Multi-User Breast Pumps under $1000

Multi-user breast pumps under $1000 is a newer category of pumps that we’ve started to see pop up into the market recently. In the past, multi-user pumps were mostly the pumps you rented from the hospital because they were thousands of dollars and it didn’t make sense to buy one outright just for yourself. Now, there are a bunch of new multi-user pumps that are under $1000! So, this blog post will cover what a multi-user pump is and share some of the new multi-user pumps that are available. Whether your a lactation professional that is looking for some pumps to rent out for your business, or if your a mom looking for a pump with a motor that will last for very long time, these multi-user pumps might be right for you!

(This post was originally a video. Check it out, here!)

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What Qualifies as a Multi-user Pump?

Alright, back to multi-user pumps! Multi-user pumps are pumps that have been certified by the FDA for multiple users. This has nothing really to do with it being a closed system in the flange kit (which we talked about more in a video on used breast pumps which you can watch, here). However, multi-user pumps do have an additional barrier, whether that’s a filter or a physical barrier, between the whole flange kit and the pump itself. Again, that has nothing to do with the backflow protectors and stuff in the flange kit.

Companies actually have to go through the FDA and get their pumps certified for multi-user use to fall into this category.

Safe for Multi-Users

These pumps are safe to use between users meaning:

• You can rent them out
• You can loan them
• You could borrow one from a friend

The only thing you need is a whole separate flange kit. The tubing, anything that touches the breast or the milk all needs to be separate per user. The pump motor itself is fine.

Warranties for Multi-User Pumps under $1000

Multi-user pumps usually do have longer warranties as well. They’re designed for heavier use, like thousands of hours. Single user personal electric pumps are not designed for that heavy of use.

Warranties for the pumps written about in this post:

• Ameda Pearl: 3 years
  
• Ardo Bellis: 1 year
  
• Breeze Pro (RumbleTuff): 3 years
  
• Limerick Joy: 3 years
  
• PJ’s Comfort: 3 years
  
• Spectra 3: 3 years
  
• Unimom Minuet: 2 years
  
• Unimom Opera: 3 years
  

Difference between Hospital Grade Pump and Multi-User Pumps

What is the difference between a hospital grade pump and a multi-user pump? A multi-user pump has to be classified as multi-user by the FDA. A multi-user pump has an additional barrier between the flange kit and the pump motor.

If a company says their pump is hospital grade that does NOT mean it is multi-user. The term “hospital grade pump” is not regulated.

Here is what the FDA has to say about it:

“Please note that the term “hospital-grade pump” is not recognized by the FDA and there is no consistent definition for this term, so individual companies could mean different things when they label their breast pumps as hospital-grade.”

FDA Buying and Renting a Breast Pump

Now, don’t get us started on this term “hospital grade.” If you want a whole other video on hospital grade pumps, you can go watch that, here. A hospital grade pump is not the same thing as a multi-user pump.

FDA Definition of Multi-User Pumps

On the other hand, here is what the FDA says on multi-user pumps:

Many hospitals, lactation consultants and specialty medical supply stores rent breast pumps that are safe for multi-users, sometimes referred to as hospital grade pumps. These pumps are designed to decrease the risk of contamination and each renter is required to buy a new accessories kit that includes breast-shields and tubing.

FDA Buying and renting a breast pump

In short, a multi-user pump is certified by the FDA and has an additional barrier between the flange kit and the pump motor. Having a “closed system” is 100% not the same as being a multi-user pump – we talk about this more in our Pumping for Lactation Professionals Course.

If you’re a lactation professional looking for more training on pumping, join our course! We’ve tested many, many pumps so that we can give you the most accurate data to help you and your patients. Lactation professionals need more training on pumping, and our program is a great way to do that!

When Renting or Buying Used- Make Sure it’s Multi-User!

If you’re a lactation professional that has currently been renting out single user pumps like the good old Spectra, please stop doing that! That is not appropriate for professionals, nor is it safe since the Spectra 1 is NOT a multi-user pump! (Keep reading this blog post to learn more about multi-user pumps that would be great rental options!)

