Customer reviews from medela.com
Medela - Sonata - yellow
Average customer rating
3.8
(150 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 150 reviews
5 Stars
67
4 Stars
37
3 Stars
13
2 Stars
20
1 Star
13
75%of customers recommend this product.
(
107 out of
143)
Customer Reviews for Medela - Sonata - yellow
Posted by: Loni
from Concordia, KS, United States
Gender:Female
Verified Purchase:Yes
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I needed a new pump for my 5th child was using a medela pump from last pregnancy and still working but needed better suction. Was so pleased with the quick shipping, costumer service and the pump overall.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from medela.comBy Mario, Customer Service, November 21, 2017
Hi Loni. Thanks for taking time to share your experience with our Sonata breast pump. We are thrilled that it is working well for you.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
Sleek, Quiet, and Effiecient
on March 6, 2018
Posted by: KeriGC
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I love that this pump is sleek and portable. It looks a lot like a modern alarm clock and the battery is absolutely amazing. It's pretty easy to figure out and while it's not silent it's quiet and more effective than my previous pump. The instructions are clear and I really like the way the pieces are color coded to match the diagrams in the instruction manual. The bottles hold a full five ounces, which is nice because that's about what I pump in a single session on one side and the bottles I was using before only held four ounces. The carry bag is also a bit nicer than some others I've come across, resembling a simple black purse. Efficiency is where this pump really shines for me. I was able to coax an extra ounce per breast out in my morning pumping sessions.
As a mom of a 7m old whose teething and hates sleep, I really love the MyMedela app. I wish I had it when I first came home from the hospital because it makes keeping track so much easier.
While it's stronger than my previous pump, I wouldn't actually consider this hospital grade if I weren't told it was. The number of parts was also a downside for me. I find the idea of a portable pump with ten parts needed at a time to be a bit ironic. I also didn't like the "storage mode" since it requires you to plug the pump on to deactivate. If you leave your cord at home you're stuck. The numerous part meant this pump was more difficult to clean, which is a pain when you have to hand wash. There are also only two flange sizes offered with this pump and I got lucky this time in that one of the sizes worked for me, but a larger selection would be better. The bottle stands are definitely necessary but cumbersome.
Overall, this is the best pump I've tried. It's sleek, portable, and effective. Thanks to the weeSpring Parent Panel for providing me with this pump.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from medela.comBy Lisa, Customer Service, March 7, 2018
We appreciate the great comments. The Sonata is a personal use pump whose design is based off of the hospital grade Symphony pump. Your comments regarding the cumbersome parts have been sent to the appropriate team to take into future consideration.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
Solid pump with great technological applications
on March 6, 2018
Posted by: Tdague
from Swisher, IA
Gender:Female
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received this breast pump from wee Spring Parent Panel. I was extremely excited to test this pump as I loved my other pump (not a Medela) but had heard so many great things about Medela. I have a five month old son who was breast milk fed only.
I tested this pump for several weeks, mostly at work because I nursed when I was at home but I did test this during the overnight pump session on a few occasions as well. I really wanted to test how quiet this pump was. After the letdown period this pump is extra quiet and that was fantastic for attempting to pump while in bed without waking my husband. The negative that I found was that during the letdown period this pump is not quiet and was actually louder than my other pump. My husband did wake up during the letdown portion of the pumping. This was still very quiet for the work sessions though, I doubt anyone could hear me outside of the pumping room.
I was impressed with the breast shields, the angle was beyond perfect! You can sit up straight without having to lean forward, this was a fantastic change of pace for me and my back felt so much better at the end of the day. I also appreciated the double tubing. It was great that the tubes were combined so I could move without tugging on one or the other.
I was not impressed with the quantity of pump parts required. The shields are separated at a point where it is hard to get all the milk into the bottle. I felt like I was wasting milk every time I pumped because it was stuck in all of the pieces. There are 5 individual pieces that have to be taken apart, cleaned, dried and put together each time you pump. This does not include the bottles or the lids.The pump parts are not readily available at Target and such so do not forget anything at home. They are also not available to buy from the website in anything besides an entire kit. You can purchase parts directly from the app though. The parts for the Sonata are not interchangeable with the other Medela models.
