New Tommee Tippee Made for Me Wearable Pump Review
Meet the Tommee Tippee Made for Me Wearable Pump!
Tommee Tippee's new Made for Me Wearable Pump is the 2nd Constant Suction Wearable Breast Pump to hit the market, and the 1st major competitor to the Willow Generation Pumps.
I'll be honest. I was highly skeptical of this pump at first. The last year or so has been a roller coaster of new pumps launching that have left me a little jaded. I'm tired of getting my hopes up on a pump that makes promises it can't keep. The price point of $294, with competitors almost double, gave me a reason to pause. I genuinely thought I was going to be underwhelmed and unimpressed. Instead, this pump has left me feeling that other companies are committing highway robbery, and we need more new solid competitors like this pump in the market to help balance the economics in favor of the pumping parent instead of the investment firms swimming in pools of our money.
I spent at least the first several weeks testing it and looking for the catch. I tried everything there reasonably was to be tested. Then, I purchased pumps for my entire team over at Wearable Paperweight Prevention to have them put the pumps to the test. Every bit of angst from the pumps that had broken my heart before went into testing this pump.
The Tommee Tippee Made for Me Wearable pump runs an advanced program with complete control of pump settings at ALL times! You have access to the full capability of this pump at all times - the only limitation I have found is that you can only access the stimulation mode from the app. Expression level 1 is low enough, and fast enough, that this really isn't a big deal for most. The controls on the top of the pump took a bit to learn, but once you figure it out, it's easy to control from the pump hub without issue. Cycle speeds and strength for each setting are uniquely matched to the cycle speeds supported by the studies on what is working best for breast pumps.
While there isn’t a catch, this pump is not what I would call simple - there is a learning curve with assembly, and complete control of the settings means you have to find what works for your body. Constant suction can be tricky as what settings work often don't match other pumps, and there is no automatic program to fall back on. Automatic programs aren't a free pass from the learning curve, but sometimes options you have to choose from feel overwhelming. You have to do the work to adjust to the unique suction AND take the time to learn how to use the pump well for your body. These aren't unique to this pump; they are the realities of using this type of machine. What this pump lacks are the extra hoops to jump through to learn how to respond to a program that makes no sense for the majority of people's bodies. So, that missing feature is a huge perk!
I was also hesitant to fall in love with any new and shiny wearable pump before the price of replacement pumps and parts was identified. That's the catch with many of these new pumps. The initial costs are high, but not so high that you can't justify the expense. But, once you invest, you are locked into proprietary parts. And those proprietary parts can run $50-100 a month or more. Complete sets of extra parts run $50-125 in some cases. It's death by ongoing parts expense.
That's not a concern with this pump - Tommee Tippee provides replacement parts at no additional charge. The pump comes with two separate sets of parts, and you can order two other sets online at any time. The company actually sends these to customers in the UK when they order their pump automatically to set them up for success, but that option isn't feasible in the US because the pump isn't sold directly from the company's website. Most people will not even need to buy inserts, as sizes 17, 19, 20, 24, and 28mm are available for free. Your post-purchase out-of-pocket costs for the pump will be inserts in your size if you are outside of this range or want a different style, and bras and accessories.
You don't even have to jump through hoops - you really just order online here. You place your order, and they arrive 5-10 days later on average at your door. Easy peasy.
It sounds almost too good to be true, but Tommee Tippee, while relatively new to the wearable pump market, is considered a luxury pump brand in other countries, and this is a standard business practice for them. You can also get replacement parts for their portable pumps by contacting customer service at no additional charge.
This pump is thoughtfully designed with a lot of attention to detail from a team who clearly understood the complaints about other wearable pumps from users:
⁃ Willow's lack of complete program control - not an issue here.
⁃ Elvie's short tunnel length - the long tunnel was designed for how actual nipples function in a pump.
⁃ App control - available from the start.
⁃ Parts are easy to wash and don't require a special song and dance to remove milk fat.
The pump parts seem to do well with the fridge hack, but it's also possible to get enough pump parts not to need to utilize this hack without breaking the bank.
Features and things to know about the Made for Me Wearable Pump!
Here are the top 3 questions, given its placement as a competitor to the Willow Gen Pumps:
Is the Tommee Tippee Made for Me Wearable leak free?
100% leak free- no. The only 100% leak-free option is Willow 3.0 with bags.
But this is highly leak resistant. You have a good range of motion, but tiny drops could escape if the stars align just right. Compared to the Elvie Wireless with the significant leaking issues out of the front button, we are not looking at leaking like that.
Is the Tommee Tippee Made for Me Wearable hard to adjust to?
Nope! You are looking at a brief adjustment period (and learning curve) like we see with most wearables. This differs from the 2-4 week adjustment we see with the Willow 3.0 (link video discussing why Willow 3.0 is so difficult to adjust to).
For those who had used another constant suction pump, it was a few days of pumping a handful of times before they saw good success.
For moms new to wearable pumps entirely, it took a bit longer because there is a learning curve with bra fit, alignment, and flange sizing. Once those were in place properly, they saw success.
Of course, if bra fit, alignment, or flange sizing are off, or if you are using settings that don't make sense for your body, the adjustment may be extended or next to impossible. The good news is there is help for this.
Is this pump hard on nipples like Willow 3.0?