If you’re a mom considering getting a used breast pump, you can go watch this video where we talk about the pros and cons of used breast pumps. This video can help you can make an informed choice.

New Multi-User Breast Pumps under $1000

Now, let’s dive into some of these pumps. The first multi-user on this list is the Unimom Opera.

Unimom Opera

The Unimom Opera is one of IBCLC Allison’s personal favorite pumps. Some DMEs even cover this outright for moms! This is a $600 pump, so if your insurance will cover that, that’s really cool.

If you’re looking to buy the Unimom Opera out of pocket, New Little Life does have a coupon code. Use this link and the code NEWLITTLELIFE for 20% off.

Features of the Unimom Opera

The Unimom Opera is so small and lightweight. It also has a really big screen. All of the buttons are labeled on the Unimom Opera. This makes it nice for new users because everything has a label and it will tell you what they do.

You can use the Unimom Opera on a battery and it has two motors. With two motors, you can control each the settings on each breast individually.

A really cool feature of the Unimom Opera is that it does have a lot of setting options where you can customize both sides at the same time. This might be a little bit overwhelming for users who are easily intimidated by a new device, so just keep that in mind.

The Unimom Opera is not the simplest one to use, but it has a lot of options. It’s very small and lightweight. You can actually get a stand and rolling case for this pump. It has three year warranty as well which is plenty long! The Unimom Opera really is an awesome little pump.

Ameda Pearl

Next, the Ameda Pearl is a multi-user breast pump under $1000. This is a fairly new pump to the market but it is really cool! Its design it similar to Ameda Platinum, a pump that costs thousands of dollars.

Quality

The Ameda Pearl feels very high quality, which may seem silly but if you’re giving a pump to a mother the way that it feels and looks makes a difference. This pump is very simple to use and operate. All of the buttons are labeled for you. For example, stimulation tells you exactly what you’re doing.

You do have to use Ameda specific flanges with this pump. Check out this video that explains why it is important to use the right flange kit for Ameda pumps.

Vibration Pattern

The suction levels and patterns on the Ameda Pearl are really nice. This pump does have a vibration pattern, similar to the Spectra that users like. It vibrates as it pulls up.

The Ameda Pearl is fairly simple to use. It has a little night light and even the screen lights up so that’s pretty cool. It’s a very quiet pump as well! It feels high quality.

Price for the Ameda Pearl

The price point of the Ameda Pearl is about $850. It’s still kind of unclear because it’s a newer pump so you might have to contact your insurance or the company directly to get this pump.

Info for Lactation Professionals

As a lactation professional, if you want to rent out the Ameda Pearl, here are some things to keep in mind:

• It is a little bit heavier than the Unimom Opera

• It is very simple to use

• The single and double pumping suction is almost identical to the Unimom Opera

• It has a battery which is great because moms don’t want to be stuck to the wall (which used to be the only way to use the bigger hospital pumps)

• It will have a moving trolley and a hard case coming soon
  

Ardo Bellis

Next, the Ardo Bellis. This is a really nice pump! The weight of the Ardo Bellis is very light, much lighter than the Ameda Pearl. The Ardo Bellis is very similar to the Ardo Alyssa (a single-user pump.) Both of these pumps have the power pumping button which is a memory button that makes power pumping very simple. Ardo just makes good stuff!

You can control the cycles and the vacuum levels. There’s a lot of options for modes but it is still very simple for the user. You can toggle back and forth between expression and stimulation mode with a button. The Ardo Bellis has a rechargeable battery.

Pump Specific Flange Kit

The flange kit for all Ardo pumps, including the Ardo Bellis are specific to the pump. Using a different flange kit will void the warranty on your pump. Here’s what the user manual says:

“Only use original Ardo pumpsets. If parts from other manufacturers are used, there is a risk of microbial contamination of parts as well as the breast milk because the parts are not compatible.”

Now, Jessica is one of our other experts here at New Little Live. She made a video on the Ardo flange kit which is the flange kit that it comes with and some of the challenges you might have there. It’s a good kit but the sizing can be a little tricky. So, make sure you can go watch that one.

