I gave in and I bought the Elvie.
The 2 biggest reasons I purchased the Elvie: compact size and easy to use at work
I only lasted 2.5 weeks with bringing the Spectra S1 from home to work. I only lasted 2 days using the Freemie Liberty pump at work. I think the main issue I had was dealing with the tubing and all the parts that came with each pump. Or how awkward they were shaped and how difficult it was to smash them into a bag to put in the fridge inbetween pumps. Either way, I gave up very quickly and decided to purchase the Elvie. I did purchase it from Target because they take open box returns. I was afraid that I wasn’t going to be able to get the same amount of milk out as I would with my hospital-grade pump, so I wanted to be able to return it if I didn’t respond well to it.
Down & Dirty of the elvie pump
CONS
2-2.5 hour battery life
Relatively warm after pumping
May leak if you move too much or bend down
Frequently needs to be readjusted at beginning of session
Cleaning & drying the bottles is difficult
PROS
Completely hands free pumping
Quiet pumping
Quick & easy set up/clean up for at work use
Small in size, easy to transport
Smart app can be used as a remote and pump log
What are some of the features that make this product great?
The size is definitely a great feature of the Elvie. It’s so compact, that if I have a large enough top on, it just looks like I have giant boobs. This also means that carrying it in your purse or in your work bag is so much easier than lugging around the Spectra S1. This is a game changer for me because I really dislike having a lot of things in my bag. The dimensions of the Elvie are 5” x 4.3” x 2.7” and each pump only weighs approximately 8 oz! So it won’t stick out too far from your chest, it’s a little wider so it forms to your boob a little better, and it’s not too heavy in your bra.
It’s relatively quiet for a pump. In the hospital, you can’t really hear it with all the movement going on around you. I think my milk spraying out into the pump is louder than the pump itself, which says a lot about my letdown because it’s so forceful, haha.
It’s easy to assemble and it’s easy to clean. So I’m the person that utilizes the most out of her Medela quick wipes. There is no sink in our lactation room, and I still cannot bring myself to wash my pump parts in the break room sink. So I use Medela quick-clean anti-bacterial wipes in between pumps and store them in gallon size Ziplock in the fridge. The breast shields and the spouts are so easy to clean that wrapping up my session doesn’t take 10 minutes anymore. (I used to break everything down and then set it up again each session, NOT EFFICIENT AT ALL.) The one thing you want to make sure of is making sure all the parts are assembled correctly. Even the smallest little thing off with the valves could cause you to not have a good suction.
They make it fool proof to size to your breast shield. They have the standard size breast shields of 21mm, 24mm, and 28mm. They have lines on the breast shield that you compare to your nipple and it helps you choose the correct fit. Apparently there are also cushions that you can order to help with sizing if you’re in between sizes. Update: I looked it up and they’re literally silicone inserts! One is from a brand called BeauGen.
Lip of valve caught on pump will not give you suction
Make sure valve looks like this before placing flange in
What are some downfalls with the Elvie?
I haven’t come across too many downfalls with the Elvie yet. So I could be a little biased after using it for ~1.5 weeks. I have noticed that I have to readjust a lot in the beginning of a session. Sometimes the suction isn’t working so I redo all the parts, and I sit there finagling my boob into it. Putting it on is what takes the most time for me. It also gets pretty warm, so from what I’ve read and been told, you may need to change your breast shield size if you’re feeling the warmth of the pump and it’s uncomfortable. I haven’t had to do that because the 24 mm fit well for me, but there are cushions that you can purchase to make the fit a little better.
Cleaning the bottles is probably my least favorite part about the Elvie. The grooves tend to scratch me a lot, so I have to take caution in cleaning it if I don’t want to turn my fingers. So I just cut a sponge in half to clean it, that way I’m not trying to shove a big sponge inside. I let it air dry on my little lawn rack, but I come back to it and shake it up a bit to break the bigger water droplets.
The last thing is that the Elvie is the battery life is unforgiving through a 12 hour shift. The Elvie will only last me about 2.5 pumps before I have to charge it. It says it’s supposed to hold a 2.5 hour charge, but I’ve made it to about 2 hours before having to plug it in. That’s assuming that my pumping session lasts anywhere from 30-35 minutes. Typically my pump sessions don’t last this long with the Spectra, but since it’s not as strong a suction, I leave it on a little longer.
How does connecting to the Smart App benefit pumping?
I honestly love that it has it’s own app that serves as a remote control to the pumps, and it logs each of your sessions for you. The pump itself uses an Infrared light to get a real time measurement of how much milk you’ve already pumped. It’s not always accurate but it does help when you are full on a bottle and need to make a quick switch to not overflow. What’s also nice is that it will stop pumping if you’ve reached that limit. There is also an automatic switch from massage to expression mode, something you can also control from the app.
What’s included in the box?
So now that we’ve gone through my pros and cons (so far), what’s included in the box? The Elvie comes in a beautifully square box that displays the pumps as soon as you open it. It includes the following:
2 Elvie pumps
4 5-oz bottles with caps (extra 3 pack is $34.99)
4 breast shields (2x24 mm, and 2x28 mm) (replacement 2 pack is $29.99)
4 spouts and 4 valves (replacement 2 pack is $16.99)
4 pump seals (closed system!) (replacement 2 pack is $16.99)
4 bra extenders (replacement 4 pack is $14.99)
2 USB cables
2 bags for the pump itself
The current price for the Double Elvie is $499, but Target and Amazon have sales that can drop the price to $425. Save your registry coupon (did not do this, my mistake) to add on another 15% discount during those sales, dropping your total price to $390!