Wondering about who would win a fight among the Willow vs Elvie Vs Freemie? Because these 3 are the most popular and best wearable breast pumps available on the market.
In this article, we will be looking closely at these three pumps to determine which one is the best in terms of its quality, performance, suction power, user experience, affordability and battery life.
At the end of this comparison review, we will also tell you which one is best and why? So, if you are not sure which one will best fit into your breast, read this guide.
Editor Choice The Elvie is a hands-free, wireless, double electric breast pump that allows for flexibility when you pump. It's Handy Convenient User Friendly
Willow Vs Elvie Vs Freemie—Which Is The Best Wearable Breast Pump?
The Elvie and Willow are two of the only breast pumps on today’s market that allow you to pump with total freedom. You don’t need wires or an outlet—you can just wear them like normal clothes.
Willow, Elvie, and Freemie are handsfree, discreet, hassle-free, and wearable devices, but there are some differences among these three designs.
Willow and Elvie shared a lot of similarities as compared to Freemie. These two pumps can be fit inside your nursing bra; they are tubeless and hands-free design.
The Willow and Elvie come with a built-in battery, motor, and a charging port—all of these are accommodated in one unit containing a hub.
If you look at the Freemie pump—it is a closed system breast pump that can collect milk anywhere and any time of the day. This one is slightly different from Willow and Elvie because this pump has some tubes that connect the two parts of the pump.
Although Freemie is lightweight and small to fit in the palm, it is still not as comfortable as Willow and Elvie.
The Elvie and Freemie come with a USB port for charging, while the Willow uses a wall socket charger. In this case, I think charging from a USB device is more accessible than the socket because you can charge the pump even from your laptop.
Also, Freemie cups are compatible with other well-known brands like Medela, Philips and Spectra, etc. However, in Willow and Elvie’s case, you don’t need any cup for the milk.
Elvie Wearable Breast Pump
Many moms who pump at home say that the Elvie breast pump has revolutionized their lives. The wearable, hands free design allows them freedom like never before while also giving an option for full time pumping in cases where babies need constant attention from mothers.
Why Should You Buy?
- The pump can hold 5 oz of milk on each side.
- It’s easy to use, wearable and handsfree.
- This pump’s quiet and discreet nature makes for an easygoing pumping experience.
- Elvie’s smartphone app lets you control the pump from anywhere in your home, and I love that you can handle this pump from your app.
- With a smaller and easier design, the Elvie is perfect for those who want their breast pump discreet or have never used one before. It also has less initial learning curve than other models, making it more user-friendly.
Why Should You Avoid?
- It is a bit slow in emptying the breast compared to Willow, which takes 11-12 minutes. This one will take about 16-20 minutes.
- There are a lot of Elvie’s parts to clean compared to Willow.
- The Elvie is not a cheap option; you will need to pay about $499, which might not be affordable for many customers.
- The suction power is 220mmHG, which is low, and if suction is vital to you, I can’t say enough good things about the Elvie Stride. It’s a hospital-grade pump with 270mmHG suction power.
If you want to read our full Elvie Breast Pump Review,← click here to get all the details about this pump. This article is more of a comparison overview of the Elvie Vs Willow Vs Freemie pumps— to see if there is a clear winner among these three.
Willow Breast Pump
The Willow Breast Pump is a sleek and stylish handsfree breast pump that allows for flexibility when pumping–you can even lay down while doing so! This device is made to be discreet and fits directly into your bra. The Willow also features an adjustable milk flow rate which means no more fighting with those pesky letdown moments; fit the bag (or container) over its opening, then attach it securely onto one of three different settings.
Willow is a wireless breast pump that claims to be silent and pretty close to magic. Too good? Well, yes — but there’s one drawback: it costs $499! Of course, with all these features come some trade-offs; though the Willow has fan club support (not without flaws), its price tag may turn away potential buyers who want something more affordable for their needs.
Why Should You Buy It?