The app for your phone was intriguing to me. I found some pieces to be exceptional and some to be a bit disappointing and even downright upsetting. I will start with the positives; this was very handy, it was easy to add in the details from an individual pump session, easy to access input information, articles are readily available, super user friendly. This would be ideal for a brand new mom coming home from the hospital because the app also allows you to input details for breastfeeding like which side you used, how long, etc. It is fully functional for newborns with a diaper count and sleep tracker also. There were even checklists for top items to take to the hospital for birth and top items to back for the first day back at work. Here were the things I thought were just okay; the articles are targeted slightly for where you are at in the timeline of nursing however it is several weeks before some of the articles change, there is a chart that shows volume vs time spent pumping and breaks it down to show what you average each time, there are actually charts for several categories but you have to spend the time inputting the data. The biggest part that I was very upset with was the material provided in some of the articles. Unfortunately I had come to a point in my breastfeeding journey where my supply had dropped a bit and I was having to supplement with formula. The articles appeared to be sales articles that you only need breast milk and the problem is how you are pumping or the pump you are using. Many of them made me feel bad like I was doing a bad job as a mom because I could not produce enough milk for my son. Personally I think this is a poor presentation and I would have much rather seen articles about how to stress less so I could make more milk and how to be okay emotionally if I did have to introduce formula to my breast milk only baby. Articles of this magnitude would have changed my review substantially.
The bag was great ish. I loved that the pump came with a bag as my other pumps did not. It was wonderfully convenient and appreciated. The requirements for the pump all fit in the bag. It would be even better if there were color/ design options too. The downside to the bag in my opinion was that nothing "extra" fit, by that I mean that there was not room for a spare set of parts or water bottle or snacks. All those little extras that generally go along with pumping have to be carried separately due to the size of the bag. I was able to get my pumping bra in the bag so if I had to pick between carrying my water bottle through the office and carrying my pumping bra I was happy to carry the water bottle but it would have been great if I could have put both in the bag.
The pump itself was pretty great. I was comfortable with the suction and followed the pumping recomendations provided in the app by Medela. I did get slightly more milk during the work day than I was with my other pump although it was not a magical increase. It was nice and quiet as well as fairly compact. I appreciated that this pump came with all the basic requirements and anything else you wanted was simply a want. Ice pack, bottles, pump pieces and bag were all included with the pump itself. I LOVE the battery! I drive a half hour to work every day so the option to pump when life gets extra busy was phenomenal, this was the best part of the pump in my opinion.
I did have issues with the pump remembering my personal settings when starting each new session. It would show as tracking but would still go back to the standard setting for suction level. The times where this functionality worked was great though!
Overall I thought the pump was good. Had the app been less guilt inducing I would have appreciated the pump overall more. I loved that there was an increase in milk and that the pump was convenient. I was less of a fan of the cost of replacement parts and that they are not readily available. I do still think this is a great pump and have recommended it to friends with the caveats I listed above. Knowing the price listed on the website I am not sure that I could justify the difference from my other pump but with the supply challenges I faced I will be using this with child #2 for sure.
I tested this pump for several weeks, mostly at work because I nursed when I was at home but I did test this during the overnight pump session on a few occasions as well. I really wanted to test how quiet this pump was. After the letdown period this pump is extra quiet and that was fantastic for attempting to pump while in bed without waking my husband. The negative that I found was that during the letdown period this pump is not quiet and was actually louder than my other pump. My husband did wake up during the letdown portion of the pumping. This was still very quiet for the work sessions though, I doubt anyone could hear me outside of the pumping room.
I was impressed with the breast shields, the angle was beyond perfect! You can sit up straight without having to lean forward, this was a fantastic change of pace for me and my back felt so much better at the end of the day. I also appreciated the double tubing. It was great that the tubes were combined so I could move without tugging on one or the other.
I was not impressed with the quantity of pump parts required. The shields are separated at a point where it is hard to get all the milk into the bottle. I felt like I was wasting milk every time I pumped because it was stuck in all of the pieces. There are 5 individual pieces that have to be taken apart, cleaned, dried and put together each time you pump. This does not include the bottles or the lids.The pump parts are not readily available at Target and such so do not forget anything at home. They are also not available to buy from the website in anything besides an entire kit. You can purchase parts directly from the app though. The parts for the Sonata are not interchangeable with the other Medela models.
