WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
Made in the USA, Novel red pad come in either a curvy style or a straight style, I bought two 7″ curvy pads as I prefer the extra coverage. The Maker uses bamboo flannel or microterry as a core, windpro fleece as a water resistant backer, and a variety of top fabrics including flat woven cotton, organic cotton, cotton flannel, crushed velvet, and minky. The pads range from 7″ to 13″ in length and between 2″ and 2.75″ in width.
These pads are very thin as the core doesn’t quite go up to the edges, which makes them undetectable under jeans. They are flexible as the core material is very thin as well as being absorbent, and the stitching on these pads is great, they are very well made. I found the shape to be very comfortable and gave just the right amount of coverage for me, the wings weren’t too wide so they didn’t bunch the pads as so many triangle wing seem to for me, I genuinely forgot I was wearing then they were that comfy. I used them both as a menstrual cup backup, as they are small and thin enough not to annoy me and have plenty of absorbency incase of a leak( I don’t get regular breaks at work so need absorbent backup just in case) and I used them as a flow pad and they held up great for the middle to end of my cycle. The 7″ pads I have are 2.5″ wide which is about perfect for me unfortunately the larger sized pads are wider and therefore not suitable for me although I’m sure a custom order could be sorted out as the lady who runs the store gives excellent customer service and is very enthusiastic!
I always do a ‘water test’ on my pads after washing them, I use my small Lunette menstrual cup (approx 20 ml capacity) and count how many cups the pad can take, I do this over the course of 10 minutes so pads with a core that is not a ‘fast’ absorbent core are likely to get a lower score in this test but may in fact hold more if left longer. I pour the water from a full small Lunette cup over the length of the pad, let it settle, then check the underneath and sides for leaks, these 7 inch pads could take a full 3 cups before they started to leak, the which for their size is actually really good. For reference I did the same with an overnight Always disposable pad, it could hold 5 cups.
Overall my favourite things about these pads were the shape and thinness , the high quality and craftsmanship, and the excellent customer service.
My only real criticism would be that when I was looking to make another custom order I could not find a clear link to available fabrics, this might be because I only use my phone I don’t have access to a computer at the moment so can’t check it out on there. There is a link to the Facebook page and twitter but there are only a few pictured fabrics on the Facebook so either this is all that’s available, in which case I think more variety would be good, or the fabrics are listed somewhere else but I can’t find where so clearer direction is needed,
but the actual pads are great and will remain in my stash for a long time.
If you would like to try Novel Red pads here are the links:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NovelRed
https://www.facebook.com/NovelRedCloth
https://mobile.twitter.com/novelred
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
So here it is
Cups
Cloth pad stash
Night
Heavy
Regular
Regular
If anyone wants to know any particular brands please comment below 🙂
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
There are quite a few different brands I’d love to try but I can’t justify spending money on them now that I’m a student and I have a large enough stash to keep me going if I bled for an entire month, but I may treat myself if anyone can give me some positive feedback on any of these brands so please feel free to comment or message me!
1. Sleeping doe Cloth pads – I love the shape of these pads and they look very well made, and the prints are always great, the only thing that puts me off is like I said above, the cost unfortunately, I have too many cotton top fleece backed pads to justify paying shipping from America.
2. Bella Cup – made in south Korea, this cups large dimensions look like they may fit, and a the shape appeals to me.
3. Ruby Cup – the ethics of this company are great, for every cup they sell they donate a cup to a school girl in Africa, another high capacity cup that looks like it might fit.
4. Organicup – a high capacity cup from Denmark that no one seems to know much about …
5. Sweet dragon cloth pads – Good value pads with a variety of toppers including my favorites; suedcloth and wicking jersey.
6. Femme Rouge Cloth pads – British made pads that look thin and an interesting shape.
So if anyone’s desperate for a review on these or can convince me its worth spending the money then feel free to comment or message me!
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
I’m not getting much time at the minute because I’m studying and it’s getting a bit intense, but I do have quite a few posts in the pipeline, just wanted to reassure you guys that I do have plans! So in no particular order here they are;
Mia cup review – i got a small mia cup in a trade and have worn it for my last 2 cycles so it’s ready for a review!
si bell cup reiview – I’ve had this cup for about 6 months and it’s long overdue a review
Cozy folk cloth pad review – This is a great brand and I’ve been meaning to review it for a while.
