Customer reviews from medela.com
Medela - Pump In Style Hands-free Breast Pump - White
Average customer rating
3.7
(127 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 127 reviews
5 Stars
43
4 Stars
37
3 Stars
25
2 Stars
14
1 Star
8
45%of customers recommend this product.
(
13 out of
29)
Customer Reviews for Medela - Pump In Style Hands-free Breast Pump - White
Customer Rating
5
GAME CHANGING PUMP
on August 29, 2023
Posted by: LizT
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] GAME CHANGER. My baby is now 3 months old, and I have been using the Pump in Style Hands-free provided to me by the Stellar Product Testing Panel for the past month. I have 2 older children, and used a different pump 6/8 years ago, so was looking forward to an updated pumping experience this time around. Wow, did the Pump in Style give me that! It’s small. It’s easy. It’s strong. I can't say enough good things about it.
The collection cups are incredible - they only have 3 parts that fit together simply and snugly. It’s satisfying to hear the “click” as the pieces lock into place, knowing that they are secure and ready to go. They really do sit right in my normal or nursing bra, so can be super discreet as well as convenient. They are also very comfortable as they are shaped like the breast. I used the cups as sent, with the 24mm o-ring, so I did not test out how a different size worked.
My only complaint with the cups is that I couldn’t see through them as much as I would have like to make sure they were cupping the nipple correctly in order to pump the maximum amount. However, they are transparent enough to see the milk level, so I knew approximately when I should be finished pumping. There are tick marks on the side indicating ounces, which are labeled very faintly making it more difficult to see while the cup is sitting in the bra during pumping, but after a few sessions I could estimate the ounces based on the milk level, and after removing the cups I can see the ounce marks clearly. I really like that the cups sit nicely on the base (bottom of the cup) once removed, so the milk won’t spill while preparing the bottle or bag to pour into.
The cups hold about 5 ounces of milk. So far that has been sufficient, but I anticipate needing to pump more than 5 ounces per side in the future (I would sometimes get 6 or more with my previous children), so my plan is to just stop and empty partially into a bottle before continuing on. I believe this will be simple and quick. Emptying the cups is super easy, as they just need to be tipped upside down to pour into a bottle or bag.
Cleaning the cups is equally as easy. Take apart the 3 pieces, wash in hot water, and set to dry. It takes me less than a minute from start to finish! I also sometimes will stick them in the fridge between sessions so I don’t have to wash, and they work just as well (though a little cold on the skin) during the second pumping.
Noise level/usage - there is an obvious rhythm going on, so I wouldn’t have my volume on in a virtual meeting while pumping, but no one in the other room can hear it. I can continue sitting at my computer working while pumping without having to take an actual break and getting half undressed.
Suction strength - at first, I didn’t think the suction was strong enough as I wasn’t getting as much milk as I thought I should be. That was when I first started to pump though, in between direct breastfeeding. Now that I exclusively pump during the day, I am getting the volume of milk I expected and feel that the strength of the pump is just right. There is an option to increase or decrease the strength if needed.
The unit itself connects to the tubing, which is a closed system meaning the tubes don’t need to be washed. The tubing connects to the collection cups. There are two cups, but they don’t always need to both be used, as the tubing can tuck back into itself so that only cup can be used. The first few times I connected the tubing to the cups, I wasn’t sure I was connecting it properly because the connector didn’t seem to “pop” into the cups. That got better after a few uses and now it pops in as expected.
There is a battery pack which allows the unit to be used without being plugged into an outlet. I used this several times, but it ran the batteries down within 3 uses, so I switched to the plug. It’s nice to know it’s an option when I need to pump while not near a plug.
Overall, I am extremely happy with this pump. It is hands down better than my previous pump, and I am so excited that I will be able to take full advantage of it over the next few months or longer!
The collection cups are incredible - they only have 3 parts that fit together simply and snugly. It’s satisfying to hear the “click” as the pieces lock into place, knowing that they are secure and ready to go. They really do sit right in my normal or nursing bra, so can be super discreet as well as convenient. They are also very comfortable as they are shaped like the breast. I used the cups as sent, with the 24mm o-ring, so I did not test out how a different size worked.
My only complaint with the cups is that I couldn’t see through them as much as I would have like to make sure they were cupping the nipple correctly in order to pump the maximum amount. However, they are transparent enough to see the milk level, so I knew approximately when I should be finished pumping. There are tick marks on the side indicating ounces, which are labeled very faintly making it more difficult to see while the cup is sitting in the bra during pumping, but after a few sessions I could estimate the ounces based on the milk level, and after removing the cups I can see the ounce marks clearly. I really like that the cups sit nicely on the base (bottom of the cup) once removed, so the milk won’t spill while preparing the bottle or bag to pour into.