Price for the Ardo Bellis

Ardo just makes really good stuff! We’ve been really impressed. The Bellis falls under that $1000 mark. It would be a nice multi-user pump especially if you have other Ardo products or have used other Ardo pumps in the past.

Suction Strength

The double pumping feature on the Ardo Bellis is exactly the same as the Ardo Alyssa. Whatever kind of technology they’re using in their pumps is really impressive because it is the same for single and double pumping. You don’t lose suction strength when double pumping!

Spectra 3

Next up, the Spectra 3. The Spectra 3 looks exactly the same as a Spectra 1 except for it’s green.

This might be why some lactation professionals or even some users think that “oh it’s exactly the thing same thing, they just made it green and tripled the price…” Actually, the Spectra 3 is not the same as the Spectra 1. As a multi-user pump, the Spectra 3 has an additional filter inside the pump that makes it certified multi-user.

Spectra 3 similarities compared to Spectra 1

Otherwise, the Spectra pumps are extremely similar. The suction patterns as well as the flange kits and other parts are very very similar in these pumps. So, if you have a lot of people that like Spectra 1 it might be a nice option to have a Spectra 3.

Not as Customizable

Compared to the other multi-user pumps in this post, the Spectra 3 does not have as much customization in its suction settings. Pumps like the Unimom Opera that have dual motors can have different settings on one breast than the other because of the two motors. However, the Spectra brand is beloved by many users and most people truly do not need two motor customization.

Price and Warranty

The Spectra 3 is around that $1000 mark. You do have to contact the company to get a Spectra 3. So, it’s not the easiest pump to just go and buy. The Spectra 3 is really designed for professionals. It has a three year warranty.

People love the Spectra brand! The Spectra 3 is a nice option.

Limerick Joy

Next, the Limerick Joy. This is a favorite pump of Jessica from Genuine Lactation and fellow IBCLC collaborator here at New Little Life.

Pumping for Lactation Professionals

If you’re interested in the data behind why Jessica loves this pump, check out the Pumping for Lactation Professionals course. Jessica and Allison collaborated on an extensive pumping course for lactation professionals. This course dives deep into the data of over 50 different breast pumps, comparing what breast pump companies claim their pump can do and what Allison and Jessica have tested. They test suction strength and compare settings across different pumps. Overall, this course is to help fill the gap that lactation professionals are missing in their pumping knowledge. If that’s you and you want more education on pumping, join the course, here!

Features of the Limerick Joy

The Limerick Joy is a really nice little pump. It does have to be plugged in. Of the multi-user pumps included in this post, the Limerick Joy is the only that does not have a rechargeable battery, so keep that in mind.

It has a three year warranty. The Limerick Joy has a fun feature where it displays little affirmations on the screen. It says things like: “you got this mama!”

Unique Flange Kits

The Limerick Joy is a very unique pump. It’s definitely different than the rest of these multi-user pumps under $1000. It is a constant suction pump and the flange kit setup that it comes with is also very unique. You can only use the Limerick flanges with the Limerick Joy. It is not hackable.

You can see that this looks quite a bit different than what we usually see in a flange. It’s got this compression and the outside thing. These flanges are actually a little bit more universal. So the sizing is a lot more flexible just because of the way that the pump functions.

Constant Suction instead of Stimulation and Expression Modes

The Limerick Joy has constant suction. It does hold the suction for the whole time and never releases which is pretty interesting.

It also has just a ton of customization options but it’s very simple to use. You only have the cycle speed and the vacuum strength but you can choose from like levels one to 100. You can really dial in what you’re looking for.

The Limerick Joy does function a little bit differently than other pumps. It doesn’t have the usual stimulation and expression modes, although you can replicate those just by the cycle speeds that you’re on. You will have to have a little bit of know-how to use the Limerick Joy.

Multi-User Filter and Price of the Limerick Joy

The Limerick Joy is also known for being a really gentle pump. The company says that it is also the leading closed one micron filter that protects both the mom and the baby. To be honest, we don’t understand all the logistics there, but this is a really nice pump.

This pump runs about $600-750 depending on the accessories that you get with it. It’s a nice pump!