WIWTM – A run through of what I wore this month.
Stash shot – a complete stash shot
RUMPS I’d like to try – list of brands I’d love to try.
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
Ladybits, made in the USA, these are some of my new favourite pads! With a choice of flat cotton or flannel tops (I chose flat cotton as I find flannel too warm) a core of zorb, and a backing of PUL hidden by a layer of flannel, this makes them very slim which is one of the reasons I love them.
The unusual shape of the wings gives good coverage but allows the pad to move and shape to your body. These pads are 9 inches long and ‘regular’ absorbency which for Ladybits, means 2 layers of zorb, heavy would be 3 layers, light is 1 layer. This is very generous and these pads are very well priced, the lady who owns this company also went out of her way to reduce shipping for me from the USA to the UK, which is usually very expensive, by sending them as a letter instead of a parcel as they are luckily thin enough to qualify with just 2 pads per order. I really appreciated that and she was really friendly and easy to deal with, both transactions were a pleasure!
I always do a ‘water test’ on my pads after washing them, I use my small Lunette menstrual cup (approx 20 ml capacity) and count how many cups the pad can take, I do this over the course of 10 minutes so pads with a core that is not a ‘fast’ absorbent core are likely to get a lower score in this test but may in fact hold more if left longer. I pour the water from a full small Lunette cup over the length of the pad, let it settle, then check the underneath and sides for leaks, this 9 inch day pad could take a full 5 cups before it started to leak, which for its size and absorbency level is brilliant. For reference I did the same with an overnight Always disposable pad, it could hold 5 cups.
I really love the slimness of these pads coupled with their impressive absorbency and great customer service, if you’re looking good quality absorbent custom made pads without breaking the bank I would definately recommend Ladybits!
You can buy them on her Facebook page
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
Sells From Canada, this mother daughter team give exceptional customer service and I really enjoyed working with them.
I bought one double pocket wet bag, 3 sandwich bags and 2 cloth menstrual pads from them, these are my views on all.
The first photo is of the 9″ by 8″ wetbag which I found worked very well, the main larger pocket is lined with PUL and the smaller pocket is just cotton, it did not leak, it is well sewn, a good size and a very goo price compared to many other sellers, an absoloute bargin overall!
The 3 sandwich bags are well made with a cotton outer and lined with ripstop nylon and a zip closure, but unfortunately if a sandwich is left in them for more than a couple of hours, the food begins to go stale, they are fine for fruit like apples but not really any good for sandwiches, which is a shame, however I now use them as cosmetics/makeup/wash bags, and the wipeable nylon inner makes them very good for this purpose.
The cloth menstrual pads are very basic but they were also very cheap, so considering this you get a good deal for what you pay for, they are topped with cotton flannel, the absorbent core is of zorb, and the backing is fleece. they are thick for a regular pad, and a bit bulky at the edges, but the topstitching does its job well and guides moisture to the centre of the pad.
I always do a ‘water test’ on my pads after washing them, I use my small Lunette menstrual cup (approx 20 ml capacity) and count how many cups the pad can take, I do this over the course of 10 minutes so pads with a core that is not a ‘fast’ absorbent core are likely to get a lower score in this test but may in fact hold more if left longer. I pour the water from a full small Lunette cup over the length of the pad, let it settle, then check the underneath and sides for leaks, these regular pads could take a full 4 cups before they started to leak, which is awesome especially considering their size and low price! For reference I did the same with an overnight Always disposable pad, it could hold 5 cups.
Overall these are a great option if you don’t have much to spend and want something reliable and don’t mind that they’re not as pretty as some of the more expensive pad brands. They’re simple but very functional, I’m impressed with their performance, the customer service, and the price!
You can buy the pads on etsy at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/moonbirdstudios?ref=shop_sugg
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
Made in Canada, these pads are highly sought after despite them being some of the highest priced pads on the market, due to the beautifully dyed bamboo velour tops and how thin and absorbent they are.
The vast majority of homestead emporiums pads are topped with bamboo velour, the absorbent core is of bamboo fleece cotton and hemp fleece mixtures, the backing is usually high quality fleece or windpro fleece.