The app for your phone was intriguing to me. I found some pieces to be exceptional and some to be a bit disappointing and even downright upsetting. I will start with the positives; this was very handy, it was easy to add in the details from an individual pump session, easy to access input information, articles are readily available, super user friendly. This would be ideal for a brand new mom coming home from the hospital because the app also allows you to input details for breastfeeding like which side you used, how long, etc. It is fully functional for newborns with a diaper count and sleep tracker also. There were even checklists for top items to take to the hospital for birth and top items to back for the first day back at work. Here were the things I thought were just okay; the articles are targeted slightly for where you are at in the timeline of nursing however it is several weeks before some of the articles change, there is a chart that shows volume vs time spent pumping and breaks it down to show what you average each time, there are actually charts for several categories but you have to spend the time inputting the data. The biggest part that I was very upset with was the material provided in some of the articles. Unfortunately I had come to a point in my breastfeeding journey where my supply had dropped a bit and I was having to supplement with formula. The articles appeared to be sales articles that you only need breast milk and the problem is how you are pumping or the pump you are using. Many of them made me feel bad like I was doing a bad job as a mom because I could not produce enough milk for my son. Personally I think this is a poor presentation and I would have much rather seen articles about how to stress less so I could make more milk and how to be okay emotionally if I did have to introduce formula to my breast milk only baby. Articles of this magnitude would have changed my review substantially.
The bag was great ish. I loved that the pump came with a bag as my other pumps did not. It was wonderfully convenient and appreciated. The requirements for the pump all fit in the bag. It would be even better if there were color/ design options too. The downside to the bag in my opinion was that nothing "extra" fit, by that I mean that there was not room for a spare set of parts or water bottle or snacks. All those little extras that generally go along with pumping have to be carried separately due to the size of the bag. I was able to get my pumping bra in the bag so if I had to pick between carrying my water bottle through the office and carrying my pumping bra I was happy to carry the water bottle but it would have been great if I could have put both in the bag.
The pump itself was pretty great. I was comfortable with the suction and followed the pumping recomendations provided in the app by Medela. I did get slightly more milk during the work day than I was with my other pump although it was not a magical increase. It was nice and quiet as well as fairly compact. I appreciated that this pump came with all the basic requirements and anything else you wanted was simply a want. Ice pack, bottles, pump pieces and bag were all included with the pump itself. I LOVE the battery! I drive a half hour to work every day so the option to pump when life gets extra busy was phenomenal, this was the best part of the pump in my opinion.
I did have issues with the pump remembering my personal settings when starting each new session. It would show as tracking but would still go back to the standard setting for suction level. The times where this functionality worked was great though!
Overall I thought the pump was good. Had the app been less guilt inducing I would have appreciated the pump overall more. I loved that there was an increase in milk and that the pump was convenient. I was less of a fan of the cost of replacement parts and that they are not readily available. I do still think this is a great pump and have recommended it to friends with the caveats I listed above. Knowing the price listed on the website I am not sure that I could justify the difference from my other pump but with the supply challenges I faced I will be using this with child #2 for sure.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from medela.comBy Lisa, Customer Service, March 7, 2018
Thank You for sharing your thoughts and experience with us. We're sorry to hear that you did have a some frustrations with the pump parts and app articles. Please know that your review has also been sent to our team in charge of continuous improvement.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
So Quiet!
on March 8, 2018
Posted by: aerevard
from Midland, mi
Gender:Female
I was given this Breast pump to try as part of the weeSpring Parent Panel and I have to say i'm pretty impressed. The Medela Sonata Breast Pump has many great features, however I still use my trusty Medela Pump in Style Advanced every day. I have been using the Medela Pump in Style Advanced for two years now so was reluctant / excited to try something new. The most noticeable quality about the Sonata is it's QUIET! This machine is remarkably quiet. I can use this at work and it's much more discreet. My husband also appreciates that he can still hear the TV while i'm pumping before bed :) The portability is great as well. The ability to be unplugged while pumping is very helpful when on the go. I've used it in the car during a night out with the girls. Also during mundane household things like letting the dog out, picking up a dropped pacifier, etc. without having to "unplug and plug". I give the Sonata breast pump four out of five starts because I don't believe it extracts as much milk as the Medela Pump in Style Advanced, but that could be my inexperience with the Sonata. I also think the display could use a bit of work as the numbers look blurry. The pump comes with bottle holders, which seem unnecessary. The app is a great feature, especially for newborns!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from medela.comBy Lisa, Customer Service, March 9, 2018
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the Sonata pump. Your review has been forwarded to the appropriate team regarding the blurry display and the expression amount. Please feel free to contact Customer Service for troubleshooting assistance if needed.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
A great pump - you won't be disappointed!
on March 8, 2018
Posted by: Linseykay
from Elkhart, IN
Gender:Female
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The Medela Sonata is a user-friendly, effective double breast pump. Its size is convenient, it’s compact and lightweight. The pieces are easy to clean in the dishwasher and the pump body is easy to wipe off. The Y-shaped tubing is genius! I like that it has two expression modes, and I preferred the "lifestyle" pumping rhythm to the "signature" rhythm. It’s so quiet that my coworkers didn’t know I was pumping, and my baby wasn’t distracted by the noise when I pumped on one side while breastfeeding on the other.
