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I frequently heard about Medela Freestyle breast pump from my friends  who works full time. They rave a lot about it.
They talk about it all the time as if they cannot live without it.
It seems to me, Medela Freestyle is kind of the gold-standard when it comes to ‘what breast pump to buy for a working mom’.
But, is that really true?
Recently I got an opportunity to pump with Medela Freestyle and interviewed one of my best friend who has used it for at least two years.
What did I find?
Is Medela Freestyle truly the best breast pump for working moms?
In the detailed review, I will uncover everything related to Medela Freestyle performance, the love and hate, the detailed pros and cons.
So, if you plan to buy this pump, read further to learn more about FreeStyle.
(this post contains affiliate links)
Product Overview
- Breast pump type: electric breast pump
- Single/double: double
- Suction adjustment: yes, 9 different levels
- Speed adjustment: together with suction adjustment, not separately adjustable
- Breast flange size: it comes with the standard size 24 mm, plus extra flange of 27-mm. Other flange sizes are available separately: 21 mm, 30 mm, 32 mm.W
- eight: 360 gr
- Dimension: 12 x 9 x 5.5 cm
- Available at: Amazon (price is very low right now, check it out)
What You Get Out Of The Box
This breast pump comes as a set with tote bag and Medela cooler bag (including contoured ice pack and 4 Medela breast milk bottles). These are what you will get:
- Pump motor (1x)
- Freestyle tubing (1x)
- AC power adaptor (1x)
- Freestyle milk collection kit
- 24-mm PersonaFit breast shields (x2)
- 27-mm PersonaFit breast shields (x2)
- Freestyle hands-free straps
- Black tote bag
- Medela cooler bag + contoured ice pack + 4 Medela breast milk storage bottles
Top Highlights
1.Super portable
Medela Freestyle is ultra-portable. It fits in the palm and weight less than 370 gr, making it easy to tote around.Â
Since the pump motor is not attached inside the bag (unlike Medela PISA), you can put Medela Freestyle in any bag that you prefer (not necessary the default Medela tote bag), such as this stylish Sarah Well’s pump bag.
This breast pump also comes with a belt clip, so you can clip it on your belt while doing something else.
2.Great suction
Medela Freestyle has a great suction.
Let me tell you.
I always thought that Medela PISA is the best among Medela product lines in terms of strongest suction. But boy, I was wrong.
After trying both of them, I should admit that Freestyle’s highest suction is stronger than Medela PISA’s highest suction.
So, if you are a fan of strong suction, you will definitely love this.
3.Separation membrane between milk collection chamber and tubing
This design prevents the milk to go inside the tubings.
A quick note:
I thought Medela Freestyle is a closed-system pump.
Well, at least, a lot of reviews and comments in motherhood forum said so. But, no. Medela Freestyle is still an open-system breast pump, but with a better separation between milk collection chamber and tubings.
Unlike Medela PISA, it is less likely to get milk into the tubings, provided that you assemble the pump correctly.
That makes for easier cleaning (no need to run the pump to dry out the tubings).
Having said that, Medela Freestyle is not suitable for multiple-user sharing and is meant for only one-person use.
If you are looking for a good breast pump which is on-par with Freestyle, but suitable for multiple-users, I recommend you to check out Spectra S1 (here’s my detailed review).
4.Heavy duty
If you are wondering whether you can use Medela Freestyle for heavy-duty job such as exclusive pumping, the answer is Yes.
My friend has been doing exclusive pumping with Freestyle for about 17 months, without any significant problem.
5.Rechargeable battery
This is another plus for Freesytle. it comes with built-in rechargeable battery that last for up to 3 hour.
This is especially great if you are pumping in the car or nursing room with no access to power outlet.
With a typical 3-5 pumping daily, I would predict that you will only need to charge it every other day.
Other cool features:
1.Two phase expressions with adjustable suction levels
The adjustable suction works for both let-down mode and expression mode (9 levels each).
Most of Medela breast pumps come with 2-phase expression, including Freestyle.
The pump starts in let-down mode, and automatically switches to expression mode after two minutes. You can always skip the let-down mode by pressing the expression button.
2.LED displayÂ
Medela Freestyle is the only Medela breast pump that has LED display. It shows you which suction level you are currently at, battery indicator, and a timer.
The display comes with a back light which is a nice feature if you pump at night (wee hours).
Additionally, this breast pump has a memory feature which memorizes your pump setting. It’s not automatic though. You need to press the memory button to do that.
3.Can be used for single or double pumping
As with any double electric breast pump, it is easy to switch from dual pumping to single pumping, by plugging in the unused tubing into the T-connector.
Are you pumping at work?
You know that every minute counts.
Stop wasting too much time and streamline your pumping routine with these pumping essentials.
The Cons:
1.Hands-free straps that come with the pump is difficult to use.
