Let me kick it off by saying if you are breastfeeding and don’t have a manual pump in your toolkit, even if you mostly nurse, you most definitely should. A manual pump (some more so than others, but that’s beside the point) can really be the little engine that could. Many times they’ve helped me out in a pinch and moved a lot of milk, rather effectively at that. For the cost especially, a manual pump is an inexpensive option (when compared to electric pumps) to keep around for those odd times you need a solid pump option but don’t want to (or can’t) use an electric pump.
If you’re going to take my advice and get yourself a manual pump, get the Medela Harmony. Case closed. No need to even read further. Haha, I’m kidding, but seriously this little pump is small but mighty. Let me break it down for you.
The Medela Harmony is designed with your typical flange + bottle setup. It pumps into a Medela 5 ounce bottle, the same as Medela breast milk storage bottles, so it’s possible to buy multiples for storage and feeding purposes if that’s a routine that will work for you. Now I won’t hold back, it does have a handful of pieces, however it’s hackable with traditional duckbills which will decrease your part number a bit. It’s also compatible with aftermarket flanges, so for me, a fan of silicone flanges, this is a huge benefit because it’s easily hackable with Lacteck Baby Motion silicone flanges for added comfort. If you wanted to use the Medela Harmony with an electric pump, it’s also compatible when used with a long stem back flow protector and tubing. Simply pop off the handle and connect. This pump is so versatile which is awesome for limiting the parts and pieces you need to buy overall.
Aside from loving the “hackability” of the Medela Harmony, I love how effective it is. It has two modes - Stimulation and Expression. When you push down on the top part of the handle it mimics initial quick sucking of a baby to trigger a let-down, and then when you push on the larger bottom part of the handle it is Expression mode. You can control your own “cycle speed” here and push down slowly and leave it down for a few seconds and really get a nice, long pull. I absolutely love that about it. It is super effective at milk removal when used this way. Never used a hand pump before? Watch my reel on how to use it here!
One more reason the Medela Harmony takes the cake is its compatibility with the Medela Colostrum Collection kit, making collecting colostrum while pregnant so much easier! (Safely done at 37 weeks or later, but always confirm with your provider first! Check out my blog What is Antenatal Colostrum Collection & Why You Should be Doing it or snag yourself a copy of my Antenatal Colostrum Collection Guide to learn more!).
Another popular one on the market is the Lansinoh manual hand pump. While it might not be my favorite, it's still a solid choice for your breastfeeding toolkit. So if this is the one you have or for whatever reason the one you were leaning towards, I still support the purchase if it’s this one or none at all. Read on to learn why it’s not my top choice.
The Lansinoh manual pump also has two modes: Stimulation and Expression. Controlled by a toggle switch at the top, you can switch between modes giving control over triggering a let-down or milk removal. Although, I will say when compared to the Medela Harmony, Lansinoh manual doesn’t allow for as much suction in either mode because the handle has a shorter range of motion. This can mean you might not respond as effectively as you potentially would with the Medela Harmony.
In terms of compatibility, Lansinoh may work with an aftermarket flange, however depending on what you use you might experience a slightly loose connection which could affect suction. Unfortunately, the duckbill valve is proprietary, so it is not compatible with other parts. It also is not compatible with an electric pump.
When all is said and done, while the Lansinoh manual pump clearly isn’t as versatile as the Medela Harmony and I question how much it’s range of suction will actually affect your milk withdrawal, it can still be a decent tool to have in your pump bag if it comes down to Lansinoh or nothing.
Care for a comparison of the Medela Harmony and the Lansinoh Manual hand pumps? Give my Chit-Chat a watch here.
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Moving on to the Frida Mom 2-in-1 manual pump. If you know me, then you probably know my feelings about Frida as a company... Please hold while I gag for a minute... Not my fave, to say the very least. However, you also know I won’t let my feelings of sincere dislike (to say it kindly) overshadow my review of their product. I don’t play favorites with products, you might be a company I don’t support but if you make a good product, you make a good product, and I will promote it (Cue Medela Harmony in this case!).
Anyway, that being said, let’s get into it. The Frida Mom 2-in-1 hand pump is the absolute pits. It’s a flimsy design and isn’t very versatile aside from proprietary compatibility options. It comes as a set with options to use as either a manual hand pump or a passive collector.
The flange is loose. It only has one mode and the suction is not strong, likely due to the flange not being super snug. A design flaw if you ask me.
Another deal breaker is that the Frida Mom 2-in-1 is not compatible with any aftermarket parts, only proprietor. This sticks because you can’t personalize it with a better fitting flange or use it with an electric pump like the Medela Harmony. I like my pumps to be versatile and this ain’t that, let me tell ya.
