Customer Reviews

Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump

5 star:		(146)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

I am a first time mom and I exclusively breastfeed my 3 month old. I have a Medela Pump in Style Advanced, which I love for work. However it isn't that convenient for at home use and travel. For one, the Pump in Style has a lot of parts and tubing that need to be connected. You need to plug it in - or use a TON of batteries. It is heavy and it is loud. I first noticed that I needed a manual pump when my husband and I made two plane trips with the baby. I didn't want to drag the pump along with all of the other baby equipment I needed so I left it home. I brought the bicycle pump style manual pump that Medela includes with the pump in style. I managed to get a full bottle fairly easily, but the pump really tired my arms out and it was loud. So I began shopping for an easy to use manual pump. I heard a lot about the Avent Isis, but not much about any other pump. While online, I came across this Medela Pump and decided to give it a try for a few reasons:

(1) The Isis has a lot of parts and reviewers say it is a pain to clean. The Harmony has fewer parts making it easier to clean.
(2) We don't use Avent bottles, we use Dr. Browns. The Dr. Brown's bottles we already have (narrow neck) fit right onto the Medela pumps.
(3) The Harmony takes the same parts as the Pump in Style so no need to worry about keeping two sets of replacement parts.

I have used the pump a few times so far and it has been great. I easily can fill one of the Medela bottles they include with the pump (they include 2) and it is so easy and quiet to use. I can use it anywhere. Since the handle swivels and you can pump one handed, it can also be used while you nurse your baby. I haven't done that yet with this pump, but I tried it with the other manual I have and I can tell that it will be MUCH easier with the Harmony. Since there are so few parts to clean and I don't need to plug in and play with tubing, pumping at home is less of a hassle. Plus, you can easily throw this pump into a purse, along with a small cooler pack to take with you. No need to look for a place to set up a huge electric pump!

If you notice you don't get much suction or you have lost suction, be sure to take the pump apart and make sure everything is aligned properly. Make sure the membrane is firmly pressed into the valve. Also in the handle, there is a silicone insert with a yellow oval valve inside. Make sure that the yellow oval is properly aligned with the silicone insert.

In any case, I definitely recommend this pump for at home use and as a supplement to the Pump in Style. It is so easy to use, quiet, and compact for travel.

EDITED TO ADD: I just had a problem with my harmony - the tiny white rubber ring, necessary to create suction, broke off from the handle. I called customer service and they are sending me four replacement rings at no charge. Medela was very nice about it and easy to deal with.

ANOTHER UPDATE: I have now had my harmony for 4 months. At this point, I would lower my rating to 4 stars. It still is an effective pump, but I am not fully satisfied with the quality. Mid-use, the stem on the handle completely snapped off. However, Medela customer service was great - rather than simply replacing the faulty part, Medela sent me a brand new pump at no charge. They seem to have corrected some design flaws in the new pump - the stem on my new pump is now MUCH shorter, so I don't think the stem will snap off like it did on the original pump I bought. Only time will tell if the redesigned Medela Harmony is of better quality.

I got this pump for free at the hospital. I also have an electric one which I bought that is great, but this one stayed in the nursery and was great for relieving engorgement in the middle of the night, or when I need a little more out than the baby took. I could also use it while walking around the house which I couldnt do with my electric one. It was pretty powerful too - could get a whole feeding in a few minutes. It is also easy to clean.

I was looking for a manual pump so that I could pump maybe one or two bottles a day. After reading the reviews, I tried the Avent Isis. I had terrible luck with it. I could never get consistent suction, and when I did, it was uncomfortable. I used the Avent for a week, and never pumped more than an ounce and a half at a time.

So I tried the Medela Harmony, and I love it! The first time I used it, I pumped 2 ounces in a matter of minutes, and the suction is totally comfortable. Unlike the Avent, it's easy to use with one hand, so I can nurse my daughter on one side and pump the other side. And there are fewer parts than the Isis, so it's easy to clean. Another big plus: the Dr. Brown's bottles fit this pump, so I can pump directly into the bottle, instead of transferring from one container to another. After using the Harmony for just 4 days, I can easily pump a 4 ounce bottle in less than 10 minutes.

Everyone's breastfeeding experience is unique, similarly every mother's pumping experience is different, I can only really speak for myself: This pump served its purpose for me. I am a stay at home mom and so I primarily nurse my infant but I know that just like any other mother I needed to express my milk daily in order to avoid/relieve engorgement and also to build up some milk storage for occasions of momentary seperation from my child. In the beginning I found the pump painful to use but it was only because I was suffering from sore nipples, but this discomfort gradually subsided the more I pumped. Also I was suprised at how slow it worked and how tired my hands got from pumping, but I stuck with it and became really good at using at it. Early on I could only pump 2 ounces in 10-15 minutes, but once my milk supply was established I was pumping 6 ounces in 20-30 minutes. I found it really convenient to use because like other mothers I like its compact, easy to clean and assemble nature. I received this pump free at the hospital but I would still highly recommend it other *stay at home* mothers to atleast try it out esp. since you are only investing $30-40 for this product (and in stark comparison to other pumps this is a small price to pay for the benefits you will receive from this product). If you are dissatisfied with it then hey you only blew a few bucks right? But anyways if you are patient and use it right I believe you won't be disappointed. However if you are working mother you may want to look into buying the more expensive "pump in style" medela but this might be useful as a portable supplement.

I needed a small, manual pump in addition to my pump-in-style advanced for taken to all day seminars, etc.--places I don't want to lug the big pump.

