I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again-- but this time about the Spectra S9 Plus. The little engine that could. We believe in you S9, with some good hands-on massaging, the right flange fit and a whole lotta time, you might actually move most of the milk in my breasts.
Does this pump work? Sure, it would be wrong of me to say it doesn’t turn on. But is it turning on AND doing its one job? Meh! To that I’d say, it sure tries! But is falling short at every session.
You know what blows me away? That one company can have such stellar products and then as many lemons as they do. The Spectra S1, S2, and Synergy Gold... hell ya, we have a few solid winners! Then you bring in the S9, Synergy Gold Portable and Premier (love the name) Mobiles... are we even ordering from the same brand at this point? Either way, let’s keep this on track and focus on the pump we are here to discuss, the S9.
What do you even say about this pump?! It reminds me a lot of the Elvie Stride motor. It will eventually do the job but I sure hope you have the time for it to draw it out, no pun intended. The S9 is super lackluster, slow moving and in my opinion, should never be counted on as a primary... or even considered as secondary. Unlike the above mentioned quality Spectra pumps, the S9 doesn’t vibrate. I feel vibration goes hand in hand with Spectra, like peanut butter and jelly. Why offer a pump that doesn’t have your signature secret sauce? It just doesn’t make sense to me and as someone who hadn’t used the S9 until about one year ago, I thought it did vibrate because that’s the trait I grew to know when referencing Spectra pumps.
Let’s break these modes down quickly, and I mean quickly. Massage mode... knock, knock is anyone in there? Truth be told, I hate massage mode on most pumps because I do not like the faster cycle speeds and plucks at the nipple. But the S9 Plus doesn’t even leave me hating it because I hardly feel it. Massage mode goes up to L5 suction strength but still ultimately leaves me with hardly any stimulation. On to the Expression mode, the only way I’m able to move milk with this mode is to crank the suction but with cranking the suction I begin to feel discomfort. The cycles are soooo slow. In other words, I can feel the speed at which my nipples are being pulled into the flanges taking longer than it should. Even with the lowest suction strength, which I can honestly not feel a damn thing, the cycles are still super slow when traditionally you’d find them to be a little faster. As you increase the suction strength, typically cycle speeds slow, but how much slower can we actually go?? Suction strength in expression goes up to a whopping level 10- it’s pretty strong. I find I can move the most milk at level 7 but it’s not super comfortable, and I find it difficult to trigger subsequent let downs once the first is over.
The market is so saturated with pumps that it won’t take you long to find a pump that is equivalent in size, volume level and hackability. I don’t usually do this, but if you’re looking for a far better option than the S9 and about the same size and far more effective- just cut to the chase and grab the Pumpables Genie Advanced. This isn’t a comparison but I feel this mention needs to be shared because it’s truly an upgraded version of what Spectra tried to do here. Yes the S9 came first, but Pumpables did it better. It’s time to hang up the tubes on the S9 and reinvent the motor on this little engine that "couldn't".
Perks to the S9? The only beneficial thing I’d say is how easy this pump is to hack, which isn’t saying a ton. You can use any flange or cup arrangement with this little guy, easy peasy. Read more on hacks HERE.
To recap - Two modes, neither of which are very stimulating. Slow moving suction pattern, moving the tiniest amount of milk at a time. Like I said, it works but you’re going to be sitting there for a while. Honestly, I’m not here to beat a dead horse or Spectra as a brand, for that matter. But the Spectra S9 Plus will never be a recommendation. Is it the worst pump I’ve ever used? No, definitely not, but I cannot in good faith suggest it, even as a secondary. From my experience, it’s not reliable for an adequate empty and I just can’t trust that it’s going to keep anyone’s milk supply as healthy and up to it's true potential when compared to a quality primary OR secondary pump. Sorry, it’s a no from me, Dawg.
