Make sure it's sealed!
I bought two because I have two breasts and not enough time to pump one at a time, and they have been awesome! I bought them in anticipation of my new job and getting back into the office, away from the baby, and with zero interest in bringing the full size pump with all the tubes and bottles and - no thank you! Tried them out a few times at home first and liked them already - just watch out for the suction level! The suction on these is HIGH. The levels do not match levels on your other pumps! On my full size pump, I'm usually at an 8 out of 12 of the suction levels but on these pumps, I use a 3 SOMETIMES a 4 and that's sparingly. Trust me, I tried level 5 one day and ended up with tears on my nipples, which took a few days to heal. Start low, work your way up, use some sort of lubricant if you want.<br /><br />That said, I pumped at work the first time and leaked out about two ounces all over myself. On my first day. Make absolutely sure, beyond a doubt, that the parts are sealed together very well. It's not hard to put it together, but it's also a little too easy for the seal to become broken at the bottom, allowing your liquid gold to leak all over your clothing. These pumps allow me to pump on my drive to drop the baby off at my mom's, providing him with a fresh bottle when we get there. They are not discreet in profile (the pumps stick up and it's obvious there's something in your shirt) or in noise level - they are appropriately loud, not like jet engine level but also can be heard in a phone call. The batteries last a decent amount of time - almost two hours of pump time. They do take a decent amount of time to charge, but not unreasonable.<br /><br />Now for the real question - does it compare to a full size pump in how much milk is collected? Almost. This is going to be different for all of us due to many different aspects, but for me, it pumps maybe an ounce or two less per session than my full size pump.<br /><br />One small thing - if you get two, the pump cycles will never line up. No matter how precise you are at starting them at exactly the same time, they will never sync up. Or they will sync up for a few moments and eventually fall out of sync. This is a tiny thing but if the sound of these pumps can potentially bother you, that's something to keep in mind.<br /><br />Overall, these are a wonderful option for portable pumps. Get yourself a lunch bag, some ziplock bags; or better yet some wet dry bags, and some good ice packs and you're ready to pump on the go.
Rating: 5 stars