My Mixed Opinion on THINX after 1 year: Menstrual panties / menstrual panties

I took advantage of our trip to the United States to order a lot of things available in the US but not yet distributed in France, including THINX, the “revolutionary” menstrual panties.

This is a good idea, especially for women travelers, because in many countries you can *NOT* find tampons or thin, absorbent sanitary pads like in France. I think a lot of us are targeted by this brand’s ads, whether it’s on Facebook or Instagram. What I really liked in their ads was the use of *no Photoshoped* photos, and especially their concept, of course.

I will explain in this long article:

• the concept
• who it’s for
• how to order
• and at the end of the article, why I don’t like them

If you wish to buy from the USA, click on this link to get the 10$ welcome: http://ref.thinxify.me/nrwj7

THINX, késako

These are panties to wear during menstruation. They allow to absorb, according to the model, the quantity of blood corresponding to 0.5 to 4 tampons. Thanks to 4 layers of fabric :

1. anti-mould
2. anti-odor
3. absorbent fabric
4. anti-leak

Then, how does it work exactly, scientifically, well that’s their secret.

How does it work?

The panty absorbs blood (according to its absorption capacity), and when it’s full, you have to change and wear another one.

To wash it, first rinse it with water and then wash it by hand or machine . It takes a whole day to dry.

Who is it for?

The first target is environmentally conscious women, because wearing menstrual panties limits the amount of waste. The second target is women travelers who don’t want to have to carry huge packs of sanitary napkins in their bags, or a sufficient supply of tampons (tampons simply don’t exist in some countries).

But THINX is obviously for all women. Especially those who suffer from leakage due to heavy menstruation – especially at night.

How to choose your panties/what to buy?

I got completely lost on the site. And I confess that I don’t know which panties to choose and how many. I clearly need help.

Fortunately, on the site, there is the “know your flow” part, where you are asked questions about :

• the length of your periods
• your flow the 1st days, the last days…
• how many times you change tampons / sanitary towels / your cups per day: the days of high/medium/light flow

Note: if you don’t know anything about your periods, it isn’t too late to download the free CLUE application, which allows you to track your rules, note abundant/light days, etc. The app will also warn you of your next rules.

At the end, we have a list of product recommendations, for the 3 types of flows: light/medium/important, divided into two categories :

• if only Thinx panties are to be used
• if one intends to use the Thinx panties in complement of another method (towels, tampons…)

• 

• 

The recommendations put forward 3 panty designs, just for aesthetic reasons, because some people like to wear boxers, others like to wear thongs and so on.

Then, by clicking on “shop ***”, you will find the recommended model and can choose the desired color, size and quantity.

I think this tool isn’t bad at all, but I think it isn’t complete yet because it does not take into account the latest Thinx products, namely :

• organic cotton panties
• their new panties equivalent to 4 tampons

For me, it helps me to know roughly what kind of products I should buy if I only use THINX for my period. I have super heavy periods for the first 2 days, and light to moderate periods for the last 3 days.

• Light days: 2 panties, equivalent to 2 tampons
• Average days: 3 panties, equivalent to 2 tampons
• The 1st days: 3 panties, equivalent to 4 tampons

In my case, the ideal would be to buy 6 panties 4 tampons and 6 panties 2 tampons. To have enough to wear and roll several days in a row (3 per day: 3 clean and 3 on hold because they take forever to dry). It’s a lot isn’t it?

So, for a first test, I only need 3 panties with 4 tampons.

Create a custom set

Personally, I found it much easier to see the list of products and their absorption power. To access it, click on “shop” then “create a custom set”.

Compared to the recommended use, I bought 3 Super Hiphugger panties for the moment (each one is equivalent to 4 tampons). Automatically, for the purchase of 3 panties, I get a 10% discount. Add to this 10$ welcome (click on this link to get the 10$ welcome for the 1st purchase: http: //ref.thinxify.me/nrwj7), so I paid 95$ + shipping.

• In the United States, shipping is free for the first order, and $5 for subsequent orders.
• For France, shipping costs are $9 $28

Delivery time to the United States

I don’t know about France because I ordered from the United States during my trip and had the package delivered directly to my hotel. I paid the 5$ option to receive the package faster (within 3 business days). But I almost didn’t receive the package on time because they take 1 to 2 business days to prepare my order. Then 3 business days for DHL to deliver it to me.

