Medela Symphony-worth it?

bcnoelle

Has anyone tried this hospital grade pump and can compare it to a 'regular' Medela or other double electric pump? I used Lasinoh's double electric pump for my son (it was ok) and am most likely getting a free Ameda Purely Yours from insurance this time. I was considering buying a used Medela Symphony and re-selling again based on the amazon reviews. It does look cumbersome to bring back and forth to work, so I might leave it there and use another pump at home. Any opinions appreciated!

bcnoelle

Thank you both for the info. I'm going to look into re-sale value to see if it's worth it and if I could potentially sell my new Ameda from insurance to put it towards the symphony purchase.

mommaoftrips

Hands down the Symphony, the Ameda is a piece of crap and has NO suction power - or at least it didn't work for me.

MammaBear81

My insurance provided me with a symphony this time around (rental only which is fine by me!) and I like it much better than my PISA and freestyle.  It is heavier to lug around but totally worth it for me.  I have my old PISA at home on the off chance I leave it at work, but for me it's worth lugging it back and forth every day.  If your insruance will cover the ameda it might cover the cost of a rental for the symphony so I'd look into it.  You don't get to keep it, but you don't have to shell out any money and then have to sell it later to get some of the money back.

VegasGal1978

I EP so I have several pumps. I have a Symphony ( rented), a PISA and a Medela hand pump. I keep the Symphony at home since it is quite heavy (I commute by public transit). The PISA is left at work and the hand pump is for on the go needs. The Symphony is my favorite. It is the most efficient, but I don't feel it is built for moving from place to place. It isn't huge, but the case it is. Out of the case it can still be heavy depending on how you commute.

bcnoelle

Thanks for all of the responses. I may buy a used symphony and then sell again, although I'm nervous about the warranty. I saw that you can purchase breast pumps through flex spend accounts, but I figure we will have that maxed out anyway. Also there is a breast pump tax deduction but only if your medical expenses for the year increase 7.5% of your gross annual income, which we don't expect with our deductibles. I'll keep my eyes out for a good deal!

groovygrl

You can rent it usually too you know. I rented one after my twins b/c I wasn't sure how well it was all going to go & I didn't want to commit to something.

Katie829

I would rent a symphony rather than buy one and try to re-sell it. People are getting free pumps from insurance now and don't look to buy cheap on ebay/CL now.

FWIW I have used both. I got great amounts with both the PISA and the Symphony.

bcnoelle

Thanks for the rental advice. It seems that my hospital has a women's breast feeding center that rents them for about $70 a month, but I still would invest in the tubing and accessories. It might be possible that my insurance re-imburse a rental too. I may test it out for the first month and decide if I want to purchase one used. I can't imagine renting at this price for a year if I can buy a used one in good condition for $700.

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Pips09

I rented a Symphony and I kept it at home. I definitely would not want to lug it back and forth to work every day. It is pretty heavy and the case for it is also heavy and large. If you want to leave it at work, that would work, but it's not really portable friendly.