Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump Review A £13 Pump That Belongs in Every Breastfeeding Kit

The Haakaa silicone breast pump is the single best-value item in the breastfeeding category — a one-piece silicone device that collects letdown milk passively, costs £13, fits in a coat pocket, requires no batteries, and has no parts to clean beyond the pump itself. Every breastfeeding mother should own one. It is not, however, a replacement for an electric pump — it collects milk passively from letdown rather than actively extracting it, and for building supply, managing engorgement or regular expressing for a freezer stash, an electric pump is the correct tool. The Haakaa earns its 9.2 score by doing its specific job exceptionally well at a price that makes it a no-brainer purchase for any breastfeeding family.

① Full Specifications

② How It Works — Passive Letdown Collection

The Haakaa is not a pump in the conventional sense — it does not have a motor or a rhythmic suction cycle. It is a passive letdown collector: a one-piece silicone device that attaches to the breast by suction (applied by squeezing the bulb base, placing it against the breast, and releasing) and collects milk that flows naturally during the letdown reflex while the baby nurses on the opposite breast.

The letdown reflex is bilateral — when milk is released in one breast in response to nursing, the opposite breast typically releases milk simultaneously. Without the Haakaa, this milk either soaks a breast pad, drips onto clothing, or is lost entirely. With the Haakaa attached to the non-nursing breast, that milk is collected rather than wasted. For a mother with a strong letdown, this can amount to 30–90ml per nursing session — without any active effort beyond attaching the device.

③ Realistic Output Expectations

Output from a Haakaa varies significantly between mothers and depends primarily on letdown strength and timing. Mothers with a strong, forceful letdown consistently collect 60–120ml per session in the early weeks when supply is establishing. Mothers with a gentler letdown may collect 15–40ml per session. Neither figure represents a problem — the Haakaa collects whatever letdown occurs, and output reflects the individual mother’s physiology rather than the device’s performance.

The important honest caveat: output from a Haakaa cannot be used as a measure of total milk supply. The Haakaa collects passive letdown from one breast while the baby drains the other — it is not an assessment of what the breast contains. Many mothers with abundant supply collect relatively little with the Haakaa (if their letdown is gentle on the non-nursing side), and this does not indicate low supply. Output from an electric pump is also not a reliable supply indicator for this reason.

For building a freezer stash, the Haakaa is genuinely powerful — collecting 40–80ml per nursing session twice daily adds 80–160ml to a freezer stash without any additional expressing time. Many mothers who use a Haakaa consistently from the early weeks build a meaningful freezer supply passively, which provides significant reassurance and flexibility for returning to work.

④ Four Best Use Cases

⑤ The Spill Problem — and the Lid Solution

The most common Haakaa complaint is spilling. The pump fills with milk during the nursing session and must be removed carefully to avoid losing the collected milk — detaching it from the breast while the baby wriggles or kicks is a frequent cause of milk loss. The Gen 2 Haakaa comes with a silicone flower cap that seals the top when the pump is not attached, but the pump itself remains open and spillable while attached.

The practical solutions: keep the Haakaa in a stable position during the nursing session (sitting in a chair rather than lying down), use a nursing bra to hold it against the breast for hands-free support, and transfer the collected milk to storage bags immediately after detaching rather than leaving it in the pump. For mothers who find spilling a persistent frustration, the Haakaa Gen 3 has improved suction and a slightly more secure seal than the Gen 2.

⑥ Haakaa vs Electric Breast Pump

The clearest way to understand the Haakaa’s place in a breastfeeding kit is to understand what it cannot do. An electric breast pump actively stimulates letdown and applies rhythmic suction to extract milk against resistance — it empties the breast. The Haakaa collects milk that flows passively during letdown — it does not stimulate letdown, does not apply rhythmic expression suction, and cannot empty the breast. These are fundamentally different functions.

For building supply (which requires emptying the breast to signal production), managing supply issues, or replacing nursing sessions with expressing sessions — an electric pump is essential and the Haakaa cannot substitute. For passively collecting the milk that would otherwise be wasted, providing engorgement relief, and building a freezer stash without additional expressing sessions — the Haakaa is the better tool because it requires no effort.

The ideal kit for most breastfeeding mothers: a Haakaa for passive collection from day one, and an electric pump (single or double depending on frequency of use) for any active expressing needs. At £13, the Haakaa should be considered a standard component of the breastfeeding kit rather than an optional add-on.

Frequently Asked Questions