Everyday electric
M5 Smart is the everyday electric breast pump for most UK mums: an app, a 230 g cup, and suction up to −285 mmHg. Start here if you want everything in your bra and a phone app.
Best electric for your day
There isn’t one best electric breast pump. It depends what you need it for: everyday pumping, a slimmer cup for longer days out, a hospital-strength motor off your chest, or daily power without an app.
M5 Smart is the everyday electric breast pump for most UK mums: an app, a 230 g cup, and suction up to −285 mmHg. Start here if you want everything in your bra and a phone app.
Air 1 is the slimmest all-in-one electric at 61 mm, with a charging case for longer days out. Choose it if you want a slimmer cup under clothes. M9 is quieter if noise matters more than how slim it sits.
V1 Pro is the hospital-strength electric if you want the cups in your bra and the motor off your chest: 15 levels, up to −300 mmHg, for longer sessions at home. V2 Pro is the same type with a 127 g motor if you want a lighter unit.
M6 gives up to −300 mmHg without an app. Choose it if you want a simple daily electric and you’d rather not use your phone.
Compare
All-in-one wearable means the motor sits in the cup, with no tubes. Separate unit, in-bra cups means hospital-strength electric with the motor outside. Then check suction, battery and price.
| Model | Type | Suction | Battery | Weight | Noise | App | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 Smart | All-in-one wearable | Up to −285 mmHg | About 6 sessions | 230 g | <48 dB | Yes | From £99.99 |
| Air 1 | All-in-one wearable | Up to −280 mmHg | Up to 15 sessions with case | 260 g | ≤45 dB | Yes | £369.99 |
| M6 | All-in-one wearable | Up to −300 mmHg | 5–6 sessions | 287 g | ≤50 dB | No | From £129.99 |
| M9 | All-in-one wearable | Up to −300 mmHg | 4–5 sessions | 302 g | ≤42 dB | Yes | From £159.99 |
| S12 Pro Quick | All-in-one wearable | Up to −292 mmHg | About 8 sessions | 240 g | ≤46 dB | No | From £79.99 |
| V1 Pro | Separate unit, in-bra cups | Up to −300 mmHg | About 9 sessions | 240 g (motor) | — | No | £199.99 |
| V2 Pro | Separate unit, in-bra cups | Up to −288 mmHg | About 8 sessions | 127 g (motor) | <48 dB | No | £159.99 |
| S9 Pro | All-in-one wearable | Strong suction, 9 levels | 8–9 sessions | 250 g | <45 dB | No | From £64.99 |
On the go
A portable breast pump runs on battery, so you’re not tied to a wall socket. All of these electric pumps do that.
A wireless breast pump is the same idea: no mains lead in the wall while you express.
Want everything in the bra and no tubes? Choose an all-in-one. Want the motor off your chest? Choose V1 Pro or V2 Pro.
If you want tube-free in-bra pumping as well as cordless power, see the Wearable collection.
Electric or manual

Electric
Choose an electric breast pump if you pump most days, you’re going back to work, or you want both sides done in one session. A motor does the squeezing for you, and most have a let-down mode then an expression mode, so it takes less time. You pay more, and you charge it.

Manual
Choose a manual pump if you only express now and then, or want a quiet spare with no charging. It’s slower if you need a lot of milk every day.
Most electric kits are doubles, so you can express both sides in one session and cut the time. If feeding isn’t going well, speak to your midwife or health visitor.
After you pump
Once you switch the motor off, you still need to store the milk, keep the cups in place, and wash the parts.
Store
Use breast milk storage bags to label and freeze milk flat. Follow NHS guidance on how long milk keeps. A storage jug is useful at home if you prefer to pour milk together before you bag it.
Hold
A pumping bra holds the cups in place so your hands are free while you pump. An ordinary stretchy bra can work; a pumping bra is more likely to stay put.
Clean
A bottle washer washes and sterilises pump parts in one go, so you’re not facing a sink of parts after every session. It is faster than cleaning breast pump parts by hand. Add a washing block if you want the detergent measured for you.
Before you buy
If you want the whole pump in your bra with no tubes, start with M5 Smart. Pick Air 1 if you need a slimmer cup, or M6 if you’d rather skip an app. If you’d rather keep the motor off your chest, choose V1 Pro, or V2 Pro for a lighter unit.
Size the cup to your nipple, not your bra size. Most kits include a 24 mm flange and 17, 19 and 21 mm inserts. If pumping hurts, you see a white ring, or too much breast is pulled in, try another size before you turn the suction up.
These pumps charge with USB-C, like a phone. Top up from a wall plug, a laptop or a power bank, then pump on battery at home, at work or out. If you’ll be away from a charger for several sessions, pick one that lasts longer on a charge.
If you pump both sides most days, a double kit is quicker. Only buy a single if you usually express one side, or you want a spare.
When you know which type you want, check suction, battery and breast pump price.
Frequently asked questions
An electric breast pump uses a motor to express milk, so you’re not squeezing a handle. You can get ones that sit fully in your bra with no tubes, or stronger pumps where the cups go in your bra and the motor stays outside.
There isn’t one best pump for every mum. Most people start with M5 Smart for everyday use. Choose Air 1 if you want a slimmer cup and a charging case. Choose V1 Pro if you want a stronger motor off your chest. Choose M6 if you want that power without an app.
The difference is where the motor sits. One type has the motor in the cup: no tubes, the whole pump goes in your bra. That’s M5 Smart, Air 1, M6, M9, S12 Pro Quick and S9 Pro. The other type still puts the cups in your bra, but the motor sits outside on a short tube. That’s V1 Pro and V2 Pro — hospital-strength, with the motor off your chest. Choose the no-tube type if you want to move around with nothing hanging off you. Choose V1 Pro or V2 Pro if you’d rather keep a stronger motor off your chest.
Yes. In the UK, wearable usually means the cups sit in your bra so you can move around. V1 Pro and V2 Pro do that — the motor just sits outside, with tubing. They are not the tube-free, all-in-one kind.
No. Portable or wireless just means it runs on battery, so you’re not plugged into the wall while you pump. Wearable means the cups sit in your bra. Most of these pumps are both: cordless, with the cups in the bra.
Go electric if you pump most days, you’re going back to work, or you want both sides done in one go. A manual pump is fine if you only express now and then, and you want something quiet with no charging.
Yes. Most electric kits do both sides together, which is the usual choice if you express from both breasts. A few are also sold as a single — only pick that if you usually pump one side, or you want a spare.
You can pump without them, but most mums who express every day end up wanting both. A pumping bra holds the cups so your hands are free. Bags let you label and freeze milk for later.
Follow the NHS. They currently say fridge for up to 8 days at 4°C or lower, and freezer at −18°C or lower for up to 6 months. Some NHS pages also allow up to 6 hours at room temperature. Check the NHS expressing page for the latest.
It can take the pressure off if you feel uncomfortably full. If you think you have mastitis, feeding hurts, or baby is not getting milk, talk to your midwife or health visitor.