I have finally opened my mind to consider it (after 32 years of T1,) and I wonder these things…
Thanks, everyone, for your help!
There is no such thing as a “best brand” of pump. It simply does not exist.
What you can hope for is to find a pump which is best enough for you. Or have you missed seeing the periodic replay of the great “to tube or not to tube” discussions? The people who use the Omnipod pretty much think it is the only possible “best” pump (for them). Those of us who don’t use the Omnipod, maybe not so much. (Certainly true for me personally).
The first thing you might want to try to narrow down is just what you can and cannot live with and then try to take it from there based on what you learn about the currently available pump models.
Look up Integrated Diabetes services, Gary Scheiner (on here frequently). Check their pump comparison list, and then engage your medical team to help you understand what things you might benefit from. Each of us prefers/needs different functions, and truly there is no best pump. Once you start looking, if you can arrange to see the pumps you are interested in, it may help you out. If you are brand new to pumping, there is much to learn but it can be rewarding (and usually is!).
Every pump comes with some type of clip that can easily be attached to your pocket, waist, bra, undies, etc.
When I bathe or swim, I disconnect my pump
Best brand, no such thing. It’s all based on your own personal preferences and a good relationship with your car team.
I clip my pump to my pajama pants while sleeping
No idea when the AP is scheduled to come out. personally, I’, not holding my breath
Sarah 
There are a couple of easy ways to narrow down your pump choices.
How old are you? If you are age 65+, You need to know that Medicare currently does not cover the Omnipod.
How much insulin do you use? Usually you want to be sure that the reservoir size of your pump will hold enough insulin to last 3+ days. Animas pumps and the Omnipod hold a max of about 200 units. Medtronic has two models, one with about 180 units and one with 300. AccuChek is 300 units. Tandem has one pump with 300 units and a newer one that holds 480 units.
do you want a waterproof guarantee? You can swim with the Omnipod and Animas pumps.
Do you want a remote? The Animas Ping and the AccuChek pumps have a remote. I suppose you could call the Omnipod controller a remote also.
Will your insurance cover all brands? Will your insurance cover CGMS in case you are interested in the Animas Vibe, the Tandem G4, or Medtronic Pumps all which are integrated with a CGM?
Do your homework and check out the websites for all the pumps that you are considering. Meet with pump rup ps if possible. I carry my pump in my pocket or clip it on my waistband. At night it is either in my PJ pockets or just flopping around the bed.
I’ve always worn my tubed (not Omnipod) pumps on my belt. I’ve read here that women use a variety of locations including pockets, hooked on their bra, on a “leg thing” on their thigh.
When I shower or bathe I just disconnect at the site and go without the pump infusion for a short period of time. Many infusion sets are designed with a quick release mechanism that enables an easy disconnect. You can take a small dose before and/or after to compensate. I usually swim with my Animas Ping pump since it is designed to be waterproof. If I’m worried that my swimming activity might somehow dislodge the pump, I would just disconnect for that short period. I would be comfortable disconnecting for up to an hour without any major disturbance to my BG control
As to the best brand, you will have to research and hopefully trial any that you seriously consider. Most people finance their pump (in the US) with health insurance and health insurance usually makes you use any pump they pay for for at least the warranty period, often 4 years. So it’s important that your comfortable with that commitment before you say, “I do!”
I’ve seen some pump comparison charts published over the years. Do a google search and see if you can find them. I’d also check diaTribe.org for that.
There’s any ongoing debate among pump users as to the desirability of tubed versus tubeless pumps. I prefer the tubed variety for many reasons but there are many long term and happy tubeless pumpers. Learning to live with and accommodate the tethered pump is no big deal to me.
I strongly advocate trying any pump before buying. If they don’t let you do a trial then I’d get the pump company to commit to a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee for say 30 days.
I use 42 inch long infusion sets to enable bathroom use and flopping around in the bed at night. I just lay the pump down next to me while I sleep and move it around when needed.
The earliest iterations of the artificial pancreas are already starting to appear. Most people don’t consider these earliest versions as really the automated control they have in mind but you can see the AP already taking shape. One model of the Medtronic pump (530?) will shut off insulin delivery for up to two hours when the integrated CGM drops below a set threshold. The next improvement is another Medtronic model (640?) that will shut off delivery when the integrated CGM predicts a future low. That pump is not available in the US yet but it should appear soon.
The more sophisticated AP pumps with partially automated insulin delivery are expect in the next year or two. The basal rate will be automatically adjusted based on CGM readings and the wearer will probably have to do some interaction when eating.
I personally will be waiting for some significant improvements over class of 2017/2018 since I’ve learned that their goals are not as ambitious as the ones I already target and achieve using my home-grown tactics.
Have fun pump shopping! Learn all you can. The pump is just a fancy syringe and currently your brains are the most important factor in how well you do.
I wanted to add that good customer service is important. I’ve had good experiences with Medtronic, Animas, and Insulet (Omnipod). Getting an overnight shipment when a pump fails is important to me.
