Elvie Stride Pump: The Initial Review

Pumping

Sep 17

Elvie Stride is essentially a redesigned and reimagined Freemie Style pump. There are wearable cups attached to tubing that goes to a small motor hub.

The Pump Hub:

The pump hub for the Elvie Stride is well shaped and can be carried, clipped or tucked into a pocket. It’s not super heavy and feels natural when held.

The Tubing:

The tubing for the pump is a good length, and it’s designed to go from the cups and run under your bra so most of the tubing will be under your shirt, with only the tail end that connects to the hubs visible.

The Suction:

The suction on this pump is impressive! It reminded me a lot of the strength of the spectra but with gentle patterns comparable to the original Elvie. I typically use the Original Elvie on higher suction, but with the Elvie Stride pump, I needed to turn it down a bit because it was stronger than I anticipated.

You have the ability to easily toggle between stimulation and expression with a variety of suction levels available in each mode. There are lights on the motor hub to determine what level you are set on.

Exact sizing will need to be done by a professional lactation consultant in order to make sure that you don’t damage your nipples.

The Sound:

The Elvie Stride is incredibly quiet! It’s not quite as silent as the original Elvie, but it was not noticeable when I was on the phone and was certainly more silent than the other comparable portable pumps of this style.

The Size:

The profile of the wearable cups is very similar to the original Elvie, and in my opinion, provides one of the most discrete pumping options visually available today. They are shaped naturally, and the lower profile makes them less obvious than that of other wearable pump cups.

The Flange Area:

Update 9/18/2021: The Elvie Stride Flange Sizing Guide is now ready!!! The flange depth is an area of concern with the same shallow depth of the original Elvie. The good news here is the inserts compatible with the original appear to be compatible with the Stride. I won’t have all of the flange options for a few more days to provide more nuanced guidance, and I still have to put this pump through its paces before I will definitively say which option might be best to try.

The Cups:

These cups are not leakproof like a Willow Pump with bags, but the only hole to leak from is at the very top of the flange cups and is comparable to Freemie, Spectra, and Youha Cups or Willow containers. You can likely bend slightly depending on how much you pump but you will need to be mindful of leaning too far.

Thoughts:

Free Download: Elvie Stride Quick Start Cheatsheet

One of the big concerns with this pump when it was first announced was that the pump was not cross-compatible with other pump flanges and parts. The concern was that if someone gets this pump, and the cups don’t work for them, they essentially have an expensive paperweight…

The good news is that concern is not something we have to worry about going forward! The tubing for this pump is a proprietary set-up with standard tubing that’s easily removable.

We will ultimately be able to use other flanges with this pump that are compatible with the standard “Spectra” size tubing……

And, these cups could be hacked to attach to pumps that are compatible with that same standard “spectra” size tubing.

Once we test everything, we will be able to make a list of cross compatibility for those who need it!