Recommended models: S1, S2
 
Medela's expertise in diaphragm breast pumps is undeniable, while Korean brand Spectra is in a league of its own when it comes to piston breast pumps. Founded in 1999, Spectra is more "capable" than AMIDA, the inventor of the world's first medical breast pump, capturing users with its extreme product design and details, and has been repeatedly recommended by maternal and child portals such as The Bump and Babylist, and has become as popular as Medela.
 
Although the US FDA does not give a clear definition of "medical-grade breast pump", there are many brands that advertise "medical-grade breast pumps". Medical-grade breast pumps are more efficient than home-based breast pumps, can adapt to a wide variety of user needs, and have stricter control over hygiene. Diaphragm breast pumps are relatively simple to construct and are not as flexible as piston breast pumps. Therefore, only piston breast pumps can be "medical grade".
 
In the U.S. market, the bulky Spectra is almost synonymous with a "medical-grade breast pump." The Spectra has multiple levels of frequency and suction power that can be adjusted in either massage or pumping mode. The frequency of the massage mode is fixed at 70 times/min and there are 5 gentle suction powers for the user to choose from. The pumping mode is slower and can be selected from 38 to 54 beats per minute, with up to 12 suction levels. With so many gear settings, the Spectra breast pump is highly customizable for any user and any scenario.
 
In order to make the pumping process more "closed", the Spectra has an excellent anti-backflow design, and the silica membrane is encased in two bowls of PP fittings, which fully prevents the milk from flowing back down the hose to the main engine to breed bacteria and corrode the motor. This closure process means that neither the isolation valve nor the hose is in direct contact with the milk, and there are fewer accessories that need to be washed. Spectra's breast shields are inseparable from the connectors, which avoids the hassle of assembling accessories, but also results in more complex internal grooves than Medela. Since it doesn't work as easily as Medela connectors with breast bras, users are keen to purchase additional accessories to graft Medela connectors onto Spectra mainframes.
 
Piston breast pumps are feature-rich but bulky, so Spectra has designed a round handle on the main unit to make it easy for users to move the breast pump and make it much more recognizable. The night light is also very intimate, so you don't need to turn on the extra light when pumping at night. There is almost no difference between S1 and S2 in terms of function and appearance, but S1 is blue and equipped with a 2000mah lithium battery, which is more suitable for mothers who need to go out to carry milk, and the price is 1580 yuan, which is about 200 yuan more expensive than S2 that can only be plugged in. Neither the 9plus nor the M2 are Spectra's main series, and they don't have many highlights in terms of features, so I don't recommend them here.