There are a couple of different styles available in the store the above style is marketed as the teen style as they have a narrow gusset and no coverage on the wings making them very trim. The pad in the photo below has no wing coverage again but is a curvier shape to give more coverage, this pad has a served edge which ensures it being very thin and flexible. I do not own the other type of pad but it looks similar to the pad pictured below only with the top velour fabric stretching over the wings also.
I always do a ‘water test’ on my pads after washing them, I use my small Lunette menstrual cup (approx 20 ml capacity) and count how many cups the pad can take, I do this over the course of 10 minutes so pads with a core that is not a ‘fast’ absorbent core are likely to get a lower score in this test but may in fact hold more if left longer. I pour the water from a full small Lunette cup over the length of the pad, let it settle, then check the underneath and sides for leaks, this 8 inch day pad could take a full 3 cups before it started to leak, the which for its size and absorbency level is not bad. The larger 12 inch pad pictured below could take 5 cups before leaking, for reference I did the same with an overnight Always disposable pad, it could hold 5 cups.
these pads are very pretty and very well made however I find that the shape doesn’t really fit me and I found that they bunched up and as a result didn’t really absorb very well for me, however I do know of many women who adore these pads and find they work perfectly for them it just goes to show that everybody’s different which is why it’s best to only buy one or two of every new brand regardless of the reviews to make sure they work for your body type.
You can buy homestead emporium pads from http://www.luxurymoon.co.uk or from her etsy store.
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
Cuplee Measurements
Cup Length: small 47mm
Large 53 mm
Stem Length: small 21mm
Large 17mm
Total Length: Small 68mm
Large 70 mm
External Diameter: Small 40mm
Large 44mm
Capacity to the holes: Small 14.75ml
Large 24.5
Capacity to the rim: Small 20ml
Large 29ml
Material: Medical grade silicone
Country of Origin: Russia
Cuplee
Large fleurcup and large Cuplee
This is my large pink Cuplee, it is one of the softest cups I’ve come across being even softer than the si bell cup, the silicone feels high quality and is very smooth and shiny which makes it easy to insert/remove tho it can be a bit slippery, the grip rings at the base aren’t very pronounced but do offer some help and aren’t at all irritating if you’re sensitive down there. The stem was hollow and flexible with slightly more pronounced grip rings than the base of the cup, I had to cut my stem off as this is quite a long cup for me but it is comfy at the size I’ve cut it to, I would say my cervix is neither particularly high or low it stays in the middle ground of average though it is a little lower on the heaviest days of my period but I still don’t struggle with this cup.
It has a rim similar to the Lunette cup with the rim being a fairly abrupt band which is slightly stiffer than the rest of the cup and and the 4 holes spaced evenly around the circumference of the cup but it’s much longer and thinner than the lunette.
What attracted me to it was the high capacity with a relatively small rim diameter in comparison to most other cups, as I am 25 with no kids I don’t usually get the large size but I decided to give this one a go, it does work for me and is very comfy but unfortunately it does leak slightly even on my heaviest days, my theory is that while the diameter isn’t that wide, because it’s so soft (and I have quite strong pelvic floor muscles thanks to years of tae kwon do) it doesn’t ever quite open properly so there’s always a tiny gap for leaks which is a shame because I really like this cup but I’m going to save it for after baby ( me and my partner are hoping to have our first in the next couple of years) then maybe it’ll fit me a bit better!
I really do love this cup and would highly recommend it to anyone who has a sensitive downstairs and a medium to high cervix, as long as your pelvic floor muscles aren’t rock hard you should be fine!
Made In the US, Rebecca’s reusables are sold via etsy store http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Rebeccasreusables?ref=shop_sugg
The pads she sells are a standard 2.5″ wide though they all come with an extra snap, and they come in 8″ liners 9″ regulars and 10″ supers, although if you custom order she is happy to put higher absorbency into shorter pads or vice versa. I decided to try these out due to them being topped in suedecloth which I had preiviously enjoyed with my terrapads and the pad design looked like it would suit me better. She has very few ready to ship items on her etsy store so chances are you will be doing a custom order as I did, but don’t worry she took less than a week to make and ship each of my two separate orders so turnaround time is fast and there are plenty of fabric choices on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RebeccasReusables?fref=ts which is linked on her etsy. You are able to choose the suedecloth colour you want and the cotton print for the wings, as far as I’m aware she uses plain black anti pill fleece for all her pads. Rebecca was lovely to work with on my order and kept me updated on their progress making sure I was happy with how the fabrics suited each other etc which it found very helpful I really can’t fault her customer service! My first order with Rebecca was one 10″ super, one 9″ regular, one 8″ liner, and one 8″ ultra thin liner, so essentially I got one of each standard size and absorbency that she does.
