Medela Freestyle Hands-free Double Electric Breast Pump Review

The Medela Freestyle Hands-Free Breast Pump is a wearable double-electric breast pump that makes it possible to carry on with other tasks - such as caring for older children, enjoying a cuppa, or cuddling your baby - all while you're expressing breastmilk. The clever hands-free functionality and super efficient design make this one of the best breast pumps you can buy.

It comes with ultra-lightweight collection cups that weigh just 76g each and fit neatly inside your bra, along with a separate battery unit that's small enough to fit in your pocket. 

'I have been using the Medela hands-free electric breast pump for the last two months and have been extremely impressed with how easy it makes pumping,' says our parent reviewer, Sophie, who volunteered to test it out for Goodto with her 5-month-old daughter. 'The collection cups fit easily inside my bra and are attached by a tube to the battery. But they're not just discreet, they're also really comfortable to wear.'

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Design

Weight:  <1.0 lbs / 273g | Age range: Birth+

Sophie, who reviewed the Medela Hands-Free Breast Pump for Goodto, found it impressively quick and easy to assemble.

We love that there are only three parts to disassemble and reassemble when you clean this pump. Expressing is faffy enough without having to hunt for lots of tiny missing pieces when you're ready to put the pump back together after cleaning. It's also dishwasher safe which makes keeping it clean hassle-free. 

'I love how easy it is to get set up,' says Sophie. 'The device can be clicked together in a matter of seconds and then you simply pop the collection cups in your bra with your nipple in position and press play on the battery unit.'

Medela says the collection cups have been designed to reduce compression of breast tissue in order to maximise milk expression.  It's a strong claim but one which we found to be true during testing. While using this breast pump, Sophie found she was able to express more milk in less time compared to her usual pump.

The transparent design of the collection cups is another standout feature of this breast pump. It means you can easily check that the cup is correctly positioned against the breast and make sure that the milk is flowing as expected. 

The Medela Hands-Free Breast Pump is a particularly good buy if you're looking for a highly portable pump that will allow you to express when you're out and about, instead of just at home. It has a built-in, USB-rechargeable battery for convenient pumping wherever you go.

Comfort and features

Aside from being hands-free, the other big selling point of the Medela Hands-Free Breast Pump is the fact that you can express from both breasts at the same time (or just one) as you prefer.

When you finish expressing, you simply remove the cups and pour the milk into your preferred storage container. 'There's nothing worse than spilled milk, but I found the design of the cups really good for preventing that,' says our tester, Sophie. 'I found I could even leave them on the kitchen counter without worrying about the milk leaking.'

Something gadget lovers will appreciate about the Medela Hands-Free Breast Pump is the fact that you can connect to the Medela Family app, where you can create a personalized profile tailored to your needs. During testing, we found this a useful extra feature.

'You can record all your pumping sessions on the Medela app which connects to the battery pack via Bluetooth so it stores all the data in real-time,' explains our parent reviewer, Sophie. 'I have now stopped breastfeeding so I found this function particularly useful. It meant I could easily time my pumping as I was weaning my baby onto formula milk and trying to gradually reduce my milk supply without the risk of becoming engorged. The app also has a whole library of useful information about pregnancy and babies and I love that you can track anything baby-related in one place from pumping sessions to sleep patterns.'

Value for money

Is the Medela Hands-Free Breast Pump worth the money? In a word, yes. When we put this pump to the test, the hands-free design and double pump functionality made expressing quicker, easier, and more efficient.'

'It is a high price point compared to other breast pumps but in my opinion, it's totally worth the money,' explains our reviewer, Sophie. 'Pumping is often an inconvenience and it can be difficult to find the time for it but the Medela hands-free double electric breast pump is so efficient that it's really easy to fit in a pumping session. It's so efficient that I found I didn't have to pump for more than 15 minutes at a time.'

We also think the supporting app, seamless product design, and overall efficiency of the pump make this a brilliant buy - if your budget allows it.

This pump is particularly worth the investment if you anticipate breastfeeding for a long period of time, or if you're a breastfeeding mum planning to return to work and you want to continue expressing breastmilk. 

'It's a premium product that feels really sleek and the tech makes the experience of pumping effortless and much more enjoyable,' adds our reviewer, Sophie. 

You might also like to read our other baby product reviews.