Spectra Synergy Gold

With insurance, the Spectra Synergy Gold costs $25 to $215, depending on your plan. Plans add an upgrade fee for this pump. Check your coverage and we’ll tell you your exact cost before you order.

Up to 270 mmHg on each side, according to Spectra’s manual. Expression mode has 15 levels, with level 15 at 270 mmHg, and massage mode has 5 levels that top out at 200 mmHg. You set each breast’s level on its own. The Spectra S1 and S2 list 270 mmHg too, so the maximum is the same.

No. This SG runs on the 12V adapter in the box, which takes 100 to 240 volts, so abroad you only need a plug adapter. For a battery, look at the Synergy Gold Portable.

Yes, for suction. Each side has its own plus and minus buttons, from level 1 to 15 in expression mode. The cycle speed is one setting for both sides, with five speeds in each mode.

Spectra’s manual says the SG is made for a single user, in a hospital setting or at home, with up to 270 mmHg on each side. We don’t use the term hospital grade ourselves. It’s your own pump, not a shared rental.

Four steps, from Spectra’s Synergy Gold manual. 1. Put the white silicone membrane into the lower case of the backflow protector, with its lip over the rim, then press the upper case on to seal it. 2. Press and twist a silicone valve into the flange. 3. Gently press and twist the backflow protector into the flange; its larger port goes into the flange. 4. Screw a bottle onto the flange, then twist the tubing into the backflow protector’s smaller port and the other end onto an air nozzle on the pump. Wash and dry your hands and parts first.

Wash the flanges, valves, bottles, airtight caps and backflow protectors in warm soapy water after each use and air dry them on a clean paper towel. Never wash or sanitize the tubing, since milk never reaches it, and don’t pump with wet tubing. Spectra says the parts can go in the dishwasher on the top rack in a closed basket or mesh bag, 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.

Spectra lists backflow protectors, tubing, flanges, duckbill valve sets and replacement kits on spectrababyusa.com, and an Authorized Dealers page. For timing, Spectra’s FAQ says that if you pump exclusively, 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. Call us if you’re not sure which part you need.

Two 24 mm and two 28 mm flanges. Measure across the base of your nipple, not the areola. Spectra’s chart: up to 16 mm use a 20 mm flange, up to 20 mm use 24, up to 24 mm use 28, and up to 28 mm use 32. Other sizes are sold separately. If you’re between sizes, call us and we’ll help you find yours.

Spectra doesn’t publish a decibel rating. Its page calls the pump ultra quiet for discreet sessions, and the touch screen has a mute mode for the beep. A night light with adjustable brightness helps 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 driving, sleeping or drowsy.

Most health plans must cover a breast pump under federal rules, and we check your plan before anything ships. We get the prescription from your doctor and ship the Synergy Gold to your door if it’s covered. Start your order through insurance and we’ll confirm it for your plan.

The Synergy Gold is the only one of the three with 15 suction levels and speeds you set. The Portable has 12 levels, a battery and weighs about 1.5 lb. The Spectra S2 Plus plugs in like the SG and weighs 1.18 kg, but has 12 levels and one suction setting for both sides. The SG is about 1.8 kg.