Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump review

If you're looking for the best breast pump for you that is sleek and effective, the Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump may be just the hands-free breast pump you're looking for.

The Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump has been redesigned, offering mums more pumping power with a new look and a built-in rechargeable battery, making it a highly efficient electric breast pump for parents wanting to steer clear of a manual pump.

There's double the pumping with this electric double breast pump - for 18 per cent more milk with a higher energy content than expressing from each breast in turn. It is a solution for active mothers who need to pump regularly and increase their milk supply.

Testing the Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump

How did this product make your life easier?

Clare: This breast pump makes life easier as a mum as it cuts pumping time down in half with it being a double. I exclusively pumped for five months with my son and after transitioning from a single inefficient pump to a double more powerful pump I was amazed at how much my time spent sat pumping was reduced. I was delighted to receive this pump with my daughter as I had just gone back to work and this pump made expressing at work much quicker and easier. The pump comes with bottles and tops that meant as soon as I have finished expressing in work I could just place the top on the bottle and refrigerate until I went home. I was impressed with how easy the pump is to travel with and it was so much easier being able to use it freely without needing to be plugged in.

Samantha: As a new Mum the Medela maxi double electric breast pump makes my life easier because I can express milk quickly and effectively using the shaped breast cups. I found that the fittings allowed me to be more effective in creating pressure to express and leaked a lot less than the previous Medela that I had tried. I really liked the Medela app, especially as it was full of useful information and allowed me to track my output on a daily basis and time how long I was expressing for. I had to do this manually, it did not automatically detect how much milk I was producing. It has been really useful to be able to track this information. I was happy to be able to express from both breasts at the same time as this saved me time and one breast always leaks if my baby is feeding on the other, so it made sense for the spare milk to be collected. I bought a specific bra in addition to this which allowed me to be a little bit more hands-free when the bottles we lightly filled, but once the bottles got heavier, they had to be supported. Easy to clean all the component parts. Excellent to just separate, totally intuitive.

Pippa: For me, with a big hungry baby, it has enabled me the opportunity to have a break or some much-needed sleep. Meaning I am better equipped to be the best mum I can be to both our children. It has also given my husband the ability to have some priceless bonding time with our new baby. Compared to others on the market it is so easy to use, it takes the stress out of expressing.

Would you recommend the Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump to other parents?

Pippa: I would recommend this product for its efficiency at getting the most milk quickly. The fact that it can be used as a double or single pump to suit needs. The ease of use and it is so quick and easy to put together. It is not bulky and noisy like some others on the market. And all the details, the design and feel, the stands for the bottles, seal tight lids, the two sizes of the flange. The hygiene aspect of being a closed system, and ease of cleaning all parts, means that I feel safe recommending it to a friend.

Felicity: I would recommend this product to a fellow mum. Price-wise it is slightly higher than what I'd be able to afford, but if you have the budget, it is a great buy. The design is nice and modern and it is really easy to put together and take apart to clean, although I would say there are a fair number of nooks and crannies that you need to be careful to clean properly. The angle it sits at when in use worked well for me, and I'm quite a fan of the oval-shaped PersonalFit Flex breast shields. The smaller size was just right for me and I found the soft rim made for a snug seal to keep the vacuum working well. This was a noticeably better design than the previous pump I used. There is often some milk that trickles out when I finish pumping, but I'm poised with a tissue to catch this. This product doesn't come with teats to attach to the bottle, as other pumps do, but I did find that disposable teats that I had in the cupboard do fit just right.

Tracy: Having previously used a single breast pump, I would highly recommend a double pump to any mum that is expressing milk to half the time it takes. For my daughter, I was expressing to give top-ups due to slow weight gain, however, as a mum of two, I found finding the time to express really stressful and wish I had a double pump from the start. The product was also easy to clean and take apart.

Would you choose the Medela Swing Maxi Double Electric Breast Pump above all others on the market?

Michelle: I would. Initially, I thought the Elvie was amazing because you could pump whilst doing work, but the reality is this product is so much more effective. It is extremely easy to use and you can sit down and relax whilst pumping away. The USB point stood out for me, it just makes life easier when travelling and needing to pump by not carrying too many plugs. It is a must-have for first-time mums. The instructions are so easy to follow. I have pumped every day since I received it and not a single leak (which is always my worry about losing my liquid gold!) and the product has worked with no problem.

Kimberley: This is a great product that does exactly what it claims to! I am able to express a good quantity of milk in a short time whilst taking care of my little girl. I think there are a few tweaks that could be made to the product to make it a winner such as better battery life, longer wires to connect to the pump and a timer display so you know how long is left until the end of the 30min session. It would also be handy for the package to include teats so that the milk can be fed directly to the baby once pumped. These can be purchased separately but other products have this included in the price. There are things that do make this better than other products such as the auto switch-off feature and the feature that switches the suction phases.

Clare: I would say the Medela Swing Maxi is the best pump I have used. It is quick and easy to assemble, can be used freely and efficiently pumps milk in a short space of time. It is by far the most powerful breast pump I have used and the ease of use stands out against other pumps. For a mum that exclusively expresses or expresses a lot of milk, I think this pump is perfect and worth every penny. If you are someone that only needs to pump every so often then a cheaper alternative would probably be a better option.

What changes would you make to this product?

Pippa: I would provide a carry case for it as it does not come with one. I think that would be the icing on the top of a great product. It would help when transporting it around to keep it sterilised and safe. Meaning you could take it anywhere (like to work, on holiday, to friends or family) safe in the knowledge that it is protected and clean.

Kimberley: If I could change just one thing then it would be to add a display to the pump to show how long I have pumped or how a countdown until the 30mins has finished. I have often forgotten to check the time and started pumping and then my little one will need attention so having a timer would allow me to decide if I was able to keep her entertained for a little while longer or if I needed to pump again shortly after.

Michelle: I would say rather than it comes with two standard breast shield sizes, they should ask you what size you want during the checkout. So the breast shield is bought as an addition to the pump. Obviously, the price should reduce for the pump itself, it would be better value for money. I think it is a waste to have breast shields that you can’t use if it is too big or too small.