- Like Elvie, this one also allows you to pump anywhere because it is a portable, discreet and handsfree wearable pump that can fit inside your nursing bra.
- The Willow has an extra unique feature that allows you to pump in reusable containers. If you are not into using milk bags for each pumping session, the best part about this model is its flexibility.
- The willow pump is a surprisingly simple force that can be assembled in 4 easy steps.
Why Should Avoid It?
- Like Elvie, this one is super expensive but Is it really worth $500? Some moms ask that question when they hear about the price. Well, you have to decide if this product will work well with your lifestyle and needs.
- The Willow’s maximum suction strength is 245 mmHg, significantly lower than the Elvie Stride’s 270 at its highest setting, similar to a hospital-grade pump.
Let’s have a quick look at the comparison between Elvie Vs Willow.
Elvie Willow Weight Weight Capacity Capacity Flanges Flanges Suction Power Suction Power Amazon customer Reviews Total Ratings: 1540+ .............. Walmart customer Reviews Total Ratings:1141 Amazon customer Reviews Total Ratings:493 Walmart customer Reviews Total Ratings:1141 
8.7 ounces
12.8 ounces
150 milliliters or 5 ounces
150 milliliters or 5 ounces. (With extra bags)
21, 24 and 28 millimeters
21, 24 and 28 millimeters.
(You have to buy 21mm separately)
40 to 220 mmHg.
35 to 245 mmHg.
Freemie Pump
Freemie is the most affordable option among these 3 models. The pump is closed system and the wearable cups allows women to pump discreetly and while working in the office or playing with the kids.
The shape of this pump is hexagonal with an LCD screen and the size small enough to fit in your palm. It weighs just about ½ pound, and you can clip it to your clothes.
You can learn more differences among these 3 models below;
Performance—Willow Vs Elvie Vs Freemie
If you look at these three products’ performance, they all are easy to use and portable to be easily fit inside your bra while you are on the go or working with colleagues.
But in my opinion, the Willow and Elvie are tubeless and are easy to set up and wear inside your clothes, while in the case of Freemie, you will need to connect the milk container with the pump.
They both come with transparent flanges that make it easy to align the nipple correctly. However, in terms of usability and multiple suction phases, Elvie is the winner between Willow and Elvie.
The suction power of Willow is more than the Elvie and Freemie. So Willow is the best wearable breast pump for those looking for quicker emptying of the breast.
Cost—Willow Vs Elvie Vs Freemie
We’ll start with the most expensive one, which is the Willow.
The Willow and the Elvie are both $500 pumps, but the Willow has a few extra costs in some of the accessories you might want to come with.
So the willow pump is $500, and then you could get up to another 100 dollars in accessories like an extra charger, reusable milk containers, and some extra bags.
The Elvie is also a $500 pump, but it comes with everything you need to start and make stuff easy. In addition, there are no monthly costs like you do with the bags with the Willow.
The Freemie is the most inexpensive one right now on their website; it’s a little under $200, which is cool, but still, that’s coming in quite a bit lower than the Willow and the Elvie. So you can say Freemie wins that one on cost, but keep reading because you have to consider some other factors.
Mobility Of Elvie Vs Willow Vs Freemie
The Elvie is excellent as it’s a wearable pump; the whole pump is right there inside your bra; so, you can use any bra you want. You can walk around, sit at your desk, feed your baby on the other side with it.
While in the case of Freemie, you can also move around with the pump, although the cup is separate, so the pump is probably going to go on your waist. You can clip it to your pants, and the cup goes inside the bra. There is also a tube that connects the two parts, and the tube then goes down your shirt, so it’s not noticeable, but with the Freemie, it does have an air hole on the top.
The Elvie got little places to get the air in and out for the suction loop, but this can leak it out; if you bend over too far, it’s going to leak out. The Freemie doesn’t leak, but the tubes make it a bit uncomfortable.
