What to Look for in the Best Wearable Breast Pump

It’s 2025, and mums want breastfeeding tools that match the era we’re living in. Of course, we want important things like flexible working and equal pay, but we also want a blooming marvellous wearable breast pump to make breastfeeding a whole lot simpler, comfier, and discreet. It’s the little things too, you know?

The evolution of the breast pump has gone from manual pumping to simply switching it on inside your bra hands-free, dreamy! Step into breastfeeding with this guide in hand so you can confidently nurse your baby with the best wearable breast pump.

What Is a Wearable Breast Pump?

A wearable breast pump is different to a wireless breast pump. The entire device, including the flange, motor, and cup, is neatly worn inside your bra, and your milk is expressed into the cup. Compared to other wireless breast pumps, a wearable breast pump is truly hands-free. You can wear the pump and carry on with other daily activities until your pumping session has finished.

Obviously, the design and practicality of a wearable breast pump pique the interest of nursing mums because it’s ideal for multitasking and makes milk expression possible even in the most discreet environments, especially during postpartum recovery.

7 Must-Have Features in the Best Wearable Breast Pump

1. True Hands-Free Design

Wearable breast pumps do not have you sitting by a wall hooked up to the plug socket. The entire device is compact enough to fit inside your bra with no wires or external motors to plug in. Wearable breast pumps therefore, don’t need your hands holding the breast pump in place because your bra already supports it!

2. Quiet Motor for Discreet Pumping

Discreet pumping means you can express breast milk without the breast pump being seen or heard, if you don’t want to. A quiet motor is a popular feature for any breast pump, particularly a wearable breast pump, because the whole design is built around efficiently pumping discreetly. You can wear your breast pump literally anywhere. In the car, on the school run, and even at the office.

3. Hospital-Grade Suction Strength

Just because it’s a wearable breast pump doesn’t mean you have to compromise on your breast pump’s efficiency. Like a traditional hospital-grade breast pump, the suction strength needs to be strong enough to fully empty each breast helping you to meet the milk orders your baby puts in! The more milk you remove from the breast, the more milk it will produce.

Particularly if you’re buying a wireless breast pump to help increase your milk production, choose a wearable breast pump with a strong suction similar to hospital-grade breast pumps.

4. Leak-Proof & Comfortable Fit

Milk leaks are so uncool, and losing breast milk to a soggy t-shirt is even less cool. You won’t be stuffing tissues or muslin cloths in your bra to catch any milk leaks when you’re using the best wearable breast pump. These pumps have a secure fit breast flange that seals shut around the areola, meaning your breast milk has only one way to go - into the cup!

Look for models that offer multiple breast shield sizes to give you a custom fit and reassurance so you can pump with confidence.

5. Customizable Suction Modes

Having up to four customisable expression modes means you can find a comfortable suction strength and rhythm to get the best milk output. Start with the stimulation mode to mimic your baby’s sucking pattern and bring on your letdown. Then, you can transition into one of the other three expression modes to make your wearable breast pump work for you. Each expression mode will feel like a seamless transition to effectively empty the breast gently.

6. Easy Assembly & Cleaning

I think we can all agree on one thing: bottle cleaning never gets more thrilling… but we can make it easier for ourselves by choosing a wearable breast pump that has fewer parts to clean and assemble. When looking around for the best wearable breast pump, look at how it comes apart and clicks back together. You don’t want to be figuring that out with a hungry baby!

Ask yourself, can you clean it in the dishwasher? Does it have hard-to-reach bits that make cleaning a faff? Could you assemble it easily with your baby in tow? (Because let’s be honest, they will probably be in your arms waiting for the milk as you’re throwing it all back together!) 

7. Rechargeable with Long Battery Life

Rechargeable devices with a long battery life are a must-have for any wearable breast pump. Especially when you’re pumping on the go, the most recommended breast pump would be one with a long battery life that won’t cut out mid-pump. To pump efficiently, the battery life needs to be top-notch. A rechargeable device also makes it more cost-effective and environmentally friendly by ditching disposable batteries.

Take a screenshot of our checklist of features to look out for, to find the best wearable breast pump:

Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Wearable Breast Pump

Don’t be the mum that…

• Chooses style over suction strength

• Ignores fit and flange sizes

• Underestimates the cleaning complexity of the wearable breast pump parts

Sure, wearable breast pumps can look pretty, but they also need to work efficiently. If it doesn’t meet your expectations and causes unnecessary stress, you’re not going to use it. You’re going to wish you had bought the hands-free breast pump that actually expresses milk rather than dithers.

