts I purchased<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhen it comes to sizing, you may have to order additional flanges, as I had to, as the standard 24 mm and 28 mm are often too big for many women. They do, however, have a 21 mm flange, and if you need any smaller you can get additional inserts that will fit into the 24mm flange. <\/p>\n
Bras<\/h3>\n The nice thing about a wearable pump is you won\u2019t need a specific pumping bra. I\u2019m able to just use this in my nursing bra, which continues to make my life easier. Constantly having to disrobe and change into my pumping bra to use any of my other pumps just adds time and makes them more cumbersome.<\/p>\n
Suction<\/h3>\n The suction on the Elvie goes from level one to seven. I get great output just pumping on a level one or two. I can\u2019t say the same for my other pumps, where I get significantly less unless I turn it up. I\u2019m pretty sensitive, so that may be why I prefer the Elvie so much. I still get great output even on the lowest level. If you\u2019re not feeling any suction, it\u2019s because some part of the pump is not dry enough or the duckbill valve is tucked.<\/p>\n
Though it\u2019s imperfect, the Elvie is my favorite pump for the freedom it has given me. In many ways it has saved my pumping journey. Buy yours here. <\/p>\n
Pin me for later:<\/p>\n <\/noscript><\/figure>\n*If you choose to purchase the Elvie through any of the affiliate links in this post, you support our blog at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting us!<\/em><\/p>\nGet every new post delivered via email (3x posts per week, no spam, ever. Read our privacy policy here.)<\/label><\/p>\n<\/div>\n