Medela Freestyle Hands-Free Breast Pump | Wearable, Portable
Medela Freestyle Hands-Free Breast Pump | Wearable, Portable and Discreet Double Electric Breast Pump with App connectivity
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| Type | Double Electric breast pump | Manual breast pump | Single Electric breast pump | Double Electric breast pump | Collection device |
| Funktion | Express Milk | Express Milk | Express Milk | Express Milk | Collect Milk |
| Description | Designed for multi tasking. Ultra light collection cups at 76g each. Only 3 parts to clean. Anatomically designed to maximise milk expression. | Light and portable. PersonalFit Flex breast-shields for more comfort and more milk. Easy to use and clean. | Easy to use, intuitive controls. Few parts, easy to clean. Built-in USB rechargeable battery | Improved mobility. Easy to use, intuitive controls. Built-in USB rechargeable battery. | Collects reflexive let-down on one breast when feeding or pumping on the other – A companion to your breast pump, collect every drop possible. |
| Dimensions: | 24.8 x 22.1 x 12.9 cm; 960 Grams |
| Brand: | Medela |
| Model: | 101044187 |
| Manufacture: | Medela |
| Composition: | Plasic |
| Dimensions: | 24.8 x 22.1 x 12.9 cm; 960 Grams |
| Origin: | China |
I’d been using the Medela maxi swing but found pumping 8-12 times a day meant I couldn’t really have a life or look after baby as was constantly attached to the wall. I genuinely feel like this product gave me my freedom back!! It’s allowed me to pump at the pub, local restaurant, in the car, out on a walk, around the house while doing other chores etc. only thing is you have to remember you’re wearing it and not bend over too much otherwise you spill the liquid gold! I truly believe I would have given up on my exclusive pumping journey if it wasn’t for this pump
Teats not included
Good pump, but it would have been helpful to include teats (or state clearly that teats are excluded). As first-time parents we assumed the pump came with everything needed to feed our baby.
This is a good pump which takes out a lot of milk. It connects to an app which I don’t use, but could be useful to those wanting to keep track of pumping/feedings.
It is bulky, the pump doesn’t really fit in your pocket so others have said, I wouldn’t necessarily describe it as truly handsfree. I will need to invest in a different smaller pump to be able to take out with me if my baby isn’t coming, but this is useful for home.
It’s my first time using a hands free breast pump and honestly this is a great pump! It’s only downfall is it collects the milk in the actual pumping area each time no matter how much you pump making it difficult when pouring out as you can’t collect that little bit when pouring and you have to tip it that way to pour the milk out. Your always guaranteed to have a bit of mess.
Easy, comfortable, efficie
I brought this, feeling like it was a risky purchase but another mum who was using it and was getting more than the big clunky hospital ‘grade’ Medela one. I found the same and more comfortable! Would definitely recommend especially for those pumping for babies in special care.
Good product overall but…
Great product in terms of suction, but difficult to clean as many different pieces which made me expressing milk less frequently. Also you need the medela bra to use it properly . After 4 months the pump stopped working and I had to return the product. Nevertheless, I think I would still recommend medela
Fantastic, worth every penny.
The highest I produced with my previous pump was 90ml and that’s after I haven’t pumped in 12 hours but my supply has increased drastically since I got this pumps, in fact , I’m trying to reduce it now cause it has stimulated my breast to the point that I’m always dripping of milk. It’s a good pump and I would recommend to anyone having issues with producing more milk.
Game change
I was a bit apprehensive to purchase, because of the high price tag but I’m so glad I did. It has good suction power and is easy to clean. It’s a bit noisy, for example I wouldn’t feel comfortable using it in a move theatre. I like that it shows how long you’ve pumped. A little helpful hint: don’t pull both cups off at the same time. I ended up spilling half my milk by laying it on the table while I poured the other cup into a bottle. Instead I found it best to pour each cup into the bottle as you remove it.
