Most people who pump have a love/hate relationship with their device. It can be super gratifying to see a machine extracting milk from your body, but man, sometimes sitting down to pump is the last thing you want to do. However complicated this human/machine relationship may be, the need for breast pumps has been around for a while and is only growing stronger over time.

Over the last 10 years, the pump market has really exploded, creating a lot of confusion for parents when they’re choosing a breast pump. My goal is to help you narrow down what’s important to you and to provide you with helpful resources.

Before we dive into choosing a breast pump, let me stop and say something right off the bat. Breastfeeding does not always require pumping. This feels somewhat radical to say out loud given how prevalent pumping has become, especially in the U.S.

It’s true that for many parents, a job will take them away from their baby (don’t even get me started on the lack of maternity leave in the U.S.), which will usually require that parent to pump during that time away. If you are one of the many parents in this situation, you’re in the right place!

Primary vs. Secondary

You may have heard people talking about their primary and secondary pumps and wondered what the heck they were talking about.

A primary pump is one that consistently and efficiently removes milk from you. These are workhorses that can run for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours. This is the pump that you will reach for most often.

A secondary pump is one that is used less often, due to the fact that it takes longer to remove milk or doesn’t remove as much. Typically these are wearable pumps, but they can be any pump that you feel is less effective. These may be used only in situations when that trade off would be worth it, such as when you need discreetness.

Do you need both a primary and a secondary pump? Not necessarily. More to come on that later…

Breast Pump Categories

Currently, we have 4 main breast pump groups:

Tabletop, electric pumps. This is the traditional pump that is made to sit on a flat surface, and has the setup with tubing and flanges connected to a machine. It may need to be plugged in, or take batteries or can be recharged. They generally give you a good amount of customization with suction and speed. These are generally seen as primary pumps.
Portable, electric pumps. These machines are smaller, and can be hooked onto a belt, tucked into a fanny pack or carried on a lanyard. They will also have the tubing and flanges that connect to the pump. You may get a bit less customization with these. Some of these are quite good, and can be used as a primary pump.
Wearable, electric pumps. An all-in-one system, these are the most discrete option available. They are meant to sit inside your bra, with no tubing or flanges sticking out. Although wearables are super convenient, there is a trade-off for most people. They don’t tend to express milk as well as the other options, so the recommendation is to not rely on a wearable to be your primary pump. They can work well if used occasionally, or when a parent has no other way to pump. If used often, they’re likely to decrease your milk production.
Manual pumps. These are operated using a lever that you repeatedly pull to create suction. Over the years, I’ve heard from quite a few experienced pumpers that they were able to remove more milk with their manual pump than their electric. Part of why they work so well is that they allow you to customize the speed and pull in a way that you often can’t with an electric pump. The trade-off is that your hand can get pretty tired. I think it’s a good idea for all lactating parents to have one of these, just in case.

TIP: If you have a car, I recommend keeping a manual pump in your trunk, in case you get stuck somewhere or you forget to bring necessary parts for your electric pump to work. At around $30, they are well worth it.

Insurance Pumps

Now that you have a lay of the land, let’s start exploring how to decide on a pump. I recommend starting with your insurance.

In the U.S., insurance companies are required to cover the cost of a breast pump. To navigate this process, I suggest that you use a third-party website, rather than calling your insurance company directly. These third-party companies are there to make the process easy for you, and they typically do a good job.

To get started, you can google “get a breast pump through insurance.” I’ve also included a list below, but keep in mind that companies will change over time. You may want to go through this process with a few different companies to see what options are available.

Once you go through this insurance process, you’ll probably be presented with more than one free pump option, as well as some “upgrade” options (a higher cost pump that is partially covered by insurance.) Now that you know what’s covered, I recommend that you ask yourself these questions:

➡️ How often do you plan to pump?

Broadly speaking, people tend to fall into 3 categories:

Occasional Pumper. Mostly direct breastfeeding, and pumping less than once per day. Usually a good pump covered by insurance will meet these needs.
Exclusive Pumper. 100% pumping, no direct breastfeeding. These people will need either one very good pump (probably portable), or more than one pump to meet varying needs.
A somewhat daily mix of pumping and direct breastfeeding. A common situation is pumping during the day while at work, and breastfeeding at home at night and on weekends. An insurance pump could meet all of these needs, depending on other factors and preferences.

➡️ What lifestyle considerations do you have that impact pumping?

Do you travel a lot? Do you have other children to care for? Do you need to be moving around while pumping? What’s your pumping situation at work (see more about your rights at work below).

➡️ What’s your budget?

Can you spend a bit of money on an insurance upgrade? More expensive does not always mean better, but sometimes you do get more bang for your buck. Also, having the ability to buy a second pump can give you more flexibility, since it may be hard for one pump to meet all of your needs.

➡️ What features are most important to you?

