Apr 28, 2022

Menstrual cups vs cloth sanitary pads

WHY HAVE ONE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL? KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN WITH REUSABLE PERIOD PADS

When it comes to periods, we all have our own preference as to how we protect ourselves, and as the world moves to a more reusable mindset there are two main options, menstrual cups or reusable period pads. So what are the pros and cons of each? The team here at NORA use a mixture of both so we had a bit of sit down and pulled together our own knowledge and experiences to give you an outline of the benefits of both.

Menstrual Cups, what are they and how do they work?

The first menstrual cup was designed in 1937 by Leona Chambers from latex rubber. Nowadays they are made from medical grade silicone and they even have their own Wikipedia page:

“A menstrual cup is a feminine hygiene device that is inserted into the vagina during menstruation. Its purpose is to collect menstrual fluid (blood from uterine lining) and prevent it leaking onto clothes. Menstrual cups are usually made of flexible medical grade silicone and shaped like a bell with a stem. The stem is used for insertion and removal. The bell-shaped cup seals against the vaginal wall just below the cervix. Every 4–12 hours (depending on the amount of flow), the cup is removed, emptied, rinsed, and reinserted. After each period, the cup should be boiled for at least 5 minutes and stored for use the next month.”

Using them - You squash the sides of the cup and insert much the same as you would do with a tampon. They sit inside you and collect the blood in the cup. You then remove over the loo where the blood simply falls from the cup. Wash, sterilise and reuse!

Pros

Waste free periods
Free from irritating chemicals
You can run, dance and swim which makes a menstrual cup great if you're planning a pool visit
You can leave them in for up to 6 hours
Saves you money, plus you're never stuck without protection from Aunt Flo
Last for 5-10 years

Cons

Messy to change especially when not at home or near a sink
Can be uncomfortable or hard to get the right fit
Not ideal for use with a coil
Need to wash and sterilise before reuse
Can be more challenging to use after childbirth

As with reusable period pads, there are many different makes on the market and they all fundamentally are designed to do the same thing, but some are definitely better than others in terms of fit, comfort and performance.

The NORA menstrual cup is the perfect reusable alternative to tampons that lasts for up to three years. Cycle after cycle.

Our soft and flexible medical grade silicone period cup is chemical-free with no nasties and designed to be worn just like a tampon, providing up to six hours of hassle-free protection.

The cup comes with its own washable drawstring bag for storage when at home or when on the go and features our Celeste Wiggle Dot design, a fun, patterned print to bring a smile to your day.

Reusable Period Pads

Good reusable sanitary pads like Nora's are made from an absorbent material such as bamboo, hemp or cotton with an integral waterproof base layer that sits knicker side to stop the blood wicking onto your underwear. They are held in place with popper wings that fasten under the gusset of your pants in the same way that the sticky wings on disposables ones do.

Pros -

Waste free periods
Free from irritating chemicals
Comfortable and easy to fit
Stay put so you can dance and exercise knowing your pad has got you covered.
No sticky wings so no accidental waxing down below!
Save you money, and you are never stuck without protection from Aunt Flo.
Easy to change and mess-free
More absorbent than disposables
No plastic rustling in the loo
Last for 5-10 years depending on the brand

Cons -

Not swimming pool friendly
You need to wash your cloth pads
Storing when out and about
Larger sizes can be bulky

Cups vs Pads: Which Is Best?

When it comes to choosing which type of reusable sanitary protection is best for you, we’ll let you into a little secret, it's ok to use both! Even though we have our very own brand of reusable sanitary pads here at NORA we are happy to share that that is the case here. We fall into two groups:

Uses period pads full-time
Uses cup when out at work and cloth at home/overnight

Loosely speaking, those of us in the team who haven't had babies tend to use cups when out at work and pads at home or overnight, whereas those of us who have had babies (usually big babies, say no more!) stick with using pads only. We use our pads at work too, we all have our little period pad bags to store our used pads and just give them a quick rinse when we get home.

And that’s about it really. Hopefully this has explained the main differences between menstrual cups and reusable period pads and is helping make the first steps towards a zero waste period

If you have any other questions about using the NORA range, do drop us a line.