The cups hold about 5 ounces of milk. So far that has been sufficient, but I anticipate needing to pump more than 5 ounces per side in the future (I would sometimes get 6 or more with my previous children), so my plan is to just stop and empty partially into a bottle before continuing on. I believe this will be simple and quick. Emptying the cups is super easy, as they just need to be tipped upside down to pour into a bottle or bag.
Cleaning the cups is equally as easy. Take apart the 3 pieces, wash in hot water, and set to dry. It takes me less than a minute from start to finish! I also sometimes will stick them in the fridge between sessions so I don’t have to wash, and they work just as well (though a little cold on the skin) during the second pumping.
Noise level/usage - there is an obvious rhythm going on, so I wouldn’t have my volume on in a virtual meeting while pumping, but no one in the other room can hear it. I can continue sitting at my computer working while pumping without having to take an actual break and getting half undressed.
Suction strength - at first, I didn’t think the suction was strong enough as I wasn’t getting as much milk as I thought I should be. That was when I first started to pump though, in between direct breastfeeding. Now that I exclusively pump during the day, I am getting the volume of milk I expected and feel that the strength of the pump is just right. There is an option to increase or decrease the strength if needed.
The unit itself connects to the tubing, which is a closed system meaning the tubes don’t need to be washed. The tubing connects to the collection cups. There are two cups, but they don’t always need to both be used, as the tubing can tuck back into itself so that only cup can be used. The first few times I connected the tubing to the cups, I wasn’t sure I was connecting it properly because the connector didn’t seem to “pop” into the cups. That got better after a few uses and now it pops in as expected.
There is a battery pack which allows the unit to be used without being plugged into an outlet. I used this several times, but it ran the batteries down within 3 uses, so I switched to the plug. It’s nice to know it’s an option when I need to pump while not near a plug.
Overall, I am extremely happy with this pump. It is hands down better than my previous pump, and I am so excited that I will be able to take full advantage of it over the next few months or longer!
Response from medela.comBy Your Customer Solutions Team, December 14, 2023
Hi LizT--- It's so wonderful to hear that you're enjoying all the great features of the Pump In Style Hands-Free Breast Pump. Thank you for taking the time to share your honest feedback with us and other parents!
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
Great for hands free pumping
on August 29, 2023
Posted by: Foreverdevoted
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have always had trouble with breastfeeding. All of my babies have stopped nursing all together long before 3 months old. I just had my fifth baby four months ago and I knew I was probably going to encounter the same issues. The issues have a lot of layers but I do know I have IGT and therefore simply do not produce enough milk. So I knew I would never be able to exclusively nurse but I hoped to still be able to nurse for as long as possible while supplementing with donor breastmilk.
When I got the Medela Pump in Style Hands Free breast pump I had already used three different pumps this time around. Two of them were ones you plugged into a wall but I hated being tied down to a cord. The other was a cord and hands free pump but it was simply not powerful enough for me. So I rarely used them and instead hand expressed all the time as well as nursed.
My first impression of the Medela Pump in Style was how simple it was. It did not have a ton of complicated instructions or anything. You could simply just put it together, put it on, and go. I loved that I was easily able to still do things while pumping like feeding my baby a bottle of breastmilk at the same time which saved so much time. I was pleasantly surprised that the first time I used it I got the same amount of breastmilk as I did with hand expression. So it definitely helped to empty me. I used it for a while and then baby all the sudden wanted to nurse way more often which I assume means I am producing more milk than I was prior to using the Medela Pump in Style.
Being able to save time and still be able to pump without being stuck was amazing. It allowed me to build my supply more than it probably has ever been. The simplicity of it was amazing even though I do wish there was a way to see what strength it is on so that I could go to certain numbers at different times. But overall I have been very happy with this pump and will continue to use it whenever I have need to pump.
I received the Medela Pump in Style Hands Free through the Stellar Product Testing Panel!
Response from medela.comBy Your Customer Solutions Team, December 14, 2023
Hi Foreverdevoted--- Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We're wishing you all the best in this journey!
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
2
Not as great as expected
on August 29, 2023
Posted by: Spalt
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I wish I had more positive things to say about this pump, but overall, I found it to be just mediocre. It’s gentle and small, so would be fine for occasional pumping or short travel, but I would not recommend this as a main pump. I was able to use it while multitasking (working on the computer), but it’s not light or small enough to be doing chores around the house. The suction of this pump is not nearly as strong as other pumps I tried, and my supply was about half of what I usually get for a session twice as long. For example, I usually pump for 10 minutes and get about 7-8 ounces. With this, I pumped for 20 minutes and got about 4 ounces.
