"I'm an intimacy and sexuality counselor who puts a strong focus on trusting the body and nature to have gotten it right before we intervened. Using a menstrual cup is kind of an obvious choice for someone like me, but it took me a long time to finally bite the bullet and make the move.

This cup came highly recommended and I was excited to try it.

I'll start with the pros because they definitely are up there:

1- Easy to use. I watched a video or two on YouTube to be sure I was inserting it right, but got the hang of it immediately. The only snag was not realizing right away that these sit much lower down in the vaginal canal than tampons do. I don't know why instructions aren't clearer in that regard.

2- No leaks! I think that surprised me the most. How this product really works! Once its in- it really does what it says it will do.

3- Easy to clean. I was worried about the ick factor when it came to cleaning this little piece out. But the silicone actually makes for super easy cleaning. Just a quick rinse in the sink and you're good to go another round. The color helps too.

4- Holds a lot. One of the reasons I finally make the switch over from tampons is because of a hormonal issue that caused me to have extremely heavy periods. I was going through super plus tampons every hour and needed an option I could rely on until I got my health figured out. The cup holds hours worth of flow without leaks, which gave me my life back.
Can wear for hours at a time

Now for the the cons-

Despite wanting to love the cup and having every reason to, within a few months of using, I was finding myself doubled over in pain, cramping, having back pain, and limping with every cycle.

At first I thought it was my health stuff again, but then I started noticing that I immediately felt better when I was taking the cup out for periods of time (to shower etc).

It took a while to connect the pain I was experiencing to the cup, but within a short time it was clear that these symptoms were only happening with the cup and not if I chose to wear a napkin or tampon.

After doing a little research, I found out that the vaginal walls are not only surrounded by other organs, but also contain many acupressure points that don't always respond kindly when pressed for extended periods of time.

I also found out that different cups are made with different levels of firmness, and that this one tends to be on the firmer end of the spectrum.

I wanted this to be my forever cup and had every reason to love it and will keep recommending it to others, but it didn't work for me and will need to be shopping for a softer option.

Giving this product full stars for two reasons:

1- it does everything it's supposed to do. Period products are not one size fits all and that's okay.
2- Flex reached out to offer me a full refund. I know many menstrual cups and disc products are manufactures by small businesses and sellers and the level of care they have for the consumer is impressive. I really appreciate their dedication to ensuring women have the best possible experience here."

"(October 2023):

I previously used the original Diva cup, which lacked the convenient break-the-suction feature, and I found it quite cumbersome. I used it for approximately three menstrual cycles, totaling about three months. The Flex Cup caught my eye in my Amazon recommendations, and I decided to give it a try because the one I was using was causing discomfort even after breaking the suction, and I felt it wasn't healthy for me to continue using it. I must say, I'm grateful this product came up in my recommendations, as I wasn't aware of its existence.

I had read about some people experiencing issues with the loop breaking, so I've been cautious when removing mine. Over the course of about three menstrual cycles, or roughly three months, which translates to about 12 insertions and removals, I've taken care to handle the loop gently. I pull it out slowly and with care, and once I can reach the thicker part of the stem, I remove it a bit more firmly. This method has proven effective for me; I haven't encountered any issues with the loop, and I hope to continue this trend. I'm grateful to report that I experience no discomfort when inserting or removing the cup.

I make it a point to sterilize the cup before and after my period to ensure it's impeccably clean before I use it or store it for the next month. I must confess that I don't use the Flex Cup while traveling, as I find it to be a bit messy for me to manage during insertion and removal. I haven't quite mastered a mess-free technique for using it in such situations.

I've experienced no odor or discoloration with this product. It has retained its original black color.

I understand that cups of this type typically last around 10 years, I've noted the purchase date on the box so I'll know when it's time to consider a replacement.

I will provide an update to this review if I encounter any issues with my cup. If there are no updates, you can assume that it is working perfectly fine."

"I have been using menstrual cups for over 10 years now and I absolutely couldn't imagine going back. I have one that I prefer and it's getting old and needs replacing, so I read about alternatives and I found Flex. I can't tell you how impressed I am! The stem is easy to find and very flexible. It is also moveable and helps break the seal. Other than writing an essay to explain it all. Just buy this one. you will never buy any other. Its quite literally the best menstrual cup I have ever tried by FAR and I've tried many! I would like to sincerely thank the designers on such an amazing job and making women's life easier."