I use the Omnipod. I’ve never used anything else. Since it’s tubeless, it answers all of your questions involving placement because you don’t have a controller to worry about. You can swim and bathe with it. Is it “the best?” It is for me, since I don’t want to fool with a tube, disconnecting or a controller flopping around while I sleep. It’s very discreet, and I don’t have to worry about how to route a tube through my clothes. You load it with insulin, stick it on, and the cannula is automatically inserted. Change it every three days. I find it very easy and convenient, and I never have to give a thought to most of your concerns.
I have a tandem which I like and I use the dexcom- as far as I know it has no insulin suspend system if you go to 50 which would be nice for me since I drop while sleeping pretty often.
I wear mine on a spi-belt all the time, I only take it off to shower or swim… it goes on top of my clothing/night clothes. I just push it to one side when I sleep so I’m not laying on it.
For bathing, take it off and bolus a little before then you can have it off for 30-an hour or so if you feel like it. I don’t swim with mine, I was told not to.
I chose t slim because it’s very difficult to accidentally overdose with it due to the reservoir system not having direct access to you and due to it taking a long time to bolus etc. It is very slow though, lol.
I have to say I am fed up wearing this thing all the time and with it beeping at me constantly, but my control was much worse overall on mdi. The miracle of the pump is you can turn off your insulin for lows and increase it for highs. Also you don’t have to constantly inject. I had to inject with a syringe last night and I was thinking as it stung etc. how the hell did I do this all the time even with pens. On the other hand the insets can be painful too, so it’s not perfect of course.
I also forgot to say that I recommend the stainless steel insets- I use contact detach. I had two incidents where my bg spiked to dka territory but I was able to get it down with an injection: one was when a plastic cannula failed- the cannula was damage and kinked and the other was when I was sleeping and a different inset my cde gave me after the plastic cannula failure fell off while I was sleeping. I gave that box back to her and told her to throw them out. The part that fell off was the part that attached to the cannula. I had clicked it in place but somehow it came off. You don’t want that happening when you’re sleeping or busy doing something.
I have the Tandem T:Slim, I chose it because the battery is rechargeable. Seriously, I am horrible with remembering things, I know I would throw my last batteries in one and not get new ones! I always have a power stick on me plus a charger for it in my car. It’s also very simple to use and I liked that, because it is touch screen, it has number pad to use instead of scrolling up or down.
I wear belts sometimes, but have never clipped it to my belt. When wearing jeans, I clip it to the outside of my pocket, when I wear skirts or scrubs, I clip it to my waistband with the screen facing in. I also have a runner’s belt (got it cheap on Amazon) that I use sometimes, but not very often.
When I sleep, I usually lie it next to me. I really thought I would never do this, as I was afraid of ripping it out or something, then I tried it one night. Amazing. I never have had a problem with it (and I roll a little while I sleep, SO does the cha-cha while he’s sleeping), I use the shortest tubing possible and I don’t even notice it while asleep.
I also suggest the steel sets, I use Contact-Detach and cannot feel them. It’s also nice because if I do happen to rip them out, I can put it back in and tape it down. I just got my pump this year and have been T1 for 26 years. I love it and am able to better control the WTF moments. Just think, with Lantus/Levimer you can adjust your dose once every 24 or 12 hours. With a pump you can literally adjust your basal dose anytime of day/night as many times as is needed.
Good luck!
Mine spends most of its life either on my belt or in my waistband. When I use the toilet I clip it sideways in between buttons of my shirt or up in the neckband. If I’m climbing or doing something else that I think will scrape it up, I stick it in a pocket. I don’t care whether it shows or not.
I use a steel Sure-T infusion set, and it’s really easy to suspend the pump and unclip it.
I clip mine in the waistband of my pyjamas.
I’m Type 2 and use somewhat more insulin than most typical Type 1s, but not a lot, either. Switched to a pump a year ago to (successfully!) help reduce the number of hypo events I was having on MDI. STarted with a tubed pump - the Asante Snap, which worked quite well for me. Problem is that Asante went out of business in May. Since then, with “trade-in” deals, I tried the Omnipod for several months, after which I switched to the Animas Vibe. For me, the Omnipod ‘worked’ but not as well as the either of the tubed pumps did/do – I think the difference in infusion speed and angled vs. straight infusion sets are the reason I see better results from the tubed pumps. As to your questions:
I do wear belts most of the time, but the Vibe clips nicely to a waist band or pops in almost any pocket. With the Omnipod, the PDM was usually in my bag, unless I put it in a belt holster.
Both the Omnipod POD (not PDM) and the Vibe are waterproof, so I can leave them attached. For showering, I prefer to disconnect because it’s easier, even if unnecessary.
Each pump has pluses and minuses. I like the faster infusion of the Animas and the integrated Dexcom CGM, which I use. I loved the Snap for its smarter, more user-friendly features. I believe teh Tandem features more closely match that, but it was priced out of my budget, even with the trade-in deal.
I wear shorts with pockets when I sleep and stuff it in there – though it falls out and lies next to me safely from time to time. Have not had a problem, though always look for better ideas.
