why I regret purchasing the Elvie breastpump // review & thoughts

This video is a review of the Elvie "hands free" breastpump. I compare it to my Spectra pump and share my thoughts on whether or not I think it's worth the money, has good suction, and can replace my other pump.
Follow me on instagram @kaylabuasod

[@lejlaland2020]

I’m so glad that you were ale to get it for half off especially considering that from your point of view, there are more cons than pros!

[@kaylabuasod]

Me too! I think I can get enough use out of it to make it worth the sale price for me.

[@amymassie2535]

Thanks for this, it’s been helpful! I can see with other comments that there are ways to work around the limited flange sizes but you shouldn’t have to do that with a $500 pump. I think I’ll stick with Spectra.

[@lejlaland2020]

Thank you so much for creating this video! I’ve always considered the hands free pumps such as the Elvis and the Willow! So helpful! Will look into those options in the future ❤️🙏🏻 Keep it up with your breastfeeding/pumping journey! You’re doing wonderful mama! 🤗

[@kaylabuasod]

Glad I could help 😄

[@lindyjenkins5719]

I'd go with the Elvie hands down. There are 7 intensity levels, so you can find which is right for you. After investing in such a nice pump I would hate to spend money on extra parts and bags (these aren't cheap!). Elvie comes with a full extra set of parts/bottles so you have everything you need right out of the box, especially useful for busy moms who don’t have a ton of time to wash parts. It also lets you toggle between letdown and expression mode, which I have read the other hands free pumps do not

[@kaylabuasod]

Unfortunately, I did have to buy extra parts because the box only contained 24 and 28mm parts and I needed something smaller. I am glad the Elvie worked so well for you. I imagine it is incredibly helpful to women who are able to actually use it. As I mentioned in the video, the suctiom wasn't strong enough for me even at the highest intensity level and I had a really low output while using it. Again, I am glad it worked for you. I am definitely jealous because I wanted it to work for me and free up my hands!

[@linnyroro3177]

@@kaylabuasod have you looked into the momcozy hands free pumps? They have different pumps but everyone I have spoken to that has used loves them and say they help tremendously with getting supply up. I’m planning on getting the spectra synergy through my insurance and then getting the momcozy s12’s, but they also make the cups that fit into your bra and hook up to any other breast pump. I hope that isn’t confusing the way I explained it.

[@tariat]

These are spot on cons! I got this pump with my second son because I wanted a lovely, luxurious and amazing pump. Right now I’m pumping exclusively. First of all, if I have to spend 25 mins pumping I want an efficient pump! I’m worried about losing my milk supply if I only used this pump. I pump 90 ml with Elvie, v. 160-200 ml with the Philips Avent. Also the nipple guards are just so bizarre - I still don’t know if I have the right ones. And the charge - yes it’s so bad. I have to plug it in every time. I have spent more time troubleshooting and Googling issues with this pump than the far simpler Philips Avent pump. Also I had severe clogged ducts with this pump, which may well have been because it didn’t empty out the milk. Not worth the money ladies.

[@kaylabuasod]

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one! I swear every influencer is promoting elvie now and I'm like OK there must just be something wrong with me since I'm clearly the only person this dang pump doesn't work for!

[@putriarina8837]

Do you know where can i buy original philips avent breast shield silicone?

[@kay3716]

There are some silicone nipple shields that you can get on amazon to add into the flange area to help make it smaller.

[@kaylabuasod]

Ah I never thought of that. I had plenty of nipple shields at home. But honestly if I have to add the extra stuff to get it to fit, it isn't really helping me as much as I'd like. I still used it after this video, but it never worked as well as my spectra unfortunately.

[@kay3716]

@@kaylabuasod i totally get that and feel the same way i just wanted to let you know that was a option if you were interested in it. Im the same size flange as you so i get the struggle with finding the right size. Also for that price they should have something that accommodates all sizes not just two.

[@deborahyork6811]

Thank you for the honest review. I got the elvie a couple of the days ago I agree with you. I got it to be more mobile and spend more time with my two boys. And it’s not really working for me. Unfortunately I paid $530 for it, so I’m still trying to make it work. But again, thank you for being honest, I wish I saw your video before buying it.

[@kaylabuasod]

I feel your pain! I know I only paid half price for it, but just the fact that it costs that much to begin with is just crazy! Even women who like it seem to acknowledge that it has issues...

