We know it can seem wasteful to end up with two flange sizes you don't need. Buying a Set isn't required — all of our flanges can be purchased individually here. But, with over twenty years of working with thousands of moms who have a wide range of nipple sizes and shapes, it has taught us that having three sizes available is helpful for new customers for these five important reasons:
1) Many, many people have different size nipples and need a different size flange on each breast.
2) Flange sizing isn't well understood, even by most lactation consultants, and many people use the wrong size flange, never knowing how much better it could be in the right size.
Even using nipple diameter measurement is only one of many factors in correct flange fitting, especially with our angled design, and our flanges don't correspond directly to millimeter sizes. Regular flange measurements are taken at the sharp and abrupt corner from the flange to the tunnel area, which is the frequent culprit of pumping pain. Our flanges have a gradual transition from the "funnel" to the "tunnel" (allowing you to lean back without spilling milk) so they can't be measured in the same way.
Having a Set of three sizes gives you the flexibility of trying the three most likely sizes to find the one that causes the least swelling, is most comfortable, and gives the most milk.
3) Many people have elastic nipple tissue that stretches too far down the tunnel, so what looks or even measures as a certain size often turns out to be different when it's in a flange using vacuum, particularly in our silicone flanges that control elasticity.
4) Nipple size can change over time, especially during weaning, so it helps to have different sizes on hand as time goes on.
5) Having the green Medium hard plastic flange is a helpful backup option, especially with our silicone flanges when there's an issue with lubrication or correct application.
Since the price of the three pair Sets is more than most people expect for a new flange, we offer these useful additional benefits:
BENEFIT 1) Significant discount on flange sets over purchasing parts separately.
BENEFIT 2) A Size Guarantee to send any other size needed at no cost (for domestic orders ONLY), which isn't cost-effective for individual flanges.
BENEFIT 3) A 50% off discount on pump adapters is available if you are looking to purchase additional ones (buy 2 pair, get 3rd pair free).
BENEFIT 4) A 30-day return window for Full Sets (domestic orders only).
BENEFIT 5) Help from an expert lactation consultant for sizing questions and any other flange or pumping issue.
Reviewed by Jenn Foster, IBCLC & Lori Shad, IBCLC
March 8, 2022