minimalbelle - Blog Post 8

What's the tea on period underwear?

I tried Thinx Underwear

for 3 consecutive periods;

here's what I think

For those who don't know, Thinx is a feminine hygiene company with a mission to provide access to safe menstrual hygiene and incontinence products to those who need them. They work with many organizations including Girls Inc., Safe Horizon, and the Alliance of Border Collaboratives to expand that access and to provide reproductive health education to various communities. They are at the forefront of #menstrualequity and I could not be more at peace with purchasing products from them because I know my pennies are going to important causes. So, let's review:

If you are anything like I was, the concept of #freebleeding frightens you. For those who are not on certain types of birth control, you've had to manage your bleeding by either putting a device in you (hello tampons and cups) or using godawful sanitary pads that may not only irritate your lady bits but could end up being an environmental burden in our landfills.

As someone who has tried several methods of period care, I was drawn to the idea of reusable material that felt familiar. More so, I loved the idea of more discreet bleeding days. No more evidence of my period left behind in waste bins for everyone to see. This is not to say that there is any shame in having a period! Absolutely not. However, I prefer to not make an announcement for something that naturally occurs every single month.

Cue in #thinx! I had seen them around and was just about to make a purchase of my own when they so graciously sent me three of their period underwear to try out. I used them for the first time in February, but I decided to review them after I had completed three periods.

SLEEP SHORTS

Price: $50

Shop

These are super absorbency and are equivalent to a max of 5 tampons. I love them! They are comfortable overnight, I have not experienced any leaking even with several washes over 3 consecutive periods. I also love the breathable cotton material. It really makes a difference feeling that I can toss and turn at night and be just fine. I do have an in-unit washer, so I throw this in every morning with the gentlest wash setting. I then hang it up to dry on a drying rack. All Thinx underwear can be hand-washed, as well.

Shop THINX

LEGGINGS

Price: $95

Shop

These leggings provide moderate absorbency, so up to 3 tampons worth. I was excited to use this for walks and home exercises, and figured that if I had to go to the gym on my period, I would be less panicky about staining the seats (I know I'm not the only one who has felt this way!). Unfortunately, this was my least favourite item, not because of its function as a period underwear but because of the design of the leggings. They are not flattering at all! They hugged every single thing I did NOT want accentuated. I ended up using this solely at home on my light days and they worked well.

HEAVY COTTON BRIEF

Price: $35

Shop

This brief is a heavy absorbency that is equivalent to a max of 4 tampons. I found this most helpful on my first, third, and fourth days. My second period day is my heaviest, and even though I never had any leakage, I noticed that I had to change out of this within 4-5 hours. My advice is that if you plan to use this on your heavy days, make sure you have an extra handy because you will need it. You could also look into the super options on their website. For my light to moderate flow days, the heavy cotton brief took me through without any issues. It is very comfortable.

Overall, I highly recommend Thinx for period underwear. If you are ready to take the plunge, this is a good place to start. They have so many options for different flow strengths that you will surely find something for yourself. Over time, these are worth the investments considering how expensive single use pads and tampons can be every month. I have loved the freedom these have given me. No more tugging or adjusting things. No more irritation (thanks to breathable cotton). No more contributing to environmental crisis (at least in one way, hey). I can be discreet on my period wherever I may find myself. Lastly, supporting Thinx means supporting more access to menstrual hygiene products and reproductive health education. And I'm all for it.