There is no visible timer on the pump and was using my phone to track the time. It also does not show you the levels and you must figure it out with practice. I liked that you don’t need a specific handsfree pumping bra for the cups – you can basically insert them into any bra. I also like that the cups are super easy to clean! The pump is loud, and the cups leaked at the seams sometimes.
I really wanted to love this, but it was a disappointment for me. Thank you to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for proving me with this pump to test and review!
Response from medela.comBy *, Your Customer Solutions Team, September 18, 2023
Hi Spalt--- Thank you for taking the time to share your honest feedback. We're sorry to hear about your experience. Please consider contacting our Customer Service team at 800-435-8316 so we can collect some additional information from you and do our best to assist. Wishing you the best!
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
Hands Free Pump
on August 29, 2023
Posted by: mweisert
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was really excited to try the hands free pump by Medela. I have been using their pumps for years. The pump itself does a great job, but I wish there were a few things that were different. 1. The O ring that is attached to the flange was attached to the 24 mm and I needed the 21 mm. I didn't realize I needed to change it before pumping and my milk kept leaking everywhere. It is mentioned in the manual, but I missed that part. It would be better to be left off completely so others can see it's a vital piece. 2. The collection cups aren't great for milk removal. There is a big risk of milk spillage when removing the flange from the collection cup. Once the flange is off you can not set the collection cup back down, so you need to be ready to move the milk to a cup or storage bag with one hand. I do enjoy being hands free, but you can't really move around much because you are still attached to a pump and there is risk of leakage if you lean too far forward or back. The pump cords don't really make it discreet either. I did not need to wear a pump bra - it fit just fine in my standard sports bra. A big positive is the pump is super efficient at pumping - I had a decent supply when my cycle was over. The let down stage is always a great feature of these pumps. Overall I will use this pump, I just with the collection cups were a bit easier to remove the pumped milk. Thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel for providing me with this breast pump.
Response from medela.comBy Your Customer Solutions Team, December 14, 2023
Hi mweisert--- We appreciate you taking the time to share your honest feedback! Wishing you all the best!
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
5
Wonderful and Efficient
on August 29, 2023
Posted by: Blessed247
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received this product through the Stellar Product Testing Panel. Thank you, Stellar!
This is my first hands-free pump and I'm in love! I've had various other electric pumps over the last 15 years, but now wish I would've gotten a hands-free one much sooner! This pump combines the best of both worlds, giving you a super strong and efficient pump, while providing hands-free capability. I just loved this pump. I consider myself a big milk producer in general, so it is important to me that I have sufficient pump strength and an adequate collection system. This pump was great and quick, with more than enough power, and collection cups were able to hold up to 5oz each. While I can pump more than 5oz from each side, this was still enough for me most times - especially those before or after normal feedings pumping sessions. I was also able to finish most pumping sessions in less than 15 mins from start to finish. So really appreciate that!
There are 2 things I would advise users about, but these should not be received as negatives for this product, more so suggestions for how Medela could make this even better. 1) Be careful when you are removing the collection cups after pumping, as any milk remaining in the canal that did not make it's way into the cup itself, can spill out. I had this happen a couple times. 2) While you are hands-free, you are limited in mobility a little since the pump is a bit heavy and is connected via tubing to the collection cups, as well as the wall power adapter. If you're using the battery pack, you only have the first limitation. Would love for this to come with a rechargable battery that clips directly to the pump, and for a belt or fanny pack style accessory so one could wear it for complete mobility.
Overall this is an amazing pump! Strong, efficient and effective - everything I need as a busy working mom. As someone who dreads pumping, this hands-free pump makes it so much better, so I can really multi-task. Thanks, Medela!
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
Overall a great contender for everyday use
on August 29, 2023
Posted by: rcanther
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I received this product from Stellar Panel in exchange for my honest review.
Let me start out by saying that I really liked the packaging the Pump in style came in. I do enjoy when thought has been put into the customers experience from the moment you purchase an item. All the parts were on displayed and a how to get started instruction pamphlet was tucked rucked on top.
I sterilized all of the pieces in my electric sterilizer and the pieces fit with no issue. Each "cup" only contained 3 pieces which I really appreciated. There is nothing more tiresome than having to clean and sterilize a million pieces every day.
