Haakaa Gen 2 Silicone Breast Pump Review: Twenty Dollars That Replace A Nursing Pad

Clear Haakaa Generation 2 silicone breast pump with suction base, 4 oz size, standing upright

Product image supplied by the brand

In this guide

THE SHORT VERSION

The Haakaa is the object nursing parents recommend to each other with the least hesitation, and the pitch is almost embarrassingly simple. It is a bulb of soft silicone shaped like a small flask with a flange on top. Squeeze it, press it to the breast, let go, and the suction holds it there and pulls milk that would otherwise leak into a pad while the baby feeds on the other side. There are no cords, no batteries, no valves and no parts to lose.

The Generation 2 version reviewed here keeps that design and adds two things: a larger 4 oz or 5 oz capacity, and a suction base molded into the bottom so the pump sticks to a table instead of tipping over when it is full. Haakaa USA lists the 4 oz model at $19.99. The second change fixes the one complaint that followed the original for years, and it is what justifies this version over the cheaper Gen 1.

Our verdict

The simplest milk collector on the market, now with a base that keeps it upright between uses; at $19.99 it belongs in most nursing kits, but it is not a replacement for an electric pump when you need to build supply or pump at work.

A good fit for: A nursing parent who loses milk to a nursing pad on the opposite side during feeds and wants to bank it with no cords, no parts and a 20-second cleanup.
We would skip it if: You need to express a full feed on a schedule, pump away from the baby, or want measurable suction control.

Reasons to consider it

One molded piece of food-grade silicone with no joints, valves or membranes to lose or clean
Suction base holds the pump to a table so a full 4 oz does not tip when you set it down
Boils, steams or goes in the dishwasher; 14-day refund on pumps bought direct from Haakaa USA

The compromises

Passive suction only: it catches let-down, it does not drive a pumping session
The 4 oz size fills during a strong let-down and needs emptying mid-feed
Haakaa says detergent can cloud the silicone and warns against UV sterilizers

What we have not verified: The pump was not used here; how well the base grips different surfaces, how much milk a given parent collects, and how the silicone holds up after months of boiling were not assessed.

The things in this guide

A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.

For catching the milk you would otherwise lose

Generation 2 Silicone Breast Pump with Suction Base, 4 oz

A one-piece silicone collector with a 4 oz capacity, a suction base that keeps it upright, and cleaning that amounts to boiling it for a couple of minutes, all for $19.99 with a 14-day refund from Haakaa USA.

Before you buy: It relies on your let-down, not on a motor, so output varies from parent to parent, and the flat base still needs a clean flat surface to grip.

$19.99 at Haakaa USA

Price checked September 11, 2026. Retailer prices can change.

Suction, not pumping

Haakaa's own instructions describe the whole procedure in five steps: sterilize by boiling for two to three minutes, center the nipple in the neck of the flange, squeeze the base and release to apply suction, then leave it alone. Milk flows because the negative pressure inside the bulb holds while your let-down does the work. When the pump is full you pour it into a storage container and reattach, and when flow slows you stick the base to a flat surface and finish the feed.

The important word in all of that is let-down. A silicone pump does not cycle, so it does not stimulate the breast the way an electric pump does, and Haakaa says plainly that results vary because each parent's supply is different. Some people collect a couple of ounces per feed; others collect a spoonful. It is a collector for milk that was going to leave the breast anyway, and it is a poor tool for building supply on its own.

The base is the whole upgrade

Three generations of this pump sit on Haakaa USA's store at once, and the differences are narrow. The Gen 1 is the original 4 oz bulb, listed at $13.99 with a stated height of 5.7 inches and a 3.4-inch flange, and it has a round bottom that tips over the moment you set it down full. The Gen 2 keeps the same one-piece shape and adds a suction base plus a second 5 oz size at $20.99. The Gen 3, at $28.99 for 6 oz and $30.99 for 9 oz, splits the pump into a flange, a screw ring and a detachable silicone bottle that takes nipple and sealing-disk attachments.

For most people the Gen 2 is the sensible middle. The $6 over the Gen 1 buys the base, which is the fix for the single most common way this product loses milk. The Gen 3's screw-on bottle is useful if you want to feed straight from the collector, but it reintroduces a joint and a ring to clean, which is the thing the one-piece design was avoiding. Haakaa does not publish dimensions for the Gen 2 the way it does for the Gen 1, so its exact height is not confirmed here.

Boil it, steam it, or run the dishwasher

The pump is 100% food-grade silicone, free of BPA, PVC and phthalates, and molded as one piece so there are no seams where milk can hide. Haakaa recommends cleaning after each use and sterilizing with a steam system or by boiling for two to three minutes; the product is also rated safe for microwave sterilizers and the dishwasher. Haakaa does not list a weight or dimensions for this generation, only that the compact size fits a handbag or baby bag.

Two cautions in Haakaa's care wording are worth taking seriously. Detergent exposure can make the silicone look cloudy, which is cosmetic but alarming the first time it happens, and Haakaa says UV sterilizers may shorten the pump's life, so a UV cabinet is the one cleaning method to avoid. Bleach-based agents and sterilizing tablets are ruled out as well, and only soft brushes or sponges should touch the surface.

Twenty dollars, and a refund if it does nothing for you

At $19.99 the Gen 2 lands exactly on Haakaa USA's free-shipping threshold, so a single pump ships without the $5 flat fee that applies to orders of $19.98 or less. The notable clause is the refund: all Haakaa breast pumps bought directly from haakaausa.com carry a 14-day money-back promise, and the company supplies a free return label once you email for an authorization number. Original shipping charges are not refunded, and pumps bought elsewhere have to go back to wherever you bought them.

That policy matters more for this product than for most, because output depends on physiology nobody can predict. If two weeks of use produce nothing worth freezing, the $19.99 comes back. Other Haakaa items get 30 days but only unopened, and any damage or shortage in a delivery has to be reported within 24 hours with photographs of the package and the item.

Skip it when the job is pumping, not collecting

Pass on the Haakaa if your goal is to express full feeds for a caregiver, pump at work, or increase supply under a lactation consultant's plan. Those jobs need cycling suction and a schedule, and a silicone bulb cannot do either. Buy it alongside an electric pump if you like, but do not buy it instead of one when the situation calls for a real pumping session.

Also think twice if you nurse mostly lying down or on the move. The pump needs to hang from the breast with the flange sealed, and the suction base only helps when there is a flat surface within reach. For a parent who feeds in a chair and has a table beside it, the Gen 2 is close to free milk. In any other setup, the cheaper Gen 1 and a wide-mouth cup do the same job with more spills.

How we put this together

Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.

About our shopping links