I'm never going back
"I've tried period panties, and menstrual cups, and all the disposable stuff, and this is the winner. I can't believe I didn't know about them before. I should have been using these for the past 15 years, and I recommend them to everyone who I'm close enough to talk to about these things (and when I can review them anonymously, as I am doing now). They are so comfortable, I almost want to wear them even when it's not my period. Or get some underwear that are made of that fleecy material (but that would be weird). I also really like the different designs; they're pretty and fun without being obnoxious, and it's so nice that it comes with the bag, and that the bag has two compartments. The bag is big enough that I can keep a few pads, plus my menstrual cup (in its own smaller bag). Actually, the bag is surprisingly big- it's not like I need to carry around my whole supply with me, but they'd fit if I wanted to! But that's not a complaint. I really like the 3 pad sizes, and this set of 10 is enough to get me through one whole cycle, even with a heavy flow. I appreciate that each size is a different color, so I can quickly pick out the one I want.
The best thing about these? The price! This set will pay for itself in a matter of months. When I first looked into reusable pads, I was turned off by the price, because I was looking into the name brand ones, which say they'll pay for themselves in 5 years. I guess those would still be worth it, but it's a big upfront cost, and I didn't know if I'd like them. And you often have to buy them one piece at a time! But these were totally worth it just to give it a try.
So, I definitely recommend getting reusable pads in general. And cheap as these are, they work great, so I also recommend these specific ones. Keep in mind that I have not tried the name-brand ones, but I cannot imagine that they would be that much nicer than these, and definitely not worth being five times the cost.
For people who are looking at reviews to try to decide between various products, here is more information. I have a pretty heavy flow, so if I use a menstrual cup or tampon, then I always have to pair it with a pad, and I often leak when I use disposable pads. I can't say I've never leaked with these, but way less than with any other product. I've been most successful when I pair these pads with a menstrual cup, but the menstrual cup is uncomfortable for me while these are not, so even if I get fed up and leave the cup out, they are sufficient on their own. I've used period panties at the very beginning and end of my period, but as I mentioned, I have a heavy flow, and if I fill one of the panties, it's a whole lot harder to change those than to just change the pad. And they fold up so nicely! And the blood all gets soaked into the pads (with my period panties, the blood tends to stay wet-feeling) so it's just a neater process overall. Sometimes I'll wear a pad over the period panties, then if the pad gets full, I just take off the pad and still have on the panties.
Now, these are not perfect. One thing that I have found difficult to get used to is that I cannot visually see how full they are. You can feel it kind of, but mostly I've had to rely on knowing my body and feeling how much blood has flowed out, to know when to change the pad. With disposable pads, you can easily see how soaked it is, and where it is soaked. With these reusable pads, I have no idea. I don't know if I've ever filled one completely- the one time I leaked, it was because a lot came out at once and it didn't soak in fast enough (still did way better than a disposable pad would have in the same situation). Also, I'm not 100% sure how it works when you wash it; sometimes after they've been washed, they still feel kind of stiff like there's dried blood inside, so then it's possible it's not absorbing as much (more on that below). But the main problem with this is that you can't see inside so you can't tell!
Another thing is that with disposable pads, I always get pads with wings. On these pads, the wings are not really absorbent. As I mentioned, they still leak less than disposable pads, so maybe it's not a big deal, but I would feel more confident using them if the wings were absorbent.
Also, depending on how loose your underwear are, they can slide around a bit. Of course with disposable pads, they don't work as well either if your underwear is loose, but at least they stick to the underwear. I have not found this to be a major problem with the cloth pads; they do mostly stay in place, but it's something to think about. I've heard that some people put fabric paint on the undersides of the pads to help them stay in place a little better.