The one thing the Frida Mom 2-in-1 has going for it is that it’s compatible with the Frida Mom Colostrum Adapter. I’m a huge fan of collecting colostrum and if this is the only way you have to do it versus not doing it at all, then you got to work with what you got. But if you are still shopping around I’d steer clear of the Frida Mom 2-in-1, as there’s better quality and more versatile choices out there for you.
Interested in a comparison between the Medela Harmony and Frida Mom 2-in-1 in terms of colostrum collection? Check out my comparison reel here!
Now for a manual pump option that’s a bit different than the norm - the Willow Wave and Willow Wave 2-in-1… Willow took a different route when it comes to manual pumps and instead of sticking with the flange + bottle setup, they decided to make their manual pump connect to wearable collection cup(s). The Wave connects to one cup and the 2-in-1 connects to two cups, giving the option to manually pump either one breast or both simultaneously. All other manual pumps on the market I’ve seen only allow for singular breast pumping at a time. Is this a deal maker or breaker for me though? No. Cool feature, but I think most women who are needing to pump both breasts at the same time typically are using an electric pump, and I’ll even go out on a limb here to say that those who are exclusive pumpers probably have a primary (tabletop) pump, a secondary pump (likely a wearable mobile option), and then possibly a manual. So the need to do both at once with a manual pump is few and far between if you ask me. Nevertheless, it's still a cool feature and I’m sure there’s a mom out there, somewhere, who couldn’t live without the 2-in-1.
So let’s talk engineering here. Willow Wave is an open system. What does that mean? It means that there's a possibility of your breast milk getting into pump components (tubing and handle) that are intended to remain dry and milk-free. This poses risk for contamination to your milk and makes it potentially harder to maintain a hygienically clean pump. However, in most cases the risk is low. If you do happen to get milk into your tubing, I would recommend replacing the tubing. Willow added an external backflow protector to the design of the 2-in-1 however, so this hopefully has solved the problem. Is it the best design I’ve seen for a closed system pump? No, it’s definitely not. But at least it’s something, I suppose.
Both the Wave and 2-in-1 use the same handle, which has two modes: Stimulation and Expression, controlled by a toggle switch. Something to keep in mind about that though, because the cup(s) are worn in your bra, it could be harder to determine if you’ve activated your let-down and it’s time to switch to Expression mode. Not a deal breaker, but something to consider. Here’s a major downfall in my opinion though - the flange tunnel is solid when looking through the cup. Why does this matter? Because it makes it harder to accurately use the hand pump in terms of holding down the handle for that long milk draw when in Expression mode. This really creates a lot of guesswork for the user because you can’t actually see if the milk is flowing or not, you can only see through the cup on how much milk you’ve collected. A big miss, design-wise, IMO. It basically eliminates your ability to have control over what is going on when pumping which is one of the main benefits as to why you’d want to use a manual pump other than the non-electrical aspect.
Want a visual? Take a look at my reel unboxing the Willow Wave here!
Ok, let’s talk compatibility. For starters, you theoretically could use the cup with an electric pump, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it simply because it’s an open system. Looking at the other end of the pump, what about the handle?? Yup, you can definitely hack the handle! Winning! The handle works great when hacked with the Medela Harmony and a long stem backflow protector. This is a great option to give your hand/arm a little more freedom and hold the flange + bottle setup in your pumping bra so you only have to worry about the handle control. It also allows you more control so you can see what is going on with your milk flow. Another hack is to bag the Wave cup and swap it for a collection cup with a flange tunnel you can see through, such as BabyBuddha collection cup(s). I’ve tried it with a splitter, but I’ll be honest the suction capability just isn’t enough for me. While it does work I’d be sitting there all day and who has that kind of time? See it first hand - Watch my Willow Wave hand pump hack reel here!
At the end of the day, I’d say the Willow Wave isn’t all that, but the handle alone might be a selling point for you. While I can’t support the use of the cups because I feel it defeats the whole purpose of using a hand pump for control, I do support getting it solely for the handle and hacking it!
That’s that, my friends! There you have it with hand pumps. If I haven’t expressed it enough already, although I’m sure I have, the Medela Harmony is my tippity top choice; but overall a manual hand pump, and pretty much any hand pump in general, is a great addition to your toolkit and can help you out when in a jam or you want a quick session and don’t want to monkey around with electrical pumps but need solid removal. For a product cross comparison - Manual Pumps included, snag a copy of my Pump Comparison Chart! It's free and you'll get an email any time it’s updated!