In the Willow case, there are extra bags, and you can pump in any position. It’s wholly closed; there are no air vent holes etc. Although, If you use reusable milk containers, then it’s the same as the other pumps. The Willow also can use the bags, and then you can pump while you sleep, exercise, stand on your head chase your toddler.
Whatever so the point for mobility goes to Willow—It’s the clear winner.
Insurance Coverage—Elvie Vs Willow?
If you have your heart set on a wearable pump, and insurance will cover the cost of an Elvie— go for it. The pros include its ease of use, how quiet it is (especially over standard pumps), AND that this one’s effective at extracting milk.
Many insurance companies cover the Elvie (Whole pump) or some parts of it compared to Willow, so if you want your insurance to pay your money, then go for Elvie. Still, if you are directly paying money from your pocket, we recommend Willow.
Battery life
Now—let’s talk about the battery life.
The Willow takes about 2 hours to charge. So you can get about five pumping sessions on a single charge. It does have a light that will tell you the condition of the battery. If it’s yellow, you need to charge it more; if it’s red, you can’t use it, and if it’s green, it means the pump is fully charged.
The Elvie is very similar to Willow, and it takes about 2 hours to charge. So you can do a quick 20-minute charge to get through one pumping, and it does work. After a full charge, you can get about two and a half hours of battery life. This means five pumping sessions— so that’s great.
The Elvie does have USB chargers, which is incredible, and you can charge it in the car, on your laptop, in your favorite USB wall plug-in.
Unfortunately, The Freemie pump, on the other side, is the worst of the three if you compare the battery life with the other two models.
To consider the Freemie charging time, it takes about one and a half hours to charge, so it’s a little bit faster, but you don’t get as many pumping sessions, and it says that it will last about three to four sessions of about 15 minutes each, which is less than the other two.
The battery life on Freemie is not as good as some of these high-end pumps, but still enough to get you through. If I have to choose one here, my priority would be Elvie and then Willow because of the USB port charging and the battery life—So, the winner here is Elvie.
Weight and Size Of These Pumps
The weight of Willow is 12.8 ounces, and it’s probably the heaviest of the three pumps. On the other hand, the Elvie weighs 8.7 ounces, so you’re getting 4 ounces lighter than the willow pump.
The weight of Freemie is 9 ounces, and the weight of the cup is 2.8 ounces, but there’s no motor attached to it. So Freemie is lighter than Elvie, and then Willow.
Now let’s talk about the size comparison.
The Elvie is probably the sleekest model, and it has the best shape.
The Willow is a little bit bulkier than the Elvie; the Willow and the Freemie are very similar. The only thing to consider is the shape, the Willow is shaped much more like a breast, and Elvie is shaped a little bit more flat on the one side.
The Elvie is the best wearable breast pump and will win the look and size, especially while you’re wearing it.
Don’t forget that the Freemie has a cord, but most people run it down their shirt and hook it to the pump down below.
Suction Power
The Willow has a vast suction range; it goes from 35 to 245 mmHg. So it has the widest on the soft end and the heavy suction end range of all three of these pumps.
The Elvie is very similar though 40 to 220 mmHg—so it’s very similar; you don’t necessarily need the most suction ever to get the most milk. However, if you compare the Freemie, the suction strength is hard to find. The latest version of Elvie Stride has a strong suction power of 270mmHG.
The Freemie works very; similarly, and there are no problems with the suction style or strength.
So—Willow is the most powerful among these three pumps, but my favorite is probably the Elvie, and the Freemie’s is also acceptable.
So based on suction power, the Willow is the best wearable breast pump.
Setup and Cleaning—Willow Vs Elvie Vs Freemie
The Elvie has the most parts; It comes with a bottle and a valve. There are a motor, the flange, and the little suction thing. You have to clean all of these parts except the motor.
The Willow is relatively easy to clean because you only have two parts that need to be cleaned. If you’re using the bags, you have to clean the flange part too. It also comes with a brush to get into that flex tube and is easy to use and clean.
