As a mother, I know there’s a variety of reasons why you may be looking for the best breast pumps. Perhaps baby can’t feed and you’re exclusively expressing. Maybe you’re combining breast milk with formula feeds, or returning to work. Regardless of your situation, I’ve tested a wide range of breast pumps to help you find the best one for you.

Worrying about whether your baby is getting enough milk is a common concern for new parents – it’s right up there with sleepless nights and fluctuating hormones. Add the discomfort of sore, swollen or engorged breasts alongside all that worry, and it’s clear that choosing the right breast pump really matters. The best option should be comfortable to use, efficient and suited to your day-to-day routine.

With so many designs available, you might be weighing up whether a manual or electric pump would be better; deciding between single or double models; or questioning whether a hands-free design that fits inside your bra can really deliver results (spoiler: it can).

To help simplify your decision, I’ve tested everything from electric models, hands-free wearable designs and manual options, to find out which breast pumps are truly worth investing in. Keep reading for my full review and verdict.

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The best breast pumps for 2026 are:

  • Best overall– Lola&Lykke smart electric breast pump: £108.75, Lolalykke.com
  • Best budget buy– Medela harmony flex manual breast pump: £21.25, Medela.co.uk
  • Best wearable option– Medela freestyle hands-free double electric wearable breast pump: £199, Johnlewis.com
  • Best for quiet pumping– Elvie stride single: £94.95, Pramworld.co.uk

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  • Bestbreast pump overall
  • Why we love it- Super comfortable
  • Easy to set up

  • Quiet

  • Take note- Heavier than some other options

Lola&Lykke is an award-winning brand founded by two Finnish mothers. Created with mothers in mind, the brand’s ethos is evident by just how simple this breast pump is to set up. This is partly due to the fact that there are only five parts: the bottle, connector, valve, breast shield and motor.

The first highlight has to be how silent this pump is, which is brilliant if you’re feeding on the other breast or for middle-of-the-night feeds. Another highlight, and fundamental for expressing success, is the premium comfort. The ultra-soft breast shield mimics baby’s natural sucking pattern, and I found the whole experience super efficient. The smart touch-screen technology is not only clear to view and easy to use, it also features a memory button and timer for easy tracking and recording your pumping sessions, helping you to establish a routine, if you want to.

Convenience is also where this pump soars – not only are you pumping directly into a bottle, you can also express into Lola&Lykke milk bags, which don’t feature on many electric breast pumps. I only tested this pump with the bottle provided, but many other baby bottles would also fit.

The hospital-grade suction is top-notch. Promoting let-down (the release of milk from the breast), it has built-in four-phase smart functionality: stimulation, expression, automatic and memory. The first two phases express and the last two phases are to help you track and record. While this doesn’t offer a hands-free experience, I found it such a doddle to use that it felt like the perfect combination of a wearable breast pump and a more traditional one.

Key specifications

  • Dishwasher-safe:No

  • Hands-free:No

  • Bestbudget breast pump

  • Why we love it- Super lightweight

  • Comfortable

  • Take note- Bottle doesn’t come with teat

  • Trickier to clean than some other options

While the market is flooded with electric models, I believe there is still a place for manual breast pumps, and this example from Medela is the best I’ve found. While the significant reduction in price is appealing, there’s also lots to love about a manual option, including eradicating any battery fear.

This pump is so light, too, weighing just over 100g. With far fewer parts, it’s easy to pop this in your changing bag, or take away on holiday. I was impressed that, while this is a much simpler pump, it still boasts Medela’s two-phase expression technology. You begin the process with the stimulation phase, pumping the front of the handle in a faster action with your thumb. Then, once you can see the milk is flowing, you switch to the tail end of the handle and use your whole hand and adopt a slower, deeper pace. Of course, the downside to this is you have to put the work in yourself, but I did find this to be really efficient in expressing my milk and, although my hand ached the first few times, I soon got used to the pump action.

The breast shield itself feels comfortable, thanks to the good level of flex, meaning it moulds to your breast shape. Unfortunately, the shield only comes in one standard size of 24mm but you can buy alternative sizes, if required. I love that this breast pump comes with its own stand, to avoid any spillages, while being able to store the milk right away in its own bottle is so convenient.

I did find the cleaning part a little arduous, but it’s worth it for the budget-friendly price point and the positive results.

Key specifications

  • Dishwasher-safe:No

  • Hands-free:No

  • Bestbreast pump for simple setup

  • Why we love it- Wireless
  • Easy to use

I found the Fraupow wearable breast pump one of the easiest to set up – it arrived already charged and it’s surprising how compact this pump is.

The LED screen on the top of the collection cup has a timer and enables you to change through the modes: massage, lactation, auto and expression. I found ‘auto’ did the trick, after a few unsuccessful attempts with the varying 12 levels, but the automatic function massages and then switches to expression level six.

Once placed in my bra, the pump was comfortable to use, albeit a little evident that pumping was taking place. It comes with a bra extender buckle, which I needed to help accommodate the pump. I did have a few wobbles with leakages at first but, once I found the correct positioning, expressing was pretty efficient. The breast pump can also be taken apart and put back together very easily for cleaning, and pouring into a bottle can be achieved with no spillages.

Fraupow also offers midwife support, via a live chat and video call service, which could be incredibly useful for anxious new mums.

Key specifications

  • Dishwasher-safe:No

  • Hands-free:Yes

  • Bestbreast pump for easy cleaning

  • Why we love it- Easy to clean

  • Quiet

  • Take note- Bulky

  • No timer
  • Poor display

Mam is a baby brand with which many parents are familiar. Founded in 1976, it’s been helping new parents for almost 50 years. Famed for its range of bottles and soothers, the brand has recently launched its first wearable breast pump: the Mam move.

