After 20 hours of background research, 36 hours testing eight different breast pumps, and expressing a total of 600 ounces of breast milk to report this guide, we think the Spectra S1 is the best electric breast pump and the Medela Harmony is the best manual one. Depending on where, why, how, and how often you’re pumping, you may want both a manual and an electric pump, or may need only one or the other. This guide has advice on both.
Spectra S1 Plus
The quiet, compact Spectra S1 has a rechargeable battery and separate modes for suction strength and suction speed, making it more customizable and easier to use than competitors.
The Spectra S1 double electric pump extracts milk as effectively as any other breast pump we tested and is also significantly quieter and easier to use than other top double electric pumps. With separate modes for suction strength and suction speed, it’s also more customizable than competitors. Our lactating testers all preferred the Spectra to a common competitor (which became our runner-up), and we found that outside reviewers who had experience using both this pump and our runner-up also usually preferred the Spectra. If you don’t need a battery (because you are always pumping in a place where you can plug in) you can save money and weight by choosing the Spectra S2, which is the same pump but without a battery.
Medela Harmony
With a smooth, swiveling handle, the Medela Harmony is easier to grip and squeeze repeatedly than other models.
The Medela Harmony, which uses the same parts as our runner-up double electric pick, is as effective or more at extracting milk as any other manual pump we tried. It’s the only manual pump we tested that has a handle that swivels. We found this makes it more comfortable to use over longer or more frequent pumping sessions, because you can use it from whichever hand position feels best—or change hand positions frequently. It’s also reasonably priced and widely available, with easy-to-find replacement parts and I accessories.
The popular, time-tested Medela Pump in Style Advanced is louder and bulkier than our pick—the pump comes attached to an included bag—and wasn’t as well-liked by our testers. But it offers a couple of advantages over the Spectra pumps. First, it has better availability of parts in brick and mortar stores—which could be crucial for frequent travelers. If you’re away from the nursing baby and lose a tiny pump membrane, that can be a very big deal. Medela replacement parts are available in stores across the US and around the world. Medela also offers a slightly broader array of breast shield sizes and more customization opportunities using products from outside companies. You can buy the pump with one of three different cases: a tote, a backpack, or what Medela calls the “metro bag,” which is the only one from which the pump can be easily removed.
Similar in price and performance to our pick, this manual pump lacks a swiveling handle, which makes it harder to grip and squeeze.
We found the Philips Avent Comfort Manual Breast Pump is just as effective at extracting milk as our manual pump pick, and at a similar price. But with fewer accessories, it’s not as customizable, and without a swiveling handle, it’s not quite as comfortable to grip and squeeze over long pumping sessions. There’s one possible advantage to the Philips Avent over the Medela Harmony: Its breast shield comes with a removable silicone liner, which some people find more comfortable than the rigid plastic of the Harmony.
