I spent 14 months EPing and boy oh boy was it a journey. I started pumping day 4 PP because latching my son was so painful and we were having trouble moving milk. I finally got into an IBCLC around 6 weeks postpartum and even with trying all sorts of things, oral tie revisions, chiropractor visits, body tension stretches, nursing just wasn’t in the cards for us. So I switched to Exclusive Pumping and never looked back! 

Read my pump disclaimer here before diving into this because pumping is really personal and it’s important to have context and background.

There is some overlap of when I using these pumps as it took me quite awhile to figure out what worked specifically *for me*!

Edit – 2/23/25

I created a Reel that got quite a few eyeballs on it and had few people asking how I could afford all of these pumps so in the name of transparency, here is a quick breakdown:

• I worked a very cushy, well paid, corporate job that had really great insurance benefits, including an HSA that was matched and I maxed out and regularly submitted for reimbursement. I am now a SAHM and I create content in exchange for payment/product.
• I had a holiday baby – Amazon allows you to stack your Amazon Baby Registry Discounts + Black Friday discounts or other coupon codes
• My husband and I live well below our means – we chose a house that was well below our budget even though we knew wanted/could have paid for a larger one but didn’t (we are bursting at the seams and barely fit with one kid and two massive dogs but we’re making it work), we drive paid off cars, we thrift/buy used items, if we do clothes shop we buy second hand, at Costco/Sam’s club, we go out to eat maybe 1-2x a week *if at all*, a friend cuts my hair for free, my husband cuts his own hair, I stopped getting my nails done (but will occasionally treat myself) and are really intentional with holiday gifts – we buy things we *need* or ask for things we need and sometimes we only ask for cash to either build up savings/pay towards debt – which we work really hard to not carry but isn’t always possible.

Comparison is the thief of joy and I know things can seem different than they are, especially on social media…I realistically spent more money and time than anyone should have to, to figure out how to pump. The hope here is, you can read this review and make the best possible decisions for your situation because I’ve already spent all the time and money so you don’t have to!

A Timeline of Pumps and How I Rate Them

The Spectra S1 (blue) – 2/10

This was the pump I started with. I got this through insurance with a $60 upgrade fee. I didn’t love it but also didn’t know what I was doing so I wasn’t able to identify why I didn’t like it. I constantly felt full and battled clogged ducts and always felt stressed and overstimulated (turns out I also have D-MER but that’s a story for a different day). I met with a CLC that specializes in pumping, much later than I should have, and as she walked me through all the settings I started to understand how my body responds to pumps. I know everyone loves this pump but I ended up realizing the vibration just really bothered me and it would take SO long to empty me to the point I wouldn’t be clogged by the next session. 

Momcozy S12 Pro – 7/10

I was actually using the Momcozy S12 Pro at the same time as my Spectra and started to realize I responded better to this pump but couldn’t quite figure out why. At one point I used them as my primary, which was a mistake. Although I responded really well to them, I was using them 7-8x a day and I burned the motors out. This is why any CLC worth their salt does not recommend wearable pumps as primaries. These get a 7 because I responded well – these have a long, more mechanical pull which my body needed. The motors on top were not my favorite and were overstimulating. If I could do it again, I would get the Momcozy M5 instead! I bought two sets of these so I wasn’t washing the same one over and over. I had Amazon gift cards and Babylist registry gift cards. I used my Babylist gift card + registry discount to buy one set and my Amazon gift card + Amazon registry discount + Black Friday discounts (they stack on Amazon) so I essentially got these for free. Use CaitCode10 for 10% off the Momcozy website.

Momcozy V2 – 8/10

The Momcozy V2 was a pump that had my FAV wearable cups and was small and handheld. It does have tubing but is considered portable. This is also probably considered a secondary pump as the motor just isn’t as strong but it emptied me and the cups were chef’s kiss and hackable with other pumps which was a plus. The motor did eventually stop working well which was a bummer. It gets an 8 because the motor burned out kinda quick and it’s technically a “wearable” or secondary pump. I paid for this one out of pocket – this pump was $199.99 and I used a $20 coupon on Amazon and used HSA funds to get reimbursed for it. Use CaitCode10 for 10% off the Momcozy website.

BabyBuddha 1.0 & 2.0 – 10/10

My timeline with BabyBuddha actually crosses with the Momcozy V2 and the Pumpables Genie Advanced. I actually bought the Momcozy V2 first and then knew I probably needed another primary because I could not go back to the Spectra. I then bought the Pumpables, couldn’t figure it out, and traded a mom on Reddit for the BB 1.0. I didn’t realize how strong the BB was and that OG with the 10 quick pulls and then one verrrrryyyyy looooonnnnggggg pull really caught me off guard. It took me some time to get used to and I couldn’t go above a 2 or 3 on any of the settings. I actually put it down for a little bit because it was so intense and went back to the Spectra out of desperation. The 2.0 was a massive improvement and the new soft stim was perfect for me and emptied me quickly and efficiently! It ended up being my little ride or die until the very end! Code THATMILLENNIALMOM will get you 10% off on their website. The PGA and the BB are priced very similarly – so I paid for the PGA which was $180.00 + 10% discount and then traded it for the BB 1.0 which I believe was around $180.00 at the time, so it was an even trade. The BB 2.0 was sent to me for free as an affiliate deal.

Pumpables Genie Advanced – 9/10

I bought this pump not once, but twice LOL. I bought it once, couldn’t figure it out, traded it for the BB 1.0 with a mom on Reddit, felt like the BB was too much but it def worked so I was trying to figure it out and then realized that there were some days were I was just more sensitive than others so I decided to go back to the PGA because I was hell bent on never using the Spectra again. So I bought it a second time – cray-see girl. Because I was starting to really understand what my body needed in order to get good output, this was a really wonderful pump to use in tandem with my BB! Crazy, but worked really well for me. It gets a 9 because it didn’t empty me *as fast* as the BB. But still a really wonderful little pump! Code THATMILLENNIALMOM will get you 10% off on their website. I skipped the wet shields as I just didn’t like the fit and spent $150.00 + 10% discount. I turned in my receipt to my HSA and was reimbursed for the amount I spent.

Phanpy E-Joy S2 – 6/10

The Phanpy E-Joy S2 was a nice little change up for being able to go out and about. I was originally using my BB with the MC cups and the tubing was just a lot to handle with a little nugget who grabbed at everything. These were an affiliate deal so I did get them for free. The motors are on top but aren’t super loud and there were 3 modes so it was nice to be able to switch between them to get the best output I could. I also really liked the cups – super comfy. It’s under $100 which I think was great for a wearable you use occasionally! You can get a little discount using this link here. This gets a 6 out of 10 because it’s not really anything to write home about and compared to my other wearables, it’s technically the bottom of the list. But the price point is a huge plus!

Eufy S1 – 8/10

The Eufy S1’s actually changed the “pumping on the go” game for me but it was a bit of a tumultuous journey, which you can read my full review here. These were also an affiliate deal and I did get these for free as well but they are truly so well thought out. They are controlled through an app and each pump can be individually controlled but the real kicker is the warming element built into the flange. The even bigger kicker – they’re whisper quiet. I would be pumping and my husband would ask if they were still on they were that quiet! It gets an 8 because it actually took me 3 weeks to figure out that I needed a larger flange insert which was really weird and kinda frustrating when every single pump I’ve ever used, I’ve always been a 15mm! Another point deducted because it’s a wearable and those just won’t ever score as high as a primary/double motor pump! Get yourself 15% off using code CAIT11 here!

What are some of your favorite pumps and why? Share in the comments to help other moms!!