NoseFrida vs Electric Aspirator: Pros, Cons, Suction Power, Costs & More

Did you know that babies don’t develop the reflex to breathe through their mouths until they are around 3 months old?

That means that a newborn with a stuffy nose might not sleep very well. And when a baby doesn’t sleep, the parents don’t sleep either!

The hospital helps with this by giving you a bulb syringe before you leave the hospital. But bulb syringes can only be used 2-3 times a day before the inside of your baby’s nose gets too irritated.

Not to mention, they are difficult to clean well!

Luckily, the bulb syringe is not the only option. There are alternative aspirators out there.

Let’s take a look at two popular options: the NoseFrida vs electric aspirators.

The NoseFrida is a little gross, in theory, but its convenience, sucking power, and affordability can’t be beat. If you’ve just had a baby or are expecting, you need one of these, period!

Electric aspirators also work well for people who can’t get over the mental block of sucking boogers manually, but they cost more and aren’t as powerful.

Now let’s take a closer look at both products, plus the pros and cons of each.

The NoseFrida Explained

A NoseFrida is a device like no other.

Essentially, it’s a long tube that allows you to suck snot and boogers from your baby’s nose by using your mouth.

The concept is simple, but there’s no getting around it: it’s a gross concept!

NoseFrida has four main parts:

There’s a cartridge that goes next to your baby’s nose
A filter for the cartridge
A long plastic tube
And a mouthpiece.

The pieces can be disassembled for easy cleaning, and the filter is disposable.

What you do to get snot out of your baby’s nose is the gross part.

Place the cartridge next to your baby’s nose to create suction, then suck out the boogers using your mouth.

The boogies get trapped in the cartridge, with the filter protecting you from inhaling boogers and from getting sick.

Again: You will NEVER get snot or boogers in your mouth from using the NoseFrida — it’s not possible!

Some parents claim that germ sharing through the NoseFrida got them sick, but chances are they were already exposed by just simply being around their baby.

Parents who have used NoseFrida before swear by its effectiveness.

The nice thing about it is that you can see what you are getting out (to examine consistency or color), unlike the bulb syringe.

You can also control the amount of suction that is applied to get your baby’s boogies out.

At around $10, the NoseFrida is a pretty affordable option. Bulb syringes are cheaper, but NoseFrida is still more affordable than other electric aspirators.

(If your baby always seems to be sick or have a runny nose since starting school or daycare, read this guide.)

Pros and Cons of the NoseFrida

Pros

It’s effective. Most parents who have given NoseFrida a try have been very happy with the results. This aspirator definitely gets the job done when it comes to clearing your baby’s nose out.
It’s inexpensive. Electric aspirators can be pricey. Not NoseFrida. NoseFrida is on the inexpensive end, and you only need to buy replacement filters to keep using it for years.
It’s easy to figure out how to use it. There’s not a lot to the NoseFrida aspirator, which is a plus. The part with the filter goes in the baby’s nose, and your mouth goes on the red nozzle.
No batteries are required. Just like a bulb syringe, the NoseFrida aspirator does not need any batteries to run. That means you can pack it one in your diaper bag all the time and never need to worry about having spare batteries, too.
Easy to clean. Just run some hot soapy water through the cartridge and change your filters regularly. That’s all it takes.

Cons

It might be too gross for some people. Anything that comes out of a baby (besides babbles and giggles) is usually pretty disgusting. Boogers are no exception! If you want to use the NoseFrida, you will have to get over the fact that your kid’s boogies and your mouth are sharing the same tube for a moment. If you can’t get past this, maybe it’s not for you.
The jury’s out on germs. While the manufacturer claims the filter inside the NoseFrida aspirator keeps germs from being sucked into your mouth, some parents claim they get sick with the same thing anyway. However, it’s likely to not matter either way. You are around your baby so much, it’s difficult to say whether you already caught the germs before using NoseFrida.
Some customers got an imitation product. Be cautious if you buy this product online. Some repeat customers bought a new NoseFrida from Amazon, only to find that the new product they got was much less quality than when they bought the original product.

Check out the NoseFrida on Amazon here.

Electric Aspirators Explained

An electric aspirator is a gadget that gets your baby’s nose clear with the help of electric-powered suction.

They can be powered by disposable batteries or rechargeable (sometimes even by USB charging).

Just like the NoseFrida, they usually have a reservoir that holds all of the boogies that were extracted from your child’s nose.

Electric nose aspirators come with adjustable suction settings. A “+” button will increase the suction, while a “-” button decreases it.

Some have music or lights that are meant to soothe your baby while you are doing this difficult task.

Unfortunately, some babies do not take kindly to this, as they hear it as a warning that some nose sucking is about to happen!

Since electric aspirators are a little more advanced technology, they usually come with a little bit bigger price tag.

The cheaper ones are around $20 and are still affordable, while the higher-end ones are around $150.

NoseFrida also makes its own electric version for around $45.

These kinds of aspirators might be preferable for people who don’t like the idea of sucking snot out of their baby’s nose themselves.

Most of them are just as easy to clean as the NoseFrida, too.

Pros and Cons of Electric Aspirators

Pros

They do the sucking for you. Some parents may prefer these over the NoseFrida because it does its own sucking, while the NoseFrida can sometimes require some serious lung power. All electric aspirators require of you is a push of a button.
They are pretty easy to use. Most electric aspirators are pretty foolproof, and the best ones come with few parts. These parts are simple to take apart and clean, too
There are affordable options. The price range for electric aspirators is wide, but the lower-end ones are affordable at around $20.
They have fun features. Electric power means that manufacturers can add fun features like music, soothing sounds, or lights to entertain (and distract) your baby.

Cons

You need power to use them. You’re going to have to connect these to electricity at some point or keep buying batteries for them, which makes them less portable and convenient than a NoseFrida.
They are more expensive than NoseFrida. Electric aspirators are at least double the price of a NoseFrida, and might not be as effective, either.
The suction is not as powerful. NoseFrida has proven itself effective time and again. Electric aspirators just can’t compete with the human’s suction power.

Check out the FridaBaby Electric Aspirator on Amazon here.

Wrapping Up

While the NoseFrida is a weird concept that takes new parents some getting used to, it’s the most effective booger-clearing invention on the market.

Electric aspirators work too, but not as well and for a higher price.

You could also go with the good ol’ bulb syringe. There are even models out there that open up for easier cleaning, however, some people say that the suction isn’t as good when they have this feature.

One more option is manual removal of boogers with something like the oogiebear, which is kind of like a rubber Q-Tip. This is a great option to try when both you and your newborn are sick of sucking boogies.

Before you go, check out some more “this or that” guides like:

Hope this helps!