-
Build Quality
-
Performance
-
Ease of use
-
Features
Summary
This is the best electric breast pump we have tested. It is not perfect and we wish it could be battery-powered, but it makes out for it with the ultra-quiet operation, ease of use and features such as night light, timer, etc. It is not the cheapest but it will be an investment you won’t regret. During our testing it never failed, it was consistent and it will prove to be one of the best purchases that you will ever make. Highly recommended.
User Review
( votes)Spectra S2 Plus Premier Electric Breast Pump
When you look for a breast pump, you want to ideally buy a workhorse, a pump able to perform at the highest level, consistently, for days, weeks and years. It is that kind of good quality breast pump that turns out to be invaluable when working full-time in order to keep your supply going when your baby struggles with his/her latch. This is what you get when you buy a Spectra S2 Electric Breast Pump.
It is the biggest of the breast pumps that we have tested. It has a sizeable pastel-coloured sphere with a handle, integrated bottle stand and two levels of nightlight. Unfortunately, there are no battery options available so you will always need to be closeby the mains supply. However, the Spectra S2 excels in many ways compared to the competition. Both the cycle and vacuum levels can be accurately adjusted to suit your schedule and pattern, and there’s an automatic let-down phase for convenience. This is a very helpful feature for pumping moms who have a set time when they pump (15, 20 or 30 minutes). Even better when you’re pumping in the middle of the night while half asleep and forget to keep track of your time.
The LCD screen displays how long you have been pumping for and it also includes a timer to make your life easier. The Spectra S2 Electric Breast Pump will turn itself off automatically after 30 minutes which is also helpful as it is not uncommon to be so exhausted that one forgets. The six-piece pump is a closed-system design and is very easy to put together. There are two funnels and bottles that come with it so you can convert it to a double pump if needed. The bottles are fairly basic, to be honest, but they do come with teats and caps, should you want to convert to a feeding bottle in a hurry. That is a nice touch.
It is worth to mention, to our pleasant surprise, that the Spectra is extremely quiet. It is, as a matter of fact, the quietest model we have ever tested. So much so that we were able to pump with the Spectra S2 while sitting next to our baby while he was sleeping. It is, however, the most expensive pump in our testing group but it is also one of the best, if not the best we have tested plus it provides a generous two-year warranty.
Hospital Grade
This Spectra S2 Electric Breast Pump is recommended by lactation consultants and is widely used in hospitals. Users also prefer it to other, more expensive Hospital Grade pumps such as the Medela Symphony.
Compact
The Spectra S2 has a convenient carrying handle, it weighs 2.5 lbs and is 7.9 x 7.9 x 6.7 inches. This is very compact and makes it easy to transport to work, on vacation, or just around the house.
Massage mode
Most pumps come with an automatic mode to imitate a baby’s rapid suckling before the letdown kicks in. In the Spectra S2, this is called massage mode. The pump gently massages instead of being more forceful like some other pumps. It also does this without sacrificing any milk. In fact, many many moms report getting more milk out with the Spectra S2 versus their competitors (these are moms that have tried both pumps and so they are able to compare apples to apples). Which brings me to my next point…
Night Light
Speaking about middle of the night pumping, this nifty feature on the Spectra S2 makes that all the easier. The night light negates the need for room lights and with the super-quiet operation, it is very friendly for night pumping. I really appreciate how the designers of this pump went the extra mile to put these user-friendly features in.
Adaptable and Safe
For people that are switching to a Spectra S2 Electric Breast Pump from a different pump, there are adapters available for purchase so that moms can use their existing Medela parts (flanges, etc) with the Spectra S2 pump. This eliminates the need for re-buying parts and saves moms money. Also, some moms like other bottles or flanges better so they would be able to keep using them with this pump. The Spectra S2 parts are washable in the dishwasher on the top rack for ease of use. Anything that is easy to clean during those hazy baby days is a giant plus in my book.