Spectra S1 Plus Breast Pump

With insurance, the Spectra S1 Plus Breast Pump costs $0 to $130, depending on your plan. Many plans cover it in full; others add an upgrade fee. Check your coverage and we’ll tell you your exact cost before you order.

Up to 270 mmHg across 12 vacuum levels, according to Spectra’s product page. Spectra’s FAQ page puts the top level at 250 mmHg, so you may see either number. Start low and raise the level until it’s comfortable. Massage mode covers levels 1 to 5, and expression mode covers all 12.

Spectra calls the S1 Plus “hospital strength” for its suction, which it lists at up to 270 mmHg. We don’t use the term hospital grade. Spectra’s manual says it is a personal-use pump for one mother and should not be shared.

About 3 hours of pumping on a full charge, Spectra says. Four bars on the screen means 3 hours, one bar means about 1 hour, and a flashing bar means about 30 minutes. Charge it for four hours and no longer, since Spectra says more can wear the battery down. You can also pump while it’s plugged in, and Spectra says battery performance drops after about 300 charges.

Yes. Spectra sells it in the US as the S1 Plus, also listed as the S1 Plus Premier, and that’s the pump we ship. If your plan or your doctor writes Spectra S1, it’s this one.

The battery. Spectra says the S1 Plus has all the features of the S2 Plus plus a built-in battery. Both reach the same listed 270 mmHg with the same modes and settings. Spectra’s manual lists the S1 Plus at 1.33 kg and the S2 Plus at 1.18 kg. See the Spectra S2 Plus.

Six steps, from Spectra’s manual. 1. Put the white silicone membrane into the lower case of the backflow protector. 2. Press the upper case onto it. 3. Push a duckbill valve onto the flange. 4. Insert the backflow protector into the flange. 5. Screw a bottle onto the flange. 6. Push the tubing onto the backflow protector and its other end onto an air nozzle on the pump. For one side only, keep the air cap on the other nozzle.

Wash the flanges, valves, bottles, caps and backflow protectors in warm soapy water after each use and air dry them on a clean towel. Never wash the tubing, since milk never reaches it. Spectra says the parts can go in the dishwasher on the top rack in a closed basket, air dried with no heat dry. Boil new parts for 3 to 5 minutes before first use, and silicone parts for no more than 2 minutes.

If you pump exclusively, Spectra says to replace duckbill valves every 2 to 4 weeks, backflow protectors every 2 months and flanges every 6 months. If you pump 1 to 3 times a day, that’s every 3 months for valves and every 6 months for backflow protectors. Use parts made by Spectra, which the manual says protects performance and safety.

It comes with 24 mm and 28 mm flanges. Measure the base of your nipple, not the areola. Up to 20 mm use a 24 mm flange, and up to 24 mm use a 28 mm. Smaller nipples (16 mm and under) need a 20 mm flange, sold separately.

Spectra doesn’t publish a decibel rating. It describes the motor as quiet enough for discreet sessions, and the pump has a night light with two brightness levels for pumping in a dark room.

Spectra doesn’t say whether you can lean back. Its manual tells you to sit in a comfortable chair, with a pillow for your lower back if you need one, and never to use the pump while sleeping or drowsy.

Most health plans must cover a breast pump under federal rules, and we check your plan, get your doctor’s prescription and ship the S1 Plus if your plan covers it. Start your order through insurance and we’ll tell you before anything ships if your plan covers a different pump.