haakaa Gen.2 Plus vs Elvie Curve: The £22 One Holds More, the £29 One Can't Be Kicked Off

COMPARISON · FEEDING TIME

Silicone breast pumps are the quiet workhorses of early breastfeeding. There is no motor, no tubing and no charging cable. You squeeze, attach, and let gentle suction collect the milk your other breast would otherwise leak into a breast pad while your baby feeds. For around £20 to £30 they turn wasted let-down into a small freezer stash, ease engorgement between feeds, and sit in a changing bag without taking up room.

The haakaa is the one most parents have heard of. Its newest version, the Gen.2 Plus, adds a softer ribbed flange, a 150ml body and a SpillGUARD stopper. The Elvie Curve is the challenger, built around one problem every haakaa user knows well: a baby's foot catches the pump mid-feed and the milk ends up on the sofa. Elvie's answer is a flattened, curved shape that sits inside your bra instead of hanging off it.

On paper they do the same job. In practice they make different trade-offs on capacity, how they stay put, how you release them and how many parts you wash. We compared both on published specs, live UK pricing in our catalogue and the feedback parents share with us most often about each. Neither is a replacement for a proper electric pump if you are exclusively pumping, so treat this as a comparison of let-down collectors and occasional top-up pumps.

Lil' Bubba's verdicts

• Best Overall: haakaa Gen.2 Plus · 8.5/10 - more capacity for less money, stands up on its own base and the SpillGUARD stopper saves milk when it does get knocked
• Best for Wriggly Feeders: Elvie Curve · 8.0/10 - sits inside your bra so it cannot be kicked off, and the valve lets you remove it without that pinching tug

Quick comparison

	haakaa Gen.2 Plus	Elvie Curve
Price (UK, from)	£21.99	£29.00
Capacity	150ml (5oz)	120ml (4oz)
How it stays on	Hangs from the breast on suction alone	Contoured to sit inside your bra
Adjusting suction	Squeeze more or less air out before attaching	Press the pouch again for more, valve to ease off
Removing it	Break the seal with a finger	Open the valve to release pressure
Spill protection	SpillGUARD stopper lets milk in, not out	Kick-proof position in the bra
Between sessions	Stands upright on its suction base	Lies on its front
Cleaning	One-piece body plus stopper	Comes apart, valve to wash separately
Sterilising	Steam or boil, no tablets	Steam, microwave, boil or cold water
Our rating

How we picked these two

We started from the silicone pumps parents add to their registries most, then narrowed to the two designs that genuinely differ rather than two colourways of the same idea. Both are sold by joined UK retailers in our catalogue and were in stock at the time of writing. We checked each brand's own specification and care instructions, compared live prices, and read through the feedback parents send us about day-to-day use: suction, leaks, cleaning and comfort. We do not accept payment for placement, and ratings reflect value at today's price, not just performance.

What to look for in a silicone breast pump

Capacity. Most passive collectors hold 100ml to 150ml. If you have a fast let-down or use one for engorgement relief, a bigger body means fewer mid-feed swaps and less chance of overflow.

How it stays attached. Classic bulb-shaped pumps hang off the breast on suction alone. That is fine with a calm newborn, less fine once your baby starts kicking and grabbing at around six to eight weeks. In-bra designs trade some capacity for a more secure position.

Suction control and release. Too much suction can feel uncomfortable and, used constantly, may encourage your body to make more milk than your baby needs. Look for a simple way to dial it down and a painless way to take it off.

Spill protection. A stopper, lid or stable base matters more than you think at 3am when the pump is full and there is nowhere flat to put it down.

Cleaning. Fewer parts means quicker washing. Check which sterilising methods are allowed too, because not every silicone pump is happy with cold-water sterilising tablets.

If you are thinking about pumping regularly to build a supply, have a chat with your midwife or health visitor first. Passive collectors are gentle, but they still count as stimulation.

1. haakaa Gen.2 Plus Manual Breast Pump (150ml) / 10 · Best overall

The Gen.2 Plus keeps everything that made the original haakaa so popular, a single piece of food-grade silicone with no batteries, cords or noise, and fixes the two things parents complained about most. The flange is now softer, with four moulded rings inside that haakaa says reduce friction and tugging, and the removable SpillGUARD stopper sits in the neck so milk can flow in but not slosh back out if the pump gets bumped.

