Elvie breast pump review | The Sun

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ELVIE'S pump is one of the most popular (and most expensive) electric breast pumps on the market and claims to be totally silent.

So is it worth the hype? Find out in our Elvie breast pump review.

  • UK – Elvie Electric pump, £269 from Elvie – buy here
  • US – Elvie Electric pump, $299 from Elvie – buy here

Rating: 5/5 

Pros:

  • Wearable even while working or doing chores
  • Cordless
  • Lightweight
  • Quiet in public places

Cons: 

  • Can leak in some positions
  • Not totally silent
  • Expensive

Elvie review: quick summary 

Elvie claims this pump offers ‘no tubes. No wires. No noise’, and while it’s not totally silent, it is the quietest electric design currently on the market.

If you’re after a portable, comfortable and super-quiet breast pump, Elvie may suit you (and be worth the splurge) – on test we really rated it for quality and comfort on the go, but it does come at a premium price point. 

Elvie full review: first impressions 

  • Elvie Electric pump, £269 at Amazon here

Elvie’s pump comes in a surprisingly small box, testifying to how light and portable this design is. Inside, there’s the pump itself, which is reasonably lightweight at 225g, plus two bottles for milk collection holding 150ml each, two breast shields, extra valves, spouts and seals and two USB charging cables. There’s also a little carry bag. 

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Two breast shields are included in your Elvie box – a 21mm size and a 24mm size. Most women fit a 24mm breast shield, but if you need a smaller shield in sizes 15, 17 or 19mm, or a larger 28mm shield, you’ll need to buy these separately from the brand for £19.99 for two shields (we’d prefer Elvie to offer alternative sizes for free, as rival brand Tommee Tippee do). We used Elvie’s online guide to measuring your nipple before ordering and found their guidance to use the 24mm shield gave the right fit.

Performance 

While the Elvie Pump is far quieter than any other electric pumps on the market we’ve tested, it’s not totally silent, so the brand’s claim of ‘no noise’ is not fully justified.  That said, it’s definitely the best option currently available if you don’t want your boobs to make loud whirring noises. If you’d like the freedom to pump on the go or at work discreetly, this is still the stand-out choice. 

The Elvie Pump is a ‘wearable’ design, which means you pop the pump in your bra and are free to move about. There are no cords or wires hanging out, which feels liberating, and the design is light enough to sit in a bra cup without weighing you down. We found it stayed in place firmly enough to allow us to work on a laptop, cook and move about the house, but leaks are possible if you lean forward or get the position of the pump slightly wrong, so you won’t be able to move totally freely (or run after a toddler!) while you’re expressing.

Pumping was comfortable on test, and being able to adjust the pumping intensity made it easy to get milk flowing. Elvie’s silicone breast shield feels like a nice ergonomic fit against the breast. Our tester has 36C-sized breasts but Elvie says the ‘Elvie Pump has been designed to fit within a standard nursing bra and the cup size makes no difference to how Elvie Pump works.’

How to use the Elvie Pump 

  • Elvie Electric pump, £269 at Amazon here

To get pumping using Elvie’s design, you simply place the pump in your nursing bra and place the breast shield around your nipple. Turn it on by pressing Play directly on the pump or in the app to start your pumping session, and switch between seven suction settings to find a comfortable level.

We liked having the option of controlling pumping through the free ‘Pump With Elvie app’, which is easy to use and compatible with ioS and Android phones, but you can also choose to just use the buttons directly on the front of the pump if you don’t want to be glued to your phone. The app tracks your milk volume in real-time and logs how much you’ve expressed each day, so it’s great if you’re keeping an eye on your supply (and you even can compare each breast!) but there’s no need to faff with it once your milk supply and feeding routine are more established. 

While we didn’t have any malfunctions using the Elvie Pump, other mums with issues with the pump report that Elvie provides good customer service, replacing broken parts or the pump itself if anything does go wrong (and there’s a two-year warranty), which is reassuring if you’re splashing this much cash on a single pump. 

How to clean the Elvie Pump 

  • Elvie Electric pump, £269 at Amazon here

Breast pumps need cleaning and sterilising after every use to avoid breeding any bacteria. To clean the Elvie pump, you first separate it into its five parts, then rinse any components that have come into contact with breast milk with cold water.

Next, wash all parts in hot soapy water and leave to dry on a clean kitchen towel. Finally, sterilise your pump either by boiling it in water for 5-10 minutes or by using a UV or steam steriliser.

Is it fiddly and time-consuming to clean the Elvie pump? Yes, but it’s pretty similar to any other pump on the market and the Elvie pump’s components do feel like they’re durable enough to withstand plenty of washing. You can also clean the pump in the dishwasher, which isn’t true of all electric models.

How long does Elvie take to charge? 

The Elvie pump takes around two hours to charge fully. When the battery light turns red, the pump is low on battery. Use the included charging cable to charge via USB (which is handy as you can charge the pump using your phone plug).

The light will turn orange until the pump is fully charged when it will turn green. Elvie reckons the pump offers 2.5 hours of power once fully charged, but we found it was closer to 1.5 hours with regular use, so you will need to keep it plugged in regularly. 

Where to buy the Elvie Pump 

It's possible to buy Elvie's breast pump from a number of UK retailers, including the below:

  • Elvie Electric pump, £269 from Elvie here
  • Elvie Electric pump, £269 at Amazon here
  • Elvie Electric pump, £242.10 from John Lewis – buy here

Elvie Pump alternatives 

If you want to see what other options are available, there are a number of different makes, models and price points in our round-up of the best wearable breast pumps.

If you’re after a double pump, we rated Medela’s Freestyle on test, which is only £30 more than Elvie’s single pump and works brilliantly as a stay-put wearable pump, but is significantly louder (https://shop.medela.co.uk/products/breast-pumps/medela-freestyle-hands-free-double-electric-wearable-breast-pump/).

If you’re watching the pennies, Pippeta’s LED wearable single pump is surprisingly affordable at just £69 and still does the job well (https://pippeta.com/products/wearable-hands-free-breast-pump-grey). 

The verdict: is the Elvie Pump good?

Elvie’s pump is popular with mums for a reason: it’s compact, great quality and definitely the most discreet breast pump we’ve encountered on the market, fitting snugly in nursing bras and making as little noise as possible.

It also comes with a handy app for tracking your supply.

However, the Elvie Pump does cost about £100 more than some other very good pumps. And, while it was quieter and more discreet than other models, it performed similarly to cheaper alternatives we've tested.

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Because of that, unless choosing the quietest pump on the market is a dealbreaker for you, we're not sure the Elvie pump is amazing value for money.

If you’re planning to pump at home, you can choose something more affordable or spend the same money on a double pump design. 

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