I have been testing breast pumps for the previous few months, which implies I spend a substantial quantity of my time washing breast pump components. On daily basis I am washing components that I’ve used, and components that I will be testing subsequent. There’s all the time both a bottle or wearable cup, varied rubber items, and generally further shields or sizers. All of which should first be boiled after which washed after my every day pumping session.
Which is why after I noticed the Medela Freestyle had solely three components—two items to the wearable cup, and one rubber piece—I used to be embarrassingly excited. Much less washing? No tiny duckbill flange that continually tries to go down the disposal? Sure!
Moveable and Wearable
The Freestyle is technically only a transportable pump, for the reason that pump itself and controls are in an exterior machine exterior the bra. However the cups are wearable, which implies they will match completely in your bra as a substitute of needing a pumping bra and hooking as much as a bottle.
That wearable cup is without doubt one of the issues I like finest about this pump. It has precisely three components: 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 am most likely biased after testing half a dozen pumps, however the simplicity of meeting was so thrilling to me. It is nonetheless a complete of six components you want to wash (or pop within the dishwasher, as they’re all dishwasher protected), nevertheless it was a lot simpler to maintain observe of than the same old 10 or extra components I might wash, dry, and should construct in a sure method. Particularly with wearable pumps, placing them collectively could 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 an identical really feel to a Roku remote (although slightly bigger and heavier). Once you flip it on, it lights up with LED buttons and slightly show that tells you the battery life, how lengthy you’ve got been pumping, and what mode and degree you are on.
It is simple to determine how you can join every thing collectively and begin utilizing it. You’ll be able to pair the pump to your cellphone through 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.
Execs and Cons
The three-part cups are tremendous light-weight in comparison with true wearable cups, since there isn’t any motor and fewer components. They’re snug to stay in any present bra, and straightforward to put on and stroll round in. The pump itself comes with a brief lanyard which you could put on round your wrist or tuck right into a pocket as you progress round. However the high has a gap, so that you should not bend over whereas sporting this pump.