The CGM on the Vibe (and the CGM-enabled Tandem) is integrated, but does not get used in the pump’s performance. The Medtrinic pumps integrate some CGM data as others have described. I’m not waiting on AP’s as I get better performance with my own two hands than they aim for (so far). Only the future will tell on that…
This makes me lean toward the omnipod. One of my concerns is this kind of failure. Thanks, @meee
Good point!
Today I happened to listen to a podcast titled “Which Insulin Pump Should I Get?” You might get some helpful info by listening to it. The podcast is called Diabetes Connections and is the work of Stacey Simms. In this episode she interviews a CDE. Stacey is the mom of a child with Type 1 and also has the background of a professional newscaster. You can listen here:
Just to hear another point of view. I tried Contact Detach sets because so many people rave about them. I hated them. For me they hurt and it also bugged me that it wouldn’t stay on without supplemental tape. I use an angled set (Comfort Shorts/Silhouette) inserted manually and rarely have a set failure. Maybe once a year.
All of this stuff is definItely “YDMV” - your diabetes may vary.
You’re welcome 
I think omnipod has had problems too with pod failures and high bg- just google it… also omnipod doesn’t have the same capability in dosing that many other pumps have including t slim which has the ability to dose very small boluses and basal rates. If you need lower basal rates it may not be good for you.
Here’s a link to the Integrated Diabetes Services Pump Comparison site and I agree that it’s very useful!
I went out w/ 5 of my D-Buddies last evening and this subject came up. A remote (Animas, seemingly Accucheck too,although no one has used those…) seems to be handy for some dresses, etc. that are not equipped with belts. Although I don’t use my belt,I clip my pump laterally across a belt loop and the Medtronic clips have not failed me for a very long time. Everyone has had tubed pumps in that group. Most of us also have Dexcoms (I have one temporarily…) and I have had the Enlites since 2013. I think that it’s 4x TSlim and me with my Medtronic, one pen user. One Animaser said she really misses her remote, maybe 2x of them? I went to a meeting with the TSlim sales guy with two of these friend and two of them bought it. I love the TSlim Glucolift goodies!
The Vibe and the TSlim both offer integration with the last generation of Dexcom sensors, the 4 and then you have an all in one, or all in one plus your meter, type of integration, which the Medtronic offers with their Enlite CGM. I thought it was funny when I “upgraded” to the Medtronic “Harpoon” sensor in 2010, the CGM had been there all along but I just never paid attention to the menu. Of course, it was impossible not to pay attention to the harpoons.
I know many people who love Omnipods but the gist of our conversation was that we all agreed that they are large and prone to failures although I wonder how skewed that is as people posting about failures are looking for help and I have not seen any scientific reports about failure rates.
While the Medtronic pumps are sort of old schoolish, the 530i having the LCD screen rather than color, I am actually holding onto my 523 as I didn’t want the Threshold suspend which turns it off if you run low, presumably this is programmable sometime but both brands of CGMs I’ve tried, while awesome and very handy to have, can be subject to vagaries at times and I don’t want them driving my bus. Medtronic has a new pump, the 640G which is available in civilized countries like the UK, NZ, Austrailia and Switzerland. I have friends in these places who seem to be getting pretty good results with them and will consider switching when it comes out in the US, although I’ve heard there’s a 670 in the works too, and don’t know if FDA sludge might make them simply leapfrog the 640 if they get to the 670 first? I have found Medtronic to be very reliable. I have had less than 5 clogged lines/ occlusion type of failures, sometimes it will seem to be a dodgy site but I get these going with a quick 200% basal to clear the “rusty pipes”. The Medtronic isn’t waterproof but I take it off to swim although these days, with the CGM, for practical purposes, I will take a pump vacation if we go to a tropical/ wet vacation.
Sorry for the rant but it’s hard to stop once you get going with this stuff!!
Hi Ahnalira,
I have been on the pump for ten years.
1.) This is your personal choice. There are many ways as to how you can wear your pump. You could clip it to your waistband with either it facing inward or outward, put it in your pocket, put it in your bra, wear it in a pouch around your waist, etc. You really need to find what best works for you. You learn how to get creative about where to wear your pump with certain outfits.
2.) The pump is very easy to unclip. Though my pump is waterproof, I do not wear it when I shower or swim.
3.) This is a personal decision. I would recommend checking out this website: Insulin Pump Comparisons - Compare Insulin Pumps by Manufacturer
For me personally, I chose animas when I first got a pump because of the smaller basal rates and because it is waterproof. I have ever since stuck with animas which is now integrated with the CGM which is something that is very important to me personally. It is all about the features that you would personally want in a pump. This is not a “one size fits all” matter. Do your research to best find what suites your needs.
4.) I just put my pump on my bed next to me. I find this is what works best for me. This is another one of those things where you have to find what works best for you. Some people will wear it in a pouch around their waist when they sleep, others will clip it to their pajamas, some put it under their pillow. There is no set way on doing things. This is where it is about finding what is most comfortable for you.
I hope I could help! 
Animas is taking the lead for me as follow the links and read experiences. Still, more research to do, of course 
Thanks, everyone!