Breast pumps are commonly used by new mothers for a variety of reasons. Hands free breast pumps can offer help and comfort in early days of breastfeeding, allow for milk storage for future time away from the baby, support continuing to feed breast milk after returning to work, and can be used if the baby or mother is unable or chooses not to breastfeed. A hands free breast pump can make the work of pumping more manageable by allowing the parent to complete other tasks while pumping, or providing the ability to pump while in less private places.
Here we look at the Freemie Freedom Hands Free Breast Pump and compare it to some similar pumps.
What Is a Freemie Freedom Hands Free Breast Pump?
The Freemie Freedom Hands Free Breast Pump is a double electric, fully portable, and hands-free breast pump designed for removing milk from the breasts when the baby is unable to breastfeed. It is composed of two cup collection devices that slide into the existing bra without the need for extra straps or clips. Although there were other adaptation kits available to modify certain double electric breast pumps to be semi hands free, Freemie was the first brand to master a hands free breast pump that was easy to use and worked well for most breastfeeding mothers.
Product Specs
The Freemie Freedom Hands Free Breast Pump comes with a rechargeable battery, is advertised to be very quiet and efficient, and is a closed system pump that protects the motor from contamination. It has hospital power suction and can be used fully clothed by just placing the cups inside the existing bra.
It has multiple charging options with the ability to charge anywhere you can plug in a USB cord. It comes with two cup sizes (25mm and 28mm) and holds up to 8 ounces on each side, which is plenty for most pumping mothers. Our favorite feature about this pump is the programmable sleep timer. What new mom couldn’t do with a nap while safely pumping?
Pricing
The Freemie Freedom Hands Free Breast Pump costs about $150 USD. It is less than some legacy brands such as Medela and Ameda and more expensive than some of the bargain brands.
How It Compares
We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare to the Freemie Freedom Hands Free Breast Pump.
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The Freemie Freedom Hands Free Breast Pump is known to be a very quiet and efficient pump. It's one of the most powerful pumps on the market and is effective at keeping the motor from contamination, thanks to its well-designed closed system pump. It comes with a rechargeable battery with a USB port charging output. The pump is easy to use while still fully dressed. It holds up to 8 ounces of milk on both sides, which is fairly standard for most breast pumps. The pump's programmable sleep timer is a great feature that sets it apart from other pumps and adds a level of convenience for tired mothers.
Pricing
This is a moderately priced, good quality breast pump available for around $150 USD.
Ease of Use
This pump is very easy to use. This is not surprising, being that Freemie was the first truly hands free pump. Mothers report that they use it while working, parenting older kids, napping, and cuddling their baby. Some use it while driving! The only common complaint is that you must pour the milk out immediately as there is not a way to store in the collection containers.
5 of 5 stars
Assembly Time
The pump is quick and easy for most people to assemble. The parts snap together in a fairly logical fashion.
5 of 5 stars
Design Quality
Its design quality is good, overall. However, it doesn't work as well for women with large breasts, and some people report milk getting into the tubing unless it's positioned exactly right.
4 of 5 stars
Warranty
Freemie offers a one-year manufacturer warranty on the pump, but restricts it to normal use of three times a day and has many caveats for voiding the warranty. Plastic parts are not warrantied beyond the initial 90 days.
4 of 5 stars
Quality | Usability | Support |
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Pros
Cons
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The Medela Freestyle Breast Pump is a hands-free pumping option brought to the market by a company known for their focus on breastfeeding and consistent quality with breast pumps. Medela has been the pump expert for many years. Their Freestyle Breast Pump was a response to the Freemie. It is small, light, and can be used plugged in or with the included battery pack. It is more of an electric breast pump with the option of being hands-free by using the included battery pump and flange adaptors.
As a hands-free pump, it has a clip to attach the pump to clothing. The pump includes a memory setting, digital display, timer, and backlight for nighttime use. This pump has Medela’s “2-Phase Expression technology” integrated, which means it will mimic the different suction patterns of a baby at the breast: fast and fluttery to initiate a let-down, then long and drawing to pull out milk. You can also manually adjust speed and suction to fit your body’s needs for the most milk production.
Pricing
This is one of the pricier hands-free pumps on the market at about $320 USD. However, many parents may be willing to pay a higher price for the quality assurance that comes with a Medela pump.
Ease of Use
The Medela Freestyle Breast Pump has a flange and bottle assembly with several separate parts that must be disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled after each use. The hands-free option can require a learning curve to get proficient. The pump motor is very easy to use for most parents.
