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Lansinoh Affinity Breast Pump Features

This is a double electric breast pump, which means that you can use it to pump both breasts at once. Double pumping tends to be more effective than single, so it's an advantage to have a double pump if you'll be using the pump often.

Not only does this breast pump run on electricity, it can also be powered by battery. It takes 6 AA batteries.

There is a letdown phase and a regular pumping phase.

You can adjust the suction and speed of the pumping via buttons on the base. You can also return to the letdown phase at any time by pushing a button.

This breast pump is a closed system. That means the milk cannot back up into the tubing and get into the motor. There is a flexible piece in the top of the bottle assembly that keeps milk where it belongs.

The breast pieces have a silicone edging to create a better seal. Breast flanges in larger sizes are available separately.

Included in the box is the pump itself with bottle holders, two 5-ounce bottles with caps and breast flange assemblies, extra valves, the electric plug-in cord, a Velcro strap for tubing and an instruction book.

What I Like About the Lansinoh Affinity Double Electric Breast Pump

I wasn't sure that this pump was going to do the trick for me at first. I'm used to other brands of electric breast pumps, and not all of them are very comfortable to use. Strong and effective suction sometimes hurts. However, after using the Lansinoh Affinity to pump for my newborn, I'm impressed.

This is a very comfortable breast pump to use. The silicone edges of the breast flanges create a good seal and don't leave red marks the way some other pumps do. The suction is effective but feels gentle. It feels like a small vibration rather than the vigorous pulling I get from some other pumps I use. I am able to pump just as much milk, if not more, with the Lansinoh Affinity breast pump compared to other well-known double electric breast pumps.

This breast pump is easy to use. Just push the button to turn it on and it's in letdown mode for the first two minutes. You can switch to expression mode any time by pushing the letdown mode button, and then you can easily switch back to letdown mode later on if you need to by pushing that button again. There are plus and minus buttons for the speed and suction levels, too. The display in the center of the pump body shows you which settings you're using and then switches over to a timer. I love knowing exactly how long I've been pumping, because I often forget to look at the clock when I start, especially if it's 4 a.m. and I'm exhausted. It's also nice that there's a light behind the display. That helps in the middle of the night.

It's nice that the tubes don't have to be washed, because cleaning narrow tubing is not easy. The closed system guarantees that milk won't enter the tubes. That also means milk can't reach the motor, so you won't end up with bacteria breeding in there. It's also good because nothing is more annoying when you're pumping to save every last bit of breast milk than losing some of it to the tubes or out of a poorly sealed flange.

I like the size of this pump, too. It's very easy to pack up and take along for the day. The pump body is about the size of a small clutch-style purse and doesn't weigh much. I can fit it in my diaper bag if I need to. I take the power cord with me when I go out, but you can also run the pump from 6 AA batteries.

At about $150, this breast pump comes at a great price. Most good double electric breast pumps start at around $200, and some cost much more. This is a great option if you can't spend several hundred dollars but still need a decent pump for every day use.

What I Don't Like About the Lansinoh Affinity Double Electric Breast Pump

The biggest thing I noticed about this breast pump on the negative side is its noise. It's loud! Currently, I work from home, so I'm not usually worried about anyone hearing the noise from my breast pump. I used to work in a cubicle, though, and had to pump there, so I know how it seems that every sound from the pump is magnified. There's no way I would feel comfortable using a pump this loud in a shared office environment.

The suction doesn't seem as good when using batteries. I get slightly less milk when I switch to the battery mode. I would save that feature for emergencies so your milk supply isn't affected.

I wish the bottles fit into the bottle holders a little better. They wobble around a bit and I've had them fall out occasionally. No one wants to spill that milk after a pumping session!



Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.