My baby girl is in 3 days 6 months old and has been exclusively fed by breast milk through pumping as she has a tongue tie and we haven’t cut it. Medela makes it really doable without needing to close yourself at home. I have travelled with this pump abroad and been around. I would highly highly recommend to get Medela if you are serious about pumping to feed your baby. I would not compromise for a couple of hundred pounds on this as it is what your baby will drink for such a long time
Practical and effective!
Great pump, worth every penny!
Hands free is so important as I am able to continue to look after other my other child
Very simply to use and effective!
Comfortable
I am a first time mum and used a hospital grade pump before being sent home. Having exclusively breastfed, I wanted something easy and less time intensive to help me have a break every now and again and allow my husband to help feed.
When looking into pumps, Medela always came up as a reputable brand – but looking at some of their other pumps with so many parts, I was turned off – until this new release pump came up!
I PAID FULL PRICE (not gifted free product) and I am impressed.
PROS
– there’s literally 3 parts to clean, I’m someone who can’t handle complicated products – this was so easy and straight forward.
– The suction is as good as the hospital grade pump I used – I only use settings at half the max suction, and it’s strong enough!
– Handsfree cups – they sit nicely on the boob and in any bra – very comfortable
CONS
– the motor unit is quite loud and also huge – no way this can fit in any modern pocket! So in that sense I don’t feel its truly Handsfree, unlike the Elvie
– measurement cups – its really hard to see how much you’ve pumped – the graduations dont have the ML’s on each line, and it’s also hard to read on the transparent cup. As the cup also sits on an angle, it’s deceiving how much ML’s is actually collected in the cup – given it’s shape
– noise – this is not overly noisy if pumping at home, but my friend has the Elvie and it literally is dead silent which is so good if pumping near your baby, or if in public
Great pump, happy with my investme
I’m happy I splashed out and bought thus pump, I really feel it manages to express milk very well and efficiently. It would be good if the pump had a lock screen though. I carry it around in a bumbag so that I don’t accidentally hit a button on the screen.
So far I love it!
I was worried for this purchase given the high price and some bad reviews. However so far I love it and it is life saver! The suction power is great for me (I hope will not change over time as mentioned in some reviews) and it is super light! Here some key points:
– quantity of milk extracted is similar to Medela hospital grade just a bit longer (20 mins instead of 15 mins for me)
– Cleaning is easy but a lot of pieces as the Medela hospital grade. I sterilize the pieces after each use but Medela directions are to sterilize only once a day (except the bottles of course)
– very light and easy to carry, I usually put in the given bag.
– One bad point is that it is very sensitive to touch and sometimes it stops (don’t place it in your pocket)
– the bustier from Medela very useful,I bought it few weeks after and really makes all easier
– I love the bag provided ,it is very stylish and same for the bag with ice pack. The only think they could have added maybe is a waste belt to carry the machine while walking.
Great pump all round
This is a great breast pump for my partner who is really pleased with it.
We initially had the hospital medela unit on rent which is a powerhouse of a pump but not something you can take anywhere with you. This mobile version doesn’t have the same power, but it’s still very good and does the job well.
In terms of its operation, it’s easy to use. It is charged with a USB C charger, provided, and has a simple touch interface on the main body. Suction can be increased or decreased quickly and it automatically starts in a stimulation mode before moving onto normal “sucking”.
Our daughter refuses to feed at the breast but my partner was determined to provide her milk and this has been brilliant for us. She finds the breast cups comfortable and the mobility of the unit is great (ie it’s so compact its easy to pack up amd take with us when we visit friends etc). It charges quickly and typically gets 3 long pumps of 20-30mins between charges.
Cleaning is simple, just relies on you disassembling and cleaning, which really isn’t tricky at all. The main pump body and tubes dont need seperate cleaning though which is good. Yes, still a bit of a faff, but its understandably necessary.
There is an app but we haven’t used this yet and may not bother. At the end of the day it’s not something you need but it’s useful to know its there if thats more your thing.
