Avent Isis iQ Duo Breast Pump Review

This pump is very easy to use and comfortable. I have been able to pump a lot more milk than my baby needs right now and store a growing supply in the freezer

I have been pumping with the Avent Isis Duo for the past six months. I really like it, but I also do not have anything to compare it to because it’s the only pump I’ve ever used. The massaging petals work for me because when I try to pump without them my nipples get sucked in too much. I really like how I can change the pumping speed at anytime during a session. I usually start out with a moderate speed and then slow it down after I get a let-down. The biggest draw back for me is that it does not work on battery power so I always have to have an outlet nearby in order to pump. Otherwise, this pump is great and it really gets the job done.

After having a difficult time initiating breastfeeding with my son I realized that I would need to begin pumping. When I first started pumping, I rented a hospital pump from my lactation consultant. I was able to pump about 3 oz. in 15 minutes, but the rental fees were really started to rack up after a couple of months. The hospital grade pump was entirely too expensive to purchase, but while searching around I saw that the Avent Duo was often compared to the these more powerful pumps so I figured I’d give it a try. The Duo actually turned out to be a better fit for me because now I am pumping about 4 oz. in 10 minutes which may not seem like much of any increase, but when you are exclusively pumping anytime you are able to express more milk in less time it is a victory. I found the breast flanges to be very comfortable and I always use the massaging cushions, but you can remove them if you prefer. They help me keep good suction so I always use them.

I can’t say I’m too impressed with this breast pump. I haven’t had to take it to my work to use it yet, but I suspect it’s bulk and inherent issues will create nothing but problems. Despite it’s good looks and efficient suction, I cannot recommend it.

My biggest issue is how easily the collection containers can tip and make a mess. It’s really ridiculous considering how much this pump costs–there’s no excuse for it. It comes with bases upon which you can place the containers when you have to put them down, but they don’t do a good job of keeping the containers upright. The pump’s tubing is so stiff, it contributes to the tipping problem. If and when you do tip the containers it can spill milk from three different places! Realize that you don’t have to tip the containers too much for this to happen. If the suction movement pulls too much milk into the petals, milk will leak over the edges. If you accidently tip the container too much, it’ll leak from the diaphragm where milk collects initially or from where the cup screws into the horn! Aaargh! I’ve tried to be really deliberate with how I handle the parts when I’m pumping, but I’ve spilled more milk and made a bigger mess than I ever did with the hospital rental.

I bought this pump because I liked that it’s a “closed system.” I guess Medela must be a popular brand for a reason, but I cannot speak as to why since I haven’t used it. However, I strongly suspect that I should have just gone along with the crowd and bought a different pump. It’s too late for me, don’t let it be too late for you!

This pump is great! After my daughter was born I went back to work full time and this pump comes with me every day. I have been pumping with it for 6 months now and, I have not had one problem with it. It is lightweight and comes in a stylish tote that doesn’t look like a breast pump at all. It would be great if this pump had an optional chargeable battery to use when I am away from home. The ability to change the speed of suction is wonderful! It gives me so much flexibility. I will absolutely use this same pump for my next baby!

I originally purchased an Ameda Purely Yours breast pump. After using it for 2 months, the motor in the unit went bad and I had to manually pump with a medela that I had on hand. After 20 minutes per breast and only yielding 3 ounces pumping manually, I knew that waiting for Ameda to replace my motor was out of the question (although they did offer). I was somewhat reluctant to purchase this pump because of the newness of the product and the reviews indicating it “had so many parts”, but we are using Avent bottles, so it seemed more convenient. I pumped for the first time after my son had finished nursing and netted 3 ounces! In addition, its ease of use and comfortability factor far outway the amount of parts that it consists of.

Yes, it is a little messy dealing with all of the parts, but for me, to yield that much breast milk even after a complete nursing session, I can handle the cleaning. I will be returning to work full time, but I am anxious to see how much I am able to get.

This pump is a little pricey, but I found it for a good price at Breast Pumps Direct. If you are looking for something that is easy and doesn’t feel like you are being milked like a cow, this pump is it.

One final note. I don’t think that this pump is loud at all. Compared to my Ameda, this thing is like a whisper. Just a thought if you are at a place you want it to be quiet. It certainly isn’t silent, but it is much more quiet that the Ameda and the Medela Lactina.

Pros:

You can adjust the suction strength, length of time the suction lasts, and the “rest period,” all just by pumping manually a few times. This is the exact reason that I splurged on a new pump. With the Isis manual, I would always hold the suction until the milk stopped spurting. The cycle settings on my PY went nowhere near holding suction for that long. And when I made the cycle longer on the PY, the rest time between suctions seemed to increase too. With the Duo, you can make the suction period really long and the rest period really short – or any other combination that works for you. I can almost always get a second let-down, which was very elusive with the PY.

The cord is very long and the plug is a standard plug, not the big boxy thing like on the PY, so it takes up less space on the outlet.

I like the bags they give you for carrying your horn setup. And I like the fact that you can, in effect, seal off the horn assembly with the sealing base and the cover/bottle holder. It makes it very convenient to store them in the fridge in between pumpings (which of course the manual says you’re not supposed to do since they should be sterilized before every use).

Supposedly, the valves don’t need to be replaced for a very long time. The customer service rep I spoke to said with proper care, the valves would last over a year. And they include 2 extra valves in the box.

Avent customer service is great. I called to order extra horns ($9 each) and diaphragms ($15 each – maybe that should go in the cons), and the lady had a long conversation with me about how I liked the pump and offered lots of tips.

Cons:

It takes a lot longer to set up than my PY. With the PY, I always left the tubing and power cord attached. The Duo needs to be unhooked to fit in the bag. I did finally figure out that I could leave the power cord plugged into the pump and still zip up the front of the bag. I suppose I could do it with the tubing and control wire too, but I’m afraid they’ll get bent or crimped so I unplug them every time. There are also a lot of things to connect – the air tubing, (which is a pain to plug/unplug because you really have to yank on it) the control wire, and the electric cord, which comes apart into 2 pieces, so I know one of these days, I’ll be missing one piece of the cord and have to run home for it.

Once you’ve got the horns attached to the bottle, the setup doesn’t stand up by itself. I think it’s the petal insert that makes it top heavy. They do provide the piece that seals off the opening of the horn and doubles as a stand, but for me, it’s just one more piece to forget. And if you’re using the VIA bases, you’re out of luck since they don’t lock into the base stand. The control handle takes a lot of force to pull off- I’m afraid I’m going to be pulling too hard, have it pop off, and then knock over my bottles. The tubing is also fused together about half of its length (from where it connects to the pump up toward the control handle and double pump cap), which makes it very precarious to detach the tubing while holding both bottles so nothing tips. Also, the tubing (with the integrated control wire) is very heavy and stiff, so handling everything is awkward and it seems like there’s more chance for accidentally knocking, dropping, or tipping. And yes, I do cry over spilt milk.

The cooler bags are small and have no handles for carrying separately. And who wants to keep track of 8 little icepacks? I already lost one somewhere in the depths of my freezer. Each bag only fits 2 4-ounce bottles or 2 6-ounce VIA bases. And the VIA bases especially are a really tight squeeze to get in there with the 4 icepacks.

The motor really doesn’t seem any quieter than the PY, which doesn’t really bother me except that the advertising led me to believe it would be quieter, and I can imagine it might be important for some people.