Elvie Pump Review — Everything You Need to Know About the Wearable Pump

Elvie pump review — the Elvie pump life is the good life, ladies!

Never did I ever think I would be using a hands-free, tether-free, outlet-free breast pump in a store while carrying my infant around in her car seat, while folding laundry, or while putting my toddler to bed. But here we are! My Elvie pump review so far is nearly all positive. I’m sharing my favorite and least favorite things about the pump and answering all of your questions from Instagram.

Sparknotes: I’m am very impressed with the Elvie pump. The product is easy to understand. The app has a great onboarding experience to set it all up. And, most importantly, I got the same milk output as my other breastpump in just 9 minutes, while folding and putting away laundry in my daughter’s room. It’s a productivity-seeking mama’s dream.

Elvie pump review — the things I love

• No pumping bra needed! (are those super annoying to anyone else?)
• No cords — pumping has never felt so freeing!
• The convenience is impossible to beat — I can go about my day while pumping
• Using the Elvie pump cut my pumping time in half (see “no pumping bra needed” and “no cords”)
• The output doesn’t suffer — I pumped the same amount from my Elvie pump as I did from my other traditional pumps
• For working moms — you can pump while on your Zoom call and no one would know (aka it’s 2020-approved). Heck, you could pump at an in-person meeting and no one would know!

As someone who struggled with supply, I couldn’t stop thinking about how helpful this pump would be if you were trying to increase your supply using the 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off pumping method, like I did with Hayes. Instead of forcing myself to sit for an hour I could have gone about my evening and still pumped. Also, I haven’t ever had a clogged duct before, but I bet the Elvie pump would be helpful for a mama going through that as well.

Elvie pump review — a few ‘meh’ things

• Because of the shape, I find the pumping bottles to a be a bit awkward to pour into my milk storage bags
• I did notice poor suction during one of my pumping sessions. I detached and reattached all of the pieces to troubleshoot, which seemed to do the trick. That same thing use to happen with my other pumps.
• …ummm, I honestly can’t think of anything else!! And these two things are small potatoes if you ask me.

Elvie pump q+a

So far, would you say it’s easy to use?

Definitely! It was very easy to set up, clean, and start using. I was especially impressed with the onboarding the app takes you through in the beginning to connect each pump via bluetooth, to make sure you understand how to align it correctly with your nipple, and to make sure you know what buttons do what.

Does insurance cover the Elvie pump?

This totally depends on what insurance you have. I know there are some insurance companies that cover it and I would guess that is only going to increase as hands-free, cord-free pumps become more common. If you want to see if your insurance qualifies you, visit Aeroflow Breastpumps, fill out the form, and see what pumps your insurance qualifies for.

Is it worth the price?

Full disclosure, I was gifted this Elvie double pump.

There are so many benefits to the Elvie pump, benefits that I would be willing to pay for, but when it comes down to it, this pump functions much like any pump so it is a nice to have, not a must have. You’re paying for the freedom the Elvie pump provides you, only you can decide if it’s worth it for you based on the price, your lifestyle, and your financial circumstances.

Without insurance, the Elvie is priced at $279 for a single and $499 for a double.

Does it hurt?

I wouldn’t say any of my breast pump experiences have been painful. The Elvie tugs and sucks like any other pump I have used. Also, like many electric pumps, it has levels (1-7) that you can adjust the strength to accommodate your preference.

What kind of bra do you wear?

I have used my Elvie pump with a nursing bra, a nursing bralette, a nursing tank top, and a regular bralette all of which worked great. I don’t own any bras with underwire — I’ve had such small boobs my whole life I never had a need and now that I have boobs I just think they are wildly uncomfortable — but I imagine the fit might need a bit more maneuvering with underwire.

How’s the suction? I have a hands-free pump similar to the Elvie pump but I never use it because the suction is poor

If I were to judge the Elvie on how the suction felt, I would have thought I had low output from the pump because I really didn’t feel a hard tug or and pinching, but the output doesn’t lie! From my experience so far, the Elvie has the same suction and output, but it’s just more comfortable.

How does it attach and stay on?

If only you guys could have seen me the first time I tried the Elvie — lol! I was so nervous about it staying on so I was moving verrrry gently. But the next time is when I battle tested it (check out my Reel on Instagram to see my outing in action) and had zero issues even though I was leaning over, bending down, carrying an infant car seat, etc.

While the Elvie pump has worked no matter what bra I have on, if you’re worried, I think the key to feeling secure is to make sure you have a supportive bra on so the pump is close to your body and doesn’t shift during the pumping session. Once your done pumping and the suction is off, the pump won’t feel as secure in a bralette.

Was it hard to line up with your nipple? I’ve heard sometimes it doesn’t align.

I thought this was going to be really awkward to figure out, but there is a short tutorial on the app onboarding and there are guides on the breast shields (see below) — it was really simple! If you’re having a hard time I would try turning the power on while holding the pump in place so the suction activates while holding it in proper alignment.

How easy is it to get a good latch?

The Elvie mobile app has a really helpful and simple tutorial on how to latch it correctly. I was able to latch and pump on my first try without a problem.

Like I said above, I did notice poor suction during one of my pumping sessions. I detached and reattached all of the pieces to troubleshoot, which seemed to do the trick. That same thing use to happen with my other pumps.

Efficiency?

With my traditional breast pump I pump for 8-10 minutes and get around 3 ounces from each side. The first time I used the Elvie I was on it for 9 minutes on one side and 10 minutes on the other and both sides has a 3 ounces output — so I would say the efficiency is just as good!

Is it easy to clean?

Yes! After you detach the motor component, there are only five parts left to clean. It felt like less juggling than my other pumps, but it’s likely similar clean time. I do recommend having a bottle brush to reach all of the nooks and crannies of the pumping bottle.

Does it use bags? If so are they pricey?

No bags with the Elvie pump, just reusable pump bottles.

Elvie pump vs. Willow

I have never used a Willow pump, I can only speak to my experience with the Elvie pump, which has been great! I have some friends that have the Willow and they have had a good experience. I think the earlier version of the Willow had some issues, but they have been fixed in later models. Both are great options!

How does it compare to your other pump?

I have a Medela Freestyle and a Medela Pump in Style (both of which I got from with insurance through Aeroflow Breastpumps) and I found that the Elvie produced the same output I would expect from my other breast pumps, but with added convenience. I especially like that I don’t need a pumping bra, the outfit change feels like such a hassle.

Did I miss something in my Elvie pump review?

For a full list of FAQs visit Elvie’s website or DM me on Instagram, I’d be happy to share my experience.

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p.s. you might like to read these blogs next, take a look!

Elvie Curve vs. Haakaa: Which One Should You Buy?

How to Get a Free Breast Pump with Insurance

All productivity blogs (because if you like Elvie, I’m going to guess you’re down with all thing multi-tasking and time-saving).