So overall, we think this is brilliant for our needs and we’d get another in a heartbeat if we had to choose again. Yes, it’s not cheap, but for how much we use it amd how well it works, it was worth it. And as a side note, we use MAM bottles for feeding which are excellent too.
I’ll break this review into stages for anyone considering buying.
I had a 30 electric pump which just about did the job but wasn’t suitable for long term use and caused me a lot of pain at times, the motor started going and as someone exclusively pumping I needed something more reliable.
Pros:
Battery seems great, I charge it over night and then can use it freely around the house during the day for over 2.5 hours
Suction is powerful, lots of different settings (1-9 on massage and 1-9 on suction)
Comes with different sized bits for your nips, I had to go a size up and purchase separately because I am on the larger side, but nice that different sizes included.
The cooler/bag that it comes with has been really handy, means I can express during the night snd not have to go downstairs to put it in the fridge, I just pop it in the cooler bag beside the bed. The carry bag is also good for storage of all the little bits and bobs so I don’t lose it.
The motor is quiet when connected, you can hear the vibration sounds but realistically it’s a darn sight quieter than my last one.
Expressing more! I’ve been trying to build my milk supply up as my baby grows, and because it’s painless to express with this pump and the suction is great it has helped. I have gone from about 550ml a day to 780ml yesterday and ive only had it a week!
Connecting to the app means I can track my progress and milk supply on there! It has a virtual milk storage, though as you can see from my picture I’ve just started keeping the milk in bottles in the fridge – the milk pictured is EXCESS as I’m producing so much. It’s reassuring to know she’s always got a feed on hand if I’ve not expressed.
Cons; the price. I know it’s a good bit of tech, and it’s worth the money for me, if you’re not exclusively expressing and planning to do so for a good few months it’s not worth the money.
It doesn’t come with a the expressing bra – I know it’s not advertised to come with the bra but ive found I can’t express with this pump unless I’m wearing the bra, so it’s an additional expense – the bra is fantastic, even for me as I’m a 40G, the large fits well and keeps my boobs in place. Plus it’s strapless and easy to do up/undo. Would definitely recommend getting this!
Lots of bits to wash. There’s the bottles, the nipple bits, and then a bit that connects them all with a removable membrane that all needs washing every time. The thing has to be bone dry to work which isn’t always possible when it has so many bits, and I’ve found it a bit of a hassle to wash every time.
Doesn’t include a teat for the bottles. Again it doesn’t advertise including one but would be really handy, had to purchase one separately which was an additional cost, and had to use my own bottles in the meantime.
Overall, I would recommend this pump to anyone who is exclusively pumping and wants a good milk supply. You absolutely can buy quality – and this is it! My advice would be though:
Prepare to spend an additional 30-40 on the bra, extra bottles, a teat, milk bags, breast pads etc.
Whilst the wireless option is amazing, if you bend over whilst wearing it you WILL spill milk from the bottles.
Make sure the nipple shield is the right size for you. I was using the 24mm and it was hurting. I’ve now got a 30mm and it’s painless.
Get the app – tells you the % of the battery, how much milk you express per day etc.
Don’t stress! You’re doing great mama!
****editing as I have had to return this as one side has completely broken within a month of purchase. Getting a replacement so will keep this updated if that has the same issue.
After few months I feel that the machine suction is not strong
I like the machine very much, but after 6 months I feel that the machine suction power is not strong as It was, is there any part that I need to change?
Decent sized bottles, easy to clean and come with caps. I have been using with the Medela Swing pump which they fit well. Teats not included.
The cap has a circular disc in the centre, which can be removed to allow for teats to be inserted. It would be useful for teats to be included too though rather than having to purchase separately.
If teats are purchased (along with some lids) then there’s no reason why the bottles can’t be used as standalone bottles as they are a good travel size.