I didn't think the suction was as strong as another Medela pump I’ve used, but my milk output was the same, which was probably due to the responsiveness of the pump. I can’t argue with pumping smarter rather than harder! The output was much greater than with a similar pump from another brand. I disliked how heavy the assemblies were, and it's not easy to hold both with one hand/arm. I had to use both hands while double pumping to effectively empty my breasts, even while wearing a bra. The components aren't easy to hand wash, and the tubing is prone to kinking. It’s easy to increase the suction too much, so watch out if your breasts are sensitive! I wasn’t able to use the MyMedela app with the pump due to issues with my phone.
Overall, this is a very nice breast pump that’s as good or better than comparable pumps on the market. The technology is constantly improving and you won’t be disappointed if you choose the Medela Sonata. Thanks to WeeSpring Parent Panel for providing me the opportunity to try this pump!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from medela.comBy Lisa, Customer Service, March 9, 2018
We appreciate the great review and comments. We're happy to hear the good feedback. Please know that the proper team has been advised about the pump part comments so that can be taken into future consideration.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
5
Best pump!
on March 9, 2018
Posted by: Staycet
from Brewerton,NY
Gender:Female
The Sonata is the next best thing tonhospital grade pumps!! Even better in my opinion because this is quiet and portable! The led screen makes pumping in the dark easy!! This pump is everything you would want in a pump and more!
The the 2 phase expression feature! Just how a baby does it!
Battery life is good! My sessions are 15-20min 3 times a day and I have had no issues!
Pump and all it’s parts are high quality!
Compared to other pumps this one is definitely better!
Love the carrying bag too!
Thank you weespring parent panel for sending me this awesome pump!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from medela.comBy Megan, Customer Service, March 12, 2018
We're happy to hear that you had a great experience with the Sonata breast pump! Thank you for sharing your story.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
5
So much love for this Breast Pump!
on March 10, 2018
Posted by: Reereestads
from Memphis, TN
Gender:Female
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received the Medela Sonata breast pump from the weespring parent panel and I don't know how I was pumping before without it!! This breast pump cannot even compare to the Pump In Style also by Medela. I definitely felt like I could express more milk with the Sonata than the Pump In Style and it was getting expressed at a quicker rate and it didn't even feel like I was strapped to a machine with how quiet the Sonata was while pumping. The fact that you can have the Sonata charged up and ready to take with you without having to worry about where to plug in is a complete life saver. It's even convenient to take with you on the road to pump while driving. Another huge plus for me was the added timer on the Sonata that could be easily synced up to the MyMedela App to keep track of how long and how much I am pumping each time. My only concern with the Sonata is that it does show you when the battery is low; however, it would be nice to have some sort of ding to be notified that the battery is about to die before it completely cannot be used. Overall, I am completely pleased with the Medela Sonata breast pump.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from medela.comBy Megan, Customer Service, March 12, 2018
We're happy to hear that you've had a great experience. Thank you for sharing your experience with other parents like you. Great recommendations as well, I will pass your review on to the appropriate team.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
An excellent pump with expensive replacement parts
on April 26, 2018
Posted by: Ro585
from NY
Gender:Female
This is the first pump I’ve ever used, and so far it’s excellent. It was a financial stretch to buy it, but so far it’s been easy and comfortable to use, and I haven’t had any issues with it. Unfortunately, I just found out that you can’t purchase replacement tubing for this pump without buying an entire accessory kit. Replacement tubing is available for other Medela Pumps, and had I known it wasn’t available for the Sonata, I likely would have made a different (and less expensive) choice.
Response from medela.comBy *, Your Customer Service Team, June 14, 2018
It is fantastic to hear that you are enjoying the comfort and ease-of-use of our Sonata Breast Pump! Our team is continuously working to improve upon the options that we have available for moms when it comes to replacement parts, so we appreciate your feedback regarding the Sonata Tubing. We have forwarded this feedback to our Product Managers. Thank you for taking the time to voice this to us.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com