As you can see from the giveaway, the Rumina Hands-Free Pump and Nurse tank comes in two styles: regular and full-coverage. I was fortunate to be sent one of each to try for both pumping and nursing purposes and have been able to test them at work and at home for the last month. I have been wearing them constantly, underneath tops and dresses to enable easy nursing and pumping access. I am going to go through some useful specifics regarding the tanks in general, then I will discuss the differences between the styles.
First of all, these tanks have impressive support. I feel secure and stable during a time when my figure is softer all over. The fabric feels nicer to me than that of Bravado tanks. They washed and wore without fading, unlike my black Bravado tanks in the first month. They have enough length to fall to my mid-hip and they provide counter-pressure while smoothing out the stomach. The straps are a bit less structured when compared with Bravado but they're still stable and comfortable. The clips are standard nursing clips, easy to snap and unsnap with one hand. But a flap that goes over the bust is what enables the hands-free pumping. When you lift the flap, you reveal another layer of fabric that can be pulled to the side via an opening, where you insert pump flanges. In the top photo, I am lifting up the flap, but it is difficult to tell because of the design. This same design really keeps one's breasts covered while pumping.
After pregnancy, labor, and birth, I definitely feel less modest in some ways about my body but am grateful to have an option that keeps my business relatively hidden while I pump at work. Even with an office and a door that locks, and even after feeling really comfortable and confident in using my pump, the first few times I did so at work felt awkward. Having a tank that keeps me covered "just in case" mitigated that awkwardness. More importantly, this tank truly supports a hands-free pump experience that allows me to work at my computer while I pump. I have the Medela hands free bustier for pumping and find it frustrating because it doesn't support me well enough to be hands-free. This is different. I found both of the tanks to be very easy to use for nursing and was happy with how I could stay covered while pumping in the tanks.
I also want to speak about fit and sizing but this ties to the differences in styles. With help from Amanda, I was able to determine that the size medium would be right for me. For reference, in Bravado tanks, I took a 34f during the first few months of nursing. At this point I need a 34ddd/e. From the size chart on Rumina's site, my cup size was too large to work with the regular coverage. But the medium fit me. The issue is that the regular coverage exposes quite a bit of cleavage (to the point where I even cropped out my face from the photos), so I use it as a layering piece. The full-coverage comes up high enough to be visible under certain tops and dresses. But generally speaking, I do agree with the recommendation for full-coverage to meet a fuller bust. If I had to pick a favorite between the two styles, I would pick the full-coverage. I think the regular coverage serves a useful role in my closet and I appreciate that it is more likely to be invisible underneath my clothing, but I wouldn't be able to wear it on its own without feeling very exposed. That said, I feel that way about all my nursing tanks. And the Rumina Regular Coverage doesn't expose any more than those.
Overall, I really love these tanks and am so glad to have them in my breastfeeding wardrobe rotation. When I am back in the classroom soon, I will be grateful for the ease of pumping at work, when times between classes are already tight. Thank you to Amanda and Dawn of Rumina Nursingwear for sending me the tanks to review and providing another to give away to a lucky reader of Consume or Consumed!
Don't forget to enter to win one for yourself!
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