Should you buy breast pumps from Newegg?
Read Time | 6 minutes
If you're in the market for a breast pump, there is no shortage of places from where you can buy.
The easiest and preferred route for most is ordering a pump through their insurance but not every family has coverage, or their insurance may not cover their desired pump.
Outside of the manufacturer's own website, there are a plethora of online buying options: from retailers such as Target and BuyBuy Baby to online marketplaces like Amazon.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you)
One website I did not expect to see in the breast pump market was Newegg.
For those who aren't familiar with Newegg, it is an online retailer most known for selling consumer electronics and computer hardware. They apparently sell other items, such as clothing apparel, kid's toys and most surprisingly, breast pumps and accessories.
Full disclosure, I have purchased a couple of laptops from Newegg in the past, and I have no complaints about the laptops I ordered, the time it took to deliver my products or their services.
I decided to explore the selection of pumps and accessories, and this is what I found.
Newegg has a LOT of pump and accessory options
Newegg carries many of the major brands such as Medela, Spectra, and Ameda, as well as some not so known brands such as Drive, Bellema, and Beurer.
They carry more breast pump brands and models than all of the other breast pump supply shops I am familiar with.
To put it into perspective, MilitaryMommies offers nine pump models, which is more than many other common pump suppliers like Baby Pavillion and Pumping Essentials.
Aeroflow has a more extensive selection, but even their options are limited in comparison to Newegg's inventory.
In total, Newegg carries over 40 different models of electric and manual pumps!
That figure only includes the actual pumps and not the hundreds of listings for pump accessories which appear to be primarily aftermarket cords.
They have a return policy, but your pump may not be covered under the manufacturer warranty.
Breast pumps purchased on Newegg fall under one of a few return policies, depending on the vendor who's listing it. The most common is the BIT Shop USA return policy, which provides peace of mind for those who worry about making large purchases online.
After a quick glance, it seems that it's not the most straightforward policy and I can imagine that many people sending their returns back may be left with unexpected charges.
The Virventures seller's policy seems a bit less convoluted and has a 60-day replacement policy, which is twice as long as the Bit Shop policy. Again, which policy you fall under will depend on the seller you purchase from on Newegg.
The lack of warranty may be a concern for many people as most manufacturers only cover pumps purchased through authorized retailers. I could not find Newegg listed as an authorized retailer anywhere I searched, so I would assume that those obtained from their site are not covered.
If you have issues with your pump and it's outside the time-frame denoted in your return policy, you will be out the money you invested.
This is not a small deal because...
They are expensive and overpriced.
When I purchased my laptops back in the day, I had no frame of reference for the going rate for laptops with the specs I was looking for. Though I was satisfied with what I paid and I feel that I received a quality product, I have no idea if I overpaid on my purchases.
Unlike the younger, naive version of myself, I am very much familiar with the pricing of various pump models. Additionally, I am better skilled at "Googling" to find relevant information on pricing.
When comparing their prices to the prices on the most popular online marketplace, Amazon, I can't imagine a time where I would ever suggest a parent consider Newegg for their purchase.
Let me show you just a few examples of how inflated Newegg's prices are comparatively. Newegg is on the top, Amazon on the bottom.
At this point you've probably already formulated an opinion on Newegg and whether or not you'd feel comfortable buying from them. Just in case you're looking for my opinion, here it is:
Newegg may be a good option for those who are looking for a particular pump that can't be purchased easily on other platforms and are willing to spend whatever cost it takes to get it.
The lack of manufacturer warranty and the price are two significant deterrents for me personally, especially when Amazon is an option. Not only are many sellers on Amazon authorized dealers thus making pumps purchased covered by warranty, but Amazon often offers discounts and free shipping.
As of the time of this writing, Spectra S2 is $10 cheaper on Amazon ** than it is on the Spectra website.
Medela Pump in Style Advanced ** (Backpack version) is 20 dollars less, and the Medela Freestyle is over $30 less ** than the regular price. ** Affiliate Links
The Bellababy breast pump with a touch panel,** which is already fairly inexpensive is $17 off currently.
I could go on for days, but given a choice between an online retailer like Amazon and Newegg, Newegg always loses.
In general, though, it's best to order directly from the manufacturer when possible. It eliminates any concern about pump quality, whether or not it's been used or refurbished and resold, and you know exactly whom to contact should the pump, for whatever reason, fail.
And similarly to above, compared to Newegg pricing, the manufacturer's website offers their pumps for cheaper.
I hope this post was helpful for you on your pump buying journey! If you have Tricare Insurance and need a breast pump, ordering through me is super easy. I would love to help you find the pump that will best meet your needs and get you squared away with your order.
Have you paid out of pocket for a pump you purchased online? I would love to hear about your experiences!
** Affiliate Links