[@lexis2660]

Yes the Elvie sucks point blank period lol! It only stops at 3 oz for me when it's supposed to stop at 5 oz. When 30 mins pass and the light starts blinking and I hit play again it literally starts blinking again to say it's full even with me sitting straight up and still the whole time. When I reached out to Elvie Customer service they said to be honest if we sent you another one it might stop at 3 ounces too. I'm VERY disappointed 😞. Even putting a new container in for the milk it would always stop on 3 oz. I'm like I should have literally just got the WILLOW because I could have been sleeping 😴 while wearing the Willow since the Willow stops at 3 oz. I got Elvie because it says it can fill up to 5 oz so you can imagine that I was angry lol.

[@kaylabuasod]

I hear you girl. It was a total let down especially since you're paying a fortune for it to make your life easier

[@irishx26]

Thanks for making this video. I was between the Elvie and Spectra. Definitely getting the Spectra now. We will see if my survives since I am a fellow clumsy person. 🙃

[@kaylabuasod]

Haha mine survived 7 months of pumping, but just barely

[@carlifuciarelli8958]

Get the maymom inserts fit different flange sizes!

[@kaylabuasod]

I have the maymom inserts for my spectra, but how would they work with an Elvie? They don't have Elvie parts, do they?

[@carlifuciarelli8958]

@@kaylabuasod kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXbEYpytn71smLc

[@aleksandra1650]

you can use the maymom inserts for the elvie 😊 l think you just need to trim them. mommy shark has videos about them

[@viviponce4537]

I used this pump with my first baby and it worked fine, i loved the discreet wearability and suction and all the cool features and now 2 years later I want to use it when my new baby is born, but guess what - it is dead as dead can be. Granted i hadnt used it for a year but I tried everything on the internet to bring it back to live and it isnt working. I am NOT getting another of this. For all the money I spent on it, it should last a long time or have lifetime warranty.

[@dingalingbabysling]

Just wondering if you have called customer service?

[@viviponce4537]

@@dingalingbabysling i did. They tell you some steps on how to try to get the battery to work but because it is past the guarantee period they wont replace it or give you credit towards a new one.

[@livingforChrist]

@@viviponce4537 that sucks so much! 😳

[@jenniecockburn8811]

Buy insets for the 24mm flange to decrease the size

[@MommyBee1589]

It’s. Shame it’s so expensive and can’t even recommend it as a primary pump what a wasted I got the Willow and so glad I didn’t go with Elvis thanks for the review

[@Chichi-mo2pc]

@Brandie Williams how is the willow working out for you? I am a big breast woman and I believe I saw you comment and say the same but I may be mistaken.

[@MannieKu]

They don’t recommend a wearable pump as your primary pump. You should have a wall pump or those rechargeable ones like spectra s1 or luna

[@angelitagarza7291]

You should look into the spectra S9. It's portable and sooo much smaller.

[@kaylabuasod]

If only I could return my Elvie and try that one 😆

[@MannieKu]

S9 suction sucks lol I tried to use it and ended up getting baby Buddha

[@Marcella1450]

Thank you for this review now I know not to get this one. I think I’m gonna go with the Luna pump that they say is the spectra twin and it can be portable.

[@linnyroro3177]

You can get the inserts that go inside the 21mm flange on Amazon. I need either a 17mm or 19mm and even the 19mm is kinda big on me. I’ve had to order both the 17 & 19 to try but my baby isn’t here yet and I’m praying I can breastfeed with this baby.

[@kaylabuasod]

do you know what brand they are? I would love to put that info in the video description box for other moms.

[@linnyroro3177]

@@kaylabuasod it’s Maymom is the one that has always pulled up when I have searched for 17mm flange. They make the actual wide mouth flange piece that it says works with spectra, then they have the actual inserts that go in a bigger size flange.

[@JenniferKipp37]

Ughhhhhh. I wish I had seen this review before I bought mine. I'm having the same issues and I paid double what you did for it. I'm so sad.

[@kaylabuasod]

Sadly I think every person's experience is going to be different based on their breast shape/size/firmness and their milk supply but yeah I still have the box laying around almost two years later and I feel annoyed when I see it because I know I'll give it another try with the next baby and it will annoy me again haha

[@candace200]

I have large breasts and need this to help increase the number of times I can pump at work. I can pump three times a day at work, but need to fit in two more pump sessions at my desk. Would this work? Also, can you pump and bottle feed a baby with this because my baby doesn’t accept the nipple anymore and breastfeeding takes twice as long as pumping.

[@kaylabuasod]

I wish I could say for sure. I've heard from another mom who had large breasts that she had luck with the pump.for me, it really did not empty me. I would get 2 oz with elvie and 7 oz with my spectra at the same time the next day. I can't recommend it to you in good faith, but I also can't confirm it won't work for you because other women have had success. I would say if possible, don't make it your primary pump. If you have another one at home, use that when you're not working.