The sleek unit itself is larger than some other wearable breast pumps, so, while it only stores 150ml, it’s probably best suited to smaller-breasted women, as it’s quite bulky. Having said that, it does come with a bra extender, so it fits well once in position.

While I found it to be on the heavier side, particularly when full of milk, the silicone flange is very comfortable against the nipple and it comes with three additional funnel inserts in varying sizes (15mm, 17mm and 21mm), so you can get a great fit. It didn’t have quite the same power as some of the other breast pumps I tested, but I did like the modes it offers – three expression modes and five levels of suction, including a stimulation phase.

The display could be rather tricky to see, however, as dots light up to indicate the level, rather than a number displayed. There’s also no timer function. I did like that there’s a clever silent mode, which does make it super discreet, although, that does affect the suction power.

This product shines when it comes to cleaning, however. The milk collector can simply be popped in the microwave for three minutes and, hey presto, it’s sterile and ready, while the other pieces can be popped in the dishwasher or cleaned via your usual sterilising methods.

I love that you can also use the milk collector for storage in the fridge, rather than having to faff about with pouring the expressed milk into another vessel. It does also come with an easy start anti-colic bottle, which is a nice touch.

Key specifications

  • Dishwasher-safe:Yes

  • Hands-free:Yes

  • Bestwearable breast pump

  • Why we love it- Easy to clean
  • Easy to use

  • Premium comfort

  • Take note- A bit noisy

  • Pricey

If there’s one brand synonymous with breastfeeding, it’s Medela. Founded in Switzerland in 1961, Medela is known for its breastfeeding and baby products, as well as healthcare solutions for hospitals. Given the brand’s history (and this breast pump’s hefty price tag), expectations were high.

Inside the box, there’s everything you need to get started, including two different sized breast shields for the best fit, but there wasn’t an overwhelming number of bits to get to grips with, and it all felt intuitive to assemble.

The brand rates its electric breast pumps on its two-phase expression technology, which, in essence, mimics babies’ natural sucking rhythms. With this being a double pump, I certainly found I collected more milk compared with a single pump, but found it a similar volume compared with other double breast pumps.

The technology works faster at first, to stimulate milk flow (the first two minutes), then slower to express milk for efficient pumping. I found this a comfortable experience – thanks to the lightweight collection cups – even when pumping from the passenger seat of my car.

I found the battery life reliable, and easy to charge via USB, but it is a little noisier than other breast pumps I tested. The technology is undeniable, though – there’s even an app that tracks how much you’ve pumped and how long for, making it easy to keep track.

The milk collected does have to be poured into a bottle or storage bag, but that’s a straightforward pour from the top of the cups. Overall, this breast pump is professional, portable, comfortable and super efficient.

Key specifications

  • Dishwasher-safe:Yes

  • Hands-free:Yes

  • Bestquiet breast pump

  • Why we love it- App compatible

  • Take note- Tricky to clean and assemble

Elvie revolutionised the breast pump world by introducing the first wearable pump – the Elvie pump – in 2018. For this review, I tested the Elvie stride, which is the brand’s hospital-grade model. Unlike the original Elvie pump, this model has tubing for extra suction power, which ensures an efficient session. I have to admit, initial setup was taxing, as you have to assemble the collecting cup, including the tube. However, it only took around 15 minutes to charge, and it was ready for action. You can also charge it using the included USB cable, which is pretty convenient, and the battery lasts for several pumping sessions.

As described, this truly is a wearable pump, enabling you to get on with daily life while you express. I did find it a bit of a squeeze in some of my tighter nursing bras but, overall, it was a comfortable experience. The compact ‘hub’ motor can be attached onto your belt or clothing, and I found it much quieter than others I tested.

Frustratingly, you can’t store your milk in the collection cups, so, you need to pour it into a bottle or storage bag after the pumping session is over, which isn’t ideal for overnight pumping. I did appreciate the 10 intensity settings with two modes (stimulation and expression), which means you can tailor your pumping experience to your preferences. You can also control this breast pump via the free app. Again, this contributes to the hands-free element, which this pump does really well.

Key specifications

  • Dishwasher-safe:Yes

  • Hands-free:Yes

  • Bestbreast pump for flexibility

  • Why we love it- Larger capacity than some other models

  • Can be worn in two ways

  • Take note- Noisier and less discreet than some other pumps

British brand Pippeta produces a range of wearable breast pumps at relatively purse-friendly prices, so, I was keen to test one out for myself.

This was one of the easiest pumps to set up, with clear instructions and easy to clean parts. Unlike most breast pumps, the Pippeta classic can be worn in two ways: either as a wearable single pump or a wired double. I love that you have the option to be totally hands-free or use the base and tubing for double action. I did recognise that it would be nice for the base, when in dual mode, to have a clip to attach to clothing, but you can place in a pocket instead.

I found the positioning of the cups didn’t come quite as naturally, compared with using some other breast pumps – there were a few times I lost suction due to poor positioning. This was purely teething problems, though – by using the included bra extender, you can get a comfortable fit.

Because the cups have a larger capacity (180ml) than most wearable pumps, I didn’t find these very discreet, due to the size, making them a little clunky. The most important part, though, was that they expressed efficiently, thanks to the variety of modes available and the hospital-grade suction. The massage mode is used at the start to encourage your let-down, while the expression mode enables you to move up and down the 12 intensity levels. I found the auto mode – a combination of the massage and expression modes – did the trick for me.

To store your milk, you have to pour it into a bottle, but I didn’t incur any spillages, and I also praise this pump for its clear LED screen. The battery lasted for more than an hour, and it’s great that this product comes with extra parts such as the flange inserts for different nipple sizes, which is fabulous, given the price.

Key specifications

  • Dishwasher-safe:No
  • Hands-free:Yes