Do you need a discrete pump that can hide inside your clothing? Do you want the pump to be as quiet as possible? Do you need to be on the go while pumping? Do you value a pump that has many options for settings and the ability to customize? If you have pumping experience to look back on, consider what previously worked for you and what didn’t.

These questions are designed to give you some clarity about what’s most important to you, given your unique situation. No one pump is right for everyone.

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, take a look at reviews. In the resource sections below, I’ve provided a few of my favorite sites for reviews.

To give you a sense of how this process could work, here are a few examples of situations:

🍼 You plan to mainly pump at work (direct breastfeeding at home), have a limited budget, and work outside the home at an office job where you can pump at your desk or in the pumping room.

A good option would be a free or low cost option from your insurance company, such as the Spectra, Baby Buddha or Motif. You don’t necessarily need a second pump to keep at home and will do just fine with one pump that you use at work.

🍼 You will pump exclusively (no direct breastfeeding), have a small budget, 2 other young children, and work outside the home at a job where you will be using the pumping room.

You have a few options:

1) You could make do with one pump, but it needs to do it all. It has to be portable, reliable and strong. It should be portable since your other children will definitely need something from you while you’re pumping. A good example of pumps that can do it all are the Baby Buddha and the Pumpables Genie Advanced (both are affiliate links, which get you 10% off!). They’re sometimes covered by insurance. Since you may be using this one pump for many, many hours, make sure you can get replacement parts easily and inexpensively, and make sure it has a good warranty.

2) If you have the budget, you may want to invest in a few pumps to meet all of your needs. For example, you could use a tabletop, insurance pump at work when you take pumping breaks, and at home you could use a more portable option that you can easily carry around while caring for your children. A wearable could be used, but be wary of using it more than a few times per day, as for many people, milk removal will be compromised. Over time, less milk removed will mean less milk produced. Instead of a wearable, you may want to combine an efficient portable pump with collection cups (see below).

🍼 You work from home remotely, and plan to directly breastfeed your baby most of the time. You would like to pump occasionally for the times that you need to go to an in-person meeting, travel for work or just go out for a bit without your baby.

Although you won’t be pumping often, the travel could create some restrictions. Depending on the frequency of travel, where you’re going and how you’re getting there, you may want to consider something small and portable that doesn’t need to be plugged in to function. Again, the Baby Buddha and the Pumpables would work well here. It’s also possible that you could make do with a tabletop pump with either a rechargeable battery like the Spectra S1 or by using a car charger.

If you’re not sure where to start, I highly recommend that you take my FREE, 2 minute quiz to help you find the best pump for you:

What's the best breast pump for YOU?

Collection Cups

For people who want a level of discreetness but don’t want to sacrifice power, another option is to combine a tabletop or portable pump with collection cups that fit inside your bra. There are many brands making cups now. Just be sure the cups you are getting are compatible with your pump.

Cups allow you to pump with a quality motor, but without having flanges and bottles sticking out from your chest. There will be suction tubing that will go from the cups to the pump, but those can be tucked inside clothing.

Using cups may reduce the efficiency of a pump, so you may want to put these in the category of secondary pump, using them only occasionally.

Warranties and Parts

When choosing a pump, it’s important to check on its warranty. Some pumps, especially cheaper ones, will not cover a replacement in case of failure.

Parts will need to be replaced over time, particularly the silicone parts such as the valves. Consider the cost of these parts when deciding on a pump. Also, check to see if your insurance will cover replacement parts.

Flange Sizes

The flange is the part that sits on your breast and the size definitely matters. Pumps typically come with one or two different sizes, usually ranging from 21mm-28mm. There is now evidence showing that most people could use smaller sizes, often 19mm or less.

These smaller flanges can be purchased separately, and getting the right size will make pumping more comfortable and more efficient.

Tip: I recommend working with a lactation consultant who is trained in flange fitting to help you find the right size. Your insurance is likely to cover the cost of the consultation.

Your Rights in the Work Place

As of this writing, lactating parents in the U.S. are protected under the Pump Act to be able to take breaks during the work day to pump. Employers are also required to provide a private space in which to pump. See this website for more information.

Pumping is Personal

There is no single pump, flange size, flange material, pump setting or pump schedule that works (or doesn’t work) for every single person. There is a science to pumping, but there’s also a LOT of art.

Take the time to learn how your pump can work best for you. It may take some trial and error before you find what works. When in doubt, it’s never a bad idea to reach out to a lactation consultant who can help you get the most out of your pump. The goal is always more milk with less stress.

For more information about how to pump efficiently, check out this blog post.

Resources:

New Little Life: YouTube Channel on Pumping (including lots of reviews)

Babies in Common: Great Pumping Course for Parents

Be My Breast Friend: Honest Pump Reviews

Insurance Pumps (just a sampling):