This post has been requested time & time again. Spare time doesn’t really happen with a newborn, so I’ve sat down to write this a few time & had some interruptions. I apologize for the delay, but it’s only given me more time to use the products I’ll be reviewing today: the Elvie Pump vs Elvie Stride.
Elvie Pump vs Elvie Stride
When I shared that I got the new Elvie Stride, so many of you asked what made it different from the Elvie Pump & which one I liked better. Also, what made these pumps different from other electric pumps like the Spectra, the Medela, & others. I’m sharing my honest review & comparison of these products today to try to help you decide which may be best for you, or at least to understand the pros & cons of them.
OF NOTE
I can’t get too far into my Elvie Pump vs Elvie Stride comparison without mentioning a few things I’m sure you’re all wondering. First off, I am both breastfeeding & pumping. I pump when my husband gives a bottle & an additional time before bed. I’ll work on a post all about my breastfeeding/pumping schedule. I will note that I have an oversupply, so sometimes I find myself pumping before a breastfeeding session to manage letdown during feeds. I can also elaborate more later on how I manage my over supply
The key with both of these Elvie pumps is that they are hands free & cord free. This means you don’t have to hold them up or wear a pumping bra & be chained to a plug in the wall while you pump. That’s right, you can go grab yourself some water (because lets be honest, making milk makes you real thirsty), vacuum, or do whatever else you need to do while you pump. This is my number one reason for recommending & preferring either of these over the Spectra or the Medela pumps. I think some of these brands have started coming out with their own hands or cord free options after realizing the modern woman cannot be tied down & chained to a wall plug for hours a day. I have tried the Spectra Gold & Medela at the hospital, so I can speak to those, but I can’t speak to any other hands free pumps besides the Elvie ones because I have not tried them. There is one benefit to the Spectra I have over one of the Elvie pumps, which I’ll touch on later.
ELVIE PUMP
The Elvie Pump is what I refer to as the OG Elvie. It’s what I first heard of that turned me on to the brand. It is the lightest, all-in-one wearable electric breast pump. You can buy one or two to help you pump on the go or to be hands free. I personally have two, because as I’m sure you’ll realize if you haven’t already, I am Type A & want things to be as efficient as possible. I’m going to further break down pros & cons of the OG Elvie pump for you all below.
Pros:
- Hands & plug free
- Discrete
- Easy to clean, few parts
- Quiet (but not completely silent)
- The app makes it easy to use without drawing attention on the go/in front of people
- Extremely portable. Tops for collection cups come with to make storing on the go simple. No bags needed.
- Auto switches from expression to let down mode
- Charges in two hours
- BPA free
- Dishwasher, fridge, & freezer safe
- Easy to pour milk from collection cups to bags when transferring
- You can use FSA/HSA to purchase
Cons:
- A bit of a learning curve to get it to give me a similar output to my hospital grade pump
- Frequent leaks when pumping*
- Collection cups only hold five ounces, but often auto stop due to Elvie thinking they are full around four
- The app is often inaccurate with sensing how much milk you’ve actually collected.
- Not as much control for levels as other pumps.
- Feels like you have to charge frequently (lasts for about 2.5 hours of pumping depending on settings)
- Need to wear certain bras for best suction/output (this one is the best)
- Stretches out most bras you wear it with
- Can’t dim the lights to make it more discrete
- Often not covered by insurance (mine didn’t cover)
- Less movability (you can’t bend over when using, must squat to pick anything up off the floor)
ELVIE STRIDE
Pros:
- Hands & plug free
- More discrete than other hospital grade pumps
- Easy to clean, few parts
- The app makes it easy to use without drawing attention on the go
- Auto switches from expression to let down mode
- 10 different options for power in both expression & let down modes
- Typically covered by insurance
- Suctions easily no matter what bra I’m wearing it with
- Increased movability due to the way the collection cups are shaped
- BPA free
- Dishwasher, fridge, & freezer safe
- You can dim the lights for nighttime mode or to make it more discrete
Cons:
- Not as discrete as the Elvie Pump
- Frequent leaks when taking pumps off & bagging milk
- Not as easy to pour milk from as Elvie Pump
- Collection cups only hold five ounces
- The app is often inaccurate with sensing how much milk you’ve actually collected.
