Hi Mama! Are you curious about the Baby Buddha pump? I was too! This super small, handheld electric pump caught my eye for convenience and portability.
But, like you, I wondered, does the Baby Buddha pump actually live up to the hype? As a breastfeeding mama, I’ve set out to review as many breast pumps as possible! I love to put a special emphasis on pumps that aim to make pumping easier and more convenient for us mamas.
So, of course, I had to check this one out!
The bottom line? The Baby Buddha pump is super small and portable and has amazing suction! I had great output and found it to be really user friendly.
Things to be aware of before you buy? The suction is REALLY strong, and for some, this could be a negative. The battery life is also a little on the short side compared to other portable pumps, but it’s not a huge deal as long as you remember to plug it in when you’re done.
Ready to learn the ins and outs of the Baby Buddha pump, and take a complete look at the pros and cons? Let’s do it!
Follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over 640k for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!
Baby Buddha pump at a glance
Okay, so the Baby Buddha is a really unique breast pump because it is so dang small. Like. Smaller than my cell phone, small! It’s designed to be worn around your neck with a lanyard and can be used as a single or double electric pump.
The pump itself is tiny, but this pump does still operate on a tubing-style system that attaches to flanges and collection bottles. What’s cool about it though, is that they purposely made the tubing size a universal fit.
This means you can attach your favorite flanges and bottles to this tiny pump, or even use it with a pair of wearable Freemie Collection Cups to make your pumping experience even more discreet!
What’s included with your Baby Buddha?
When you get your Baby Buddha Complete Kit, here’s what’s included:
- Portable breast pump unit (rechargeable)
- 24mm flanges x2
- Duckbill valves x2
- Pair of silicon diaphagms
- Collection bottles x2
- Bottle bases x2
- Storage caps x2
- Pump covers xs
- Detable tubes and T-connector x3
- USB Charging cable
- Detachable lanyard
- Carrying tote
They do sell other flange sizes separately, but remember, a huge advantage to this pump (in my mind!) is that universal pump parts fit. So if you already have flanges, bottles and valves you like—just pop ‘em on.
And guess what? They gave me a discount code for you guys! LIESEL10 gets you 10% off your Baby Buddha Pump!
What I love about it: 9 Baby Buddha pros
1. The size and mobility
This is what this pump is known for, and in this capacity it totally delivers! You guys. This pump is SUPER small! It fits in my hand, and it can even fit in my pocket. It is so impressive to me that they’ve created such a compact pump that’s just as effective as a bulky, traditional pump.
The fact that it’s so small just makes this little guy SO mobile. It’s hands down the best part about this whole pump. It’s also cordless, so there’s no being attached to the wall.
I find it really easy to walk around the house, pump with it while I’m driving, or even when I’m out on a walk (when I use it with my Freemies!)
2. Affordable for a specialty pump
The price of this pump isn’t too bad for the convenience it provides! Many of the more specialty pumps (like the Elvie or Willow) come with a steeeeeep price tag and little to no insurance coverage.
Out of pocket, this pump is under the $200 mark, and it appears to be eligible for insurance coverage! They even have a place for you to submit a claim right on their website. If you’re curious about your eligibility I always tell mamas to just call your insurance company directly. This way there’s no confusion or lag time.
When you call, specifically ask about pump reimbursement, and purchasing pumps outside of what your insurance directly offers. This is usually possible but might require special paperwork or additional steps.
But if you are buying it yourself, be sure to use code LIESEL10 for 10% off and save yourself a bit of money, mama.
3. Strong suction
The suction on the Baby Buddha pump is like whooooa! Seriously. This thing does NOT kid around. Actually, I consider this super-strong suction to be a bit of a double-edged sword. I included it in the cons, too, but I’ll first add it here under pros because for many mamas strong suction is where it’s at.
If you’re a veteran mama that’s pumped in the past, and you know you like strong suction, you’re going to be super pleased! For other mamas, the highly portable and compact nature of this pump are huge pros, and the strong suction can be managed with lower settings, so I wouldn’t let it deter you TOO much if you’re really excited about the size.
But yes. So. Strong! It gets that milk out FAST – which brings me to the next point…
4. Short pumping time
Since this lil guy has super strong suction, I’ve definitely found that it gets milk out verrrrry quickly! For me, it only takes about 10-13 mins from the first let down to an empty boob. It’s so efficient!
Sometimes I do wait for a second letdown because I like to bank a bit more milk at certain times of day if I can, but even then, I spend max 20 mins pumping with my Baby Buddha (and that’s with two letdowns). It’s pretty remarkable!
