Willow began it all, at the least in the case of wearable breast pumps.

I bear in mind seeing the primary model of Willow’s wearable breast pumps at CES 2017. It was one in every of the buzziest devices to come back out of the present, and whereas I used to be years from ever needing one, I used to be thrilled to see one thing that may make future motherhood a bit of simpler.

Years later, right here I’m, lastly making an attempt wearable breast pumps left and proper, which incorporates the third era of the unique Willow breast pump. It has one of many highest worth tags available on the market, but additionally does a number of the coolest methods out of any pump I’ve tried. I’m genuinely impressed.

Actually Smart

“Smart” is overused as of late. Many instances it simply implies that one thing can hook up with the web, despite the fact that good ought to imply that the software program throughout the product can come to unbiased conclusions to enhance your life. For instance, the Nest smart thermostat heats or cools your own home primarily based in your schedule, or the place you reside.

The Willow 3.0 has sensors constructed into it to sense when milk is expressed, so it’s going to change over from stimulation (a gentler mode) to expression (a stronger mode), all by itself. Most pumps that do that on their very own change round two minutes by default, or it’s important to change it your self manually. It’s good to have the ability to pop the Willow on and know it’s going to change over by itself on the proper time in your physique, slightly than simply due to a timer.

The Willow additionally measures how a lot milk is expressed whereas in use, so you’ll be able to examine the app to see how a lot you’re pumping. I discovered it to be shockingly correct—it was at all times inside 1 / 4 of an oz. of what the app informed me was pumped. And it didn’t let my previous pumping outcomes affect what it thought I had pumped, both. It informed me as soon as I had solely managed to pump 0.7 ounces on one facet and 0.4 on the opposite, and once I eliminated the pump and checked the ounces in my common Lasinoh bottle, I discovered these outcomes to be painfully right.

It’s good that the Willow is so correct as a result of you’ll be able to’t see into the pump in any respect. Unlike different wearable pumps, together with Willow’s personal Willow Go (8/10, WIRED Recommends), the milk container isn’t seen in any respect so that you can examine your progress, so that you’re depending on the app to inform you how your session goes.

Don’t Miss a Step

Unfortunately, you want to observe steps exactly to make use of it.

To use it, it’s important to let it “latch” onto the breast and create a seal, and it’s important to correctly de-latch it by turning off the suction and utilizing a finger to pop the seal—not not like what you’d do for a small child whereas nursing. The Willow app will information you thru this, however I typically discovered myself coming again to the directions to do it accurately. And it is harder to pop off and rearrange the pump in the event you did not get the angle proper the primary time.