This affordable breast pump changed the breastfeeding game for me
I've tried the eternally-popular Elvie breast pump and let me tell you: this cheaper alternative is just as sleek and effective.
🛍️ Product reviewed: Wren Handsfree Electric Breast Pump
⏰ Tested for: 4 months
⭐ Rating: 4/5
💸 Reasons to buy: A much more cost-effective alternative to the Elvie pump
✋ Reasons to avoid: It's a bit noisy if you're in quiet public places
💰 Best deal we've found: You can get 10% off the £95 pump on Wren's website if it's your first order.
In the bleary-eyed stages of newborn life, my husband washed the electric part of my £215 Elvie breast pump. Despite all the drying in the airing cupboard and bags of rice, Elvie, as she'd fondly been known, was pronounced dead.
I'd used the popular pump with my first baby and while I thought it was great, the price tag was not. My husband, buoyed on by guilt, looked for a few cheaper alternatives and the one that caught my eye was the Wren Handsfree Electric Breast Pump.
Created by two mums in the UK, I wasn't just enticed by the slick packaging, but its uncanny resemblance to my beloved Elvie. In the midst of my midnight online-shopping-while-breastfeeding addiction, I was also pleased to see the £95.99 price tag.
I'll admit, I was skeptical. If this Wren Breast Pump was so good, why was it so much cheaper than the alternatives? And the truthful answer is that I don't know. There's nothing that sets it apart from Elvie and all the others aside from it being slightly louder.
In fact, the silicone part of the pump (the bit that you attach to your nipple) is far more effective than Elvie's equivalent plastic one, which kept slipping off. There's nothing more disheartening that sitting with your breast pump on for 20 minutes only to realise that it slipped off at minute two.
And you might think, as I did, that perhaps the reason for the lower price tag than its competitors is that it isn't that effective at getting said milk. I'm here to tell you that it's exactly the same.
There's even an option to buy a double breast pump for £179.99 on Wren's website. If you are (or you're planning to) exclusively pump, I would highly recommend this option.
There's a plus and a minus button on top which allows you to adjust the speed of the nipple stimulation (read: milking device). And, while it doesn't connect to an app like the Elvie, Lansinoh and Medela ones do, I never really used the app anyway.
It's electric, cord-free, discreet, made by mums for mums and yes, it is an added bonus that the box is aesthetically pleasing. It's the little things in a sea of plastic toys and sporadically placed nappy bins that bring me joy.
💸 Reasons to buy
The price is the real focal point here. At £95.99 it is £100 (at least) cheaper than many of its close competitors. It doesn't have the cult following as Elvie, for example, so there's less said about this mum-run UK brand, but that certainly doesn't mean it should be ignored.
Wren is the new pump on the block and the brand has done its research. Noting that the breast suction pads on many of its competitors slip off because they're plastic, this pump has a silicone breast pad and it's so much more effective. Other brands: take note.
I also love that it is made by mums who have breastfed. They understand the challenges and have made a product that speaks to many of those. They get that breast pumps don't need all the bells and whistles, they just need to pump milk out of your breasts.
The final reason to buy is that there's also a double one available. It makes exclusively pumping a very real option for mums. And, if you're going back to work or struggling with supply, this option is something that suits a lot of us.
✋ Reasons to avoid
There are quieter brands on the market. While you won't hear the pump on a commuter train, you might if you work in a library. Personally, I don't care if somebody can hear my pump. However you feed your baby, you're an absolute rockstar and should be celebrated, not made to feel like you need to hide it. But, I do get that not all situations call for the constant pumping sound of your nipples.
If you need an app, the Wren pump doesn't have one. Other apps allow you to turn the pump on and off and give you an indication of how full your pump is. They also come with timers to let you know how long you've been pumping. If these things are important to you, Wren is not the one for you.
💰 Best deal we've found
If you include postage, Amazon has the best deal on this product at the moment, as postage is free so you can buy the breast pump for £95.99.
However, if it's the first time you've been on Wren's website, the brand is currently offering 10% off your first order as well as 30% off accessories (but not the pump itself) to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week.
