Portable Pumps… Which one is the BEST?

11 Portable Pumps ranked by an IBCLC who specializes in pumping

Allison here with New Little Life. I’m an IBCLC who specializes in helping working moms with their breastfeeding/pumping goals. A portable pump can be very convenient, especially for working moms! So let’s get to it. I’ve ranked eleven portable pumps based on price, max suction, customization, functionality, and finally, my personal preferences/favorites.

*Disclaimer, I don’t like to rank pumps because a lot of them are really good and very similar! And everyone’s situation is different. If you’re interested in a more personalized recommendation, book a sales call with me and I can pinpoint the pump that works best for you!

(This blog post was originally a video. Check it out below!)

Price of Portable Pumps

First, let’s rank these pumps by cost, least expensive to most expensive. (Prices change often! If cost is a determining factor for you, this general ranking should be a good starting point for price.)

Least Expensive

• Eccomum
• MomCozy
• BellaBaby

Less Expensive

• Ameda Mya
• Pumpables Genie Advanced

More Expensive

• Motif Duo
• Spectra 9
• Freemie

Most Expensive

• Baby Buddha
• Medela Freestyle Flex
• Spectra Compact
  
  

Size and Weight

Next, let’s rank these pumps from the lightest/smallest to the heaviest/biggest.

Light and Small

• Baby Buddha
• MomCozy
• Ameda Mya
• Medela Freestyle Flex
• Freemie
• Spectra 9

A Bit Heavier and Mid-Sized

• Eccomum
• BellaBaby
• Motif Duo
• Pumpables Genie Advanced

Bulkiest and Biggest

• Spectra Compact
  

MAX Suction

Next, let’s compare max suction. Breast pump suction is measured in mmHg. A typical breast pump measures 200-300 mmHg. Measuring suction can be a little tricky since companies sometimes claim a higher suction than I’m able to get when I measure, but I’m going to rank them anyway! I’ll rank these pumps from least suction to max suction.

Least Suction

• The Ameda Mya. It says on the website that you can get 280 mmHg. I have never gotten anywhere close to that on my home tests. I’ve gotten around 130 mmHg

• MomCozy had a MAX suction for me of 224 mmHg

• The Motif Duo measured about 228 mmHg

• The Medela Freestyle Flex runs at 230 mmHg

Medium Suction

• Eccomum runs about 260 at MAX suction
  
• Spectra Dual Compact runs at 274 with its standard cups, but I can get it even higher when I use their Cara cups. This pump has two motors and I can get that suction on both sides.
  
• BellaBaby. I can get up to 290 with this one. It has lots of different modes but all with similar suction

MAX Suction

• The Freemie runs in 297 mmHg when I use a regular flange, a Cara cup or a Legendairy Milk cup. When I use the Freemie cups, it’s much much lower
  
• Spectra 9 runs somewhere up in the 290s as well
  
• The Baby Buddha is known for its very strong suction. It runs at 311 mmHg on my home test which is crazy super strong suction! (This pump also has a really high minimum suction. (You can watch my video All About Suction if you want to know what that means.)
  
• Pumpables Genie Advanced the website claims 330 mmHg and I was able to get right around 300 mmHg
  
  
  

Customization

Now, let’s talk about some customizing options. It’s really common on portable pumps like these to not be able to adjust the cycle speed. (Again, go watch the All about Suction video if you don’t understand what I’m talking about.) The motor just can’t accommodate all the adjusting. A few of these portable pumps that have more customizing option than others.

Adjustable Suction Settings

The Motif Duo doesn’t have a feature to adjust the cycle speeds, but it does have a memory function so you can program your favorite setting.

With the Freemie, you can adjust the suction and the speed, which is really cool. It also has a place to program three memory settings. You can adjust it on the stimulation mode as well. It also has a Turbo mode. This is an all inclusive pump because you can adjust pretty much everything!

The Eccomum and the BellaBaby are very similar. They have four different modes. You can’t adjust the cycle speed on those modes, but they do give you a lot of modes to choose from. I like the Eccomum’s button adjustment better. There are up and down buttons to push. Both the Eccomum and BellaBaby have four different modes to try out with different suction styles.