To be honest. this kind of design is obsolete. Nowadays, if you want to do hands-free pumping, it is easier to purchase hands-free pumping bra, such as Simple Wishes or PumpEase. Period.
2.Loud
Ok, this is not the loudest breast pump in the market, but it definitely is not quiet.
Even comparing my 2-year old Medela Swing with this, Freestyle is still much louder.
3.Expensive.
This breast pump is pretty costly.
Yeah, I know it comes with a tote bag and all the freebies. But still, it is one of the most expensive breast pumps in the market.
Additionally, some of the spare parts are unique to Freestyle (for example, the tubing and the breast shield connector kit) and cost much more compared to the usual Medela spare parts.
4.Meticulous cleaning and assembly required.
The breast shield connector kit requires meticulous assembly.
If you don’t assemble it properly, the suction will be weaker.
Also, note that you should not steam-sterilize this connector kit for exactly the same reason (loose of suction).
Who is this breast pump for
This breast pump is suitable for working moms who want to have a super portable pump to tote around.
Since it comes with the tote bag and Medela cooler bag, it is even more suitable for first-time mom who does not have any pump bag/cooler bag yet.
I won’t recommend this for moms who only pumps occasionally due to its price.
My final thought
Medela Freestyle is a great breast pump which offers ultra-portability with its light-weight and compact design plus rechargeable built-in battery.
These features make it a perfect choice for working moms.
> Click here to read other moms think about Medela Freestyle <<
PS: If price matters a lot to you, Spectra has several breast pump models that are on par with Freestyle:
- Spectra S1: the heavy duty model, full control of speed and suction, but it is bulky. Read more about Spectra S1 here.
- Spectra 9+: the portable model, has LED display and very slim (smaller and lighter than Freestyle), but not so heavy duty. Learn more about Spectra 9+ here.
I hope this review helps you to learn more about the features, pros, and cons of Medela Freestyle.
If you have any question, please ask. I’ll be glad to help.
Helen Doyle says
The breast pumps are not only for working mothers. I had a friend with inverted nipples who could not breast feed. When the babies were brought around for feeding, all mums got a baby except for her. She got a pump delivered on a tray. The pump turned out to be such a hassle that she gave up and bottle fed.
Now a days I would assume the pumps would be more efficient and easier to use. For mothers’ sakes I hope so!
I like your site as it is really informative.
Cheers, Helen
rina says
Hi Helen,
Many thanks for your input.
When I said that this breast pump is suitable for working moms, I don’t mean that stay-at-home mom can not use it too.
I do agree with you, in cases where a mom needs to do exclusively pumping due to certain reasons (in your example, inverted nipples), then having a breast pump is tremendously helpful.
It’s just, for this particular breast pump, Freestyle can be a bit pricey. If I were a stay at home mom and need to pump, I will certainly look out on other alternatives that offers similar efficiency but with cheaper price.
Gret says
I bought it thinking it was going to work for my first and second baby. But after using it 6 months with nut gifts baby it never turned on again. I bought a new battery and connector and after several complains discovered that it has only one year of guaranty and if it stops working there is no place or way to repair it. Is it really worth it’s price if it’s only going to work once??? Just something to think about…
Rina says
I am so sorry to hear your bad experience with Medela Freestyle. I knew a few mothers used this over several babies. In fact, my friend just gave birth to her baby #2 and still use Freestyle that she bought before baby #1 was born.
Reema says
Which is better for exclusive pumping? Spectra 9bolus or the Medela Freestyle?
I have a spectra s1 for home but looking for a pump for when I out and about.
I’m.looking for portability, quality, endurance Also one that isn’t very loud.
Rina says
Reema,
How often are you out and about?
If you are mostly at home, and only go out occasionally, then Spectra 9+ would be the best choice.
If you go out regularly (i.e. working full time every day), perhaps Freestyle would be better option.
There’s one thing I want to remind you though. In general, Spectra suction is gentler than Medela. If you are already used to using Spectra S1, perhaps you will feel being ‘pulled’ when using Freestyle.I don’t know whether you will feel comfortable with it. Just my two cents, hope this helps.
Hiba says
Hi, I have the freestyle pump since 5 years ago when I had my twins, used it for few months when I got back to work. The pump was used by a friend for almost 6 months since.
I am pregnant now and I was told that the pump works less well after few months of using!
Is it true? Because I’m planning to use the pump again after giving birth especially when I go back to work…
Rina says
My friend uses the same Freestyle she bought with her first baby (now first baby is 4 years old, and she was EPing). The pump is still doing pretty good (much noisier, though).
If you are concerned, I suggest you to bring it to Medela service center to get it checked. And don’t forget to replace parts such as the membrane and valves, also the Freestyle kit (that separates the tubing and collection chambers).