3 of 5 stars
Assembly Time
Assembly requires several steps and some parents report that it can take up to 30 minutes to fully assemble when first using the pump. Over time, this process gets easier.
4 of 5 stars
Design Quality
Design quality for this pump is, unfortunately, not as striking as some of Medela’s other pumps. Parents report issues with adequate suction, awkwardness with assembly, the hands-free feature, and fussy battery life. However, Medela does have a decent customer response team that may help resolve any issues.
3 of 5 stars
Warranty
The Medela Freestyle Breast Pump carries a warranty of one year for the pump motor and battery and 90 days for other parts and accessories from the date of purchase.
5 of 5 stars
Quality | Usability | Support |
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Pros
Cons
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The KidsTime Electric Breast Pump is one of many copycat pumps on the market designed to offer a bargain-priced hands free breast pump. Created by a company that also offers a myriad of other baby and children's products, this pump might work for some people. It has the advantages of being very inexpensive and will work with Medela pump parts which parents may already have been given at the hospital.
However, the KidsTime Electric Breast Pump has been reported to break easily, commonly be missing items upon delivery, and is not a pump recommended by lactation consultants as it may cause nipple pain and damage.
Pricing
The KidsTime Electric Breast Pump is very inexpensive for a double electric hands-free breast pump. The low price of about $35 USD is the only reason we can argue that parents might want to take a risk on this pump.
Ease of Use
It has a short cord and is difficult, if not impossible, to use hands-free. It is often missing parts upon delivery, which does not bode well for easy use.
2 of 5 stars
Assembly Time
Assembly time is quick if all parts are present; however, buyers commonly report that they have to use other pump parts or request replacements for missing parts.
3 of 5 stars
Design Quality
Unfortunately, the design quality of this pump also fails to get many starts from us. Many negative reviews from parents about the pump motor or parts breaking quickly combined with features such as a very short cord leads us to be fairly critical of its design.
1 of 5 stars
Warranty
We were unable to locate the warranty information on this pump. We were also unable to locate the manufacturer to contact directly to inquire about the warranty.
0 of 5 stars
Quality | Usability | Support |
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Pros
Cons
No products found.
The Babytec Electric Breast Pump is another less expensive option for a bargain priced hands free breast pump. It advertises a closed system that will prevent milk from contaminating tubing or the motor. It also has several suction modes and the option to manually adjust the speed and suction power. The pump has a low noise motor, LED touchscreen, double pump, USB charging, and a lithium battery. It is lightweight and small and has features such as auto time-out and auto suction adjustment. It gets better reviews than other copycat pumps although the number of available reviews is limited.
Pricing
The Babytec Electric Breast Pump is a low priced pump at $60 USD that has good features for the price. There is no warranty information available, so sixty dollars is a big risk.
Ease of Use
The manufacturer reports easy use, stating that most parents can use it within minutes of opening the box. Reviews reflect this as parents report it being as easy or easier to use than well-known name brands.
5 of 5 stars
Assembly Time
Parents report that there are many parts to keep track of with this pump, but that assembly is easy nonetheless.
4 of 5 stars
Design Quality
From the limited reviews available, this pump seems to have good design features. Multiple parts and a sensitive touchscreen may be issues during normal use.
4 of 5 stars
Warranty
We were unable to locate the warranty information on this pump. We were also unable to locate the manufacturer to contact directly to inquire about the warranty.
0 of 5 stars
Quality | Usability | Support |
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Pros
Cons
COMPARISON TABLE
Conclusion
The Freemie Freedom Hands Free Breast Pump clearly wins as the best option for parents who want a reliable and effective hands free breast pump that has proved its worth on the market. Due to its fantastic features, ease of use, comfort, reliability, warranty, and reasonable price we give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only ways in which it could improve, as we see it, would be to have a more comprehensive warranty and parts that can go in the dishwasher. It is not surprising it is a better hands free breast pump than cheaper options, but it also exceeds the more expensive Medela Freestyle model in all areas.
We strongly recommend that you avoid the bargain pumps for many reasons, not least of which is an ineffective or dangerous pump. The Medela Freestyle model, although carrying a well-known name, just does not add up when compared to the Freemie Freedom. The only caution we offer about the Freemie Freedom hands free breast pump is to read through the manual carefully so you fully understand how to use and care for your hands free breast pump to offer longevity and not void the warranty. Happy pumping!
