by: jannalabarriePosted on:

Elvie pump review – here’s everything I liked (and didn’t like) about the Elvie wearable breast pump

Returning to work after maternity leave can conjure up an intense mix of emotions, including anxiety, fear, excitement, or doubt.

There’s already a lot to navigate when we go back to work after maternity leave. If we plan on pumping, that can add another challenging layer to the transition.

One of the first things I had to decide on was what pump I should use while at the office. I’m a physical therapist, which means I’m moving around and busy for most of the day.

My bulky Spectra, although powerful and reliable, seemed way too big to haul to work every day (despite being ‘portable’), so I looked into options for wearable pumps.

Wearable pumps can be placed into a bra, are truly portable, and are meant to be hands-free for discreet pumping while on the move.

Basically, they’re perfect for working moms who still want to breastfeed and pump at the office (especially those in healthcare).

The Elvie wearable pump is one of the most popular ones on the market. It’s small, portable, quiet, and strong – but the price tag is no joke.

It costs between $250-300 for a single pump – and who has the time to pump one side at a time?

Compared to other wearable breast pumps on the market, it’s up there in terms of cost, and it’s often only partially covered or not covered at all under medical insurance. 

I think there are a lot of great things about the Elvie, but there are also some drawbacks to consider before making the investment.

Here is everything I liked and didn’t like about the Elvie wearable pumps.  

What I liked about the Elvie

1. It’s super quiet

One of the main reasons that the Elvie pumps are great for pumping at work or in public is their quietness.

Unless my office was very quiet (like you could hear a pin drop quiet), my coworkers couldn’t really hear it. That gave me a level of discreteness that traditional electric pumps don’t have.

It’s so quiet that I’ve been able to pump in the open staff room with my coworkers around, on Teams calls (with the video and mic on), and even while treating patients on the floor.

2. It’s easy to put together

There are only five parts to each pump, and once I got the hang of it, it was a breeze to assemble.

That matters if you don’t have a lot of time at work to pump.

The ease of assembly meant I didn’t waste too much of my precious pump time struggling with tubes and small parts – I only had 30 minutes from start to finish to set up, pump, store, wash, and clean up before it was time for my next patient.

3. The milk output was pretty good

When comparing traditional electric pumps with wearable pumps, there’s always the possibility that we won’t get as much milk with wearables because of the difference in suction strength.

Personally, I actually didn’t notice a significant difference in milk volume, as long as I ensured a proper fit and made sure it was assembled correctly. 

4. The charge lasts all day

Even with 2 pump sessions in an 8-hour workday, I’ve never run into an issue with the battery running out on my Elvie if I charged it the night before. 

Of course I could’ve charged it into the office in between pumps, but I never had to because the charge held all day.

5. It can be controlled with an app

If the suction strength was too strong (or too light) or I needed to stop pumping for whatever reason, the app made it convenient to adjust those settings without having to manually reach in and change it on the pump itself. 

That was helpful when I was in a more public setting or if my hands were tied up with something else.

6. I could multitask and move around freely at home

The Elvie pumps were easy enough to fit right into my pumping bra without any additional tubes or plugs, making them ideal for multitasking and moving while pumping.

While bending over or doing more vigorous activities weren’t possible because of the risk of spillage, I could handle most of my housework stuff like laundry, dishes, and preparing food while pumping.

As a working mom with only so much time after work to get household stuff done, that was a huge help. 

7. I could multitask at work

Perhaps the biggest benefit of having the Elvie pumps was being able to pump at work and still get actual work done.

Pumping while on a Zoom call? Yes. Pumping during a staff meeting? If I really wanted to, yes. Pumping while evacuating the building for a fire drill? Yep.

I have even treated patients on the floor while pumping.

As long as I covered up with something like an oversized jacket or poncho, I could do most non-physical tasks comfortably.

With new motherhood and the whole process of pumping as isolating as it already is, it was nice to be able to feel like I could still be a “normal” part of the office while also getting mom things done. 

8. It’s discreet

There’s always going to be a certain degree of exposure and awkwardness when using traditional electric pumps like the Spectra. They’re not exactly easy to hide.

The Elvie however, could be completely covered under my clothes. I was able to relax and pump comfortably with them without worrying about my coworkers knowing. 

9. I could pump around company

With a new baby in the home, everyone is going to want to come over whether we invite them there or not.

That’s all well and good, but when we’re pumping, we know the importance of sticking to a schedule.

It always felt a bit rude to disappear for 30 minutes to pump with company in the house, and there also was the uneasiness of not having eyes on my baby with an unfamiliar face around.