PJ’s Comfort Pump

The PJ’s Comfort pump is almost identical to the Limerick Joy pump but it doesn’t have the LED screen. The PJ’s Comfort is just a little bit simpler because it doesn’t have that screen.

So, if you really like the aspects of the Limerick and you’ve had good success in the past but you want a little bit cheaper, the PJ’s Comfort pump is very similar and it runs between $450-600. Again, the function are very similar to the Limerick, but the PJ’s Comfort is less expensive!

Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro

The Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro is a nice little pump. It’s a lot of pump in a small package! It is very similar to the Rumble Tuff Breeze, but the Pro is a multi-user pump.

The Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro is just as small, just as light and just as good as the Breeze. It’s a very interesting little pump. It’s very simple for users. There is a dial on the top to help you adjust the suction and then you can switch back and forth between modes by using a button.

It does have a memory feature and that’s about it. So, if you’re looking for a really simple or very very small pump, this would be a really nice option.

Info for Lactation Professionals

As a lactation professional, you can loan this out and it would be an excellent temporary placeholder for a pump since it’s convenient to carry around. You could have the Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro in your office or in your lactation bag. You can use the code NEWLITTLELIFE for 20% off.

Info for Every Day Users

If you’re a user considering the Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro because you think multi-user means higher quality, just know that the Pro is almost identical to the Breeze. The original Breeze is just designed for single users and it’s less expensive. So, if you’re just a user, we would recommend that you get the Breeze. The Pro and the Breeze are literally identical besides the Pro does have that extra barrier to make it multi-user.

Suction of the Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro

The Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro has impressive suction.

The suction pattern holds a little bit at the top so it kind of brings you up and holds and then comes back down and then up and holds. We have all this information inside of our courses.

If you’re a lactation professional, check out our course for you, here!

If you’re a working mom, check out our program for you, here.

Other Features of the Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro

The Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro pump is a very small and lightweight. The company claims over 2000 hours of motor life! The price point is about $400, so it is one of the less expensive multi-user pumps that we have here. If you’re on a really tight budget, we don’t have any problems recommending the Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro.

Other Tools from Rumble Tuff

Just as a side note, also from Rumble Tuff, when Allison received the Rumble Tuff Breeze Pro, the company also sent this new flange sizing ruler that they have. It is a soft silicone ruler that you can clean. You could use this for multiple clients, so that’s actually pretty cool! The ruler goes from 5 to 25 mm. Sometimes the line measurements versus the circles for flange sizing, especially if you have atypical shaped nipples, is preferable.

Unimom Minuet

The last multi-user pump under $1000 is the Unimom Minuet. It’s kind of crazy that this little pump qualifies as a multi-user pump, but it does! (And you can use the code NEWLITTLELIFE for a discount!)

The Unimom Minuet is a $159 pump, which is very inexpensive for any pump, not just a multi-user pump!

Why is the Minuet a Multi-User Pump??

So here’s what happened to make this a multi-user pump. The Unimom Minuet did go through the FDA to get certified as a multi-user pump. They also have a new multi-user pump right now which is the Unimom Opera (which honestly is a much better pump for this category that we’re talking about!) But, technically the Unimom Minuet is a multi-user pump because it has that extra filter.

Pros and Cons of the Minuet

It is really small (pro!) but it has really limited setting options (con.) The patterns on the different levels are all very different so it’s very unique. This is not a bad little pump. In fact, it’s kind of fun to play with the Minuet.

The Unimom Minuet would be maybe a nice option to like throw in your bag if you needed a pump on the go. If your insurance covers the Minuet, it’s a nice little pump. It really doesn’t fit into this category of other like really nice rentable multi-user pumps that we’ve been talking about. But, as a budget option or like a quick “I just need a little something,” it does have some good motor life.

It is certified for multi-users but maybe not one that we would buy 20 of and start renting out to moms everywhere. The Unimom Minuet is just small and limited but technically it is a multi-user pump.

Multi-User Pumps under $1000

Whether you’re a user looking at buying a pump or you’re a professional who’s looking at getting some pumps for her practice or sharing with clients, these multi-user pumps under $1000 are great options! We have resources for both working moms and for professionals so we’d love to see you around there!

Happy pumping!!