Customer Reviews

Evenflo Elan Breast Pump

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I thought this was a very nice pump with alot of great features. However the problem I had was that during pumping the milk would start going up the tubing. The manual said that if this happens you must immediately shut off & unplug the pump, wash the tube out and dry completely before using the pump again. Problem - the tube is long and therefore it wouldn't dry out easily. Because of this, I couldn't use the pump & resorted to my Avent manual pump. Manual pumping just wasn't enough for me & I could not maintain my milk supply so unfortunately I ended up going to formula bottle feeding. I was very disappointed. I probably could have gotten an extra tube & used that while the other one dried out, but there should not have been a tube back up problem in the first place. I also wasn't thrilled with the Elan bottles. The nipples were hard to pull through the ring and plus, the bottles leaked a little. It's a shame because this seemed like such a nice pump; maybe mine was just a lemon???

My medela broke down one day while I was at work after baby #2 was born. It had served me well during my first baby's first year, so I had to decide: spend more and get a new medela, or try something a little less expensive? I wish I'd gotten a new medela, and here's why:

1) The short, stout collection containers make it so that milk spills easily out the top when you are pumping. There are two holes that are necessary for the air to be able to go in and out during the pumping process, but if the bottles were longer and thinner, it wouldn't be as easy for the milk to splash up at the top.

2) When you unscrew the tops to put the lids on, milk often leaks out the sides and clings to the bottom of the lids. More sp

3) The design is over-engineered. There's a handle so you can pump 1-handed and a spool to keep the tubes neat, but who wants to take the time to put together all of that apparatus? You want to pump and get back to work. The spool and handle-thingy have been thrown away.

4) The bag is barrel-shaped, with the straps attaching at about the center of the cylinder's sides. Which means that when you're carrying a briefcase, your lunch, and/or a child, the bag easily can become turned upside down, spilling out anything that wasn't secured and showing off to the whole world that you are, in fact, carrying a breast pump.

There are some "pros" to this: it's smart that you can remove the cooler part from the rest of the pump and leave the pump part at work if you don't need it. It also seems to be reliable, although the LCD screen seems to become un-calibrated. I like that it tells you how long you've been pumping.

When I bought this, replacement parts were on back order, which was a problem because I like to bring two sets of everything rather than having to wash all these dishes at work. Luckily, my medela tubes fit into the pump, so I realized I can use the medela parts with the evenflo pump engine. I recommend this as a partial solution to this system's problems, but it's probably not cost effective if this is your first pump. If you're not sure whether the medela is worth it: if you work full-time, then yes, spend more. You'll be glad you did.

I purchased this pump before I had the baby, so it sat in the box for a few months. I started pumping when my daughter was just a few days old, and within a week the motor stopped pumping. Kudos to the service rep - she was friendly and I had a new motor in two days. A few weeks later, however, the new motor began to stutter. I was still on leave at the time, so it wasn't a HUGE deal, but I was very disappointed. I ended up investing in a Medela PISA, and it was well worth it.
I guess my bottom line is this: If you're looking for a pump that you can depend on, don't get this one. If you just need something to pump for an occasional night out without the baby, it might work.