I’ve been testing breast pumps for the previous few months, which implies I spend a substantial quantity of my time washing breast pump elements. Every day I’m washing elements that I’ve used, and elements that I’ll be testing subsequent. There’s all the time both a bottle or wearable cup, numerous rubber items, and typically further shields or sizers. All of which should first be boiled after which washed after my every day pumping session.
Which is why once I noticed the Medela Freestyle had solely three elements—two items to the wearable cup, and one rubber piece—I used to be embarrassingly excited. Less washing? No tiny duckbill flange that continuously tries to go down the disposal? Yes!
Portable and Wearable
The Freestyle is technically only a transportable pump, because the pump itself and controls are in an exterior machine exterior the bra. But the cups are wearable, which implies they will match fully in your bra as a substitute of needing a pumping bra and hooking as much as a bottle.
That wearable cup is likely one of the issues I really like greatest about this pump. It has precisely three elements: two sides to the cup, and one rubber piece that acts as each the backflow protector and the duckbill flange. That rubber piece stretches throughout the center of 1 aspect of the cup, after which the second half is positioned on high of it.
I’m most likely biased after testing half a dozen pumps, however the simplicity of meeting was so thrilling to me. It’s nonetheless a complete of six elements it’s worthwhile to wash (or pop within the dishwasher, as they’re all dishwasher protected), but it surely was a lot simpler to maintain monitor of than the same old 10 or extra elements I might wash, dry, and should construct in a sure method. Especially with wearable pumps, placing them collectively will be lower than intuitive.
After constructing your cups, tubing connects the cups to the pump itself. The pump is a cute little handheld machine, and it has the same really feel to a Roku remote (although somewhat bigger and heavier). When you flip it on, it lights up with LED buttons and somewhat show that tells you the battery life, how lengthy you’ve got been pumping, and what mode and degree you are on.
It’s simple to determine how you can join the whole lot collectively and begin utilizing it. You can pair the pump to your telephone by way of the Medela app (Android, iOS), however not one of the core performance is constructed into it—you do not want it to information you thru setup, and there is a minutes timer on the pump itself (although the app will present you minutes and seconds). The Bluetooth connection did not all the time keep secure, however the app would reconnect and choose up your pump session the place it left off.
Pros and Cons
The three-part cups are tremendous light-weight in comparison with true wearable cups, since there is no motor and fewer elements. They’re comfy to stay in any current bra, and straightforward to put on and stroll round in. The pump itself comes with a brief lanyard which you can put on round your wrist or tuck right into a pocket as you progress round. But the highest has a gap, so that you should not bend over whereas carrying this pump.
