With the Ardo Amaryll, you can tailor the rhythm, speed and strength of pumping to mimic your baby’s sucking pattern. The OptiFlow massage cushion also helps to boost your comfort levels and stimulate your milk flow. In tests, the Ardo Amaryll scores highly with mums and health professionals, ticking all the boxes in terms of gentleness, comfort, individuality and efficiency.
What we love
Expressing breast milk can be uncomfortable, so including three different sizes of breast shell with the Ardo Amaryll is a stroke of genius that helps make expressing much kinder to your nipples. The OptiFlow massage cushion helps to trigger my letdown reflex and makes expressing more comfortable, too.
Being able to change the position of the pumping lever is another clever touch. Usually my hand quickly starts to feel tired and achy when I’m expressing, but with the Amaryll, I can switch the handle from one side to the other, and the change of position gives my hand a break. Left-handed mums will be particularly glad of this feature, too, with most breast pumps designed for right-handers.
Once you’ve got to the bottom of the instructions, which aren’t that clear at first glance, the Ardo Amaryll is quick and easy to set up. After a bit of practice, I can put it together within a couple of minutes. The price tag appeals, too - at £27.50, it’s a good option for mums on a budget.
What to watch out for
Even after experimenting with the three different sizes of breast shell, I find that getting a good suction with the Ardo Amaryll is a bit hit and miss. I have to keep stopping and starting and changing position before the vacuum kicks in and my milk starts to flow. Because of this, and the fact that you have to put in manual effort of pumping your milk, I’d say the Amaryll is better for occasional use than if, for example, you were expressing when back at work.
It’s a shame the OptiFlow massage cushion is only compatible with one of the three breast shells. Pumping is definitely easier and more comfortable with the cushion attached, but it can’t be used with the two smaller shells, which means that smaller mums may not be able to reap the benefits.
My other disappointment is that the Ardo Amaryll doesn’t come with any sort of storage pouch. The manufacturer says it can be tucked neatly into your handbag, but it really needs its own bag or cover to make this practical.
Who is the Ardo Amaryll Breast Pump best for?
Budget-conscious mums who need a simple and comfortable breast pump for occasional use.
The Ardo Amaryll Breast Pump scores highly in the comfort stakes, thanks to its choice of breast shell sizes and multi-position pumping lever, and is a good budget buy for occasional use. But getting good suction can be difficult, which could be frustrating if you’re expressing on a regular basis.