It’s also really important to note that using the wrong breast flange size can cause further complications and lessen breast milk production. If the breast flange size is wrong, you won’t be able to efficiently remove the milk, and this can affect your milk supply. Use our size guide to measure what breast flange size you need, if you need support with this.

Read more: Signs Your Breast Flange Size is Wrong - And How to Fix It

4 of the Best Wearable Breast Pumps for Mums

Willow 360 Wearable Breast Pump

Price: $499.99 (double)

Top features: Track milk volume via the app, continuous leak-proof latch, hospital-grade pump, 7 smart suction levels, and compatible with self-sealing milk bags.

Why Mums love it: “I bought this to use as a secondary pump, especially so I can pump while driving/out and about. It’s made a big difference in me hitting my daily pumping goal.” ~ Jillian.

Elvie Stride 2

Price: £169.00 (single), £299.00 (double)

Top features: Fits 99% of nipples with 6 size nipple inserts included in the box, Smart app-control, soft, lightweight silicone cups for comfort, and 3 hours of pumping on a full rechargeable battery.

Why Mums love it: "I want to be able to do the things I've always done, so I needed a pump that fits into my life." ~ Ashton.

MAM Move

Price: £150.00 (single), £250 (double)

Top features: Compact hands-free breast pump that sits inside your bra, 3 expression and stimulation modes for maximum output, a silent pumping mode for discreet pumping moments, self-sterilising milk collector, and includes a bra extender for a comfortable fit if needed.

Why Mums love it: “This is a great pump, I find it pretty strong and easy to use. I like the convenience of not being sat wired up to the plug socket whilst pumping too.” ~ Loz

Bloome by Lola&Lykke

Price: £169 (single)

Top Features: Efficient hospital-grade power (-300 mmHg) with gentle massage, whisper-quiet pumping (≈45 dB), Bloome remembers your personalised pump settings, three breast shield sizes included in the box (19mm, 21mm & 24mm) and micro-adjust buckle included, over 2 hours of pumping time, and minimal parts to assemble and clean.

Why Mums love it: “This pump makes life easier. The fit was perfect right away, it’s so quiet, and cleanup takes no time. I love that I don’t have to mess with suction settings every time.“ ~ Anna, part of our mum panel

Your Frequently Asked Questions Answered

1. How quiet are the best wearable breast pumps?

If you compare your breast pump to “library quiet” volume, which is around 50 dB, anything below this would be a super quiet breast pump. Using a wearable breast pump with a noise output of < 45 dB means you can pump and the person next to you wouldn’t know you were pumping, until you produce a bottle of milk!

2. What suction range counts as hospital-grade in a wearable breast pump?

Hospital-grade pumps reach between 300-350 mmHg of suction power. Wearable breast pump models vary between 280-300 mmHg, so it’s worth checking to see if the wearable you’re eyeing up reaches hospital-grade strength. If you’re planning to use your wearable breast pump daily or exclusively pump, choose a wearable breast pump with the highest suction strength.

3. What’s the difference between a wireless and a wearable breast pump?

A wireless pump has no mains cable, but the motor still sits outside your bra. A wearable breast pump tucks the motor, flange and milk cup inside the bra, so you can walk, work or drive totally hands-free. In short: every wearable is wireless, but not every wireless pump is truly wearable.

4. Are wearable breast pumps strong enough for exclusive pumping?

Yes, you can exclusively pump with a wearable breast pump, and for most parents, the suction strength is enough to achieve this. If you struggle with low milk supply, your lactation consultant may advise you to use a plug-in hospital-grade breast pump for power-pumping sessions and increase your milk supply.

5. How do I clean a wearable breast pump quickly and safely?

Carefully read the brand’s assembly and cleaning instructions to ensure all parts of the breast pump are cleaned properly, sterilised, and assembled correctly. Most wearable breast pumps just have a few parts to put together, which means the whole routine can take under 3 minutes. Use hot soapy water or a dishwasher to clean each part and sterilise daily with steam, UV, or boiling water for five minutes.

And now for the big reveal…

Meet Bloome – The Future of Pumping Is Almost Here

Don’t settle for outdated tech. Bloome, our brand-new wearable breast pump, is designed to adapt to your life, not the other way around. Because breastfeeding is different for every mum, your tools should support you every step of the way.

We’ve poured innovation, comfort, and a whole lot of mum-wisdom into this launch. And trust us, it’s worth the wait.

Coming soon. Be the first to know when Bloome lands by signing up for updates, or catch a sneak peek over on Instagram.