Willow 3.0 Review: Expensive but Good Leave a comment

Willow began it all, at the least in relation to wearable breast pumps.

I keep in mind seeing the primary model of Willow’s wearable breast pumps at CES 2017. It was considered one 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 might make future motherhood somewhat simpler.

Years later, right here I’m, lastly attempting wearable breast pumps left and proper, which incorporates the third era of the unique Willow breast pump. It has one of many highest value tags in the marketplace, but additionally does among the coolest methods out of any pump I’ve tried. I’m genuinely impressed.

Really Sensible

“Sensible” is overused nowadays. Many instances it simply signifies that one thing can hook up with the web, although sensible ought to imply that the software program inside the product can come to unbiased conclusions to enhance your life. For instance, the Nest smart thermostat heats or cools your private 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 would swap over from stimulation (a gentler mode) to expression (a stronger mode), all by itself. Most pumps that do that on their very own swap round two minutes by default, or you need to swap it your self manually. It’s good to have the ability to pop the Willow on and know it would swap over by itself on the proper time on your physique, quite than simply due to a timer.

The Willow additionally measures how a lot milk is expressed whereas in use, so you possibly can verify 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 advised me was pumped. And it didn’t let my previous pumping outcomes affect what it thought I had pumped, both. It advised me as soon as I had solely managed to pump 0.7 ounces on one aspect 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 appropriate.

It’s good that the Willow is so correct as a result of you possibly can’t see into the pump in any respect. Not like 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 verify your progress, so that you’re depending on the app to let you know how your session goes.

Do not Miss a Step

Sadly, it is advisable to observe steps exactly to make use of it.

To make use of it, you need to let it “latch” onto the breast and create a seal, and you need to correctly de-latch it by turning off the suction and utilizing a finger to pop the seal—not in contrast to 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 appropriately. And it is tougher to pop off and rearrange the pump for those who did not get the angle proper the primary time.