The 150ml body is the bigger of haakaa's two Gen.2 sizes, and 30ml more than the Elvie Curve. The suction base does two jobs: press it on a flat surface and the pump stands upright between sides, and the same move breaks the seal when you have finished. At £21.99 it is also the cheaper of the pair.

What parents love

• It just works. Squeeze, attach, feed. One parent told us: 'I put it on the other side every morning feed and it fills up a freezer bag a week without me doing anything.'
• Room for a fast let-down. The 150ml body means fewer swaps mid-feed for parents with a strong flow or engorgement in the early weeks.
• The stopper earns its place. A parent shared: 'The little stopper has saved me from crying over spilt milk more than once, literally.'
• Stands up on its own. The suction base keeps it upright on a bedside table, so you are not hunting for a cup to prop it in.

What to know before you buy

• Still kickable. It hangs off the breast, so a wriggly baby can knock it loose. The stopper limits the spill, it does not stop the pump coming off.
• Suction can drop when you move. We hear repeatedly from parents that leaning back or shifting position can break the seal.
• No sterilising tablets. haakaa says steam or boiling only, with no bleach-based cleaners, which matters if you rely on cold-water sterilising.

Best for

• Parents with a fast let-down or early engorgement
• Building a small freezer stash from morning feeds
• Anyone who wants the simplest possible one-piece design
• Calm newborns who are not yet kicking much

2. Elvie Curve Breast Pump / 10 · Best for wriggly feeders

The Elvie Curve starts from a different question: what if the pump did not hang off you at all? It is a flattened, curved silicone pouch that tucks into your bra, so it stays put while your baby feeds on the other side, and Elvie describes it as kick-proof for exactly that reason. You press the pouch to start suction and press again whenever you want a little more.

The other clever touch is the comfort control valve. Open it a fraction to soften suction, or fully to release the pressure and lift the pump away without the pinch you can get breaking a haakaa's seal. The trade-offs are capacity (120ml), price (£29) and cleaning: the Curve comes apart, so there is a valve to wash and dry separately. On the plus side, Elvie lists steam, microwave, boiling and cold-water sterilising, and it goes on the top shelf of the dishwasher.

What parents love

• Stays on through the kicking phase. One parent put it best: 'With a baby who kicks constantly, the shape is so much more practical. I stopped losing milk.'
• Painless removal. The valve releases the suction gently, which parents with sore or sensitive skin in the early weeks really notice.
• Discreet. It sits under your top rather than dangling, so feeding in a café with a collector on feels less of a production.
• Flexible sterilising. Works with whatever method you already use for bottles, including cold water.

What to know before you buy

• Suction divides opinion. Parents we hear from regularly are split: some find it a bit strong, others say it collects less than a haakaa. It takes a few goes to find the right press.
• The valve takes practice. A parent shared: 'Pouring the milk out was fiddly until I got the hang of the valve.' It is also one more part to wash and dry.
• Smaller and pricier. 120ml for £29 against 150ml for £21.99, and it lies on its front between uses rather than standing up.

Best for

• Babies past the newborn stage who kick and grab while feeding
• Parents who feed out and about and want something discreet
• Anyone who finds breaking a suction seal uncomfortable
• Households already using cold-water or microwave sterilising

What about the haakaa Ladybug or electric wearables?

The haakaa Ladybug is haakaa's own in-bra milk collector. It is a passive catcher rather than a suction pump, so it collects leaks but does not draw milk, and it holds less than either pump here. Think of it as a step up from breast pads rather than an alternative to the Curve. If you are pumping several times a day or returning to work, both of these are the wrong tool: a wearable or double electric pump will save you hours. Our breast pump coverage in the community section walks through those.

How to choose

Choose the haakaa Gen.2 Plus if you want the most milk for the least money and the simplest thing to wash. It holds 150ml, stands on its own base, and the SpillGUARD stopper takes the sting out of the occasional knock. In the first six weeks, before your baby gets properly wriggly, it is hard to beat.

Choose the Elvie Curve if you have already lost a few feeds' worth of milk to a flailing foot, or you want to collect let-down discreetly when you are out. You pay £7 more and give up 30ml, but the in-bra fit and the gentle valve release solve real problems the haakaa cannot.

Plenty of parents end up with both: a haakaa for the early weeks at home and a Curve once feeds become a contact sport. At these prices, that is not a silly plan.

Add it to your Nest

Silicone pumps are one of the most useful small gifts on a baby list, and easy for friends and family to pick up. Add your favourite to your free BubsNest registry and we will show the best live price across UK retailers.