It is likely that you will spend more time with your breast pump than your best friend as a new mum… They are essential if you plan to breastfeed your baby and want the freedom to occasionally remove yourself from the process and hand the feeding over to Dad.
So finding the best breast pump to suit your needs will be one of the most important buying decisions you will make when your baby is born.
You need a high quality breast pump that will perform over time, is easy to use, and won’t cost you the earth (these things are expensive!).
After endless hours on my own pumping journey, we have used this experience to review the best breast pumps available so you can buy knowing that you have the most suitable pump for your situation.
Which Type of Breast Pump Should I Buy?
While a breast pump is essential for (almost) every breastfeeding mum’s journey. The different types of breast pumps available are designed to suit a variety of circumstances that we will summarise below.
Depending on whether you’re doing mixed feeding, exclusively pumping, or only pumping at work, the frequency and duration of your pumping sessions will differ, which in turn will become a factor in your choice of pump.
The first thing to make clear is that an electric pump is a must! But there are variations of this to consider.
We will review the best breast pumps in the following categories that are readily available in Australia, plus my top picks for each category:
- Hospital Grade Breast Pump – Powerful, fast, great for working Mums.
- Double Electric Breast Pump – Dual breast suction for well balanced pumping sessions.
- Single Electric Breast Pump – Great for Mums on a budget or have an imbalance in supply.
- Manual Breast Pump – A small, convenient, and portable backup breast pump.
To further help you make an informed decision, I’ve included the customer ratings on ProductReview as well as various stores and review sites.
Best Hospital Grade Breast Pumps
A hospital grade pump has very powerful suction strength to maximise what your pumping session yields in the shortest amount of time possible. Yet they are also very quiet while only being marginally more expensive than a double electric breast pump.
Designed for multiple users (like maternity wards in hospitals), these ones have a closed system breast pump design that eliminates the problem of mould growth in tubes.
However, hospital grade pumps are bulkier and need to be plugged into a power outlet. Some models are not even great for home use if you don’t usually pump in one set place.
There are also very few brand options on the market on hospital grade breast pumps. But we have found some great options below:
Spectra S2 – Best Overall Breast Pump (Editor’s Choice)
- Patented genuine closed system design
- 2x breast shield sizes included (24mm and 28 mm flange)
- Vacuum range: 0-270 mmHg
- Digital display with easy to use push buttons
The Spectra S2 is our overall pick for the best electric breast pump (despite the product review rating being slightly being no. 2 on our list). It is not too heavy and is full of features that make your pumping experience as pleasant and easy to use as you could imagine.
What we loved most was the custom settings that allow you to set up the suction strength to match your body’s response and milk flow as you let down.
It is also a closed system – which means there is an additional layer of material that blocks milk flow from backing up into the tubing- so it is easier to clean and the tubing is less likely to need replacing.
The speed of cleaning will be important to working mums especially. When you express milk 2-3 times a day in the office a quick cleaning process can remove a lot of hassle.
The motor is relatively quiet and it also has a built in night light. Pumping at night sucks! So every task that you don’t have to worry about at 3am is a big plus.
You also get 2 wide neck collection bottles (which are BPA free) with lids and two flange sizes – 24 and 28 mm. These are also easy to clean.
If you need to be more mobile with your pumping then you can also upgrade to the S1. The only difference between the two (aside from the colour) is that the S1 includes a rechargeable battery (check out our full comparison here).
You never know when this may come in handy, but you will have to fork out more for the luxury.
Unimom Forte Hospital Grade Breast Pump
- Patented genuine closed system design
- Single and double pumping
- Vacuum range: 50-300mmHg
As an official partner of the Australian Breastfeeding Association, Unimom products are highly recommended by hospitals and midwives across Australia. Part of the proceeds from every Unimom sale also goes toward supporting breastfeeding mums through the ABA.
You get a stronger max suction with the Unimom breast pump compared to the S2, and for a slightly lower price. But we thought the functionality wasn’t quite as good, and the inclusion of only single size breast shields can also be limiting for mothers with smaller or larger breasts than what will fit the 24mm flange.
Hospital Grade Breast Pump Brands – Rating & Cost Comparison
Best Double Electric Breast Pumps
Double electric breast pumps are much more efficient than single ones. They are the best option for power pumping to increase milk supply, or for those who are exclusively pumping.
They are only slightly more expensive than single ones, and in fact many single ones easily convert to a double breast pump with an additional kit that comes as an add-on (more on this later).
Vice versa, most double electric pumps on this list can be used for single side pumping, so in terms of cost effectiveness, a double electric breast pump gives you the best value for money.
They are essential for a mum pumping at work as they get the job done in half the time as a single!
Medela Swing Maxi Flex Breast Pump (Editor’s Choice)
- Closed system design
- Portable pump that runs on AA Batteries
- Option to upgrade to the Freestyle Flex with tracking app
This is our pick for the best double breast pump. It performs just as well as the Spectra S2 with the only real differentiator being price.
If you really want a Medela and are on a budget then there is a single electric option that is much cheaper. But we don’t recommend this. It is important you maintain balance between each breast and doing one at a time is a huge time suck (pun intended) and could lead to imbalance in your supply if you lose patience.
Aside from that, you get similar inclusions and performance with one main exception. You can use regular AA batteries to run the breast pump.
The Medela is also lighter than the Spectra which makes it much easier to bring with you on a day out. So you have an extra portable breast pump that you can take anywhere.
If you want the ultimate pumping experience you can upgrade to the Medela Freestyle Flex. This includes a digital display, rechargeable battery, and use of the Medela breastfeeding tracker app. It is a lot more expensive though and these three features I don’t think are worth it.
There are plenty of similar apps out there that are free or much cheaper, and if the mobile pumping is important then the Spectra S1 will be more cost effective.
Pumpables Genie Plus Double Breast Pump (Editor’s Choice)
- Hospital grade closed system design
- Lightest portable electric breast pump at 220g
- Comes with 3 shield sizes included
- Powerful suction up to 300mmHg
- Save memory settings with one touch
- 20 different massage and expression modes
- Single or double pumping
- Built-in rechargeable battery and power plug
A product of Singapore, the Genie Plus by Pumpables is a fairly new contender in the market but has very quickly proven to be well received by mums around the world. The design and functionality are exceptional which makes it one of the best breast pumps available at a relatively low price.
They offer 2 years warranty instead of the standard 1 year, which shows how much confidence they have in the built of their product.
It comes with a lot of useful features that many bigger brands lack, such as 3 different breast shield sizes included so you can rest assured you will find your perfect fit for highly effective pumping.
The range of settings from massage mode to encourage the let down through to full on expression mode for fast milk extraction. You can customise your pumping experience to suit your body.
It is also the most lightweight electric breast pump weighing at just 220g, so if you are looking for a good balance of affordability, portability, and high performance, this new kid on the block is one to watch out for.
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