Internet Moms Love the Pumpables Genie Advanced Portable Breast Pump, So I Put It to the Test

• Value: 19/20
• Functionality: 19/20
• Ease of Use: 19/20
• Comfort: 18/20
• Convenience: 18/20
• Total: 93/100

The Specs

Not to be confused with a wearable breast pump, which sits in your bra and is basically hands free, the Pumpables Genie Advanced is a portable breast pump, meaning it’s smaller and more travel-friendly than a full-size “hospital grade” pump, but it still has a motor and separate flanges and cups that require a pumping bra if you want to go hands-free. The cordless motor is about the size of three decks of cards stacked—it fits in the palm of my hand—and it weighs about half a pound. There’s a backlit digital screen with a timer and buttons to toggle between modes and suction levels, plus a side power button and program button to save your settings. The rechargeable battery has a life of three hours and takes four and half to recharge from empty, according to Pumpables.

When you buy the Genie Advanced, you have the option to also purchase Pumpables’ flanges, called the Liquid Shield Kit. They’re different than any breast pump shields I’ve seen—instead of a hard plastic, they’re made of a soft silicone piece with an attached duckbill flange that fits inside a larger plastic shell. Then there’s a standard backflow protector, bottles and tubing to attach to the motor. The kit also comes with protective caps for the shields and two bottle stands to prevent tipping, since the assembled setup is quite top-heavy. Also included are bottle caps, wide-to-narrow bottle neck adapters and two bottle nipples—whew. It’s a lot of parts. But the Pumpables team is on call if you need help figuring out your flange size—you can choose from 15mm to 29mm, and they recommend measuring your nips with their free printable tool for the best fit. (ICYMI, finding the right flange size is essential to comfortable pumping and effective milk removal.)

But FYI, the Genie Advanced is compatible with basically any other closed-system breast pump shield setup, so you can opt out of purchasing this kit if you just want the motor for $150.

Not for nothing, the Genie Advanced is very comfortable, and that’s all thanks to those silicone flanges. To me, they felt less cold and sterile on my boobs, and the soft edges didn’t dig in or leave red marks when I was done pumping. Instead of yanking on your nipples like most pumps, they work by compressing—according to the brand, this is supposed to mimic the way your baby would use their mouth if you were nursing.

I was curious if the flanges affected my milk output at all, so I also tried using the Genie Advanced with my regular Spectra flanges, and I noticed no difference. I did, however, think that the suction of the Genie Advanced was more comfortable using the Liquid Kit than not, so I think it’s worth spending the extra $30.

The Portability

The biggest reason I wanted to test the Genie Advanced was to see if it could improve my pumping experience at work, and boy has it lived up to my expectations. I can pack it into my regular work tote and it takes up a fraction of the space, so I can kill my back with a copy of Dune and my 40-ounce emotional support water bottle instead of a pump. (Priorities, people!) And since it’s as effective for me as my full-size pump, I’m not worried about compromising my milk supply for the sake of convenience.

My Favorite Features

One thing about the Genie Advanced that my regular pump doesn’t offer is the option to save your preferred settings, so you basically turn on your pump and put it out of your mind while you pump instead of having to adjust manually throughout a session.

I also think the pump is pretty quiet—it’s not silent by any means, but I’ve never had to crank up the volume on my nightly Degrassi viewing sessions to drown out the motor. And so far, I’ve found the battery life satisfactory. I never pump for more than 20 minutes at a time, so the three-hour life is more than plenty for a day in the office. (Even better, the pump comes with multiple travel plug adapters, so you could take this pump on a trip to Italy or Japan without worrying about blowing a fuse.)

The Downsides

My biggest gripe with the Genie Advanced—and this isn’t the brand or the pump’s fault—is that it’s not covered by all insurances, including mine. Pumpables has a list of suppliers you can get the pump through, but you’ll have to check with your own insurance to see if you can get it for free or at a lower cost. At $180, it’s not the most expensive pump on the market…but anything to make motherhood easier, amiright?

My only other complaint is that with the Liquid Shield Kit, there are a lot of parts to wash, with a lot of cracks and crevices. Pumpables doesn’t recommend dishwashing the pieces, so you’ll have to wash them by hand. I found the silicone flanges tricky to get clean with a standard bottle brush. The kit itself is kind of bulky, too, so that part still takes up a fair amount of real estate in my bag.

The Bottom Line

Would I recommend the Pumpables Genie Advanced? Yep. In my own experience, it’s as powerful and effective as the popular Spectra breast pump, at a much more convenient size. The Liquid Shield Kit is really comfy, but it’ll come down to personal preference if you like it or not. It sucks that not all insurance plans cover the pump, but if you’re able to swing it, it’s a convenient machine for commuting and travel. (Psst: Use the code PUREWOW at checkout for ten percent off.)