The last negative thing I want to say is that they are slightly more work than disposable pads. And not just because they add to your laundry. In fact, the amount they add to my laundry is negligible, so that's not a big deal. I've seen instructions for other pads that you're supposed to keep them soaking in water until you put them in the laundry, but I've also read that you don't really have to do that so I've decided not to. But, I also don't like to put them wet into my laundry, because it could be several days until I do laundry and that might get gross. So, I let them dry. But that means I've got bloody pads sitting out drying, which is a little weird and gross, especially if you share a bathroom or bedroom. They're not smelly though! Then, I put the full, stiff, dry pad into my hamper. Like I mentioned above, with this method, sometimes the pads come out of the laundry a bit stiff, as if the blood is still in there, but I haven't noticed any decrease in absorbency (then again, as I mentioned above, it can be hard to tell how much is actually being absorbed), so I think it's fine. And sometimes, they don't come out stiff, even the ones that I know were stiff the last month. So who knows what's going on in my laundry machines. I wash all colors together (I don't separate lights and darks), and I haven't noticed any staining at all with these pads being in the wash, so that's good. Okay so then once you take them out of the wash, I don't think you're supposed to put them in the dryer (they've seemed okay when they've gone through the dryer; one time I even left the pad attached to the underwear and both went through washer and dryer, and came out clean and dry and fine, but I just worry that it will make them not last as long), then you've got 10 pads to hang dry somewhere. Note that this is also an issue with using period panties, and I don't put my bras in the dryer either so it's really not a big deal to add cloth pads to the other stuff that I've got hanging and drying, but it's just something to think about. If you have roommates, it's not as weird to see a bra hanging as to see a menstrual pad hanging, IMO.
If you've ever considered washing your own cloth diapers, this is way less work. In fact, I would say that the convenience that I experience in not having to buy disposable pads (which is not even that inconvenient) balances the inconvenience of having to wash these. They're not smelly, you don't have to scrape anything off of them, and you don't have to assemble them or worry about different sizes. Just wanted to say that in case anyone was thinking it's comparable.
I hope that helps! I really like things that are not just good for the environment, but also easier to use and cheaper than disposable alternatives. These are definitely in that category!"
Worth making the switch!
"First of all: I waited two years to write this review. I first started using these pads two years ago and have used them for every period since. I have had ample time to adjust to them, figure out the best usage of them, and test the best way to clean them. And now I'm sitting down to write a thorough review and (hopefully) convince you that making the switch from disposables is worth it, if you're on the fence like I was. This is extremely thorough and lengthy, but to summarize? Yes, they're worth it for me--but whether or not they'll be worth it for you greatly depends on your own period needs.
Here's some background about my period routine before I used these. I had been a disposable pad user for my entire menstruating life (well over a decade). To this day I have never used a tampon or cup/disc and quite frankly I have no interest in doing so. As such, I can't compare these to those types of menstrual products, but I can compare them to pads. A further point of note: historically, I had always used a thicker, bulkier maxi-pad for the majority of my cycle, and would only switch to thinner pads for the last few days, following my needs over the week. I've never had outrageously heavy periods, but they're not light either. I've never bled through a pad but I've certainly had leaks "around" them as they've shifted. If you have a different experience, not all parts of my review will likely help you, but hopefully some parts will!
I had been considering switching to reusable pads for years before I finally did. I'm going to go through the top things that held me back, and address them. Here were my biggest concerns:
1) The wings. I vehemently hated winged pads, but wings were an essential part of how reusable pads work. I had always used disposable pads without wings, and the few times I'd used winged pads, I felt like I had more leakage out the sides. When looking into reusables, I realized wings are inherently part of them. The wings are the only way that the reusable pad attaches to your underwear. Finally, I decided to just try the reusables and see how it went. Well, I can say definitively that the wings of these particular reusable pads don't bother me at all. Only the centre strip is the absorbent material, and the wings themselves are the waterproof material. Because of that, they do a better job of stopping leakage out the sides because it doesn't have a chance to "travel" via the wings, if that makes sense.
2) Slippage. In researching reusable pads, I read a lot about how they can potentially slip around without any adhesive to anchor them. These pads in particular are extra slippery because the waterproof material is what sits against your underwear. My solution, which I read somewhere online and had to try, is double sided removable fabric tape. I found Scotch Removable Double-Sided Fabric Tape on Amazon. It comes in a roll that has perforations that allow you to easily tear off perfectly sized sections of tape. I keep it in my bathroom and each day I tear off a section and use it to stick the "front" end of the pad to my underwear. It's easy to reposition and you could also use a second section to adhere the back end as well, but I've found the front anchoring point to be enough to keep it in place. The exception would be during heavy activity where you're moving a lot--it might be beneficial to tape it down at the back as well. The best part in my eyes is that when I switch pads throughout the day, I'm actually able to peel off the pad and leave the tape stuck in my underwear, and reuse it for the rest of the day for multiple pads without it losing its stickiness. Then, at the end of the day or whenever I change underwear, I remove the piece of tape from my underwear and discard. If you're looking to go completely sustainable with your pads, obviously this involves some waste, but ultimately one small piece of tape per day is far more sustainable and eco-friendly than several disposable pads! So that's my golden tip: removable fabric tape. The Scotch one has been great and I only recently had to buy a new roll--the first roll lasted me nearly two years!