I was somewhat hesitant because of the lack of reviews and almost bought the Isis. I'm so glad I didn't!! It works great, I get a large amount of milk, and a HUGE plus--the collection bottles, membranes and shields are interchangeable with my full-size electric pump.

It is very comfortable to use and there aren't too many parts to clean. If you already have a medela electric pump, this is a great addition.

Very occasionally while pumping the pump loses suction. If that happens, make sure the oval parts in the handle lines up as in the instructions, each time it's happened to me, I've noticed I didn't have the parts straight in the handle.

WOrks great.

I am a first time mom and breastfeeding exclusively. Since I work part-time, I pump at work everyday and I use the Harmony. It is really easy to use, comfortable, and sturdy. Pumping is really quick and easy. I have heard that the electric ones are faster but this one works well. I use my 15 minute break and I can fill up a bottle and clean up in that time. It is of good quality and easy to take apart to rinse, too. You will have to buy more bottles seperately. This only comes with one. I would highly recommend this pump.

I am a first-time, stay-at-home mom and I love this pump! I was completely overwhelmed when I started shopping for one when I was pregnant, and finally went with this model after hearing great things about Medela's overall. I have used this pump for 6 months now, pumping once a day almost daily, and it still works great.

I love it because:
1) there are minimal parts to clean, lose or break
2) there are two pumping "modes" making to help get the milk flowing
3) since it's a manual, it's easy to travel with or pump in the car
4) it's silent so I can pump discretely
5) it's so small it tucks easily into a bag when travelling
6) holding and operating the pump is very comfortable---I've never gotten sore hands or fingers
7) you can pump directly into the Medela freezer bags or their provided bottles, and I found the neck also screws directly into the Playtex VentAire bottles we use
8) it's quite effective---I'm able to pump 4-6 ounces in 10-15 minutes

Whew! To sum it up, I found this to be a great manual pump, perfect for my needs! I HIGHLY reccomend it!

I love this hand pump and have no hesitation giving it 5 stars after one month of use. I have the Medela Advanced Pump in Style electric pump, which I've used for a couple of months, and got this Medela Harmony natural expression hand pump because, like a reviewer before me, the hand pump that comes with the Medela electric isn't very easy, practical to use. Here's what I like about the Harmony hand pump:
- The suction is excellent. I can pump about 5 ounces in 10-15 minutes. For me, it works as fast as the electric pump on one side (though at home, if I'm not in a rush, I'll use the electric because I don't have to think while pumping).
- Because it's so easy to use and clean, it's perfect to travel with. I can pump 6 times a day and it still holds up (but I've only been using it a month). How is it easy to use? You can use it with one hand, while reading a book, browsing through emails, or breastfeeding on the other side. Because cleanup is easier than the electric pump, I'm more likely to use it at night if I need to.
- I prefer taking this to work than the electric pump because it's quiet, simple to assemble and disassemble, and I can pump what I need in almost the same time as an electric. That said, it does make my wrist/hand sore after a while, but it's easy to switch hands. (Speaking of pumping at work, I like using the Lansinoh freezer bags - they're made of the kind of plastic that doesn't have bad chemicals (phylates) and have a double closure. That said, you can attach the medela freezer bags right to the pump - but they're just not as easy and you have to use twisties.)
- Also, when things are crazy in the house and I can't get away to use the electric pump, it's easier to whip out the Harmony and pump anywhere in the house without worrying about plugging it in. Okay, so the box says it's for "moderate" use. I've been putting it to the test and at times have used it 6 times in one day just because of the convenience and my busy day.

I prefer the breast shields from the electric pump, because while the breast shield with the Harmony is more advanced, it actually hurts my breasts after a while. But I imagine that some people might actually find Harmony the shield better.

I haven't had it long enough to experience parts failure, but it seems like Medela customer service is excellent from some of the other reviews, so I'm not too worried if something does go wrong.

I just got home from the hospital last night from the birth of our daughter. I received this Harmony Manual Breast Pump as a shower gift. I had it on my baby registry because of all the great reviews I read on it. My milk supply came in early so at the hospital I was needing to pump. Well I didn't have my Harmony Pump with me because I didn't think I would need it so soon. Well the hospital gave me a Medela Electric Pump to borrow while at the hospital and it took forever to pump milk and I was very engorged.

I got home last night got my Harmony Manual Pump out and I absolutely love it. I have pumped 4, 4 ounce bottles since last night at 6 p.m. not because I wanted to but because my milk supply is coming in faster than she can drink it all. So I am freezing it all for later use.

The Medela Harmony Breast Pump is extremely easy to operate and clean. It pumps milk much much much faster than any electric pump or any other manual pump on the market, it's very quiet, extremely easy and comfortable to use and doesn't hurt at all. This is the best pump on the market and it works awesome!! I highly recommend this Harmony Manual breast pump over any other breast pump. You will love it. Look no further this is all you will need.

*Also this pump works great with Dr. Browns bottles they screw right on so you can pump directly into them.

I just got the Harmony after struggling with the Avent Isis pump. I had an Isis with my first child and could not get good results with it. I figured with my second child, I'd try the newer designed Isis and bought a second one. Same problem...I just could not get a good fit or suction. I was wary of trying another manual pump but for the price of the Harmony I thought I'd try it. I only need to pump occasionally and don't have a need for an electric pump. After one use I just wish the Harmony were available when I had my first child. It's just so much more comfortable and easier to use AND there are fewer parts to worry about. I am much relieved that I've finally found a pump that works for me!