Hands free breast pumps can offer new moms amazing freedom! You can easily pump while doing anything from sleeping to grocery shopping to driving. There are now a few wireless breast pumps on the market, and it’s hard to know which to choose – Elvie vs. Willow. Here are how the two pumps compare so that you can choose the best hands free breast pump for you!
Wireless vs Hands-free Breast Pump
Both the Elvie and the Willow pump are wireless. In fact, when you buy a double pump, you are actually buying TWO pumps, one for each breast. They aren’t connected at all and can work independently – you can pump on one side or both sides using either Elvie or Willow.
You put the pump in your nursing bra, so no need to buy an additional hands-free pumping accessories.
You can adjust the suction levels on both the Elvie and the Willow pump, and they automatically sense letdown and switch to expression mode.
(There are some hands-free breast pumps that are not wireless, such as the Freemie Liberty, but this article focuses on the best wireless breast pumps.)
Breast Shield Sizes
The Elvie offers the following flange sizes:
- 21mm
- 24mm
- 28mm
The 24mm and 28mm come with the pump; if they don’t fit and you need the smaller size, you can order the 21mm.
Willow comes with the 24mm and 27mm breast shields.
Sizes other than the ones listed are not supported for either pump.
It’s critical to make sure that you will fit one of the sizes for the pump that you choose! Neither company accepts returns of opened pumps, and pumping with the wrong size breast shield can damage your nipples. You can review Willow’s sizing chart here and Elvie’s information on sizing is here.
Milk Storage
The biggest difference between the Elvie and Willow pumps is what you pump into. With the Elvie pump, you pump into a reusable 5oz bottle; when you pump using the Willow, the breast milk flows into one of their proprietary bags. Each bag holds 4oz and they are not reusable.
If you pump more than the bag or bottle holds, both pumps will automatically stop to allow you to change out the bag or bottle, so you don’t have to worry about overflowing. You can then switch it out and keep pumping.
If you’re exclusively pumping, the frequency with which you’ll need to pump may make the Elvie a better choice in the money you’d save on breast milk bags. For example, if you pump 5 times a day, you’d need 10 bags per day, or about 300 per month. This amount of breast milk bags will cost you over $100 every month.
However, if you pump less frequently, the cost isn’t as onerous.
Pump Maintenance
The Elvie pump has 5 parts to clean – valve, spout, bottle, seal, and breast shield. They can be washed by hand or on the top shelf of the dishwasher. Pump parts should be completely dry before using again.
Willow has two parts to clean, the flange and a tube that connects to the pump. These can also be washed by hand or on the top rack of the dishwasher.
Elvie’s pump parts can be sterilized using a microwave steam bag, but Willow’s cannot. They can be sterilized in a countertop sterilizer.
Price and Insurance
The latest version of both pumps are similarly priced at around $500 for two pumps. (Most women will want to double pump and buy one pump for each breast.)
If you have health insurance in the United States, you should be entitled to one free breast pump per child. However, what insurance companies cover will vary. Some will cover the rental of a hospital-grade pump, others will cover a double electric pump, and some will cover a manual pump.
Most policies will not cover a Willow or an Elvie – but that doesn’t meant that you necessarily would have to pay the full cost out of pocket. Options that you can look into include:
- Upgrading your covered pump. Aeroflow Breastpumps stocks the Elvie, and you may be able to get it at a discounted price through them. If you haven’t gotten your pump through insurance yet, fill the linked form and see if you can get one at a discount.
- Getting your pump partially covered out-of-network.
- Using your FSA or HSA to pay for your pump.
You can ask your insurance company about these options.
Willow also has an older, first-generation model that is slightly cheaper.
Apps
Elvie and Willow both have apps that are available for iOS and Android. You can download them from the app store and connect your pump.
Using the apps, you can see how much you’ve pumped and track pumping output over time for each breast.
Sound
Elvie claims to be “silent,” while Willow states that it is “quiet.”
Battery
Both pumps take about 2 hours to fully charge, and last for about one day of pumping once they’ve been charged.
One of the comments notes below that (at least with a Willow) you may want to buy an extra charger, since you have to charge two pumps.
Customer Support
Willow offers customers 1:1 coaching. Elvie offers support via email.
Neither pump can be returned once opened.