3) Price. It's no secret that reusable pads cost a decent chunk of change. I originally picked this brand because it was far more reasonably priced than a lot of brands I'd seen, and it seemed like a good value for the amount of pads you got. Again, I had spent years waffling on this purchase, and one of the main reasons was that it seemed too expensive when money was already tight. Of course, I knew all along that the investment would be worth it in the long run--a one time purchase versus buying disposables every month. Ultimately, I finally just had to set the money aside and bite the bullet. I'm so glad I did. I haven't bought a single disposable since I bought these and have saved hundreds.
4) Cleaning. Here's the area that had me most concerned. How the heck do you clean reusable pads? Wouldn't that be such a hassle? Isn't it kind of gross to reuse pads? Well, the thing that made it "click" for me and made me realize why it's not a big deal is when I heard someone say "When you have a period leak into a pair of underwear, do you throw that underwear away? No, you wash it, and sure, it may be stained, but it's still clean and you can keep using it." That totally made me shift my perspective. Really, how is a reusable pad any different? I will say a few things. One, I don't think I would ever get reusable pads that are light-coloured. I love that these ones are dark grey. They truly don't show any staining, other than occasionally if some blood gets on the patterned part. The other thing is that finding a cleaning routine that worked for me took a lot of trial and error, and honestly, it will depend on each person. I tried so many things based off recommendations from reusable pad manufacturers and product reviews. The generally agreed-upon washing advice for reusable pads is to rinse them in cold water until the water runs clear, making sure to remove any clots off the fabric, and then wash them. I did this for a while, but found it took ages standing at the sink before the water would be clear. Then I tried soaking them in plain cold water, soaking with vinegar or detergent or baking soda. I tried washing them at different points during the week. I tried many, many things. One recurring issue I would have is even after washing, I would find there would be a faint scent still remaining. The current cleaning process I have seems to be working well for me. I store my used pads in the provided wet-bag until after my period is over. Then, I empty them directly into the washing machine, unsnapping each, and toss in the empty wet-bag as well. I run a cycle with COLD WATER, detergent (I avoid heavily scented detergents because I have sensitive skin), and a small scoop of Oxyclean. I basically use this as the "rinse with cold water" step and initial cleaning. Then, I run a second cycle, this time with warm water, another round of detergent, and one "Nature Clean Stink Bombs Odour Remover Pac", and also use Lysol Laundry Disinfectant in the pre-wash tray and add a pre-wash on the machine. This cycle is about thoroughly washing, disinfecting, and removing the odour. Though running two cycles may seem wasteful, I think the amount of water used in the initial cycle is far less than I was using to manually rinse them in cold water until the water ran clear. Finally, I hang the pads to dry and they're clean, scent-free, and ready to be used for my next cycle! Obviously, every person is going to develop a different washing routine using different products and strategies, but I did want to outline my routine as proof that you CAN use the washing machine exclusively with no hand-rinsing and still have good results. As someone with a chronic illness, it was too hard on my body to stand at the sink rinsing the pads out, and discovering that I could achieve the same effect in the washing machine was a relief. I would say that the cold water is a key part--it's quite documented that cold water helps get blood out whereas hot water sets the stains. The extra products I use are just bonuses that I mostly use for scent-removal. I found detergent alone was not enough to remove the odour. I found vinegar ended up making them all smell like vinegar instead of just neutralizing the odour. The disinfectant is a recent addition and I like the added protection that's killing any lingering bacteria which may be causing odours. At the end of the day, it's about finding what's best for you, but you can definitely get them cleaned without the time spent rinsing them out by hand!
Those were all my primary concerns about reusable pads that kept me from making the switch for a long time, but here are some other points that I know others have concerns or questions about:
Sizing: My best advice--get the multi-pack to start if it's your first foray into reusable pads. I got the multi-pack first (10pcs, 3 small, 4 medium, 3 large) and that way I got to test the sizes and see what ones worked best. At first, I used all three sizes over the course of my period. I'd use the medium for the first few days, small for the final days, and large for overnights. Once I had tried them for a month and realized I liked them, I bought a 6-pack of mediums and a 6-pack of smalls. Over time, I have stopped using the small size, and instead invested in some period underwear for my lighter days (which I would highly recommend as well!) but I still use the medium most of the time and the large overnight for the first few nights when my flow is the heaviest.
