REASONS TO BUY
Portability
Use on the go
Easy to use
Closed system
REASONS TO AVOID
Price
Hard suction can be painful
Buzzing sound
Baby Buddha Review
Impressive portable pump that is easy to use but has a more aggressive suction and loud acoustics
Baby Buddha
Credit: Baby Buddha
RELATED: Best Breast Pumps
The Skinny
The Baby Buddha is a lightweight closed system portable battery-operated pump. This pump can be worn on a lanyard around your neck and works for up to an hour on a single charge. We love that this pump lets moms move about while pumping, and it is compatible with a variety of collection cups if you need discreet pumping under your shirt without a cover. This pump is easy to use, easy to clean, and can fully charge via a USB port in around 3 hours. Unfortunately, this pump is also very loud, even over the phone and across the room. It also has a fairly strong letdown suction that some report is uncomfortable. However, despite these hiccups, many moms love the freedom of movement offered by the Buddha and love that they can keep on the go while pumping instead of being tied to a station or outlet.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Baby Buddha | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  |  | |
| Price | $250 List $189.99 at Amazon | $216 List $216.00 at Amazon | $31 List $12.94 at Amazon | $173 List $93.54 at Amazon | $42 List $28.72 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Portability, use on the go, easy to use, closed system | Efficient, comfortable, portable, easy to use, quiet, hygienic | Easy to use, passive collection, silent, comfortable, portable | Portability to get things done while pumping, comfortable | Small, lightweight, portable, comfortable, efficient, easy to use, quiet |
| Cons | Price, hard suction can be painful, buzzing sound | Only one bottle holder, incompatible with a pumping bra | Less efficient, one-sided, potential milk loss | Harder to close, must transfer milk after use | Single breast pump, hand-operated, not for frequent use |
| Bottom Line | Impressive portable pump that is easy to use but has a more aggressive suction and loud acoustics | We appreciate this compact pump for its quality, efficiency, hygiene, quiet sound, and comfort | A passive system that is affordable, easy to use, and doesn't require hand pumping, but isn't very efficient | Useful wearable collection cup you can pair with portable pump for on the go expression, but requires more setup | A great option for traveling moms or occasional pumpers, but not as efficient or easy to use |
| Rating Categories | Baby Buddha | Spectra S1 Plus | Haakaa | Freemie Next Genera... | Medela Harmony with... |
| Efficiency (35%) | |||||
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Portability (10%) | |||||
| Hygiene (10%) | |||||
| Acoustics (5%) | |||||
| Specs | Baby Buddha | Spectra S1 Plus | Haakaa | Freemie Next Genera... | Medela Harmony with... |
| Max Suction Strength | 320 mmHg | 270 mmHg | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| # of Suction Settings | 14 | 12 | 1 | n/a | 2 |
| Weight | 0.5 lbs | 3 lbs | 0.24 lbs | 0.5 lbs | 0.4 lbs |
| Available Flange Sizes | 24mm, 28mm | 24mm 28mm |
30mm | 25mm, 28mm 15mm-26mm with available inserts |
24mm |
| Open/Closed System | Closed | Closed | Open | Closed | Open |
| Capability | Double | Double | Single | Double | Single |
| Power Source | Battery | Battery | Manual | n/a | Manual |
| Approximate Battery Life | 1 hour | 3 hours | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| App | No | No | No | No | No |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Baby Buddha company takes pride in helping breastfeeding mothers by creating products that are of high quality, convenient, and easy to use. They donate a portion of every purchase to the March of Dimes and continue to develop and create innovative products for moms and babies.
Performance Comparison
The Baby Buddha is easy to use and has a wearable pump that lets you move about while pumping.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Likes
This wearable pumping system lets moms move about their day without being tied to a large electric pump or plugged in pumping station. With wearable cups and capture bottles and a lanyard suspended pump, the Baby Budhha is an innovative pump ideal for busy moms.
The Buddha is small and has a simple user interface that will have up and pumping in no time with little to learn.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
This pump is easy to use right out of the box. The user interface is fairly intuitive, with limited buttons and features to fiddle with. The pump includes the lanyard, a basic carry bag, 3 tubes, a t-connector, collection bottles, and 24mm silicone flanges.
We found the Buddha to offer a similar efficiency for milk expression as a traditional plug-in electric pump.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Efficency
This unit has impressive suction with a maximum of 320 mmHg, which results in very efficient emptying for many women. Our tester pumped about 3 ounces every 8 minutes on average during testing, with results as high as 4 ounces in 6 minutes on one breast. The pump includes 14 settings; 5 for let down and 9 for expression, so there is something for everyone to find the sweet spot of comfort and efficiency.
The Baby Buddha comes with a handy backpack for transporting the pump and parts and it is wearable while pumping making it both very portable and offering mobility during pumping.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Portability
This pumping system is light and easy to carry around using the included neck lanyard. With a weight of only one-fourth of a pound, it is comfortable to wear or carry for almost every mother. Thanks to the included battery pack with over an hour of pump time, this unit allows untethered movement while pumping, giving moms a new level of freedom over traditional electric pumps. The rechargeable battery can even be charged with a USB port in about 3 to 4 hours.
The collection bottles of the Buddha can be washed using a standard bottle brush and warm soapy water.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Hygiene
The Baby Buddha is a closed system unit that is easy to disassemble and keep clean. These features help ensure that your expressed milk is preserved for later use y your little one.
The Baby Buddha has only two buttons and is easy to operate with the information you need right on the pump itself.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Dislikes
This minimalist system has a few drawbacks, including an interface that only measures suction time in minutes. While not a dealbreaker, those looking for an exact time might be frustrated with this. However, some pumps don't keep track of anything, making the minute timing seem more acceptable.
The flanges that come with the included collection bottles on the BUddha are comfortable, but you can also pair the pump with the wearable Freemie collection cups.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Comfort
While the breast flange is soft silicone and feels good against the skin, the overall hard suction during the letdown phase is aggressive, and some testers didn't like the sensation or soreness left behind. This sensation is probably the largest drawback to the Buddha in our minds. However, not all testers experienced this, and it seems to be somewhat user dependant.
Accoustics
Unfortunately, this Baby is not quiet like some of the competition. It generates a loud, rhythmic buzzing that can be heard throughout the room and even over the phone while pumping. It is one of the loudest pumps in our review. The sound is a rhythmic buzzing that many testers found annoying.
The Baby Buddha is a mobile pump that lets you pump on the go, but the pump is loud and buzzy.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
The Baby Buddha is an innovative, wearable pup for busy moms on the go. It cuts down on idle time spent pumping or being tied to a pumping location while you wait for your milk to express. The system is lightweight, easy to use, and efficient. There is much to love about the Buddha, but it isn't a perfect unit. This pup is one of the loudest we've tested, and this means it isn't as discrete as you may need or want as it could even be heard over the phone. Also, the letdown suction is fairly aggressive, and some users didn't care for the sensation. However, despite these concerns, we feel it is a winning contender for moms who travel, work away from home, or need to move around while pumping with a hands-free bra (maybe to chase an older sibling around the house).
If you need more discrete pumping than the Buddha cups allow, this pump is compatible with the Freemie Next Generation Cups, which look more like regular breast under a sort instead of bottles hanging off your front side. another win.
Manufacturer Video
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz
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