Great pump
Bought this after a much cheaper pump lost suction and made me think my supply was dropping. This is a great pump and far quieter than expected. It would be good if the touch buttons could be locked though as trying to multitask regularly means I’m changing function etc without meaning to! It’s also expensive and feel it would be better to leave out the travel bag, ice packs etc and leave them as optional extras
Poor packaging
Previously i bought the packaging by Medela was nice and neat,each item in its box.for the past 2 recent purchases for this item,im surprised I received package like that as if it is a return product repackage done.I ordered NEW,not return/opened box item.Weird thing is the box is sealed.unless Medela new packaging style is like that,i feel so frustrating that an expensive item like this being packed so cheap and haphazardly.see the photos i shown,open the seal,you see the bag,all is thrown into the bag.even the expensive pump is just nakedly sit there.Previous purchase,the pump has its own proper box to ensure its safety.Please Amazon&Medela,Pack properly.if customer order NEW,we expect NEW.not like this.
The medela pump is a really good and powerful pump, its easy to clean, although when you get it at first you feel overwhelmed by all the different components but once you get the hang of it, it becomes quite nippy.. I did find that it used to leak when I bent over which caused quite a few tears over spilled milk in the start. Obviously you need to get the bra with it. It comes with 2 size nipple suctions and a bag which I still use on my pram. I didnt end up using it for long. It definitely a product that you need to be dedicated to using. I found breastfeeding difficult as in the beginning my baby wouldn’t latch on properly so I bought this to help me give my baby breast milk however being a first time mum/ inexperienced I became complacent and gave up trying to breastfeed and tried to exclusively pump. As I wasn’t doing it properly I had to substitute with formula milk so my milk supply reduced. I also had exams to complete at giving birth so I didnt have the time to pump every 2 hours and clean and let everything dry and also look after a newborn.
This is a product you need to be dedicated to. Maybe if you are on maternity leave and a stay at home mum it will work for you however it is much easier to try and use that time and dedication that you would have spent washing the machine and bottles etc trying to teach your baby to latch, maybe even buying a medela nipple shield will work just as well.
Just my personal thoughts, I ended up exclusively bottle feeding. I stopped pumping it was too much effort. Your breasts become engorged so you have no choice but to pump to release your breasts from the milk but the OG pump aka the baby would be a much better option. I feel that if i didnt have to pump to rely on I would have made more effort to breastfeed but I didnt know any better.
Having used the Medela hospital grade breast pump while in hospital following the birth, I was worried that I would be disappointed with the Freestyle Flex as it is intended for home use. This has not been the case at all and I have found the Freestyle Flex to be very easy to use with sufficient suction to express milk quickly and easily. The Breast shields have proved to be very comfortable and I have not been in pain whilst pumping.
I have used this pump in conjunction with the Medela app. The Bluetooth on the pump works well with the app on my iPhone to log pumping times and to be able to log nappies, breastfeeding and bottles in the app has proved very useful for meetings with the midwives and health visitors as well as assisting a sleep deprived new mum with a consequent memory of a goldfish!
I love this pump, however it does have a a couple of faults. As it’s wireless, I like to walk around my house doing some chores whilst I pump however because it doesn’t have a lock to lock the screen, whilst it’s in my pocket I’m not sure what happens but when I remove it the screen doesn’t work. I can’t click on anything. I have to switch it completely off with the button at the side. I then put it back on and it still doesn’t work so I have to switch it back off leave it 10 mins and then come back to it and it works again.
Other than that it’s a great pump easy to clean and sterilise and it’s great that it also comes with 4 bottles, a cooler bag and a bag to put all the parts in. I would recommend this to other breastfeeding mums!
This is my fourth Medela pump, and as it’s a redesign/new model, I will also compare it to the others that people may be more familiar with.
My pumping journey has been long. I have been an “exclusive pumper” since my son was about a month old and have pumped between 4-7 times a day for nearly 7 months now. In order, I have used the Medela Swing single (older version, not the new flex), then the Symphony (hospital grade), then the Freestyle (older version), and now the Freestyle Flex.
