Medela Solo Hands-Free Single Breast Pump

The Solo™ Hands-free single electric pump provides you with an intuitive superior pumping experience. This small yet powerful pump has 9 adjustable vacuum levels, keeping you pumping in comfort. With Medela’s trusted 2-Phase Expression™ technology it mimics babies' natural sucking rhythm - faster at first to stimulate milk flow, then slower to feed – for comfortable and efficient pumping.

Vacuum is applied to the breast by means of a tubing connection to the pump. The air flow between the pump and the hands-free cup generates a vacuum that is applied to the breast for milk expression. The milk is then collected within the cup and once pumping is finished the expressed milk can be poured from the cup into a bottle or storage bag. The Hands-free Collection Cup is not intended to be used for milk storage.

The Hands-free Collection Cup is connected to the Solo™ breast pump by way of a tubing connection.

The Solo™ Hands-free is great for relaxing back and taking a moment, and also for those times when you have to be on-the-go. Whether you choose to use your hands-free pump while sitting, walking around, or tending to your baby, the Solo™ Hands-free allows you both options. It is good to note as with all pumps, the milk collection cup is not designed to be used when leaning over completely or during exercise as there is an opening (pouring spout) at the top of the cups through which milk could spill out.

A special bra is not required when using the Solo™ Hands-free. The wearable pump cup is designed to fit into most nursing bras.

The Hands-free Collection Cup can hold up to 150 ml breast milk.

At only 76 g it is amongst the lightest available and won’t weigh you down.

The Hands-free Collection Cup is placed on the breast inside the nursing bra. The fit of the bra and vacuum generated from the pump creates a seal that allows the cup to stay in place while pumping and collecting milk.

No, you do not need WiFi to use the Solo™ Hands-free pump. The pump has the ability to connect to the Medela Family™ app via Bluetooth® connectivity.

The Medela Family™ app is your personal assistant that provides automatic real-time tracking, personalized, science-based content and pumping tips, a virtual milk inventory system, plenty of smart tools and interactive checklists.

With the Solo™ Hands-free built-in USB chargeable battery, you can pump on a single battery charge for up to 1.5 hours, which is on average up to 6 pumping sessions.

Only use the power adapter and cable that comes with the Solo™ breast pump to recharge the battery.

No. It is not possible to convert the Solo™ Hands-free into a double pump. If this is tried a significant loss in vacuum could occur impacting how much milk is able to be expressed during pumping sessions.

The Solo™ pump is also compatible with the Medela PersonalFit Flex™ set (with bottles). You can use the pump either with the wearable collection cup included in the configuration or the classic PersonalFit Flex™ set that can be bought separately.

Many mums don’t sense their let down, so watch for this as you pump. When you start to see jets of breast milk squirting into the collection cup, you’ll know it’s happening.5

As you are using a breast pump with 2-Phase Expression™ technology, it will have a stimulation mode and an expression mode. The stimulation mode lasts one minute but once you see milk flowing as described, it’s important to switch to the expression phase. This is because that first let down typically provides around 36% of the milk volume, so you’ll be taking advantage of your flow to collect more milk.5,6

During the expression phase, pump at your Maximum Comfort Vacuum, which is the highest breast pump setting you can use while remaining comfortable. In research, this was found to remove a similar amount of milk as a baby does during breastfeeding.7,8

To find the right level for you, increase the breast pump suction gradually until it becomes slightly uncomfortable, and then turn it down a notch. Pumping breast milk shouldn’t hurt.

Pumping should be continued until the breast feels well-drained, soft all over and the milk stops flowing, rather than for a fixed duration. Once your supply is established (after about four weeks), you can start tailoring how many minutes you need to pump for, which can save you valuable time. It is advised to check if your milk has stopped flowing and how your breasts feel, to determine the end of your pumping session. Some mums need to pump longer than others due to their number of let downs, which determine how often and how long milk flows.9,10 What’s really amazing is that while every mum has a unique flow pattern, yours will be the same each time you pump as well as when you breastfeed.11

It is important to note that it could be potentially easier for a user to forget how long they have been using in-bra wearable pump when multi-tasking. It is advised to not overstimulate the breasts and prolong use of the breast pump collection cups unnecessarily.

With the Solo™ Hands-free 9 adjustable vacuum settings you have full control in both stimulation and expression mode to find your Maximum Comfort Vacuum.

Yes, it is possible to use the Solo™ Hands-free breast pump at the same time as breastfeeding your baby/child from the other breast. As with many new skills, it may be a little difficult at first to do both at the same time. It can be helpful to discuss this with your breastfeeding specialist or breastfeeding support group to see how you can make this easier.

Yes. The Solo™ Hands-free pump does not shut off automatically when the milk collection cup is full. However, because of the Hands-free Collection Cup’s transparent design and side scale measurement indicator, it makes it easy to monitor how much has been collected and pause the pumping when the collection cup is full. Just continue your pumping session once the collection cup is emptied.

To empty the cup:

1. Pause the pumping by pressing the On/Pause/Off button on your Solo™ breast pump.

2. Pour the expressed milk into a breast milk-safe collection bottle or storage bag.

3. Place the Hands-free Collection Cup back in position and continue the pumping session.

The Solo™ Hands-free has been designed to make cleaning easy. The cup has only 3 parts to clean (cup, membrane, breast shield) and is dishwasher safe on the top rack only. 

The pump unit and the exterior of tubing can be wiped down with a damp cloth if needed. The pump features a closed-system so milk cannot get into the tube when used as instructed. Do not clean or rinse the inside of the tubing under any circumstances.

The Hands-free Collection Cup should be boiled for 10 minutes before first use, washed after every use (hand wash or dishwash), and sanitised once per day (boil for 10 minutes or microsteam). Always allow all parts to completely dry on a clean towel.

The Hands-free Collection Cup should be boiled for 10 minutes before first use, washed after every use (hand wash or dishwash), and sanitised once per day (boil for 10 minutes or microsteam).

The Hands-free wearable pump cup is dishwasher safe on the top rack only.

The Medela personal use breast pump features a closed-system so milk cannot get into the tube when used as instructed. Do not clean or rinse the inside of the tubing under any circumstances. The exterior of the tubing can be wiped down with a damp cloth if dirty.

No. Do not store expressed breastmilk within the pump cup. When a mum has finished pumping, any breast milk expressed should be poured into a milk-safe storage container, stored in the refrigerator, freezer or used immediately.

To avoid milk spilling out of the breast shield tunnel, when finished pumping, keep the pump running and slightly lean forward to ensure all milk from the nipple tunnel enters the milk collection cups. Once there is no more milk in the tunnel stop the pump by pressing the start or pause button.

Make sure that all pump set components are clean and dry and that connections are secure. While pumping, make sure the breast shield forms a complete seal around the breast.

Before long-term storage, disassemble and sanitise all parts (except for the tubing). Do not store the Solo™ Hands-free breast pump in its assembled state over an extended period of time. It is best to fully charge the battery before storing your breast pump for an extended period of time.