Elvie Pump 2019

Designers: Jonathan O'Toole, Elvie Design Team, Elvie, London, United Kingdom
Manufacturers: Chiaro Technology Ltd. and Elvie, London, United Kingdom

Elvie Pump is the world’s first silent wearable breast pump; a complete departure from existing pump technology, Elvie has put women at the center of the design process to create an entirely new pumping experience that offers freedom and mobility.

The truly hands-free pump gives women the flexibility to go about their daily routine while pumping without worrying about cords, wardrobe changes, or the undignified sound of traditional electric breast pumps.

Worn in-bra discreetly, Elvie Pump gives women the freedom to pump when they want, where they want. Milk is pumped silently into a self-contained bottle with the aid of revolutionary pumping engine, never before used on a breast pump.

Unlike other pumps that can have upwards of fifteen parts that need washing and sterilising, Elvie Pump only has five parts to make this process as simple and easy as possible. Elvie Pump’s parts are all dishwasher and microwave safe to make this cleaning process seamless.

Elvie Pump is the smallest, most lightweight wearable pump on the market. This wearable design allows Mom to go about her daily routine and tend to her baby without having to take time out of her day to pump. It is not uncommon for Moms to pump up to eight sessions a day, so the time Elvie Pump frees up is absolutely invaluable.

In addition, the pump can be controlled directly on an app that automatically detects and records how much milk is produced per session, avoiding the need to fiddle with settings on the pump inside the bra.

The user interface is purposefully simplistic with intuitive iconography. The assembly has been designed to be as clear and concise as possible, from the part names that indicate function to the audible clicks and tactile feedback that impart confidence that everything is in the right place. Ease of interaction is critical, given ‘normal use’ for users is when they are sleep deprived, distracted, and time poor.

During the design process, the women we interviewed talked about feeling dehumanized, relating their experience to that of a dairy cow. It was clear that pumping when immobile and vulnerable with their top open was not an optimal user experience.

Elvie Pump demonstrates that pumping does not need to be like this. It represents the biggest innovation in pumping technology of the past 100 years and has set a new benchmark for the market to follow.