Review: Pumpables Genie Advanced Portable Breast Pump

When I heard the words “portable pump,” I imagined something small. I originally purchased the classic Spectra S1 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) a few weeks before my child arrived last summer, but I was surprised how large it was. Sure, I could walk around with it and wasn't tethered to the wall—but I wasn't hands-free, since one hand had to carry the pump, and leaving the house meant packing the biggest diaper bag we owned.

I wanted something that I could more easily move around in, and easily pack if I needed to pump on the go. And I ended up finding that in a different pump: the Pumpables Genie Advanced. It's small, but powerful, easy to wear, and most importantly, comfortable to pump with.

I found out about this from another mom online. I saw her posting videos from her car while pumping with the Genie Advanced, and I was amazed at how small and convenient her pump looked. So I had to try it for myself.

Photograph: Pumpables

Like other portable pumps, the Genie Advanced is broken down into two main areas: the motor, which pumps milk, and the shield/bottle that catches the expressed milk. It's a portable pump rather than a wearable one, so it expresses milk into attached bottles that sit outside the bra (and requires a pumping bra).

The Genie's pump is a small size—only a few inches tall compared to larger portable pumps. But it's heavy. It felt a bit like holding three iPhones stacked on top of one another. It comes with a clip and a lanyard, so you can clip it to your clothes or wear it around your neck. With the weight of it, the lanyard feels a little more stable, but it's also a little heavy around the neck thanks to the lanyard's thin strap.

It's also powerful, with letdown (or stimulation) and expression modes, and a variety of suction levels that Pumpables says can reach up to 330 mmHg—higher than popular models like the Spectra S1 and Medela Pump in Style.

There's a screen on the pump, so you can see how long you've been pumping and what mode you're on. Below the screen are buttons that control the suction level and flow style. To actually start and stop pumping, though, you'll use the small power button on the side of the device. And even though it's so small, I did manage to jostle the button once while trying to clip it to my hip.

The Genie Advanced won't switch on its own from letdown to expression, though. You'll have to do that yourself. But you can record a preferred program—using the small “P” button on the side of the pump—for it to run with the same settings and time in each mode, which is great if you know how long you like to pump for.

Photograph: Pumpables

When I think about using the Genie Advanced, I think of the shield kit. Pumpables calls it the Liquid Kit, and it comes bundled with the pump.

First off, the annoying bit about the shield kit: It has so many parts. There's your standard nipple shield, bottle, and backflow protector. But it also has a plastic cap for the backflow protector that the pump plugs into, and the duckbill valve is attached to a larger, silicone nipple shield that goes on top of the existing plastic one and clicks into the top of the bottle.

There’s a plastic cover to then put over the double shield, so you can keep it clean if you put it in a backpack or diaper bag. It also comes with a little saucer to lock the bottle into, because it’s so top-heavy with all these pieces that the bottle and shield kit doesn’t stand up on its own when it’s empty.

It's not difficult to put the shield/valve combo into place. The weirdest moment is removing it for the first time, and wondering whether you ripped it (don't worry, you didn't!). I also found it annoying to clean, especially since those last few drips of milk tended to catch on the silicone surface. It was messy to remove it. And none of these parts are dishwasher-safe, so you'll have to clean them all by hand.

But wow, is it comfortable. Pumping is never going to be that comfortable, but the materials were cool on my skin and the soft material felt more similar to my baby nursing, as opposed to an electric contraption suctioned to my body.

Pumpables also has you choose from a variety of shield kit sizes at checkout, ranging from 15 mm to 29 mm. Many pump makers will just send you a standard size (often 24 mm), and make you hunt down and buy an add-on to get the right size, which is important to get the best results (and comfort) while you pump. Pumpables also has a printable measuring tool so you can get the right size. This may feel like an annoying amount of work when you're trying to check out, but you'll be glad to have gotten the right size from the beginning.