Assembling each "cup" was generally easy with the exception of pushing the two main pieces together. I was always concerned the gasket would not properly seal if pushed in the wrong direction. We all know how breastmilk is liquid gold and it was hard for me to put a lot of trust into the design and seal of the "cups".
Assembling each "cup" was generally easy with the exception of pushing the two main pieces together. I was always concerned the gasket would not properly seal if pushed in the wrong direction. We all know how breastmilk is liquid gold and it was hard for me to put a lot of trust into the design and seal of the "cups".
Hooking the "cups" to the pump was generally easy although I always felt like the Yellow part of the tube that inserts into the "cup" was never in far enough and stuck out pretty high. It was easy enough to align them to my breasts properly to ensure proper suction/seal.
The actual pump was fairly small, which I really liked. I can see that being a plus when returning back to work and not having to pack such a cumbersome piece of equipment. However, I think one feature that is missing is a timer. Many times I would get started and forget to set a timer so I wouldn't know how long I had been pumping for. It's a small, but necessary, feature that can hopefully be added in for future models.
Lets get into the suction and how will it emptied my breasts. The first time I used the pump I was ecstatic to see how well it emptied my breasts! I was very excited about this new pump! Unfortunately the amount decreased greatly each time I used the pump. In the end I had to revert back to my old pump in order for me to keep my output the same.
One feature I did not use was the "plug free" feature. It required a lot of batteries and still needed a long cord to administer any power to the pump. The question is, would a rechargeable battery be better for this feature?
Overall I liked the pump and I may add it into my rotation but I still have concerns with how well it emptied my breasts.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
Great pump with minor limitations
on August 28, 2023
Posted by: MilkMama
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was extremely excited to be able to try this product as part of the Stellar Product Testing Panel, and I'm happy to report that this is my preferred pump! It has so far extracted more milk than any other pump I've tried and it's great that I can go hands free. My favorite part about it is that I don't have to have a special bra to use this pump and it's crazy efficient.
There were some things that I think could be better, though. The initial setup instructions weren't extremely clear when putting the pieces together. I thought that there would be a more obvious "click" when putting it together and I had to triple check to ensure the cups wouldn't leak (they haven't yet). I also thought there would be more of a click when putting the suction line in each cup, but I suppose this is very similar to the other pumps I've used. I found the cups to be extremely large and unnatural, but this may be the way it goes with these kinds of pumps. I haven't used the batteries in the pump to make it mobile yet since the actual pump engine seems to be heavy and big. I've used it connected to a wall outlet every time because of that. The pieces are also pretty large and awkward to clean and sterilize.
Overall, I really love this pump. The hands-free function has been a game-changer for me and the amount of milk pumped out has been honestly impressive.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com
Customer Rating
4
Hands free pump for multitasking in one space
on August 28, 2023
Posted by: Arimas
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] As a mother of three, I had my fare share of using different pumps throughout my breastfeeding journey. Thanks to the Stellar Product Testing Panel, I had a chance to test Pump in Style Hands-free Medela pump. This was my first time testing hands free pump. It was unusual experience at first but turned out very helpful pump from that point. I used to have manual and then electric breast pump but no matter which one I used, I had to stop and pause with everything else I was doing in order to pump milk for my baby. It was a time to relax also but because it took a while to pump the amount of milk I needed, I wished I was able to do more things at the same time. Now I can. I LOVE how light and discreet cups are. They are also very anatomical and that helps with discreteness. They have very few parts and easy to clean and assemble. Closure of them is very tight which prevents leaks but it is also very hard to open in order to clean them. They can stand on their own while I am removing and packing other parts. You need to be careful when pouring milk from them into the bottle so you don’t lift the bottom part too much as I did on my first try and accidentally spilled some milk. They are transparent and that helped me to practice positioning on my nipples. It took a few times but practice makes perfect. I did notice the pump itself is less quite then my previous, which is a plus, but also not as fast at pumping as my previous Medela pump. Another feature I liked is that I can use it with adapter (which requires batteries). It allowed me to take it with me in the car or on picnics or playgrounds so I can continue with my chores and still be able to pump. I could finish my work on the computer or fold laundry without any issues. However, it only allows you to move and do work only in the area where your charger can be plugged or, if you are using adapter, than you will have to have some kind of bag or carrier to carry it with you if you want to continue pumping hands free. I wish the pump itself is more compact that can maybe fit in a pocket. Also, instead of the adapter, it would be helpful if it can come with cable to be able to be charged on any portable device like we charge our phones on power banks. This will help a lot with easiness and discretion of the pump. Overall, I really liked using it and will definitely continue using it in the future. I 100% recommend it to my friends and family.
Written by a customer while visiting medela.com