This post is for women only and contains affiliate links but all opinions are my own.
Let’s get intimate. I hate periods. I know tampons are bad for you but I hate pads… so I end up with a lot of bloody underwear! And more often than not, that blood stains, which really grosses out my husband.
So when I heard about She THINX period underwear I was so excited. Of course, I was a little less excited when I saw the price ($34!! Seriously?!). Scroll to the bottom of this post to find similar period underwear for a quarter of the cost!
Now something you need to know about me–I’m picky, especially about underwear. While I have a size small (sometimes x-small) waist, my butt doesn’t always fit in that size of underwear. I can’t stand it when underwear fits weird. I also don’t like too lacey or silky underwear. I know I’m weird 😛
After weeks of getting inundated with THINX ads, I decided to buy one pair to try them out. Plus I loved the idea that a portion of the money went to AFRIpads which helps women learn how to make pads so they can become entrepreneurs and it also makes pads available for girls so they can go to school.
Does Period Underwear Work?
Ok, now on to my super critical and honest review of THINX period underwear. I got their smallest size (XS) in a nude hiphugger style. I got it in the mail in two days and handwashed it before using. The outside has a silky feel but the inside is black and feels more like cotton (which is what I prefer in terms of underwear texture). THINX period underwear has a starchy texture and only slightly thicker than normal underwear (btw you’re not allowed to use softener on it) but once I put my pants on I couldn’t really tell! In terms of overall comfort, they didn’t fit me perfectly (a little too big for being an xs but any smaller and my butt wouldn’t fit); however, they did look classy and stylish (not like I’m going to try to seduce my husband on my period though).
I wore them overnight (I don’t usually bleed that much) and continued wearing them in the morning of my heaviest period day. I was curious how long it was going to last. I was really impressed that the underwear never really felt wet because of their moisture-wicking technology. Within 4 hours after I woke up, I had bled through the underwear. I estimate that it held slightly over 1 regular tampon’s worth of blood. They were super easy to clean (though if you have zero tolerance for blood probably not the underwear for you), I simply washed in cold water in the sink to get all the blood out and then tossed them in the wash and laid flat to dry. None of the blood stained the underwear.
I also like the fact that the underwear has anti microbial silver in the fabric to make your monthly a little more hygienic.
Review of THINX Period Underwear
Now that the gruesome details are out of the way, here are my thoughts. Could you completely replace your current monthly regimen with these THINX period underwear? No, not without it being a pain in the butt to change underwear throughout the day and spend hundreds of dollars.
So what are THINX good for?
-Overnight (especially if you only bleed a little).
-During the start of your period since you don’t know the exact timing Aunt Flo will come to visit.
-At the end of your period when it’s just spotting.
-For non-period moments, I’m talking to you new moms ;P when you need a little protection because you just squeezed a baby out of your vagina and your bladder can’t seem to hold it all in at times.
Since I still have the period underwear and didn’t return them (which you can if you’re not completely satisfied) means I do think they are worth buying. While they aren’t super comfortable like I was hoping, they are more comfortable than a pad.
I have also found other similar period underwear brands that are more affordable here. I particularly liked this period underwear here, which is a pack of 3 for only 17.99!
They are more comfortable than Thinx but they don’t hold as much blood. They are also less frilly (ie no lace)…not sure if that is a pro or a con. Guess, it’s just personal preference.
If you are interested in buying a pair of Thinx, you can use my friend link to get $10 off a pair (and I’ll also get $10 toward my next purchase): http://fbuy.me/dNujM
Two Years Later: How Does Thinx Period Underwear Hold Up
It’s been over two years since I wrote this post and I wanted to give you an update. I’ve worn both Thinx and generic period underwear from Amazon at least once during each of my periods (take into consideration that I didn’t have a period for a year – read about that crazy hormone balancing time here!). The generic period underwear held up better than Thinx but that might be circumstantial.
The thing about period underwear is in order to keep them in good shape you have to rinse out the blood immediately after you are done wearing them. If you don’t wash out your Thinx period underwear they start to smell and get really stiff in between the cotton and silky layer. I scrubbed mine with a ‘laundry toothbrush’ (an old toothbrush that I now only use for scrubbing out stains on clothes) and then washed it in hot water to try to get the smell and stiffness out. It came out for the most part.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any other questions!