If you’re using the reusable milk containers with your Willow pump, it’s very similar, and there are very few parts to clean and set up.
The Freemie has a few more pieces— you’ve got the collection cup, this is the part that collects the milk, and then you’ve got the flange. Again, it’s effortless to clean.
Storage Capacity Of These Pumps
The storage capacity of Elvie is 150 milliliters or 5 ounces. Unfortunately, it can only hold that much it will then start to leak on you.
While the willow pump can hold about 5 ounces you can also pump with the bag on the outside of the pump. Willow’s reusable containers also hold about 5 ounces, and when those are full, they’re going to start spilling out, so you’ll need to pour those milk out.
However, the Freemie cups on the other side can hold up to 8 ounces (235 milliliters)—I think that’s cool. So the cup will hold 8 ounces, which is fantastic—the Freemie is the winner for storage capacity.
Accessories
The Elvie pump comes with everything you need to get started.
It comes with two chargers, two flanges of 24 and 28 millimeters. They also have a 21mm flange for the smaller nipple. You can also get a pack of extra bottles and some lids so that you can put the milk in the fridge.
The Elvie also came with a bit of extender for your nursing bra that makes your nursing bra a little bigger to accommodate the Elvie. In my opinion, this is a nice touch from the company that makes your pumping experience easier.
The Willow also has some suitable accessories that you might want. Still, they get a little spendy because it only comes with one charger. You will also need to buy bags separately, and It might be worth it to you.
If you want reusable milk containers, you will need to order those separately. The Willow has three sizes of flanges, like 21mm, 24mm, and 28mm, but if you want something different from the standards, like a 21 millimeter, you may have to buy that one separately.
There are three options with the Freemie Pump. First, they have many accessories for the pump but, it’s just because the pump is made from different parts.
The nice thing about the Freemie is that its parts are cheap, and if you need to replace any of the valves, they’re more inexpensive than the other two pumps.
Another cool thing about the Freemie is they had inserts for a variety of different sizes. If you don’t fit in one of the traditional three sizes for these pumps, the Freemie had 12 options ranging from 15 millimeters to 26 millimeters. This pump is cheap and has many different sizes for small and large breasts.
With the Elvie, you have different suction levels you can choose from; you also have stimulation mode versus expression mode; you can control all of that on a fantastic smartphone app.
It’s effortless; actually, I don’t know if it’s got the stimulation mode, but this is pretty easy to customize; you can do it all yourself.
The Willow has the stimulation and expression mode, so it will automatically switch from the stimulation over to the expression when the pump has 5 ounces of milk in it.
Customer Reviews For All These 3 Gadgets
I always include customer reviews from Amazon because they don’t allow unverified people to review the products.
SO, let’s take a look at the Willow first.
The product has 493 ratings, and out of that, the Willow pump has got 3.7/5 ratings. So for many people, it simply didn’t work and is a waste of money.
For others, it works but is expensive because the price of this little gadget is $500, which is not a cheap one.
If you look at the Elvie breast pump reviews on Amazon, you will see more than 1500 ratings, and most of the people were happy with the pump.
The Elvie has got 4.1/5 ratings on Amazon, and the customers were happy with the portability, decent battery life, and fantastic customer service.
Like Willow, the Freemie also has a poor rating of 3.6/5 when the total reviews were 194. For many people, the pump works great, but the design and suction power are not like the above two pumps.
SO, Elvie pump is the Clear winner with 1500+ positive reviews.
Bottom Line—Which One Do we Recommend Willow Vs Elvie Vs Freemie?
It depends on many factors.
In my opinion, the Elvie is the most comfortable, lightweight, discreet, and best wearable breast pump on the market, followed by Willow, which is similar in many features. Still, the parts are a bit more expensive, so this is our second recommendation.
If budget is an issue for you, We recommend Freemie, which is cheap and easy to use for those looking for a wearable but inexpensive pump.
1 Review ( 5 out of 5 )
Amazing
Great article