[@karenmendez5983]

Where you able to find the correct fit? Or make it work?

[@kaylabuasod]

The 21mm size did work a lot better than the 24mm, but it never fully fit correctly. If I sat completely still, the 21mm was fine.. My problem always seemed to be that because I have a larger chest, my actual breast was bulging out from the sides of the pump and because of that, if I moved too much, the pump would just come dislodged so easily and turn off. And usually I didn't even realize it had turned off because the suction was so light. So I would pull my pump out after 30 minutes and it would be nearly empty.

[@karenmendez5983]

@@kaylabuasod i bought mine on Friday and I have large chest DDD I took them to universal studios and even got on a ride and they seem to stay in place try the bras the have at target they’re very snug.. it’s a breastfeeding/pumping one and they even have 15% off

[@kaylabuasod]

@@karenmendez5983 ok maybe I'll try with the next baby. I've been done breastfeeding for a couple months now. I'm happy they worked out for you though!

[@Kandrida]

A lot of women use the smaller pumpinpals flange inserts with the elvie pumps.

[@kaylabuasod]

i've never heard of that company. I will definitely look into it. Thank you!!

[@Kandrida]

@@kaylabuasod pumpinpals are awesome! I've used their flanges for both of my breastfeeding journeys. They don't work with all pump types, but the ones they do work with are very good. They have sizes now that can accommodate those with very small to very large mm sizes. Many are interchangeable for those days when your size fluctuates. The guy who designed them did so because his wife i believe was struggling to find a size that would accommodate fluctuations for her. He also designed to be more comfortable and more like a baby at the breast angle wise rather than the ridged straight ones you typically find.

[@kaylabuasod]

@@Kandrida do people have to do something special to them to make them work for elvie? I'm sure I can find it on youtube. I quickly looked through the websiten and didn't see any listed as an Elvie match

[@Kandrida]

@@kaylabuasod I'm not a hundred percent sure. From what I can tell the smaller ones come with a small attachment that helps secure them into the larger flange with. From what I can tell you just put them in and they work. Though some have mentioned it isn't going to be a flush fit and would likely have a slight awkward fit as it means they add an inch or two of space between the elvie and breast, but that it does make the elvie work better for them. Overall though output wise regardless of the inserts not every pump will do much more for output than it already does without them, you could wear them longer though, than your other pump would in less time. Certain pumps only work for certain people, and if you aren't getting as much if anything at all your response to that pump is probably always going to be the same overall. Personally I respond really well to spectra and baby Buddha, but Medela pump in style I responded very poorly to. Baby Buddha pump might be an option for you as it's a wonderful strong suction (adjustable to 9 levels, most get strong as willow at level 3 or 4) wearable too, and you can hack it to wear freemie cups (or any pump parts really) with it if you want to. It's designer was a scientist who was tired of his wife struggling with find a good pump that didn't keep her attached to a wall. Seriously look it up it's worth every "cheap" penny and then some compared to willow and elvie imo. It's like about $200 or less if it's on sale and it often is.

[@this1twinky]

Big titty committee here and I have the same problem. I was so mad. My output was barely an oz.

[@Anitas112]

The elvie pumps doesn't work on me no milk collected or minimal I wasted my money

[@kaylabuasod]

Same :( and it's so hard to resell used pumps

[@victoriaval7975]

omg. the frustration I would be under. I would toss it. thank you for this review. 14:45 was me. sowill pass on the Elvie.

[@kaylabuasod]

haha i tried to return it first, and then sell it, and neither worked. I decided to just keep it to use in a pinch.

[@linnyroro3177]

@@kaylabuasod if you do decide to sell it for a decent price, please reach out to me because I’m a member of the itty bitty titty committee and hoping it would work for me. I won’t be needing it until summer 2022 if you do decide to sell it. I can give you my IG or FB or even my email if you would like.

[@bubbletea6883]

The elvie pump is trash I’m pissed I spent $500 on it I have an over supply I’ve been using my motif Luna for 7 months and wanted something to use when I’m out of the house besides a hand pump it the elvie takes like an hour to get all my milk out and after an hour it dies and I’m still not completely empty! And it’s a hit or miss atleast a few times a month one of my elvie (it’ll switch) one won’t suction I take it apart over and over and over it’s all clean all in there correctly dried still won’t suction so STUPID but then the next time it’ll work too expensive to be this stupid

[@kaylabuasod]

ugh me too! Mine constantly wouldn't work even though it was completely dry. And since the suction is so light, I never knew that it wasn't working. I just assumed it was lightly sucking per usual.

[@judekamron7400]

13:43 I love that. Do you love me? 😍💋 💝💖❤️