Spoilt for choices and don’t know which breast pump to buy? It is hard to say what kind of pump would work best for you. Some women are able to pump out more milk with an electric pump, while others may prefer a manual pump.

As a general rule, manual pumps may be good enough if you’re directly latching your baby and only need to pump occasionally. They are cheaper, lighter and hassle-free. However, if you need to pump every day, an electric pump may work better for you, as the pumping is automatic and less tiring.

We spoke to Madam Pang Shu Xin, the Executive Director of Mothercare Singapore on her views about breast pumps and according to her, Medela and Spectra breast pumps are their best sellers. “They have the greatest mindshare and peer reviews through online forums and word of mouth,” she claims. Apart from these two brands, we have also listed other names that are popular in the market and have been given good reviews by nursing moms. Difficult to choose one pump that might fit your need? Then check out these top 10 favourite breast pumps among moms!

1. Medela Freestyle Breast Pump

This pump is Madam Nursuhailah Abu Samat’s favourite. She says, “it’s a double pump, lightweight, not noisy and allows me to pump freely. The battery is chargeable and can last for four to six pumping sessions, with each session lasting around 30 minutes. Hence it is suitable for travelling and working mothers”. A mother of two children, aged three years old and eight months old, Madam Nursuhailah has been using Medela Freestyle for three years.

Medela Freestyle Breast Pump is being sold on agapebabies.com at $799 and also at major departmental stores island-wide.

2. Spectra S1 Breast Pump

This Korean brand is fast becoming a hot item due to its unique features. It is equipped with a closed-system that prevents breast milk backflow into the motor. It is comfortable, very quiet, fast and efficient in emptying breasts in short time. Also, it automatically shuts off after 30 minutes and has an LCD display with night light.

Spectra S1 Breast Pump can be purchased from spectrababy.sg at $379 and also at major departmental stores island-wide.

3. Freemie Deluxe Collection

Based on Madam Pang’s personal experience, she had used Freemie for over a year when she was breastfeeding and had to pump at work. “I highly recommend them for working mothers as it really helps facilitate pumping at work, especially at the desk. I have even used them in restaurants and taxis whilst overseas. I’ve become a pro at pumping in public under a shawl, thanks to my Freemie!”

Freemie Deluxe collection can be purchased from pupsikstudio.com at $399 and also at major departmental stores island-wide.

4. Philips Avent Comfort Single Electric Breast Pump

this breast pump is very convenient for Madam Nurul Afiqah who is expecting her second child now. She had been using it since her first baby was born. What’s unique about this gadget is that it has three pump settings and gentle stimulation mode for let down and the pack comes with a pouch that includes breast pads, nipple protectors and nipple cream.

Philips Avent Comfort Single Electric Breast Pump is retailing at $309 and available at major departmental stores and baby retail stores.

5. Ameda Lactaline Dual Breast Pump

This machine is known for being light-weight. So, for those mothers who are on-the-go and working moms who may need to bring along a pumping machine every time they leave home, this one is really for them. One of the best features of this pump is the Air Lock Protection. It prevents the air from the pump coming in contact with the breast milk.

Ameda Lactaline Dual Breast Pump is selling at $399. It can be found in Isetan, Robinsons and Babies ‘R’ Us stores.

6. Pigeon Electric Breast Pump Pro & Electric Breast Pump Portable

This trusted Japanese label has been in the market for many years. Pigeon is still a trusted brand amongst mothers today. They have just recently launch their manuel and two electric breast pumps. They boast distinguished features, i.e., Comfort ProperFit™ Soft Silicone Cushion and 2-Phase Technology Stimulation and Expression Mode.

The first feature guarantees that Pigeon’s patented cushion is air-tight and nestles easily on the breast, providing a secure seal and comfortable fit that prevents air leakage during expression. While the second feature allows mothers to customize pumping with the expression mode that has up to six pressure level settings of suction power and speed.

The Pump Pro and Pump Portable are selling at $279.00 and $159.00 respectively. Both can be found at major department stores islandwide.

7. Unimom Forte – Hospital Grade Pump

Another Korean product. This gadget has dual pumps and claims to be a “hospital grade” pump, which refers to the pump being meant for multiple users rather than a single user or in layman’s terms, the pump is able to endure frequent usage. Madam Fahdillah, mother of a twenty one month old girl swears by this breast pump. “It is very efficient and can do the work fast”. She recalls having to pump two to three hours daily for two months before her maternity leave ended “just to make sure that I had enough milk to store for my baby girl”. Then, she could “pump her breasts empty within 10 minutes”. Although the machine went through quite a bit of “rough work”, it is still going strong now. “It is very durable,” she claims.

Unimom Forte can also be purchased easily online at pupsikstudio.com.

8. Lacte Duet Electric Breast Pump

This pump is one of the coolest gadgets because the left and right duet can be operated with individual control. Different suction strength can be set on left and right. It is also equipped with unique soft breast shield design, reacting to the pumping rhythm which mimic baby’s suckling, for maximum comfort and stimulation and it has last used setting memory.

Lacte Duet Electric Breast Pump is retailing at $299, This product can be found in Kiddy Palace.

9. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Electric Breast Pump

Unlike other brands that have small accessories that make cleaning hard, Tommee Tippee’s parts are big enough to be washed with a sponge. It is also easy to assemble the pieces back. It comes with three settings to express milk: low, medium and high to make usage a breeze. The silicone cup that comes with the pump does wonders by depressing and massaging the breast to assist in the expressing of milk.

Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Electric Breast Pump is retailing at $299. It can be found at major departmental and children store.

10. Ardo Calypso-To-Go Double Electric Breast pump

This machine comes with two sets of three different breast shell sizes to cater to different women’s breasts size or shape. It comes with VacuuSeal technology which helps prevent contamination of the pump. It features 64 combinations of settings for the adjustment of vacuum and cycle; with eight independent levels to control the vacuum strength and cycle speed.

Ardo Calypso-To-Go Double Electric Breast pump costs around $345. It can be purchased from online stores like amazon.com.

Finally, Madam Pang has this for advice, “a pump is essential if a mother intends to breastfeed and needs to be away from her child for long periods of time. I highly recommend investing in a good pump as it will help to establish a good supply of breast milk and also make pumping less time consuming. At Mothercare, the price range of the popular breast pumps range between $200+ to over $800”.

We hope that with the info and tips that Madam Pang shares, you can make the right choice and select a suitable pump for you and your baby.

By Noreen Yek Boussetta