Medela Harmony with Flex Review

Originating in Zug, Switzerland, Medela has grown to be a globally recognized brand, selling breast pumps and accessories in over 90 countries. As a family-run business, they placed a strong focus on helping women breastfeed their children and began a program called the "Corporate Lactation Program" to educate companies to support women breastfeeding and pumping at work. With a track record over decades, they have been selling pumps in the US and have become a go-to brand for many.

Performance Comparison

Efficiency

The Medela Harmony with Flex underperformed in our efficiency tests compared to the competition. While it has strong suction and efficient milk expression at times, it exhibited inconsistency and one of the lowest expression rates. We noticed that a slight adjustment could compromise the latch, causing it to cease functioning effectively.

On average, it expressed 0.13 oz of milk per minute in our tests. It achieved a maximum suction reading of 240 mmHg on our pressure gauge. However, it faces limitations due to the handle distance, which restricts the speed because it hits the bottle, and this reduces the amount of pumps you can do in a minute. It's important to remember that this pump is designed differently than an electric pump, and inherently, it will perform differently, so expectations should be adjusted.

Comfort

This pump has a two-phase design: expression and stimulation. Using the shorter side, the expression phase stimulates letdown (when your milk begins to flow) and creates faster, shorter sucking cycles, similar to that of a hungry baby. The longer lever creates slower, longer, and stronger pulls on your breast to express your milk. Also, the soft and flexible silicone rim hugs the breast, providing a more comfortable experience compared to flanges with hard plastic.

Ease of Use

The Medela Harmony with Flex has no interface or system to learn, and this makes this pump more straightforward and intuitive. With no complex interface to learn, you can get to pumping quicker. However, you will want to reference the manual beforehand to know which part of the hand controls which mode.

While this hand-operated pump allows for various hand positions to help prevent hand fatigue, we found the handle to be uncomfortable after some time. The ability to swing the 105-degree handle around is annoying when you are pumping for a long time.

With this manual pump, you can only empty one breast at a time, and your hand serves as the motor. The manual nature of the pumping process means it can take time and be physically taxing after a while. It's important to consider your physical comfort and limitations, as a manual pump could cause discomfort or strain.

Portability

Portability is one of the many positive attributes of a manual pump, as it can easily fit into a carry-on or personal bag. The Medela is lightweight and portable, weighing 0.3 lbs. With this setup, you don't have to worry about finding an outlet, charging battery packs, or malfunctions. It's also relatively quiet, except for a noise when the handle hits the bottle. There is no insulated storage bay so plan to bring your insulated container or plan refrigeration.

Hygiene

The Medela has eight parts, which is more than your typical manual pump, and right up there with an electric pump. The amount of effort it takes to clean this pump mirrors the effort you'd put into it with an electric pump. While assembly is easy, you still deal with several parts. We do appreciate that the parts are top-rack dishwasher safe, which can help the cleaning process. Unfortunately, another aspect that kept this pump from scoring higher is its tiny o-rings. They're easy to misplace, and if you lose them, the pump might not work correctly.

Should You Buy the Medela Harmony with Flex?

The Medela Harmony with Flex is not the best solution for those who need to pump both breasts multiple times a day regularly. The manual nature of this pump can lead to long pumping times and hand fatigue. It also didn't measure up to the award-winning handheld, the Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump, which is more efficient and easier to clean. We suggest passing on the Medela for a higher-scoring manual option.

What Other Breast Pumps Should You Consider?

The Lansinoh Manual Breast Pump is a better handheld option that's efficient, affordable, and convenient for those who travel or only need to pump occasionally. We prefer many aspects of this pump, not the least of which is a quieter operation. The Haakaa Gen 1 might also appeal to you. It's a passive milk collection system that's efficient, easy to clean, and portable. It's also great for leaking or engorgement. If you want something more portable, and that is why you were considering a handheld pump, the Baby Buddha is an affordable electric pump for budget-conscious moms. This pump can be worn while you do other things and works efficiently without breaking the back. Because it has a good battery life, it can work well for away-from-home pumping.

Manufacturer Video