Are portable pumps the new wearables?

Are portable pumps the new wearables when it comes to the pumps parents need to gain their freedom without sacrificing their feeding goals?

Technology typically develops in a fairly logical progression, but in the birth and breastfeeding world where the audience turns over rapidly as new parents join this world, and seasoned parents move to the next stage, history is hard to nail down because the turn over rate is so high.

Most people assume breast pumps went wall pumps, portable pumps, and finally, wearable pumps.

But that’s not exactly accurate in the context 

Prior to roughly 2017-2018, wearable breast pumps didn’t functionally exist.

2015 - Wearable cups hit the scene.

Portable pumps have been around in different forms since at least 2010.

But the technology can exist without being entirely functional because the to make breast pump technology truly user friendly technology moms are likely to adopt there is a whole infrastructure of pumping accessories that has to exist.

And breast pump technology is a touch unpredictable in terms of what moms will actually find beneficial. Their personal goals will heavily influence what it is that they opt to use- and the best pump for them and their situation may not be the most technically technologically advanced pump.

So in the breast pump world what we saw was the rise of more portable pumps that lacked the accessories most find make these usable- good wearable pumping bras, easy to wear pumps (whether its in a bag, on a clip, on a lanyard etc.), and often wearable cups that work well for discrete pumping when desired.  So early portable pumps offered little value over wall pumps for many moms. 

When wearables hit the market with the Willow Gen 1, Gen 2 and Elvie Wireless these pumps were groundbreaking game changers. They had a level of desirability that portable pumps didn’t have at the time. And these companies came on the market as luxury breast pumps aimed at moms who took pumping seriously. Their early models were high quality and highly consistent. Were they flawless? Not at all. But they were better for many than the technology available at the time.

So from a technological standpoint you would assume portable pumps were a thing of the past, or a slightly better option for those who couldn’t justify the expense of wearable pumps.  Instead what we see is the development of an accessory market that addresses many of the issues the wearables addressed, but with more affordable, reliable, less finicky portable pumps.

Portable pumps are experiencing a renaissance over the last year- the accessories to customize their use is booming! 

At the same time wearable pumps are experiencing a huge shift in quality and how they are marketed. The market was once dominated by luxury brands known for high quality is now saturated with lower cost options that functionally compete with the once luxury pumps.  Cost of the luxury pumps have barely increased over time despite the addition of more advanced features, coverage through insurance and DME (this caps prices and provides a middle man that has to be paid).  Wearable pump companies have also shifted their focus and marketing.  The end result has resulted in wearables becoming a more risky and frustrating investment than they were previously. The days of a high quality wearable pump being an option sadly appear to be all but over. They all come with huge drawbacks and are not performing as they previously did.

Which leaves the door open for portable pumps to steal the show and become the option that best supports pumping parents. They combine increasing functionality, an appealing price point, and relatively strong performance with several options to pick from that are high quality. Portable pumps aren’t perfect but these pumps may ultimately be the next wearables in terms of the pumps parents just have to have!