The Elvie Stride is a wearable breast pump. This is what attracted me to this product in the first place. I did a lot of research trying to determine what would be the best breast pump as a first time mom. It was important to me to be able to still be active and pump. My thought was, if I can still interact with my baby or do something around the house while I pump that is a plus. I did not want to be hooked up to the wall for 20-30 mins while pumping.
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The Pros
Cups
What I really liked about the Elvie Stride was that the cups were small. I could easily place them in my bra and it would hardly appear like I was pumping. It made going out in public easier. I remember using this pump while I was at the salon getting my hair done and no one noticed.
Quiet
This pump is relatively quiet compared to my other pumps. Like I mentioned before, this made going out in public much more comfortable. There was no whirring or loud suction noises that attracted attention.
Bluetooth and Elvie App
The Elvie Stride connects to the Elvie app which can be used to monitor and track milk output. From the app you can also control the settings on your pump including the suction intensity you prefer. It will also track how long your pump session lasts. All this data is recorded and you can use this information to see when you get your best output. I always liked having a record of pumping data like this in one place. The app also provides resource articles for navigating the Elvie Stride and general information about pumping.
Cons
Hard Breast Shield
The Elvie Stride was the first pump I used after I was released from the hospital. What I found most challenging as a newcomer was placing the wearable pump to my breast and ensuring the nipple lined up correctly. It felt like I was alway off. When I started pumping regularly, I noticed how the breast shield was made of hard plastic that was not pliable. As I would pumping the breast shield would push against my breast which was painful at times. It was especially painful if I was engorged. I ended up purchasing a breast cushion which is a silicon piece that is placed on top of the breast shield. It did help, but it was just something else I had to end up cleaning.
Flange Sizes
The Elvie Stride only comes with two flange sizes. I fit neither one of them. One of the challenging aspects of pumping is determining your flange size. The Elvie Stride offered no guide to flange sizes. In the app there is a brief resource article. However, having a literal measuring guide would really assist those who are unsure if they are measuring themselves correctly. Like I said before, I did end up getting a breast cushion which come in different sizes since I was not the standard package flange size.
So Many Parts
Another con to the Elvie Stride are just how many parts there are with this pump. Once you complete a pump session, you need to wash your pump and breaking down the Elvie Stride was a pain. This was especially, hard at two or three o’clock in the morning. I hated washing all these parts all the time and the worst part was drying every little ity-bity part to ensure they would fit back on the pump securing enough for my next session or else the suction would be off.
Output
My output varied drastically with the Elvie Stride. There were times when I could nearly fill up the cup and other times when I could barely get anything at all. Now, I know milk volume varies and is to be expected, but when I hardly got any milk out my breast still felt full. I made sure to check that I was fitting the pump to be breast correctly (or as best as I could) many times, and adjusted suction but again, my output varied. This was discouraging to me because if I did not get a good output, I would think ‘Do I need to pump again?’ ‘Am I not doing something right?’ ‘What if I can’t provide for my baby?’ Not to mention, when you already have painful chapped nipples, the last thing you want to do is another session. You want to get it over with quickly.
Overall
Overall, I would only recommend the Elvie Stride as a pump to be used on occasion. If you are out running errands or running around the house, it is a great pump. It’s quiet and small and easily customizable. I think there are some upgrades they could do to this model, like creating a softer breast shield, perhaps made of silicone, and simplifying all the parts.
Out of a five star rating I would rate the Elvie Stride at 3.5 stars.
