Is Spectra S1 worth the upgrade?

ftmom2277

I have done some reading and based on reviews I really like the Spectra pump. My instance can provide the S2 free of charge but the S2 has no battery. the S1 does have a battery but is a $95 upcharge. I do work from home so obviously this is where I will be pumping most of the time but I am not sure if there are other occasions where the battery would be very helpful (like if you are on a longer drive, travel, etc), so I am trying to figure out if the upgrade is worth it. What is your experience?

Thank you in advance! 

TalesOfASocialIntrovert

I have zero experience with this pump but I wanted to mention that you can easily purchase a power inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter in your car that then supplies a regular outlet. This is my plan for long car rides since my Medela requires an outlet.

meggyme

Any sort of travel I do I bring a hand pump. You don't have to worry about batteries, it's small and fits in a purse. Not recommended for regular use due to hand cramping, but it's a good cheap back up.

fishsticks-n-custard

Depends on where you'll be using the pump most often. If you'll always have consistent acess to a plug you're probably fine without a battery or just a car charger as needed. I never had access to a plug at work so I opted for a battery and it's made it much easier. 

TabulaRasa25

I have a Spectra S1 (insurance covered both S1 and S2).  I don't typically need the cordless feature, but it's nice to have it if I do.  i will say that it's an excellent pump, overall. 

stardustskies

@ftmom2277 I was researching the same thing and opted to go for the s2. I won't be pumping away from home enough for it to be worth the extra $95. I think the convenience of the s1 is more for mom's who travel a lot or work away from home.

optbaby2017

I opted to upgrade and am glad that I did.  Throughout my maternity leave I pumped at several locations around my house during the day.  It was nice to be able to move between the living room during the day and upstairs at night, even though I had originally planned to just set up in the nursery and be set.  I also liked being able to pack my pump into a bag and not have it sitting out when not in use -- not that you couldn't do this with the plug-in, just one more thing to have to move.  There are so many steps to setting up the pump every time, not having to find an outlet (which are never in convenient spots, imho) is nice. 

I'm heading back to work next week and think these factors will be even more amplified there.  Plus, one day a week I have to move between locations at work.  If I had the plug-in, I could have figured out a way to schedule pumping, but one of the locations doesn't really have a great spot for me to pump - it meets the requirements, but it's a converted closet and just not that cozy.  With the battery I could consider pumping while I drive and/or just doing it in the parking lot in the comfort of my car.  Also, a charging cord is just one more thing for me to forget to bring or to leave behind somewhere...