Best breast pumps
If you’re planning to express breastmilk, then one piece of kit you'll need is a breast pump. Electric or manual, they make a new mum’s life a lot easier.
The best breast pumps in the UK – at a glance
- Most popular electric breast pump: Medela Swing Flex Electric Breast Pump
- Best hospital-grade breast pump: Spectra S1 Double Electric Hospital-Grade Breast Pump
- Best manual breast pump: Haakaa Silicone Manual Breast Pump
- Best hands-free pump: Elvie Electric Breast Pump
- Best all-round breast pump: MAM 2 in 1 Single Breast Pump
Find out more about why we love these breast pumps below.
Tips for buying a breast pump
What you need to know before buying a breast pump
Although you can hand express breastmilk, most mums who express often use a breast pump to collect the milk. It can help increase your milk supply too, and means your partner can share the feeding. Just bear in mind that it’s advised you don’t offer your newborn a bottle before they're six weeks old.
If your baby or toddler is looked after by someone else, it also means you have breastmilk at the ready so they can feed your little one when you’re not there.
If you’ll only be expressing at home, a larger more static machine may work fine, but if you’re going to be out and about then you may need a smaller device that you can put in your bag.
Pumps are either manual or electric, with many mums claiming electric breast pumps are worth the extra money. Others say the manual function works just as well as electric, and that it is better at mimicking a baby’s suck.
Manual pumps can be put in your bag when you're on the go. They tend to be cheaper, too. But electric pumps can be charged, so you don’t need to lug around cables.
No matter the type you choose, it’s worth looking at reviews and thinking about what you need before making the purchase.
Our picks of the best breast pumps in 2024
Why trust us?
BabyCenter's reviews are created based on parents' real-life experiences using products - experiences of editors and writers who are parents themselves, and also of the millions of parents and pregnant women who make up the BabyCenter Community. Our editorial team uses these insights, as well as feedback from the doctors and other experts on our Medical Advisory Board, to give you accurate and fact-based information, including the pros and cons of different products. That way, you can decide what's best for you and your family. Learn moreMedela Swing Flex electric breast pump
£99.99 | AmazonOpens a new window |
- Electric or manual: electric
- Size: 12.5 x 19 x 25.5 cm
- Our pick for: Most popular electric breast pump
- Uses ‘two-phase expression technology’ to help simulate the sucking of a baby
- Comes with two different sized breast shields (which they claim will mold to your breast), and a bottle plus stand
It’s easy to see why this one is a winner. The compact size of the pump makes pumping and travel easy. It also features 'two-phase expression technology’, helping to mimic a baby’s mouth and suction rhythm.
The pump is rechargeable, so you don’t have to perch near a plug socket, which is great for mums who express throughout the day.
It’s also worth noting that mums in the BabyCentre community talk a lot about the other Medela pumps, such as their manual option, with many saying it is really effective.
BabyCentre parents say
"I used a Medela manual pump for both my sons, with great success. I expressed into the bottle or transferred into either a feeding bottle or milk storage bags."
"I have the Medela Swing Flex™ and it's very good."
"Would highly recommend the Medela Swing Flex™."
"I have a Medela pump and love it. I used Medela storage bags, too."
"I have the Medela Swing Flex™, and I love it. It’s gotten me through two babies so far."
Spectra S1 double electric hospital-grade breast pump
£159.95 | AmazonOpens a new window |
- Electric or manual: electric
- Size: 20 x 20 x 17 cm
- Our pick for: Best hospital-grade breast pump
- Has a night light, timer and 30-minute auto switch-off
- Comes with two bottles, two breast shields, two backflow protectors, plus battery charger and mains adapter
- Offers massage and letdown mode
If you’re prepared to part with a fair amount of cash for a really great pump, then this one may be for you. BabyCentre mums in the community give this a firm thumbs up when it comes to a pump that gets the job done.
The Spectra can be used on both breasts at the same time. It's rechargeable and even doubles as a light, which is helpful if you’re pumping in the night. The Spectra is also quieter than some pumps, so you can be a little more discreet when you express.
BabyCentre parents say
"I've recently splashed out and bought the Spectra S1 as it's rechargeable and I can carry it around as I pump. I'm managing six pumps a day, with one in the middle of the night."
"It has a massage/letdown mode as well as five suction cycles with varying vacuum controls. It can be cordless with around three hours of battery life, and it also has a built-in night light."
