BEAUTY MUST-HAVES

THINX REVIEW – THE PERIOD PANTIES THAT YOU SHOULD TRY

Thinx review on Belle Meets World blog

Oh why the heck not?! We’re all girls here, aren’t we? So let’s talk about menstruation and the latest and greatest way to handle your monthly visitor. Like any bleeding lady would be, I was extremely skeptical about THINX. No pads? No tampons? No cups? Just panties? This can’t be real. But it’s real! In short, I am a convert to THINX. In long, there are things you should know about these before you buy. Read on for my full Thinx review – the good, the bad and the bloody – of these revolutionary period panties.

The first question to ask is – do they work? The answer is – yes, they really do. You wear them like underwear and there are different types (lightest, light, medium, heavy) depending on what time in your flow you are. They soak the blood into the antimicrobial core (read: no smells) while you walk around doing your thing as if it ain’t no thing. It feels great! No phone book-like pads between your legs to waddle around. No tampons hanging out inside your body all day. Just panties. That’s it. Pretty rad, huh?

The second question is – do they leak? The answer is – no, as long as you don’t wear them for too long and as long as you wear the right type for your flow. They are so comfortable, I literally forgot I was on my period while wearing them and wore them an hour too long, which led to a small leak on my workout pants in barre class. Not the end of the world since they were patterned pants and you couldn’t really tell. The other time I got a very small leak was when my flow unexpectedly went heavy on day 1 and I was wearing a light-day pair. I was wearing a dark black skirt so you couldn’t see the small leak. BUT, it’s important I share this with you because all the glowing reviews of THINX say they don’t leak. Which is technically true but you’ve gotta manage them closely. I would recommend you change the heavy pairs every 6 hours at most and that is if your heavy flow is simply heavy and not gushing like a fountain heavy. The heavy types hold up to 2 tampons worth of blood.

The third question is – do I still have to wear tampons or cups while I wear them? The answer is – depends on how heavy your heavy flow really is. I am pretty lucky in that my heavy days are not that heavy compared to some people I know, so I only wear the THINX. Other people wear a tampon plus the THINX. The directions on the package for a heavy day pair say:

The fourth question – are they hard to clean and maintain? The answer is – depends on what type of effort you’re willing to put in. You have to do an initial wash-out in cold water when you take them off, then you put them in the washing machine to wash in cold water with soap and the rest of your clothes. Blood doesn’t get on your clothes in the washer so don’t worry about that. Just know that you are going to have to handle them a bit with your hands. If you’re at work when you change them out, make sure you pack plastic bags to put the soiled pairs in so you can take care of them when you get home that day.

The fifth question is – how much do they cost? The answer is – a lot, relatively speaking. This is one of those things that requires a heft pay out up front but a lasting reward in the long run. My initial set – I bought 5 pair – cost me $134.30 . The more you buy, the greater the discount. Buy 5 pairs, save 15%, by 7 pairs, save 20%. They also have a referral program where you will get $10 credit every time someone buys through you. THINX also has a giveback program in that every pair you buy will also buy reusable menstrual products for women in countries where they are prevented from attending school when on their periods.

The sixth question is – which ones should I buy? The answer is – I bought 2 light, 1 medium and 2 heavy but I will be buying 2 more heavy and 1 more medium and didn’t need to buy 2 light. The reason being, when you wash a heavy pair and put on the other, you have to make sure you are disciplined about washing the other heavy pair so you’ve got another to put on! If you forget to turn on the washer and only own 2 heavies, well, hello pads and tampons. My favorite pair is the hi-waisted pair because they double as a pair of SPANX and hold in all your jiggly bits in the belly area. Next favorite are the sport because they really are perfect for working out.

Ultimately, I am a huge fan, and I’m never going back to pads and tampons. I truly love THINX. They’ve changed my life. I love their convenience, I love what the company stands for, and I like that they are making menstruation a conversation without taboo. Because we bleed. And it kind of sucks. This makes it a little less sucky, and for that, I’m grateful. Additional products they make include 100% organic cotton tampons, leotards and unitards for exercising, and other fun hats and stuff that make fun of all the taboo associated with your vag and its cycles. Go for it, I say!