Period Pants: Editors Test 5 Brands and Give Honest Reviews
Our Editors Tested 5 Brands of Period Pants, and Honestly, We're Not Completely Sold
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I think we can all agree that periods are annoying — from the pain, spots, and mood swings, to the surprise blood stains on your bedsheets after a night of tossing and turning. If you're like us, you'd try just about anything to make that time of the month a bit easier — like period pants.
Pads and tampons aren't good for the environment, and menstrual cups aren't for everyone. That's why our editors tried various brands of period knickers to give you all the facts you need to make an informed purchase — and period pants aren't just for menstruation, they're also great for postpartum discharge, bladder leaks, and endometriosis flow.
We had five women test five different brands of period pants — LoveLuna, Modibodi, Wuka, Flux, and Cheeky Wipes — and it was, surprisingly, a mixed bag. While three of us loved the convenience of leakproof underwear and only saw solutions, two of us risked urinary tract and vaginal infections. Before we get into our favourite period pants and what they're made of — we had to check in with some gynaecologists as to why period knickers might not be the best option for women with sensitive vaginal areas.
"Period knickers may prevent your vagina from being able to 'breathe', or getting enough air to stay dry, which may increase the levels of bacteria and the risk of infection." — Dr Shirin Lakhani
"Any type of underwear which creates a damp environment or irritates the skin can increase the risk of infection, because this encourages bacteria to grow," says Dr Shree Datta MD MRCOG LLM MBBS. Additionally, "period knickers may prevent your vagina from being able to 'breathe', or getting enough air to stay dry, which may increase the levels of bacteria and the risk of infection," says Dr Shirin Lakhani MBBS MRCGP DRCOG.
Some women are just more prone to vaginal infections than others, shared Dr Deborah Lee MB ChB MFFP MRCGP DRCOG, and this could be for a number of reasons: from anatomy, genetics, and certain blood groups, to pregnancy, diabetes, and not emptying the bladder completely. If you've had recurrent UTIs or vaginal infections and still want to try period pants, then it's recommended (for everyone) that you change them very regularly, and make sure you aren't allergic to any of the fabrics used in the knickers.
As soon as you get your leakproof undies, make sure to give them a good machine wash on a cold, delicate cycle — no fabric softener, no soaking, no bleach, no tumble drying, ironing, or dry cleaning. Once washed, simply hang to dry and once ready, don't wear them for more than eight hours.
When you're done with the pants, rinse them in cold water until the water runs clear, machine wash on a 40 degree delicate cycle, and hang to dry — that's it. Now, read ahead for our honest reviews on some of the best-selling period pants on the market.
Love Luna
Love Luna Black Period Bikini Knickers (Medium Flow) (£10)
Material:
Outer: 91% nylon, 9% elastane
Gusset: 100% cotton
Padding: 80% cotton, 20% polyester
"The main reason I decided to try period pants was because I was looking for a sustainable menstrual solution that offered a bit of extra security at night, while sleeping. Out of all the brands I tried, the LoveLuna Period Bikini Brief was by far my favourite. Unlike some others' material, these briefs had a more silky feel, were very lightweight and best of all, very stretchy. I found every other brand to be extremely rigid, and the elastic really cut into my skin — but not these ones. I wore them at the end of my cycle, and also as an added layer with my menstrual cup and they were extremely comfortable." — Ange Law, assistant editor.
ModiBodi
ModiBodi Sensual Hi-Waist Bikini (Heavy/Overnight Flow) (£24)
Material:
Outer: Bamboo, spandex
Liner: Merino, spandex, polyester
Trim: Polyester, nylon
"Modibodi were my favourite pair, by far. I had a pretty lavender colour, which had black lining to avoid any stains. The material was incredibly soft and they fit like my normal, everyday pair of pants, making them super comfortable. The absorption on these is decent, although not the most out of the three pairs I tried. I think this was simply due to thinner padding. I will say, (TMI incoming — sorry not sorry), if you get a lot of blood clot, these are not ideal for obvious reasons. I'd feel confident and comfortable wearing these out and about on a medium flow day. They are also hassle-free to wash, which is a huge bonus for me." — Tori Crowther, associate editor.
WUKA
WUKA Period Pants (Medium Flow) (£20)
Material:
Outer: Lenzing micromodal / cotton (medium flow)
Outer: Polyester
Inner Layer 1: PUL
Inner Layer 2: Absorbent fabric blend
"I'm in total agreement with the other editors, WUKA pants aren't flattering one bit due to the ultra-padding. I quite like the design of the pants with the waistband and mesh, but the padding really turns me off of the pair I tried. The padding goes all the way around to the back of the butt, which meant I could really feel the bulk of the pants. Having said that, not all pants are designed to be pretty. The absorption was one of the best and they were definitely comfortable enough to wear to bed. This is a pair that I'd definitely take into hospital stays with me to wear when I need a lot more protection than normal. Make sure to leave extra time for this pair to dry after washing through. They took at least 12 hours extra to try than the other pairs, due to the extra padding." — Tori Crowther, associate editor.
FLUX
FLUX Detachable (Heavy Days) (£28)
Material:
Inner and Outer: 95% Modal 5% Elastane
Trim: 100% Polyester
Gusset: Absorbent blend, breathable PUL
"From a design standpoint, the mesh panels on FLUX High Waist (Heavy) didn't really do anything flattering for my body — I didn't love that I (and my partner) could literally see where the absorbent panels were on the pants. That said, they definitely delivered on being appropriate for a heavy flow, as I wore these overnight, on my heaviest day, and didn't have any leakage whatsoever. My only real gripe (aside from my confusion with the mesh panels) is again, a design element: the leg holes are cut in a boyleg-style, and the elastic was quite rough, which meant it did dig into the tops of my legs in an unflattering (and slightly uncomfortable) way. That said, A+ for absorbency." — Ange Law, assistant editor.
Cheeky Wipes
Feeling SPORTY (Medium Flow) (£10.50)
Material:
Body: Cotton-Elastane (95%-5%)
Outer Layer: Waterproof Oeko-Tex certified TPU
"The Cheeky Wipes Sassy Bikini briefs were my second favourite of all the period pants I tried. The elastic around the legs and waist was very stretchy, and they were definitely the skimpiest cut of all the pants I tried, which I very much appreciated. That's not to say they were actually skimpy, but rather, didn't have the weird and awkward boyleg cut that so many others did. These ones were also perfect for overnight wear because the absorbency gusset extended all the way from the front waistband to the back, meaning nothing could leak while lying down, like a traditional pad might." — Ange Law, assistant editor.