What’s great about this pump:
-It’s quiet. Much quieter than the older Freestyle, Symphony, and Swing. When I first switched it on I walked into the room and my husband didn’t even think I was pumping.
-It’s comfortable. Part of this has to do with the improved “Flex” breast shields (the circumference of the hard plastic is smaller, but the overall size is the same as other Medela shields, maintained by a flexible silicone outer part). In addition, the suction is strong, but smooth, so even at its highest level it’s not overly painful, and feels comparable in strength to the Symphony. The older Freestyle, I found, had a strong and painful suction on the higher levels.
-It’s effective. I pump the same volume per day as I did when using the hospital grade Symphony. However, I found that I am pumping about 100ml less per day with this compared to the older Freestyle, which I suspect has to do with the pump suction power (and that pump was painful). My pumping sessions last between 10-20 mins. I get maybe 80-90% out in 10 minutes, which is similar in speed to the Symphony and older Freestyle. The Swing single was much slower because you need to do both sides.
-It’s portable. The Symphony obviously couldn’t move away from a wall plug. This is slimmer (though longer) than then older Freestyle, and fits in my palm comfortably. It has a wrist strap, but no belt clip like the older Freestyle.
Other likes:
It’s great that Medela now include 2 sizes of breast shield as standard! I don’t believe the new Flex shields give an extra 11% as claimed. They’re more comfortable for sure, but my pump volume is the same.
The part that connects the flange into the bottle has been improved over the older Freestyle- the membrane wraps around more fully so doesn’t need constant adjustment like the older one did. Also the older Freestyle wouldn’t work if the membrane was slightly wet- no issues with this one.
The pause button is useful if you need to readjust flange placement.
I like the idea of using the Bluetooth feature but haven’t set it up yet. Also the touch screen looks sleek.. however see the downsides…
What’s not so great:
-The touchscreen. There is no belt clip, so to go hands free this has to go in a pocket. But when it does, the touchscreen occasionally freezes and you have to press the power button on the side of the device to switch it off (so it won’t pause, and you can’t adjust the suction power or switch from let down mode). It doesn’t do this all the time, but I’ve had it 2 weeks now and it’s happened maybe 5 times. Annoying.
-Still not spill proof. The older Freestyle and Symphony would spill if you leaned over. The design on these is improved but would still leak if you leaned over horizontal or tipped the bottles over.
-Battery: I feel like it lasts slightly less time than the older Freestyle, and is integrated, so isn’t replaceable (unlike the older Freestyle).
Final thoughts:
-It’s a great and comfortable pump. Easy to assemble and clean, and it’s effective at getting the milk out (probably the most important criteria). It’s a great alternate to the Symphony for someone who needs portability but still requires a strong pump, though is obviously more expensive than renting one of those for a few months. Slight edge over the older Freestyle because of its comfort, and because the membranes are less fiddly, but I did like that I produced more milk with that pump.
*Edit after 3 weeks of use- I’ve had to return 2 pumps because of the screen freezing issue, and my 3rd pump now seems to have a battery issue (only charges to 2 bars). Also, I find the “vine” reviews a bit misleading.. they’re all clearly not from lactating mothers?? How can you review a breast pump…without using it to pump milk.
Handy spare bottles for your pump.
Does what it says on the tin, so to speak! These bottles fit your Medela pump and come in handy when the one that came with it is being washed up, or in the fridge or the steriliser (actually we don’t generally sterilise them, as the hospital told us there was no need to sterilise breast milk bottles, just wash with hot soapy water). I’m not entirely sure I see the point of being able to take the top circle of the lid out, as I (and I’m sure most other people) just decant the milk into a feeding bottle anyway. The lids do clip together securely so they don’t bother me by falling apart all the time. They are a little bit expensive for what they are I suppose, but they do the job and if you’re pumping regularly they will come in really handy.