That problem was easily solved with the Elvie pumps – I could still be a gracious host while being close to my baby AND sticking to my pump schedule. 

10. Traveling was easier

I’ve traveled and pumped with both my Spectra and Elvie pumps, and I can tell you with no hesitation that having the Elvie makes traveling MUCH easier.

I took a couple road trips when my son was still an infant, and I was able to pump fairly easily in the car while traveling (not really feasible with my Spectra even though it’s ‘portable’).

Compared to my Spectra, I also didn’t have as many parts and pieces to pack and worry about losing. 

11. Good resale value

The price of a brand new set of pumps is quite steep ($549 at the time of this post), so naturally there’s a high demand for used Elvie pumps.

There are many online resale communities where we can easily sell our pumps for a decent price once we are done with them. 

I haven’t yet sold mine (hoping for baby #2!) but from what I see online, it’s not difficult to sell.

What I didn’t like

1. It’s expensive

Perhaps the biggest thing that I had to consider about the Elvie pumps was the cost. One new pump alone runs around $299, and two of these things cost $549.

For something that we can’t return after we use it and that we’re not even sure will work for us, that’s pretty expensive.

And let me be fully transparent – the cost didn’t end there. The box came with one set of everything I needed to start pumping, but I ended up having to buy more bottles and extras of everything so that I didn’t have to worry about cleaning and drying parts at work.

After getting multiple sets of accessories, I ended up spending somewhere around $700. It wasn’t a small expense by any means. 

2. There was a learning curve

For every kind of breast pump, there’s going to be a learning curve for first time pumping moms.

Although it had less parts, I found that the learning curve for the Elvie was a little steeper compared to my Spectra, particularly when it came to positioning the pump. It took me about two weeks to get the hang of it.  

If it didn’t fit just right or if I wasn’t wearing the right kind of pumping bra, the suction was uncomfortable or ineffective (meaning low milk volume).

There was a lot of trial and error involved in the beginning that I didn’t have with my Spectra.

The biggest lesson I learned was to always check the fit and make sure it was actually pumping properly before going about my business.

There was nothing more painful than having those pumps on for 20 minutes thinking they were working, then seeing 0.5 ounces of milk in each bottle because they weren’t placed right.

3. The sensor didn’t really work that well

On the Elvie, there is a sensor inside that is supposed to be able to tell us how much milk we’ve pumped. This sensor has literally never worked accurately for me.

I’ve tried different bras, different clothes, sitting in rooms with different levels of light… I’ve just never been able to get it to work right.

It has always given me a higher estimate than what’s actually in the bottle, which can be misleading if we are just looking at the app.

The one thing the sensor was good at was not allowing the bottle to overflow if it does actually reach its 5 oz capacity. 

4. I still needed to have a traditional electric pump

I wouldn’t recommend using the Elvie as a main pump, solely based on reliability and consistency compared to a traditional electric pump.

We always know what we’re getting with a traditional pump – strong suction and pretty consistent volumes.

The Elvie can be a little trickier because of its learning curve and dependence on proper positioning and assembly.

It cost a lot, but I couldn’t use it as a main pump. When I was home, I used my Spectra.

5. The bottles are oddly shaped

This is a minor thing, but still something to consider.

Traditional ice packs for storing breastmilk are shaped to accommodate circular bottles, a shape that the Elvie bottles don’t conform to.

It’s not really much of a problem, but it was enough of an inconvenience for me to have to transfer the milk into regular bottles for storage because I didn’t like how they fit into my cooler bag. 

6. Spills and leaks can happen

While I never had an issue with leakage onto my clothing, I did notice that certain movements like bending over slightly could mess with the seal, causing the Elvie to stop pumping effectively or lead to spillage. 

7. The suction can feel pinchy

The suction on the Elvie pumps always felt a bit more pinchy than my Spectra. As I increased the suction strength, it got more and more uncomfortable.

It wasn’t unbearable, but it did take a little getting used to. My nipples were already sensitive from my breastfeeding baby, so I was limited to the lower suction levels until I adjusted. 

8. A single drop of water will make it not work properly

I’m not over-exaggerating this fact – literally one drop of water will cause the Elvie to be ineffective.

This means that all the parts and pieces had to be completely dry before I put it together to ensure that it worked the way it should. 

That’s one of the main reasons I ended up buying multiple parts and accessories – drying would have been difficult in a closed office and I wasn’t sure they’d be ready for my next pump session.

Although there were some things I didn’t like too much about using the Elvie wearables, overall I think the pros outweighed the cons. I had a great experience and they worked well for me.

I would absolutely use them again and would recommend them to all of my working mom friends who want to be able to pump comfortably and quietly at work. 

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