5. Great output
My output with the Baby Buddha pump has been great! And if you’ve been around here you know I’ve tried a TON of pumps. So I have a really good sense of what a typical output, time, yield, etc. is for me.
And let me tell you – this pump delivers on a little trifecta of awesomeness. Strong suction, fast pumping time, and great output!
6. USB charge port
This is a seriously sweet feature. The charger is just a universal USB port! I totally love that it doesn’t have its own specific/proprietary charger like most other pumps. The ability to just use a normal USB has been a surprisingly huge perk.
I don’t know about you, but we’ve got chargers all over the house for various other electronics, and being able to plug this tiny pump right into my usual charging station has been ultra-convenient.
I’ve also been in a situation where it died on me while I was at my parents’ house, and since it has a universal charger, it was super easy to charge up right there!
7. Accepts universal pump parts
I’ve already mentioned this twice, but I couldn’t do a pro list without including it one more time. This pump can be hacked with just about any other pump parts. Yesssss! You don’t have to use their bottle, flanges or even tubing (and personally, I usually don’t)!
I’m pretty used to my Motif Luna bottles, and/or my Freemies, both of which fit! In fact, Baby Buddha purposely designed their pump to be used universally.
They suggest and celebrate the idea of switching out different parts. You can find Baby Buddha pump part hacks over on their Instagram page AND on their site.
8. Not too loud
This pump is pretty darn quiet. It’s not too loud at all. I would describe it as a sort of buzzing sound, and I haven’t found it annoying hah.
Cons to the Baby Buddha pump
1. Suction is like whooooa
So, I did include this under pros, but it’s also under cons because WOW at first I was like omg this is too much for me – even on level 1! And full disclaimer, I consider myself pretty used to strong suction – or so I thought hah.
But this little sucker (pun intended) is craaaaazy! It actually might be too crazy for some people. I will say, after a day or two, I got completely comfortable with the suction, but the adjustment period was real. My guess is that this is how most will find their experience to be.
To be honest, this might not be the best pump to use if you’re a first-time breastfeeding mama of a newborn…usually, our baby’s suction strength increases as they get a bit older.
A mom that’s been nursing a bit longer might do better with the serious suction of this pump. Maybe save it for when your baby is over the 3-month hump! Hopefully, that makes sense!
2. Let-down mode is a lil too strong for me
Going along with the super-strong suction issue – let’s talk about that letdown mode. It is no joke! I’ve actually heard that it is gold for a lot of moms – it’s supposed to get you to letdown super fast!
But I tried it so many times, and I just can’t do it. It’s way too strong for me, hah! But not using the letdown mode doesn’t make any difference in my output.
I just start out pumping in normal mode and bypass the whole letdown mode altogether. I pump like that the whole time and my output is still good! But yeah, that letdown mode is no joke!
3. I wish it had a clip and not just the lanyard
I will say, that sometimes (ok every time) – I scrap the lanyard and put this thing in my pocket. I don’t know, I’m just not a huge fan of wearing it like a necklace around my neck.
I feel like with this pump, since I already have flanges (and sometimes bottles if I’m not using my Freemies) out in front of me – that lanyard just seems to get in the way.
I would have preferred if it had a built-in lil clip so I could clip it to my pants. A minor flaw, though! And lots of women really like the whole lanyard system, especially if you’re pumping in leggings ?
4. Battery isn’t too long
I find that on a full charge it lasts about 1-2 hours. This means I do find I have to charge it pretty frequently, and just generally be on top of keeping it charged. The battery doesn’t last between pumps.
Not a huge deal, just be sure to make it a part of the routine to plug it right in after a pumping session. The fact that it’s a universal charger adds to this be really easy to do, but it is an important thing to be aware of!
Bottomline on the Baby Buddha breast pump?
This is a seriously powerful pump that is super compact and convenient – a smaller pump doesn’t exist you guys!
I love that its WAY more affordable than the totally wearable pumps on the market, making on the go, portable pumping a reality for mamas at a lower price point.
Don’t forget to use code LIESEL10 for 10% off your Baby Buddha pump, I don’t want you to spend more than you need to ?
Curious to read a few more pump reviews for comparison’s sake?
- Spectra vs. Medela (a definitive guide to these household names)
- Willow wearable breast pump review (it’s a bit of a splurge, but I LOVE my Willow)
- Motif Luna Breast Pump (my favorite traditional-style pump!)
Have you tried the Baby Buddha pump? I’d love to hear what you think about this lil guy!
