Today we’re going to be talking about underwear – in particular, period underwear. And we are going to be comparing four of the biggest players in the period underwear game: Thinx, Modibodi, Wuka Wear, and the cheaper brand Love Luna.
I’ve been testing out styles from each one of these brands that range from $10 a pair all the way up to $30 a pair, to figure out which ones you should buy. So, if you’re not sure what period pants actually are, they are a pair of undies that you wear on your period, and you bleed straight in to the undies and this absorbs all of your menstrual blood and then you just change them, wash them, and re-wear them. They can be worn completely alone where you just sort of free bleed into the pants, or they can be worn as a backup for your tampons or your menstrual cup to catch any leaks. They come in a range of different absorbencies everything from half a tampon worth all the way up to four tampons worth of menstrual blood and they wick away all of the blood so it doesn’t smell, you don’t feel wet, they’re pretty amazing. They’re also an incredibly eco-friendly option for your period. It saves a load of plastic waste going into landfill.
Today we’re going to be comparing the four different brands because it’s really hard to know where to start with these things. They can be really expensive to set yourself up with a cycle long set of period pants however, I personally think having been using these for the last couple of months, they’re a really, really good option. I’m a US size 12-14, my hips measure around 39 inches. I was certainly in between sizes on a few of these brands.
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1 – Thinx Period Underwear
I’m going to start with Thinx. I’m going to give you the pros and cons for each of these having worn them for the last two cycles, and also washed them as well. I bought a few different styles from Thinx. I got the super high-waisted ones which are absolutely amazing. I feel like a vintage siren every time I’m wearing these, I love them and they are the heavy overnight ones. I know they look massive but they’re massive on purpose, and these pants will hold up to four tampons worth. I also got their hip hugger ones. They are obviously smaller than those and they’re just like normal bikini pants, but these will also hold between three and four tampons worth so you can realistically wear these for up to eight hours, depending on your flow. I’ve also got some moderate ones as well, which are a little bit less. I think they hold around two tampons worth. Also, a pair from their air range which are a little bit more breathable, these are the smallest ones out of them all and they’re really, really comfortable. Thinx are going to cost you around $31 a pair. They are the most expensive out of all of these pants. Pros for Thinx are that they are absolutely bloody gorgeous, they fit really, really nicely. I think I’ve got all of them in a size medium. They fit like a dream and they just look so pretty. I actually enjoy grabbing them out of my drawer to wear when I come on my period and I love the different styles and patterns that they’ve got on the website across all of the different absorbencies. I had absolutely no leaks when wearing it, they were brilliant even overnight, and I’m a wriggler at night time. I also find that the gusset on them really isn’t that thick, it just feels like a thick pair of pants. I guess I kind of expected all of these to feel like nappy thickness, like a big thick sanitary pad, but they just don’t. They’re magic and I really do like their air range because they’re just a little bit more breathable. You can see kind of straight through them. They’re just nice to wear and because it’s been so hot here, I’ve actually been wearing these undies when I’ve not been on my period because they’re just very moisture wicking, and they make my vagina happy. I really struggle to find cons for Thinx because they are so, so, good. The only con would be that they are the most expensive pair. So, these are my favorite ones. So that would be my only thing about Thinx is the price point, I guess.
2 – Wuka Wear Period Underwear
Next is Wuka Wear, they are around $25 a pair. If I’m honest though, they’re not my favorite. Well, the pros for these are it did they didn’t leak, none of these pants have actually leaked, they’ve all done exactly what they say on the tin so that’s why I’m a big period pants fan. With these, they do actually work; it just comes down to finding some that are comfortable for you and these for me, just really aren’t that comfortable. For a start, the gusset is a lot thicker, it feels a little bit crinkly. You can feel that it’s padded, it feels like there’s a pad in there. In comparison to the same absorbency in Thinx and also in Modibodi, and they only come in two styles. The fit of them just isn’t great. I had to get a size large in these and they are still pretty darn tight, and when I talk about the fit on these, I would say I can gain about 3 to 4 pounds when I’m on my period just from water weight and bloating alone, so when I say that how this fit – that’s how they fit now, but also how they fit when I’m bloated and feeling really gross on my period, so these just didn’t really feel nice. The pants themselves fit but the waistband is really quite tight so I would suggest sizing up if you want them to be really comfortable. But then, I’m not sure how the rest of it is going to fit, they’re just not the best.
