The 5 Very Best Pumping Bras

Function: Nursing and pumping | Flange hold: Tissue opening | Type of closure: Hook and eye | Materials and features: 93% micromodal and 7% elastane, Oeko-Tex certified fabric, convertible straps, front strap adjusters, available in S–3X, 5 colors

Of the half-dozen pumping bras I tested, the Bodily Do Anything bra is my absolute favorite. It is also the bra that was most recommended to me by other breastfeeding moms. I found it to be the most comfortable, the nicest looking, and the easiest to adjust/use with a pump. It’s made of slinky and cooling micromodal fabric that feels soothing against sensitive nipples and skin. The bra comes in five stylish colors all with a pleasing shiny texture that makes it cute enough to be worn poking out from beneath a tank or in full view under an open top. Unlike most nursing and pumping bras that have two layers, the Bodily Do Anything bra has a single layer of fabric that has openings for pump flanges and can be unclipped and folded down for nursing. This combined with its fabric composition makes it a perfect bra for anyone who runs hot, has periodic hot flashes, or is planning to pump throughout the summer. I got mine in the middle of July and wore it as frequently as proper hygiene would allow. I have had it for over a year now and have sweated through the fabric while pushing or carrying my son around Brooklyn and leaked an upsetting amount of breastmilk into the fabric. But every time I washed it the stains came out with little effort, and the fabric looked untouched.

Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang owned three Bodily Do Anything Bras that she rotated through each week for around ten months. Like me, she tried many other pumping bras including the Larken X, various Bravado styles, and the zip-up Simple Wishes hands-free pumping bra with a large and loyal following. This bra was the most comfortable and effective, she says. For her first two children, she relied solely on the Simple Wishes zip-up bra that you have to put on and take off each time you pump. And despite it working really well, she prefers the Bodily because of how convenient it is to use and easy to wash. A lot of pumping bras are machine washable, but not a lot do well in the dryer. Yang washed and dried her Bodily bras every week, even twice a week sometimes, and they held up surprisingly well for the amount of wear and tear they received. Her one caveat is that this bra isn’t great for use with in-bra wearable pumps like the Willow or the Elvie. I had the same experience, and found the weight of wearable pumps much better suited to more structured pumping bras. It’s also been mentioned to me that the Bodily bra doesn’t create as tight a seal between flange and breast as some other pumping bras. But while that wasn’t my experience, I find the benefits can easily adjust the tightness (with front strap adjusters) or the position (from straight to crossed in the back) of the straps to help get a tighter fit.

Function: Pumping only | Flange hold: 2-layer tissue opening | Type of closure: Zipper | Materials and features: 83% cotton and 17% spandex, Oeko-Tex-certified fabric, can be worn strapless or with straps, band extender included, available in XS–L, 2 colors

This tube-top-shaped pumping bra is a longtime favorite of breastfeeding parents and lactation experts for its tight fit that holds pump flanges securely in place and creates a good seal. It is one of three pumping bras I still use despite finding it pretty unattractive and more of a hassle to use than the Bodily Do Anything bra. It’s the one I wish I had brought with me to the hospital because it would have been very easy to throw on under my gown and the shape makes it feel less revealing than other bras, which would have been helpful with the constant flow of the nurses, doctors, and other staff who came in without knocking. Two lactation experts — Betty Greenman, an internationally board-certified lactation consultant, or IBCLC, and Meema Spadola, a certified lactation counselor and postpartum doula — recommend Simple Wishes’ pumping bras. “This bra has an impeccable design with maximum support,” Greenman says, adding that the extra support helps many people produce more milk. If you’d like a bra that works for nursing and pumping, Greenman also likes Simple Wishes’ All-in-One Nursing & Pumping bra.

Function: Nursing and pumping | Flange hold: X | Type of closure: N/A | Materials and features: 90% polyester, 10% spandex, Oeko-Tex-certified fabric, seamless design, available in XS–2X, 5 colors

Once she was out of the early newborn stage, the Larken X bra was the only bra that Strategist writer Lauren Ro wore with her second son. She rotated four of them throughout the week until she stopped pumping around the one-year mark. According to her the Larken feels like a very soft but just-supportive-enough sports bra that works for nursing and pumping and is also comfortable enough to sleep in. Ro tried other all-in-one bras, including the Bodily Do Anything bra, and while they were easy to use for nursing, they never felt secure enough for pumping. “The Larken has a unique two-layer twist system that always held the pump flanges tight against my breasts, which helped me express my milk in an efficient manner,” she says. It also allowed her to wear the same bra all day (and all night). To nurse, she would just lift the bra (you can also pull it down if you want), and then to pump, she would spread open the two layers in the front to insert the flange on one side, then do it again on the other side but in the opposite direction, creating a central X with the two layers. In addition to Ro, Jada Shapiro, the founder of Boober, a digital platform where expectant and new parents can find in-person maternal-care services, also recommends the Larken X bra and appreciates its simplicity. “Larken is all about having seamless bras that are not irritating,” she says. “They don’t have elastic, snaps, or zippers, and you can both pump and/or breastfeed in them. You never have to change into or out of it.”

Function: Nursing and pumping | Flange hold: Tissue opening, padding | Type of closure: Hook and eye | Materials and features: 80% nylon and 20% spandex, Oeko-Tex-certified fabric, front strap adjusters, available in 30A–44B, 4 colors

The aforementioned Simple Wishes all-in-one nursing and pumping bra is the last pumping bra that I tested and one of the only ones I still wear on a regular basis. In fact I like it so much that I have even worn it on days when I wasn’t at home and had no plans of nursing or pumping. My favorite thing about this bra is that it feels like a regular wireless, lightly padded T-shirt bra. So I don’t feel postpartum when I’m wearing it, I just feel like a person who could pump milk if necessary. Plus it has the added benefit of extra flange support thanks to the padding in the top layer. I’ve had it for about nine months and had no issue with putting it in the washing machine so far. That said, I hang it to dry. It’s not as comfortable as the Bodily Do Anything bra. I wouldn’t sleep in it, for instance, and I look forward to taking it off at the end of the day. But it’s a very nice-looking option that could pass for a non-lactating person’s underwear.