Elvie Stride Review

In 2013, Tania Boler, a women's health expert, created Elvie. The company aims to develop innovative, user-friendly products to improve women's health and well-being. Elvie has spent over 10 years developing cutting-edge tech and breaking societal taboos to level up women's lives.

Efficiency

Elvie Stride faced some challenges in this test metric compared to the competition.

While some of our testers had positive experiences with the Elvie Stride breast pump, our testing revealed that it did not perform as efficiently as some others. We noticed that several factors seemed to influence its efficiency, including nipple shape and size. This means it could be easier for lactating mothers who have smaller breasts or find the Goldilocks fit with this model. During testing, the Elvie Stride struggled to establish a consistent latch. This problem also occurs when the pump's internal channels become wet.

This pump lacks a flange, and the shape of its breast shield struggled to achieve a secure latch with the Emulait bottle and the Medela Pressure Gauge. This hindered the pump's overall performance. With some other pumps consistently latching, we have a hunch that if your body doesn't match well with the breast shield, you might not experience the full power of the pump. While we understand the design isn't meant to have a flange, it felt like it might work better if it did.

On average, in our tests, the Elvie Stride pumped at a rate of 0.12 ounces of milk per minute, and the Medela Pressure Gauge recorded a maximum suction strength of 170 mmHg, which falls short by quite a bit from the manufacturer's claimed suction strength of 300 mmHg. We could also notice the lesser suction in our efficiency tests.

Comfort

The Elvie Stride has some qualities that we believe benefit comfort.

The Elvie Stride is comfortable while pumping in motion. It comes with a 24 mm breast shield, and other sizes are available. It offers two modes: stimulation and expression, each featuring 10 suction levels. We believe this wide range of options allows most moms to tailor their pumping experience to their comfort. Also, the manufacturer provides a visual guide on proper breast shield sizing, and this is an incredibly valuable resource that can contribute to a breastfeeding mom's comfort during use.

Ease of Use

The Elvie Stride is innovative and user-friendly. The Elvie Stride keeps it refreshingly simple with only four buttons to control its functions, allowing you to easily manage power, modes, intensity levels, and play/pause. We kind of preferred this over the app that had a lot more going on.

However, the accompanying app elevates the experience for others who like more control and options. It is free and allows you to control the pump remotely. It steps in as the pump's screen, tracking time, adjusting settings, and recording data. If you decide to go app-free, don't worry; the pump remains easy to use. It just has no data collection.

There are many things about the app we love. You can save your preferred intensity settings by using the “personalize” feature, keep track of milk expression amounts, and set a timer to automatically stop the pump when the session ends. Changing intensity levels is hassle-free, with no need to cycle through all the options. The pump automatically switches from stimulation to expression mode after two minutes and will automatically pause after 40 minutes in a single session.

There are a few drawbacks to consider. Some users commented that the pump's components have a somewhat flimsy feel. None of the parts seem to have a rock-solid connection. Also, the plastic used in the nipple chamber has a cloudy appearance, which, while not a deal-breaker, can make it tricky to keep an eye on your milk expression progress.

Portability

The Elvie Stride is an exceptionally portable and convenient breast pump. This wearable offers hands-free pumping, but it isn't tube-free.

This can be slightly less convenient when on the move compared to competing wearables that go in your bra. The cups are worn in your bra during use, and the white control can clip to your shirt or pants. Depending on your charging setup, a rechargeable battery powers it and takes approximately two hours to fully charge. According to the manufacturer, a full charge can last for approximately five 30-minute pumping sessions. When the pump is charging, it's unable to pump. Therefore, it's important to keep an eye on the battery level so it's charged and ready to go when you need it the most.

With a weight of 0.8 lbs, it's lightweight and small size will easily fit into most bags for convenient transport. Wearable pumps are usually smaller and lighter than traditional pumps, and hands-free operation is ideal for moms who want to pump while multitasking. Another notable feature is its very quiet operation, even on higher power settings, registering LO on the dB reader. Despite a low vibrating sound, we could barely hear it with background music playing. Depending on where you're wearing this pump and the background noise level, others may not be able to hear it.

Some users mention having leaking issues with the Elvie, particularly if you bend over for a long time, and you may need a more firm-fitting bra, like a stretchy nursing bra. However, the flexibility of walking around while wearing the Elvie is a standout feature of this option.

Hygiene

The Elvie Stride features a closed system design, and the clean-up is a snap.

To ensure effective cleaning, having the right brushes is essential. We noticed that a flexible bottle brush or straw brush is particularly helpful for reaching the cup's rounded curves.

If you prefer, some parts, such as the breast shield, cup, valve, and diaphragms, can be cleaned in a dishwasher instead of by hand. Putting the pump back together isn't too much of a hassle, but it's important that every part is connected correctly.

Should You Buy the Elvie Stride?

If you're willing to pay the pump's high cost, the Elvie Stride is an attractive breast pump for busy moms looking for portability, hands-free pumping, and a remarkably quiet operation for a discreet pumping experience. We also like its user-friendly app that allows for easy control and data tracking. However, it isn't very efficient, and this could be a reason not to buy this pump if your goal of pumping is efficiency.

What Other Breast Pumps Should You Consider?

The Spectra S1 Plus is a podium finisher in our review. This pump is strong, efficient, and great for establishing and maintaining milk supply. While it has a rechargeable battery, making it good for taking to work or pumping away from an outlet, it isn't as portable as the Elvie. But if you seek efficiency, it's unbeatable. The Baby Buddha is an affordable, portable double breast pump with strong suction power. It costs less than the Elvie and has better efficiency. While neither are discreet wearables like the Elvie, we suspect most mothers won't need this kind of pump and would prefer something more efficient or less expensive.

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