Elvie offers a two year warranty on the pump and 90 days on the pump parts. Willow’s warranty is one year from first use.
So those are the differences between the Elvie and the Willow – which do you think is the best hands free breast pump currently on the market. Have you tried one? Let us know what you think!
References
References- Elvie. https://www.elvie.com/
- Willow. https://www.willowpump.com/
I was an EPer with my first baby for 7mo and now pregnant again- I used the spectra with great results the first time around( Medela PIS was my backup)
My concern is cost of willow for an EPer BUT I need a pump that has good suction – what’s the suction level of these pumps in user opinions?
I’m leaning toward elvie(no bags) but if it can’t suction well then it’s useless – I used my spectra s1 on level 6-9 typically
Thanks for help!!
Hi Carrie! I have heard from a few people that the Elvie suction is not as strong as they’d like. It’s so hard to know without being able to try it first and with the learning curve. If you KNOW you need strong suction and would be using it as your main pump, I would hesitate a bit.
One option that might work well is to use a Baby Buddha with closed system Freemies. The suction on that thing almost ripped my nipples off. If you do this get the Belly Baby tubing to hack it all together. (Feel free to email me if you want more info. Also I have a discount code for the Baby Buddha.)
I agree with some others here that Willow is not a good pump for inexperienced users. I don’t have any problems with it but I’ve already been EPing for 11 months this time around and have EPd in the past as well. I have a Medela PISA and a Freestyle, a Freemie Liberty and a Willow. I love the Willow. It does have some serious “suck power” but I can lay on my back and pump! As an EPer, that’s a big deal when it comes to sleep. Especially for me because I pump to donate. There is no actual small human that needs me to be awake here!
Just a couple things to mention:
FIRST, Willow does ship their 27mm flange for free with your purchase of a Willow. You don’t have to buy it separately.
ALSO Willows parts can be put in a countertop sterilizer – so they can be sterilized – just not in a microwave bag.
LAST, buy an extra charger. It only comes with one. Sad story since most of us have two breasts.
Thank you soooo much Kirsten! I really appreciate this!
Hi* I have used both pumps! Unfortunately the Elvie leaked, which was a huge problem and ended in me returning the pump. The willow is fantastic, however, it sounds like a printer, is very noticeable and very expensive for exclusive pumping. On the plus side, the suction is great, something to get used to, the pump literally latches onto you and feels quite odd in the beginning. It definitely extracted milk better than the Elvie for me personally, I too usually have to pump for a lot longer. The Elvie was my first choice for sure, it’s lighter and more comfortable, you can barely hear it or notice it at all and the reusable bottles was the cherry on top. I hope they will fix the leakage problem as I have seen a few posts about that same problem. I’ve also used the Freemie Liberty, also great, easily concealed and low noise. But piping can get annoying.. I hope this helps whomever is struggling to chose next!
Thank you so much Robyn!!
I’ve got exclusively pumped for 16 weeks now with an Elvie, and it’s great. The freedom it gives – I can pump in the car, at baby group, in the shops and no one even knows I’m pumping. It is especially good for me as I take ages to empty, 30 mins +, which is a long time to be tied to a plug!
I actually get more output quicker with an Elvie but I don’t always feel fully empty (mainly because it’s hard to do breast compressions and massage with it on) so I supplement a couple of times a day with my hospital grade Ardo Calypso.
Thank you so much for the feedback!
I would not recommend Willow for a first time pumper. It does not give as much output of milk compared to the Medela pumps. After you purchase it, you find out there are many other “tricks” you have to do in order to get it to switch over from stimulation phase to expression phase. The Willow pump is also not as comfortable as the Medela pump especially because it’s limited in the selection of flange sizes. Don’t waste your money if you’re not experienced in pumping milk.
Thanks so much for sharing your perspective Shar – super helpful!
I use the willow 2.0 and pump in style Medela. The willow is good as a secondary pump but is not as good for extracting milk as the Medela. It’s good for work and when I’m out of the house but would not work as a primary pump. Also the ads are misleading about how noticeable the pump is. It is breast shaped but can make your chest look unnaturally huge when on. Bags are also expensive leading to it costing about a dollar each time you want to pump. Finally, I think my experience with the Medela made it easier to use the willow. For a first time pumper would recommend traditional pump first.