They are also nowhere near as soft as Thinx or Modibodi with the material, feels a little bit cheap, it feels like a cheap pair of men’s boxers – that kind of material, and I just didn’t enjoy wearing them I’m afraid so, although they worked, and they’re $25 a pair so cheaper than Thinx. They’re not for me, I’m afraid. And they have been relegated to my handbag as an emergency pair.
3 – Modibodi Period Underwear
Next up, Modibodi. They’re going to set you back about $24 for a heavy flow pair and it’s awesome! They come in a bazillion different colors, they’ve got hot red, hot pink, turquoise, purple, patterned ones, high waisted ones, hip hugger ones, bikini ones, I’m pretty sure they’ve even got a swimsuit and a thong. They’ve got so many different styles so they are by far the best for choice. I got the sensual range which I really like, in black and also nude. What you’ll notice about the nude ones, with Modibodi, I’m not sure if the others do it as well but especially with these, they’ve got black gussets even though the pants themselves are nude, so you don’t have to worry about stains, which is brilliant because I was thinking like, “how is that going to work?”, but that’s very clever. These also vary from super light all the way over to heavy overnight, which will hold about three-four tampons worth. And I have to say that the fit is so comfortable, these I think are my favorite. They are super soft, like a mouse’s ear soft, and they’re really comfortable. They’re stretchy but they fit in the right places. They’re kind of tight around the legs where you need them and they’re so comfortable. I slept in these, I wore them all days, back up for my cup. I wore them alone. Like Thinx, they’re not too bulky in the gussy area even the super, super thick ones. Really not that big, probably a little bit bigger than the Thinx ones but not as big as Wuka Wear, so I’m happy with that. I wear a medium in all of the Modibodi styles that I bought, they fit great. They also come in completely recyclable packaging and they have a whole range of menstrual boxers for trans men, which is awesome. Plus, they do a buy one give one scheme where if you donate a pair of pants, they will also donate a pair to people in need, to help with period poverty. They’re also doing a lot of work around education. These guys are really good.
4 – Love Luna Period Underwear
And last but not the least, we have our budget option which are a company called Love Luna. They are $10 a pair which, sorry that’s a bargain – however, I will say that their heavy version, their overnight version, you can feel that it’s $10. It’s really scratchy. Again, it’s the same kind of material as the Wuka Wear ones. Not a flattering fit at all, I feel like the elastic’s already going and I’ve only washed them twice. They do work, there’s no leaks, so these are a really good option if you just want to sort of dip your toe in the period pants water, so to speak, that’s gross. We do get what you pay for and you can tell that these are $10 a pair in comparison to the rest. However, their moderate flow ones actually feel like they’re made of a different material, quite see-through and light, which I really like. Again, they’ll catch any leaks that you’ve got if you wear these alongside a tampon or a cup, so I wouldn’t wear these on their own, but as a backup they’re great. And these do actually feel pretty alright for $10 a pair. They feel a little bit looser, having washed them a couple of times. Sizing in these: I got 12 to 14 in the moderate breeze, and I got 10 to 12 in the big ones because they were the only ones in stock. They both fit so I guess they’re going to be kind of generous, but the 12 to 14 is probably a little bit more comfortable when I’m on my period and feeling a bit bloaty.
So, which one should you go for? If you just want someone to say, “right, go for these, start there,” personally for me Modibodi is the winner. I just think for the price, they’re sort of mid-range out of all of these, and they are just the most comfortable out of the lot of them. They’re the softest, I like the different styles and different colors they come in. But because of how expensive things are to get over here, Modibodi are the perfect option. If you’re on a really tight budget and you just want to see if you could possibly get to grips with using period pants, then the moderate flow Sainsbury’s ones at $10 a pair are okay, but just be aware that they haven’t washed very well and they probably won’t last you that long. Modibodi and Thinx and stuff, they’ve both washed really well, and I can see that they’re going to last a while. I think they say that they’re supposed to last about two years each pair, so you know it’s an investment now, but within the long run, I’d say.
