The Medela Freestyle Flex Pump – a review

I love this pump. I won’t even make you read this whole review before I say that I love this pump and highly recommend it. There are of course some not so great things about it and it depends on what your needs are, but there are more pros than cons in my book. Here’s why I love this pump so much.

Set Up

This is a very easy and straightforward pump to use. Without even reading any instructions, you can easily set this pump up and start using it.

On the pump there is the power button on the side and four touch screen buttons – letdown, increase suction, decrease suction and a start/pause button. SIMPLE. I’m also a sucker for design and this pump is very sleek and modern looking in comparison to its older sister, the Freestyle. Once put together and attached to your breasts, simply turn it on, and press the “play” button. It will start in stimulation mode and you can adjust the suction to your preference. After two minutes, the pump will automatically transition to expression mode.

One downside of the pump is that it definitely is not silent and if you’re trying to watch a movie with your husband and pump…it’s going to be a noticeable part of the soundtrack. Although, in comparison to the Medela Pump In Style I got with my insurance, it is definitely the quieter of the two but worth noting that it is not silent. 

(For the record, the Freestyle Flex was not offered with my insurance but if you want to purchase out of pocket, it is $324.99 and available on Amazon!)

Performance

While pumping output is very different for each woman, there absolutely is a difference in pumping efficiency from pump to pump. As a Work & Mother member, I was able to have consistent access to the Medela Symphony pump during the workday, which is their multi-user hospital grade pump – consider this the gold standard for suction and performance. I am pleased to say that my output in comparison to the Symphony, was still great. Definitely not AS powerful or efficient, but I was able to get the same results–it just took a little longer. I found myself often pumping for 10 minutes and then going back into stimulation mode to try to get another let down.

Mobility

This is probably one of the most attractive things about this pump. The Freestyle Flex only weighs about 1 lb and is extremely compact and portable. It comes with a small lanyard that you can put around your wrist to carry around or slide it into your jean pockets (or legging waistband if we’re being realistic) and pump away! I always used my hands free pumping bra so I could truly be handsfree and walk around my house with ease and comfort. It has a 2 hour battery life so you can easily charge it before you go somewhere, throw it in your bag and use it for multiple pumping sessions before having to recharge.

Cleaning

As someone with possibly undiagnosed OCD, cleanliness and sanitation are super important to me and I found the Freestyle Flex really easy to manage in this department. The parts are compact but not so small that you feel like you will lose a pesky little valve or membrane. There were not hard to clean spots and the pieces still all fit easily in a microwave steam sterilizer bag.