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.

I was comparing this pump to the Ameda and the Medela pumps and I decided to try this one b/c it is made by Philips. The pump works great, but it is a little big. In hind sight I would have chosen the Ameda Purely Yours over the Duo.

I exclusively breast fed my son for 9 months. I returned to work a few weeks after he was born and am constantly in my car. I am self-employed. I bought the car adapter and pumped with it every day at least 2 or 3 times. I also pumped way more milk than the baby could eat and the pump was very comfortable. The tubing is very stiff and the bottles do tip easily if you set them down so I would hold the finished bottle between my legs and take the pump off of it before setting it down. Also because I had so much milk I had to use the 9 oz bottles when I pumped which don’t fit in the bases anyway. I hardly ever pumped both breasts simultaneously like I though I would because it was too difficult to hold both bottles to my breasts at the same time. I pumped so much milk so quickly though it didn’t even matter. I have saved it to use for my next baby.

I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia when my baby was just 2 weeks old. I was put on strong antibiotics that did not allow me to breastfeed. So I had to pump and toss my milk for over 3 weeks. This meant pumping every 3 hours to keep my milk in. In the hospital I used a Medella pump. Many times I could only get 1 oz or less when I pumped and I was pumping for 20 mins per breast. It also worked by sucking my nipples through the cone part. This was very painful for me. It even made my nipples swell, so I had to get bigger cones to accommodate my swollen nipples. The Medella pump had the controls on the machine itself so it was very awkward to try to double pump. If I needed to adjust the speed or suction I would need a 3rd hand or break the suction and then try to put the cone back on while it is still sucking and my nipple wouldn’t be centered so I would have to break the suction and try all over again. By the time I was done pumping it seemed it was almost time to do it again. It was really time consuming.

When I arrived home I had a simple battery powered/electric pump and after 2 days on that I was in agony. It hurt so bad. I would cry when it was time to pump and I was barely getting any milk in 20 mins. I was very emotional from the experience. On the 2nd day my husband and mother decided to go and buy me a medella pump but when they got to the store the pumps were sold out. The only hospital grade one was the Phillips Avent. They were a bit nervous to buy a pump we knew nothing about but we were desperate. So they bought the pump for me.

Right away when they got home I pumped. It was incredible! Within 8 mins I had 4 oz of milk and I walked out of the bedroom smiling! It was wonderful. I could control the double pumping right at my fingertips. I could set the speed and the suction myself. There are no preset suction and speed settings. I set it to where I was comfortable. Remember, I had swollen nipples and I could still pump comfortably because the control was all mine. Every time I had to pump I loved it. It was very satisfying to see so much milk come out and not be in pain.

Later on I found out from a Lactation nurse that if I would have continued on the battery/electric pump my milk would have dried out. All the pumps on the market, except the hospital grade ones are occasional use only. Meaning less than 2 pumps a day.

I am so thankful that I found the Avent. It kept my milk in and I am now able to breastfeed my baby. The massage petals are so nice. No more sucking my nipple through a tube to get my milk out. The machine is quiet and so comfortable to use. I tell all my friends about it and I hope I can help ones to avoid the physical and emotional pain of using the wrong pump. I give Avent 10 stars.

i have been using the avent twin breast pump for about 7 months. in the recent months, my nipples have been very painful. ive tried it with the petals and without the petals and it makes no difference. also my milk supply is diminishing. i was getting upwards to 7 ounces at a time and in the last few weeks it has gone down to as little as 4 1/2 ounces. i think the motor is going out on the pump. im still w/in the first year warranty period so i am thinking about sending back to avent, but will probably have to purchase a pump to use while it is being looked at, so i dont think i will even send it back as i will have to have a pump. it was very expensive and i would assume that because it is so expensive that it would last a little while, at least longer than 1 year. on the positive note, it is great for portability. i purchased a converter to use in my car and was able to pump while on vacation.

I have rented a Medela Hospital Pump with my first son and it was huge, loud and took forever to get a drop out. When I had my second child I researched all of the pumps and decided to buy the AVENT or Ameda, based on reviews. I couldn’t find the Ameda in a store locally and did not want to purchase one online, so I bought the AVENT. It’s the BEST descission I’ve ever made. I pump more milk in half the time and I can pump in my room without waking up my husband. It’s also small and doesn’t take up much room at all. I like the fact that it came with a bag to carry the pump in and a cooler bag to store milk when you are at work. I love it!!