Over the years it has become one of the market leaders in tableware, cups and beakers and feeding products – led, for the most part by its staple Closer to Nature range.
Part of its award-winning newborn feeding collection, the Closer to Nature electric breast pump is specifically designed to mimic a baby’s natural feeding action, according to Tommee Tippee.
At the lower end of the market price-wise the Tommee Tippee pump has some stiff competition as it battles the high-end Medela Swing electric pump (£129.99), Lansinoh Single electric breast pump (£99.99) and the Philips AVENT Comfort Single electric breast pump (£89).
I was eager to test the pump to see if it did justice to the much-loved Closer to Nature collection.
What’s in the box?
- Electric breast pump
- Closer to Nature Easi-Vent 150ml Baby Bottle
- Milk Storage Pot
- Disposable Breast Pads(6)
- Microwave Steriliser Box
Any additional extras?
- 4 x AA batteries- £5
- Closer to Nature steriliser - £24.99
How is assembling the electric breast pump?
It is quite fiddly to put together, as there are too many separate parts.
In fact there are more parts to put together than with my Avent Isis IQ electric pump.
How does it work?
Despite it being a bit of a faff to assemble, once it was done I was pleasantly surprised by how it works.
There are four settings to choose from when expressing; light, low, medium and high.
Tommee Tippee recommend starting with the light mode to encourage the milk flow, and then moving onto a higher setting that feels right for you - a bit like the two-phase sucking that a baby does when feeding.
Although the electric pump is loud, the settings are very easy to use.
How does it express?
I think it could have been easier, it took a while for the milk to come but once it did I managed to express 60ml in half an hour.
That’s not a huge amount, but it’s enough to satisfy my seven-week-old daughter for one feed.
Granted, it is not just a case of sitting back and relaxing and allowing the milk to flow, sometimes you do have to lean forward to allow gravity to help the pump along.
Though in its defense, I found this to be the case with my Avent pump as well.
Do you get a satisfying amount of milk with this pump?
Yes and no, I wasn’t able to express a large quantity of milk with the Tommee Tippee electric breast pump and for that reason I think it is definitely best reserved for occasional use.
You wouldn’t want to rely on it for daily expressing, for example if you are going back to work or having difficulty breastfeeding.
But as I said earlier, I managed to express 60ml in half an hour, which is enough to satisfy my seven-week-old daughter for one feed.
Does it work better than a manual hand pump?
Yes, it does! Pumping with this electric pump was a lot easier for me than expressing with a hand held pump which is tedious and time consuming!
Is it easy to clean?
Yes, I didn’t find it too difficult to clean, other than the fact that there are more parts to clean in the first place.
So how does it compare with other pumps you’ve used?
I found that the Tommee Tippee was just as good as the Avent Isis IQ, if not a little better and less painful.
One of the most common complaints when using an electric pump is that they can be too harsh for sore nipples, but I did not find this to be the case with the Closer to Nature pump.
The silicone pad is comfortable and fits the neck of the pump perfectly.
What do you think of the extras included with the pump?
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature pump comes with its own steriliser box for use in the microwave.
It also comes with some breast pads, a milk storage pot, a couple of spare parts and a bottle with a newborn teat, making it a great set that is value for money.
Helpfully Tommee Tippee has enclosed a couple of spare parts in case the smaller parts break.
Rather predictably the pump does not comply with other bottle brands (i.e. Avent) but only with its ownbrand Tommee Tippee bottles, so if you were thinking of using it with other bottles you won’t be able to.
MadeForMums verdict?
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature electric breast pump may not be the most effective on the market but it does a reasonable job.
As far as electric pumps go, it is an affordable option that works well for a mum who needs to express occasionally, not daily.