"It’s pretty quiet until you get to the higher end of the vacuum cycles, and then it does get a bit louder, but it doesn’t wake my partner! The night light is really helpful and it has two settings for brightness."
Haakaa silicone breast pump
£15.29 | AmazonOpens a new window |
- Electric or manual: manual
- Size: 18 x 8.5 x 8.5 cm
- Our pick for: Best manual breast pump
- Made from eco-friendly food-grade silicone
- BPA, PVC and phthalate-free
The Haakaa doesn’t pump. It works using suction once it's attached to your breast. You latch your baby on one side, with the Haakaa on the other, then watch your letdown and the suction from the natural silicone funnel do the rest.
You don’t need batteries, you don’t need to pump it, and it fits in your bag. It’s no wonder mums are raving about this in the BabyCentre community. There’s no time – or milk – wasted when feeding, and some mums claim they can fill the 5oz/150ml pump while feeding from the other side.
It may not replace an actual pump for exclusive expressing, but it is worth considering if you’re a breastfeeding mum.
BabyCentre parents say
"Haakaa is a great little purchase to collect milk from your non-feeding side with no effort."
"You’ll definitely need a proper pump if you want to express, but the Haakaa is great for collecting some extra."
"You literally just stick it on and it goes for gold!"
"Haakaa is the best pump I’ve ever used. I now won’t buy any other."
"I used a Haakaa for catching the letdown in the early days, to create a freezer stash."
Elvie electric breast pump
£269.00 | AmazonOpens a new window |
£269.00 | ElvieOpens a new window |
£269.00 | Mamas & PapasOpens a new window |
- Electric or manual: electric
- Size: 6.5 x 11 x 13 cm
- Our pick for: Best hands-free breast pump
- Hands-free five-part machine controlled via an app on your phone
- Two-phase expression to sense when your letdown is flowing
- Seven suction settings
- Two different sized breast shields supplied
The fact that this is a you can use this high-tech breast pump through an app isn't even the best thing about it. The real win here is that you put it on your breasts and are free to move around! There are no wires, no leads and no need to stay fixed to the sofa, making this a top purchase with our pumping mummies.
For such advanced tech, it’s not a surprise it’s the most expensive of the bunch, also available in a double version that costs around £500. But if you want to invest in the latest tech, this may be the one for you.
Elvie fans are loving that they can pop it in and then be free to do so many things traditional expressing can stop you from doing. Another plus point raised by BabyCentre mums is that it feels different to other pumps and doesn’t hurt, with some women finding the suction from other pumps a bit uncomfortable.
BabyCentre parents say
"It’s so easy to use and there is zero pain. I barely feel it and can walk around the house doing my own thing as it sits in my bra. Once I had it all figured out, I found it a lifesaver!"
"I got it when my little one started nursery, so I could pump while at work and then provide breastmilk for her to drink at nursery. I'm going to build up a small stash in the freezer! It's a great pump. It's quiet (but not silent), charges quickly, fits in a bra, can be controlled from a phone, and is easy to clean. I can cook, clean, eat, work, and feed my baby, all while pumping."
MAM 2 in 1 single breast pump
£104.53 | AmazonOpens a new window |
£166.00 | Mamas & PapasOpens a new window |
- Electric or manual: both
- Size: 16 x 28.5 x 24.5 cm
- Our pick for: Best all-round breast pump
- 9 different suction levels
- 5 hour battery life
- Compatible with MAM bottles and containers
If you want an electric pump, this ticks the box. If you’d still like the option of manual use, this one covers it too. If you’d also like different suction settings, some extras thrown in and the knowledge that a lot of other mums like this product, then the MAM 2 in 1 single breast pump is the one.
MAM bottles and containers fit onto the pump. The small controller isn’t too bulky to take with you, and you still have the option to express manually if the battery has run out, or if you just prefer it.
This is a great all-rounder that offers electric and manual modes in the one pump. It’s no surprise to see it’s favoured by BabyCentre mums.
BabyCentre parents say
"I have the MAM single pump and highly recommend it. It is portable plus you can charge it up and carry it around. Paired with an expressing bra, it means I can play with my little one at the same time."
"My MAM pump works so well on a low setting in the initial let down mode when my baby is feeding. It’s brought so much relief!"
Seen something you like? Don't forget to add it to your Amazon baby wishlistOpens a new window.
More brilliant baby buys
- Give your baby expressed milk in one of these top-rated baby bottles
- Stay comfy while breastfeeding with our roundup of the best nursing bras
- Check out our guide to what else you need for breastfeeding your baby
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