A quick note to my friends over at Willow -
Dear Willow,
It’s been two years since my original review and not much has changed - at least not when it comes to you. I still highly dislike you as a brand and your products continue to be mediocre. Since I’m here for the community and not you, I’ll stay honest by adding that the Willow Go pump is still as great as I remember it. Take that however you will. But, it’s been two years and a lot has changed within the lactation space. Your extremely overpriced $349 breast pump now seems obsolete for what you’re offering when compared to what's available today.
Signed,
An Over-the-Top Mom 😉
It has been two years since I shared my experience with the Willow Go and I felt it was up for a review.
I popped this pump into my bra recently and all the memories came rushing back. This pump really isn’t a bad pick, if your heart is set on a Willow pump I would 110% recommend this option over the 3.0/360. There’s no comparison, the 3.0/360 (I mention those two together because they’re the same damn thing) and the Go are night and day different between the ease of use, volume and look- they have nothing in common. I’ll also continue to whistle that the Willow Go should be their leading pump, might as well just burn and bury that other thing.
As I was using the Go once again I was reminded how quiet this pump really is. It was a pleasant surprise, at one point I thought it had timed out because I couldn’t hear it. Nope, still plugging along, only quietly. As I share below in the original review, it doesn't have that stark mechanical sound like you may be used to hearing with basically every other pump. They do a fairly good job at muffling this noise, I'll give them that. As you'll read below as you make your way down this review I don't think this pump is the cat's ass any longer since its simply been replaced with more affordable and better options in the marketplace. However, if you're looking for a quiet pump, this one is a good pick. BUT, let me follow this up with no pump is silent but when compared to others, this one basically is.
December 2024 Shown with 5oz collection cups
As many of you may know, I’m a silicone flange fanatic, it’s been my jam for six years. The Willow Go flange is plastic and oddly I really like it. It’s not super steep like the 360, it doesn’t pinch like the Momcozy M6, it’s just a really great design. Over the years of bemybreastfriend and chats with the community, this pump does generally have a good reputation.
Fridge Hack Hail Mary December 2024- Which worked this time around! I was easily able to pump with this set above at my next session, no issues with suction.
Naturally nothing is going to be perfect, so here are a few things to keep in mind if you choose to pursue this pump. The fridge hack with these collection cups remain to be a hit or miss. When initially used while dry as a bone before first use, you'll be easy sailing. Once you pop these flanges into the fridge, say your prayers because you might have to disassemble the cups and dry the white housing and the duckbill to get them to seat properly. During the hack, moisture pulls between the plastic housing and duckbill and interferes with that nice tight seal we need to pump. Another thing that I've seen my sister-in-law deal with and another bmbf Community Member shared, was the case where the motor just stopped working. Your first thought would be, well damn my motor just died, but before you start dropping F-bombs, be sure to give it a hard reset on the hubs. That is exactly what it took for these two moms to get their motors back up and running.
Things I’d change about this pump, well there’s not many. I’d say- the way the cups assemble, sometimes I find myself feeling annoyed or worried that they might pop apart. One detail that seems like the most half-assed idea is the splash guard they threw into the mold to stop milk from splashing out of the cup. Come on, there has got to be a better way... Because that dinky added piece of plastic ain't doin' nothin'.
Now that I filled you in on all of my thoughts above, I still stand by everything I shared below in the original review, nothing has changed about my feelings on this pump. But one thing that has had a major shift, the lactation space and saturation of breast pumps.
I would be Shocked, with a capital S, if Willow was killin’ it with pump sales. In my opinion they fell from grace real fast and if I could make a wild assumption, I’d bet they’re still gasping for air. Right now, Dec 10, 2024 a quick search on Amazon shows:
Willow Go- 900+ bought in past month
Eufy S1- 3k+ bought in past month
Momcozy M5- 7k+ bought in past month
Willow 360- 400+ bought in past month
It’s no doubt that their completion is fierce, but for good reason. The other two examples listed above, but not limited to, are far better options for far less money. Or if you wanted to spend over $300 on a pump you can get far more for your money nowadays.
I would say this pump will always be an effective and good choice when based on performance. I don’t think it would be fair to discredit this pump simply because of the new competition in the space, but when price comparing, it’s a no brainer. This pump preforms very well and might just be the best pick for plastic flange users, but you're going to be paying for it.
------------- ORIGINAL REVIEW 2022
I hate to publish this but I’m an honest gal and this is the truth. I think I love this pump. There’s absolutely things I would change but as a whole, I’m sold.
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Fridge hack❄️
In my experience it’s a 50/50 chance or maybe more like a 10/90 chance when asking the pumping community. 90% being the, “ 👎🏻 to the fridge hack”. The reason for this hit or miss hack with this particular pump is due to the duckbill sliding off the housing of the cup. When originally assembled, dry, there is a good seat on the white backing plate of the cup. Once the cups are used and collect milk, emptied and refrigerated the duckbill loses it's seat on the white housing causing the duckbill to not hold a strong suction and become unreliable. I'd love to say the fridge hack works every time but that would be a lie. If you choose to fridge hack these cups (leave the motor out of the fridge) watch for loss of suction, if this happens check the duckbills!
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Let down ➡️ expression modes vary. I like that there is a clear distinction between both the let down mode and the expression mode. I personally do not find the let down mode useful during my own sessions but it is an effective pattern, this pump is a crowd favorite.
Comfort
Sits on the breast easily (36DD) and easy to center, unlink the Willow 3.0 which seems to take some getting used to. The flange design of the Go is far more comfortable and easier to use than the 3.0 which has a very steep flange, leaving you to really aim for the center blindly. After a recent poll majority agree that there’s little to no adjustment period getting used to the Willow Go. I absolutely felt there was zero adjustment, just like riding a bike. Put it in my bra and began pumping!
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Profile. Winner winner.
The Willow Go is way less obvious than the Willow 3.0! But I have to admit the 7 ounce containers do bring the Go size up to the 3.0 in comparison. However, the 5 ounce containers have a great slim fit, as slim as a cup with a built in motor can fit in one's bra.
Volume- quiet, very quiet.
The 3.0 has this distinct and annoying mechanical shutter when kicking the milk from the flange into the container. The Go doesn’t have much of anything in common with the 3.0, down to this design. The Go are your traditional duckbill release, no extra noises or mechanical arms that could fail on you.
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Assembly -
Since the Go assembles in 3 parts when it comes to cleaning you really only need to focus on the outside two. The flange and the container are the two parts that come into direct contact with milk. The motors and diaphragms *should* stay dry, due to this, you shouldn’t have to wash the diaphragms after each use. ⚠️You must put the cup on the motor first, then the flange! If you switch this order you will not get suction
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My biggest complaint is the fact there are no sensors to stop the motor before the cup overflows. Good news the Go pumps can be swapped out for two different size cups! Both 5 and 7 ounce containers are available, so hopefully that can be a fix for some.
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⚠️ I had ONE instance where milk was backfilling the duckbill and leaking out of the tunnel once turned off and removed from my bra. The only thing I found to combat this (which seems to have worked) was make sure the duckbill is seated very well against the white housing of the pump
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I really think that the Go should be Willow’s leading product. More affordable price point, user friendly & strong but comfortable suction.
