Breastpumps

Philips AVENT double electric Comfort breast pump

MRSP $200-275:

3 cycle/suction speeds, let down, adapts to non-standard bottles, closed system; however, no battery and no car adapter,

This is the newest double electric breast pump by Philips AVENT. With the aim of creating of more comfortable pumping experience, it has some slight, though significant, changes from the older twin electric pump.

The most notable change is a switch from the finger trigger control located on one of the breast connectors to traditional button controls located on the pump. Settings include letdown and three suction levels. While this change limits the personalization of the suction/cycle, I found that it more than meets my needs of setting options and is easier to use than the older version.

The Comfort breast pump is significantly louder than the prior model. However, since that one was noticeably quiet, I would estimate that the new version is comparable to other pumps. Most importantly, I have been reassured by coworkers that they cannot hear it in neighboring offices.

The breast shield/flange is attached. While this design makes for easy cleaning, using it with a hands free bra is somewhat challenging. Additionally, there is a ”let-down massage cushion” that fits inside the shield to help improve milk flow, allowing for greater milk collection in less time. I have also had some difficulties keeping the cushion in place when using the hands free bra . Therefore, I eventually decided that it was not worth the effort to go hands free, particularly since I can usually finish pumping in less than 15 minutes. Note that women with larger breasts or nipples will need to buy an additional large size massage cushion (MSRP: $8.99)

It is a closed system, which means no worrying about tube cleaning and/or drying; a big plus when pumping at work. There is also the added benefit of being able to switch between dual or single breast pumping without extra steps or disconnecting tubes.

It comes with two AVENT ”Natural” bottles with nipples and sealing discs, spare diaphragm set, and a black travel tote. Because I work full time and pump there, the provided bottles were not enough to hold a full day’s worth of milk. The pump is designed to attach to AVENT’s wide neck bottles. Therefore I either had to pour into other bottles/bags or purchase more bottles. I will admit, I actually liked the ”Natural” bottle system. It has very few pieces (bottle, nipple, cap, and lid), which allows for quick and easy cleaning. I’ve also had problems with other bottles leaking, and am happy to report that even with the nipple on, these do not. Unfortunately, a cooler and icepack are not included. The small cooler and ice pack insert I had been using previously won’t hold four of the AVENT bottles with the icepack. However, I’m sure other coolers are available that would carry everything.

For a complete list of pros and cons see below:

Pros:
– simple and intuitive design make it very easy to use.
– Massage cushions help express milk more efficiently, allowing for less overall suction and faster pumping time. Overall, a very comfortable pump to use.
– Cleaning is very easy with limited number of separating parts.
– closed system, so no need to worry about milk contaminating tubing or pump.
– included bottle system easy to use with minimal parts and no leaking.

Cons:
– less cycle/suction speed options than many other pumps on the market.
– Not as portable with no battery or car adapter option.
– limited options of compatible bottles to pump directly into.
– difficult to use with hand-free bras
– one size breast shield included , which will not fit women with large breasts/nipples (larger size available at small added cost).

Overall, this a great pump for women who need to pump a lot but don’t have much time to do it!