- Feels like you have to charge frequently (lasts for about 2.5 hours of pumping depending on settings)
- A little louder than Elvie Pump
One benefit of the Spectra Gold that I have compared to the Elvie Stride (both hospital grade pumps) is that the Spectra is a dual pump. The Stride can be used as a single or double pump, but you don’t have independent control over each side at the same time from what I’ve seen. With the Spectra, you can pump one side on a level 1 & one on a level 10. This is one of the main reasons I wanted this one. Well, & if we’re being honest because it was white & gold instead of the hideous baby blue or baby pink of the S1 or S2 models. If I’m going to have this thing sitting out on in my room for months on end, I’d rather it be less of an eye sore. This reminds me that I haven’t used it in over a month & should probably remove it from the table it’s sitting on in our bedroom when I finish writing this post. I digress.
If you are someone who struggles with a slacker boob situation or a little one who prefers to only feed on one side, then being able to adjust the pumping speed accordingly is key. You could always just use the Elvie Pump on one side to even things out though. Again, preventing you from having to be chained to a wall.
OVERSUPPLY
As I noted above, I have an oversupply of milk, so I produce a lot. This may lead to me needing to stop pumping with either Elvie Pump to bag the milk & then continue or to switch out collection cups. They only each hold five ounces, which sometimes I fill up in a few minutes– particularly first thing in the morning. This oversupply leads to more of a headache with one pump & less of one with the other. Let me explain.
With the Elvie Pump, the oversupply issue may cause me to leak when pumping getting it all over my bra & clothes. The sensors may not accurately register how much I’ve pumped & it will keep going & I’ll end up soaked. With the Elvie Stride, I struggle to easily disconnect the collections cups from the pump & then pour the milk into bags without spilling any. There have been times that both cups have totally emptied resulting in me losing all 10 ounces of milk. Other times, I’ll lose a few. For someone with an oversupply, I can roll my eyes that I have to clean it up, but not be devastated that maybe now I don’t have enough milk for my baby to eat. If I struggled to make enough & lost an ounce due to some spilling I’d be devastated. I’ve gotten better with it the more I’ve used it, but it is definitely not as easy for me to do as it is with the Elvie Pump. You basically can’t lay them down, but they don’t stand up on their own either.
IN SUMMARY
All in all, my recommendation when looking at the Elvie Pump vs Elvie Stride is that which pump you should get depends on you & your needs. You definitely don’t need three different pumps like I have. You may not even need two. If you work somewhere that you will be pumping on the go a lot with limited access to easily bag the milk or you may be sitting in a meeting pumping, I think the Elvie Pump is your best bet. In fact, when I was in the hospital after giving birth one of our nurses was pumping with it & we didn’t notice til she said something. If you’re able to shut the door to pump & then bag your milk, then the higher power Elvie Stride may be better for you.
My favorite feature that sets the Elvie Pump apart is how easy it is to screw on the tops to close the containers on the go. When I’ve pumped at any social event (think football game or wedding) this has made life so much easier. My biggest con with the Elvie Pump is that you need to stay pretty upright to make sure that you don’t spill. Also, if you have an over supply, you really need to pay attention to output to stop & pour your milk into bags or switch out your collection cups so you don’t overflow.
My favorite feature that sets the Elvie Stride apart is that it’s a hospital grade pump that allows for increased output due to how easily it suctions while giving you flexibility to not be chained to a wall. I’ve bent over a few times without having it leak all over me, so you can be pretty mobile with this on. Also, getting a pump like this covered by insurance is a huge game changer. My biggest complaint is that spills when disconnecting the cups or pouring are more frequent.
I know this doesn’t give you an end all be all answer as to which pump is ‘better.’ Honestly, they are both great & game changers when it comes to pumping for the modern woman. I am extremely thankful for these options, as I know friends who didn’t have any of these available to them a few years ago & these could have completely changed their experience with pumping. I don’t know if the perfect pump exists because let’s be honest, pumping isn’t fun or easy no matter what you’re using. With either of these, you’re getting increased convenience & the gift of time. You can do other things besides being confined to a chair, which for a new mom is essential.
I hope this post comparing the Elvie Pump vs Elvie Stride helped you get a better idea of the difference in the two pumps & helps you in making your decision of which one is best for you! Feel free to reach out with any questions I may be able to answer for you. I’m happy to help however I can! Also, if you’re looking at different silicone pumps, be sure to check out my Haakaa vs Elvie Curve post. Also, if you’re in the midst of registering for your baby, be sure to read my post on our baby registry. XO