Bulkiness: A lot of reviews will talk about the bulkiness of these, and those reviews aren't wrong. A note about the sizing--the thickness goes up as the length goes up. The small are the thinnest, the medium are about the thickness of a standard maxi-pad, and the large are quite thick. I only wear the large at night for a reason, and I do feel like I'm wearing a diaper when I wear them, but for me personally I like the security of that feeling overnight. As I mentioned earlier, I was always someone who wore maxi-pads for most of my period. I was very used to the feeling of a bulkier pad. The thickness of the medium size is perfectly fine for me, but if you're someone who is used to wearing super thin disposables, these might not be for you. If you're someone who's wearing very tight pants, these might not be for you. But if you don't mind a thicker pad, you'll be fine!
Comfort: One thing that I truly didn't expect is just how much more comfortable reusables would be. I'm not someone who ever really found disposable pads that uncomfortable. Other than the adhesive malfunctions, I attributed any other discomfort to general period discomfort. Then I started using these. I'll never forget that first day using them and how soft they felt. No discomfort, no itchiness, just a soft surface that truly made my period much more comfortable.
Smell: Okay, I'm going there. I'm talking about smell, because someone has to! And honestly? Screw period taboos! I was never particularly concerned that reusable pads would have more odour than disposables, because quite frankly...disposables didn't exactly stop odour. I was pretty much accustomed to there being an odour associated with my period, both on my person (yes, of course I changed my pads regularly and kept good hygiene, but odour was still a reality at certain points throughout the day) and in the bathroom coming from the trash can (no matter how well I wrapped used pads). So for me, the thought of reusables having no odour-management wasn't a concern for me because it seemed inevitable. However, I know many others DO worry about odour, so I'm here to put your minds at ease! Reusable pads are BETTER at odour management than disposables! While wearing them, the charcoal layer actively reduces odour, plus I find them way more absorbent than disposables--it feels like they do a much better job of absorbing the blood AND odour. I no longer feel like odour is a given while on my period. Additionally, there is NO odour in the bathroom with used pads. They are designed to be able to snap closed into a little envelope and come with a zippered wet-bag to store them in. Once they're wrapped up, they're odour-free and leak-free and can be stored in the wet-bag until cleaning time. I no longer have smelly used pads requiring me to frequently take out the bathroom garbage. Not a single person would know that they're in the bathroom at all! I'm truly so impressed by their odour-reduction.
Changing: I know people get concerned about what to do with them on the go. As mentioned, once they're used, you fold them up into a little envelope that snaps closed, with the soiled part trapped inside. The little package that it makes is so secure, with the leakproof outer layer, that unless you'd had a really heavy day and ended up with leakage out the sides, the little envelope will be completely odour and leak free with no blood reaching the outside. The wet-bag is a great tool if you want to carry that with you and store them inside until you're home, but quite frankly, I don't do that. I'll just tuck the little folded used pad inside my bag (away from any food and in a separate section or pocket if possible) and then take it out when I get home. 95% of the time the outer surface that's exposed has only touched clean underwear and as far as I'm concerned, I have no qualms with carrying it in my purse until I get home. Not to mention, I find them so much easier to change on the go than disposables (and more discreet, if that's something you're worried about). They're quiet, don't produce any garbage, and overall, changing them in public is easy-peasy!
So, what's the final verdict? Well, if it wasn't obvious, my review is resoundingly positive in favour of reusable pads in general and these Teamoy pads in particular. I hope I've been able to answer some of your concerns or questions and maybe inspire you to take the leap if you're thinking of switching over. Like I said, I recommend getting the multi-pack to test the sizes and see if you like them and what sizes work best for you. Give it a few cycles, test out how to clean them, and see how they fit in your life. My biggest counterindication for making the switch and getting these would be if 1) You are used to thin pads and would be uncomfortable with a bulkier pad, and 2) You are someone with a very light flow. Honestly, in both of those situations I would highly recommend period underwear over reusable pads. I use both now, and period underwear is similar in so many ways, with the disadvantage of it not being changeable when out and about, but the added advantage of it being much slimmer profile and fantastic for light periods or as a backup to other menstrual products like tampons or cups/discs. The best candidate for reusable pads is honestly someone who is used to using disposable pads, wants to continue using pads, and would like to make the switch to a more eco-friendly option while getting the added benefits of increased comfort and decreased odour. If that's you, I highly encourage you to take the leap and test them out. After two years, I don't have a single regret, and I'm never going back to disposables.
Thanks for reading and happy menstruating!"