No! And Willow 3.0 shouldn't be hard on nipples, either. But design changes over the last year or so have created a situation where Willow 3.0 can cause pain and tissue trauma that can't be addressed except for moving on to a new pump.
I do not see that for the Tommee Tippee. Most describe it as gentle once sizing and bra fit are adjusted for their body. If there is pain, we could be dealing with one of those three keys to success being off - sizing, alignment, or bra fit. Or we are dealing with tissue trauma.
Unfortunately, to some degree, we are seeing this pump may struggle to feel comfortable for those with ongoing nipple trauma, most commonly from nursing a baby with oral dysfunction. Not to the same degree as we see with Willow 3.0, but constant suction with formed flanges does seem to aggravate this issue. We do have options for a lot of sizes for a more cushioned silicone insert that can help with this.
What type of program is this pump running?
One level of stimulation and eight levels of expression.
In my initial first looks at this pump, I openly expressed concern that the nature of constant suction pumps requiring work to respond, combined with use by parents who don't have sizing, bra fit, or alignment down could be a cause for concern. This pump gives you full access to all settings at all times. Including the highest suction levels that exceed what I see most parents can safely use.
Constant suction pumps come with an elevated risk of tissue trauma. They can trigger rapid swelling that compresses the nerves to the nipple reducing sensation to identify tissue trauma in progress.
If someone was to turn this pump up to the maximum with poor sizing, the results could be devastating. The company suggests max suction of 250 mmHg. My testing topped out at 280 mmHg. Most pumping parents are pumping successfully between 100-200 mmHg, with the average being about 150 mmHg. Anything above 200 mmHg should be approached carefully as a lot of trauma can occur, short and long-term with excessive suction. We also have to remember that suction with a tug and release suction is different than constant suction - the suction typically needs to be lower with constant suction for success, but a lot of factors play into it.
In practice though, when used responsibly and properly, this pump is producing excellent output comfortably without nipple trauma.
Cycle speeds with this pump are fantastic, with access to average needed suction with cycle speeds in the high 50s to 60s when looking at cycles per minute (cpm). This unique suction pattern of bursts of suction with regular pauses under suction means that approximately 60ish cpm is going to function more like 80-90 cpm, which is commonly fantastic for most people!
With good suction and speed, this is a pump most people can teach their body to respond to successfully if they take the time to learn to use it.
Biggest perks of this pump
-Quiet
-Feels reasonably lightweight in the bra despite the size
-Full control of the program from the app
-Costs- those free replacement parts are a valuable perk!!
-Easy on elastic nipples- that pause in the suction produces less of that laffy taffy style stretching elastic nipples can suffer from.
-Ability to have two years of warranty coverage with proof of purchase
-Available 17 and 19 mm inserts are nice and long.
-Designed to work with Tommee Tippee nipples for easy feeding on the go, and there is an adapter for use with other nipples!
Concerns with the pump:
Assembling those bottles takes practice. Twisting everything together can require patience and practice. The lower lid is a snug fit!
The pump sounds normal when you forget a part, even though it doesn't get suction. Troubleshooting starts with checking if you remembered all your parts!
Small parts are easy to store but also easy to drop and lose.
The app is not as refined as other luxury pump apps yet.
Firmware updates have proven tricky with other pumps- no updates have occurred yet to know if this will be an issue
Current bottles retain about 1-2 mL of milk, but it looks like more at times which can feel stressful.
Is the Made for Me Pump Worth Trying?
Absolutely! This pump is new, and there is a lot to learn about it.
Fortunately, Tommee Tippee is a big company in the breastfeeding world with a track record of solid performance. Furthermore, they are not an investment-backed femtech firm, so we are less likely to see unstable technology released simply to keep up with the unproven cutting-edge of technology. Investors are great for funding a project, initially, but the drive of profit over breastfeeding has been the downfall of many new technologies in the pump world.
It's also one of the most cost-effective pumps on the market, which is enormous since pumping is expensive!
But what about those reviews online?
The reviews on the Tommee Tippee website in the initial weeks after release were rough! This pump ended up in a unique position, being sold on shelves in Walmart at a price point that positioned it as the ultimate impulse buy from the desperate parent trying to solve their breastfeeding problems - likely in the middle of an overwhelming and under-supported storm with no earthly idea how a breast pump works, how to size for it, or how to use the pump to support their goals.
As an expert in breast pumps and breastfeeding support, those negative opinions were both an inaccurate reflection of this pump's potential, and the consumer’s fault for not understanding their experience wasn't a good reflection of the pump. This pump, like all constant suction pumps, is not a plug-and-play situation. It's not the pump for anyone in the middle of a storm of breastfeeding chaos. It's the pump for a parent with good support looking for a wireless pump with app control who has the bandwidth to learn to use it. This pump can have all the potential in the world to change your life and still fall short of the miracle you are looking for when breastfeeding is challenging UNLESS you are in a situation with good support where the pump can be planned for in the way that meets your needs, and unleashes the power of this pump in a positive way.
Should you try it for yourself?
If you are looking for the next generation of smart pump technology in a cost effective, wireless package, at a price point that can't be beat, absolutely!
If you have the bandwidth to learn how to use a new pump that is going to have a learning curve, sure!
If you aren't sure if it's the right fit, I'm here to help you decide which pump is perfect for you!