With the Spectra Dual Compact, you can’t adjust the cycle speeds but you can adjust the vacuum suction on either side which I think is the best of customizable feature of all these portable pumps. It is the biggest and one of the most expensive portable pumps so take that into consideration.

Adjustable Cycle Speed

The Pumpables Genie Advanced has some cycle speed adjustments. You don’t get to customize these cycle speeds but it does have three modes to give you some different options. It has stimulation mode and expression mode. It is uncommon on these little pumps to be able to adjust the cycle speeds because they have those smaller motors, but you can on this little pump!

Functionality of Portable Pumps

Then, there’s the actual functionality of these portable pumps. How portable is it really? How convenient is it to hold, or to adjust the settings? My favorite thing that some companies do with their pumps is to put lanyards on them. Why would you make a portable pump without a lanyard?? A lanyard makes it possible to put the pump around your neck, attach some cups or flanges inside your pumping bra and then you are hands free! The pumps that don’t have this feature are not my favorite. Sure, it’s a portable pump and yes it’s small, but without the lanyard, you have to set it somewhere and stay close. So, here are the pumps with a lanyard or a clip (not as awesome as a lanyard but the same general idea)

Portability

Clips/Lanyards

• Freemie has a clip so you can put it on your pants or shirt
  
• Pumpables Genie Advanced has a lanyard and a clip
  
• Medela Freestyle Flex looks like it has a lanyard, but it doesn’t. I do think you could add one if you got creative
• Baby Buddha has a lanyard and it’s super easy to change out!

Adjusting the Settings

Overall, all of these pumps are easy to turn on and adjust the settings. Most of them all have LED screens. All these pumps use batteries and light up.

The Baby Buddha is probably one of my favorite ones to use because it has a little roller button that you can roll up and down and then click. It’s so smooth and simple.

I also really like the functionality of the Medela Freestyle Flex. It has a touch screen and feels fancy.

Most of these pumps come with a USB charger. All of them are capable of double pumping with double plugs on the outside.

Overall Ranking of Portable Pumps

Finally, the moment of truth! I will rank these according to my overall personal preference, least favorite to most favorite. Please note that this is my opinion, and that I am an affiliate with some of these companies. But affiliate or not, you can trust me to give honest feedback and criticism. So, here is my ranking!

Least Favorite

• Ameda Mya
  
• BellaBaby (It is inexpensive though and it works fine!)
  
• Eccomum (Also inexpensive and works fine, just not my favorite)

In the Middle

• Motif Duo is a great little pump. I have no problems with it.
  
• MomCozy is inexpensive and very simple to use. It is also very quiet!
  
• Freemie gets a bad reputation because of the cups, but the actual pump I think is really nice. It has really low minimum suction so you can get a really soft gentle suction if that is what you want. I like the clip. It is very customizable.
  
• Spectra 9 isn’t one of my most favorites, but does have high suction. It’s not the quietest pump but overall I like Spectra products, so it ranks in the middle for me.
  
• Spectra Dual Compact is similar to Spectra 9. I love the fact it has two motors, but this portable pump is big! (If you want a regular non-portable pump that has two motors, you might consider the Spectra Gold. It’s not that much bigger and has more options.)

Most Favorite

• Medela Freestyle Flex is just nice to use. I like the suction, it’s very gentle. It is probably my favorite Medela pump.
  
• Baby Buddha is an awesome pump. It has really strong suction! (which might not be good fit if you have really sensitive nipples) This pump is super tiny, super light, it has that great lanyard, and the suction is dynamite.
  
• Pumpables Genie Advanced I’ve been really impressed with! It has a nice lanyard and clip, a couple of cycle options, and a long battery life! The only think I don’t like about it is that it is a little bit bulky.
  
  

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Again, this is my opinion. There are pros and cons for each of these pumps. I hope this helps you decide which portable pump best fits your needs! And remember, if you need a more personalized recommendation, book a sales call with me, here!

Please comment down below and give me your opinion whether you agree or disagree, or what pump you chose to get. You can also find more help in our Facebook group, or you can find me posting advice and funny reels over on Instagram!