After trying Thinx period panties for myself, a review was definitely in order. But first things first.
Period panties.
These either really intrigue you or completely gross you out. Or maybe both. If you’re having a hard time imagining what period panties actually are beside the granny panties you wear when you have your period – because you already stained them once and now they’re the designated underwear you’re okay risking – then read on.
If this is def not your thing, check out my post on the top 5 organic and sustainable menstrual product brands!
What are they?
Period panties are actually specifically made with different layers so you can free bleed and not leak or stain your pants. The gusset has layers that neutralize odor and absorb and wick away moisture. They offer a more sustainable approach to your period because they are washed and reused, therefore eliminating the single use waste of tampons and pads.
Thinx period panties in particular have four layers. Moisture wicking, odor-controlling, absorbing and leak-resistant. They offer different trendy and “sexy” (this depends on a lot of factors) styles that have the ability to absorb more or less, so you purchase depending on your flow (light, medium or heavy). The most absorbant can hold up to two tampons worth of blood.
My experience
I first came across period panties a few years ago and after a lot of research, decided to try the big brand Thinx. I ordered three pairs: the hip-hugger, the sport and the high-waisted styles. They were expensive – I spent about $80 for the three! But at the time I thought
if these mean I don’t need to keep buying pads, they will more than pay for themselves.
The showdown
On my next period, and on a few days where I wasn’t leaving the house, I used nothing but these period panties to contain my blood. I remember checking every time I got up from a chair, and even sat on a towel, just in case.
I quickly realized that they did really work, but if I was bleeding a heavy amount, they would start to feel damp. This meant after a few hours I would want to change into another pair, but only having three pairs meant I really didn’t have enough to use them as my sole protection through my whole period. This kind of defeated my purpose of saving a bunch of money.
I thought washing them out was going to be awful, but it honestly wasn’t – and maybe that’s just me. I hand-washed them to begin with. Because they were black, I couldn’t actually see how much blood was on them (which was kind of nice). I would just run them under cold water, add a little soap, wash them and rinse them until the water ran clear. Then I would hang them to dry.
Do I still use them?
After my experiment, and 2 years later, I’m still using them during my period as back up. For me, they are not a viable option as a primary menstrual product (because I would have to buy so many), but they are a perfect sheet, clothes and nice underwear saver when used with a tampon, pad or cup.
I use them with pads throughout my period for peace of mind. If I leak, the blood isn’t going anywhere I don’t want it. This is great if my period is really heavy and for extra protection at night time. Sometimes I even double them up at night so I have my pad lining one and then another to catch any overflow!
I also use them solo on really light/spotting days where I can wear the same pair the whole day – I’m not bleeding enough to need a pad, but bleeding enough that I wouldn’t want to wear no protection or ruin my regular panties. This also helps save a few extra pads, which saves a little money and a little extra waste.
The thumbs up
#1 Yes, they do actually work! I consider myself to be a pretty heavy bleeder and I never leaked through.
#2 They have different styles and colours. I ordered black as it seemed the obvious choice. All the styles I tried were comfortable and felt like regular underwear, just slightly thicker on the gusset.
#3 You don’t have to handwash them [which could gross some people out]. I have handwashed them and it really wasn’t as gross as it sounds, but you can also just throw them in the washer on a cold cycle. Just don’t tumble dry them as this damages their absorbancy.
#4 Wearing them by themselves for light period days or spotting days saves having to use period products which saves money and saves on waste. It also feels so nice to not have to wear anything while bleeding except comfy underwear!
#5 They offer a more sustainable solution to single use menstrual products.
The thumbs down
#1 They do end up feeling a little damp, after a while. You’re not leaking, but it’s not a nice feeling to sit down in.
#2 You need a lot of panties to change out during each day. Three pairs may have been enough for one day of medium bleeding. So it’s not the most affordable solution, unless you want to be constantly washing each pair as you use them and keep a rotation going.
#3 You can’t tumble dry them so they take a while to dry, especially because the gusset has different layers.
#4 If you’re out and need to change, you have to carry a pair of clean underwear and a pair of bloody underwear around with you. At this stage in my life, I’m not willing to do this.
#5 They are expensive.
Would I recommend them?
Thinx period panties are the perfect solution for back up and avoiding stains and leaks on things you don’t want ruined during your period.
They are also great to have around for light days. I often have my period for over a week and the light days/spotting can be annoying to have to keep wearing a pad for. Having a couple pairs of Thinx lets me eliminate that need while also not having to risk my regular underwear.
I am thinking of purchasing a pair of their boy shorts to add to my period protection plan arsenal. These would be perfect at night for extra peace of mind (and not feeling like I have to double up). They also offer a lot more styles now, offering an organic line and a line for tweens and teenagers .
Although expensive, having a couple of strategic pairs is worthwhile for me to have peace of mind, knowing I won’t be leaking during the day or night. This has saved me a lot of ruined panties, clothes, sheets and a few extra single use products, which in turn, does save money.
Note on styles
I bought three styles: the hip-hugger, the high-waisted and the sport.
The sport style is the only style I would buy again. It has kept it’s quality.
The hip-hugger style has a “lacy” band around the top which didn’t last long. It ripped off the panties and now just hangs half way off and looks really bad. This may have been partially my fault because I don’t put them in a mesh bag when throwing them in the washer.
The high-waisted have a mesh material on each side and this ended up getting a hole in, through not much wear and tear [literally!]. Again, this may have been my fault, but sport seems to have held it’s own regardless.
Update: Since writing this post, I have ordered a couple of their thong style underwear to wear on my lighter/spotting days. One in nude and one in black. They are so nice to be able to wear on lighter days, to begin feeling like I can start wearing pretty undies again!