The super has a top layer of suedecloth, 2 absorbent layers of zorb a layer of flat cotton or flannel and an anti pill fleece backing for water resistance.
The regular has a top layer of suedecloth, one absorbent layer of zorb, a layer of flat cotton or flannel, and a backing of and pul fleece for water resistance.
The liner has a top layer of flannel a core of flannel and an antil pill fleece backing for water resistance.
The ultra thin liner has a top layer of cotton and a bottom layer of flannel.
The pads themselves were very comfy, I found the super absorbency pad felt very secure and had a slightly cushiony feel which was nice when chilling out at home and not too bulky to wear out of the house. The regular was thinner and less noticeable while wearing I really liked both though. I’m in love with suedecloth at the moment its really soft without being sweaty and it has much less risk of staining than cotton or flannel as it’s synthetic.
I always do a ‘water test’ on my pads after washing them, I use my small Lunette menstrual cup (approx 20 ml capacity) and count how many cups the pad can take, I do this over the course of 10 minutes so pads with a core that is not a ‘fast’ absorbent core are likely to get a lower score in this test but may in fact hold more if left longer. I pour the water from a full small Lunette cup over the length of the pad, let it settle, then check the underneath and sides for leaks, the heavy pads could take 6 cups worth of water before leaking and the regular could take 4, both tops remained fairly dry until thee last cup or two which is very good going. For reference I do the same test on an overnight Always disposable pad, this pad can take 5 cups worth before leaking.
Overall these are great looking pads, absorbent, comfy and stain resistant, and the customer service was brilliant, will definitely be ordering again!
Bought these two 9 inch heavy pads after writing half of this review, really love them!
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS DETAILS OF MENSTRUAL SANITARY PRODUCTS, IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH OF THIS TOPIC OR ARE LIKELY TO TAKE OFFENCE TO THIS DO NOT BOTHER CONTINUING.
Environmenstrual modern cloth pads are made in Australia, they are made with a back layer of print cotton, a waterproof layer of PUL, an absorbent layer of bamboo fleece, and a top layer of either, cotton velour, cotton velveteen, bamboo velour, microfleece, suedecloth, minky, bamboo terry and possibly some others I’ve forgotton. They are sold in sizes 7.25″, 8.75″, 9.25″, 10.25″, 11.5″, 13.5″, and 15.75″, all come with a second snap. I bought one 8.75″ cotton velveteen topped regular and two 7.25″ suedecloth topped regulars.
These are the thinnest pads i own and I love them! There is a huge variety of options to choose from, personally i love suedecloth for its stay dry properties and would love stash topped just with this but the hand dyed cotton velveteen pad was so pretty i couldn’t resist! These are not only thin but also perfectly stitched, they feel so sturdy, i don’t feel a shred of doubt that they’re going to last. The customer service is great and the pads fit like a dream, I prefer the flared design as shown in the 8.75″ pad but she offers a straight maxi pad style cut though for those who don’t like flares.
I always do a ‘water test’ on my pads after washing them, I use my small Lunette menstrual cup (approx 20 ml capacity) and count how many cups the pad can take, I do this over the course of 10 minutes so pads with a core that is not a ‘fast’ absorbent core are likely to get a lower score in this test but may in fact hold more if left longer. I pour the water from a full small Lunette cup over the length of the pad, let it settle, then check the underneath and sides for leaks, the 8.75 inch regular pad could take a full 3.5 cups before it started to leak, which for its size and absorbency level is not bad. For reference I did the same with an overnight Always disposable pad, it could hold 5 cups.
I love these pads and would happily have just this brand in my stash, they are in my top 3 favourite brands! You can buy them on the etsy store, https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Environmenstrual?section_id=12364880&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2 and follow her on facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Environmenstrualmodernclothpads?fref=ts
Update!
I bought 4 custom pads at 8.75 inches and they’re so pretty!
ecoladyuk 