So for an order placed on July 31st, DHL at the beginning estimated the delivery on August 12th ! I yelled at the customer service because I wouldn’t have been there on that date, I was refunded the 5$ delivery fee, and by a miracle, my package arrived on August 5th (a total of 4 working days), just before I left Miami.

My opinion on THINX menstrual panties

I only bought the Super HipHugger model so my review will be based only on this model (equivalent of 4 tampons).

Already, at the reception, the panties do not smell good. I assure you, no one has used them, they still have their labels. After a first washing in the machine and a whole day drying, phew, it doesn’t smell anymore.

The size

I feel like it’s big enough. I usually wear size S (one size up) during my period because of my swollen lower belly during this period, but size XS from THINX fits me perfectly, and corresponds to my size S in France. Follow the instructions on the site, you have to measure the pelvis to choose your size. Here is a comparative picture of the size of the different brands vs. a normal size S panty.

Design

Given the chosen model, we can’t escape the dreaded granny panty look. The width at the bottom is wider than the other Thinx models from what I saw on the pictures.

The first impression I have is that the absorbent zone is much larger than I thought, covering from the bikini line to the top of the buttocks, offering maximum protection even at night! The absorbent zone is thicker than I imagined, and is equivalent in thickness to that of a lingerie protector.

Note: the pictures were taken on a brand new model, don’t be afraid 🙂

The comfort

Thus, when wearing the THINX panties, you still feel that there is a small thick layer (it isn’t as light and thin as a normal panty), but it is still much more pleasant than having a sanitary napkin or a tampon, the absorbent area is soft to the touch.

For someone who suffers a lot during (painful) periods, having something comfortable to wear during this time is the ultimate luxury. The panties are well cut and hug the body, to avoid leaks on the sides and during sleep.

Comfort is better than a towel and as long as the panty isn’t full, the fabric isn’t wet.

On the other hand, as soon as you see traces of liquid on the fabric, it means that it is full and you have to change it (I have a picture when it is full to show you, if the blood doesn’t make you faint, click here. You can see that there is absolutely no halo of moisture around, everything that can be absorbed is already absorbed without leaving a trace. There is no picture *when the panty isn’t full*, because it just looks like a clean panty)

The smell

The blood has an odor, but if you change your panties during the day, everything is fine.

On the other hand, if you wear it all night long, in the morning, it smells like fish. That’s a pity because that’s what THINX promises: odorless. They will have to work on this odorless diaper because it does not meet the expectations yet.

In addition, with a smell like that, one wonders about the hygienic side of the thing. About the bacteria all that, because automatically, in my head: rotten smell = bacteria, dirt… After a night of use, it smells even worse than sanitary napkins !

Update November 2020: my sister has just bought the same models and she tells me that there is no odor problem. I know that THINX made some modifications at the end of 2019, maybe that’s why?

Absorption

The promise of absorption seems to me to be kept. Even on the first day I was bleeding, my 3 panties kept their promises.

I admit that I was a bit stressed when testing them on the first day of my period, I put several layers of clothes on top of them, and sat on things I can stain, but no leaks were reported (I must say that I had to change them around 2pm).

THINX panties also protect at night, i.e. if the blood flows backwards, the panty absorbs everything!

For the following days when I lose less blood, theoretically, I can wear one panty all day long. It’s ok for absorption but as far as odor is concerned, it’s better to change them during the day. When you wear it 6 hours in a row (or more), the smell is unbearable.

Update in April 2020: Smell is still the weak point of this brand, but among the 3 brands I tested (Thinx, Dans ma culotte, Modibodi), Thinx is the only brand to be completely dry during use – and only becomes a little wet when full. The other brands have halos and moisture marks from the first second of use in fact.

Anti-leak

No leakage to report with this product, even for very heavy periods, as the absorbent area is enormous.

On the other hand, I must point out that I am a good user and change immediately when it is full.

Now, imagine yourself stuck in a train in India without the possibility to access the toilets, you will need to provide other things (a washable towel on top for example)

The –

You still need to change your panties at least once a day. If you bleed more than the panties can absorb = guaranteed leakage. So if you’re at work and can’t change them and keep a bloody panty in your bag, you still need to use another method of protection during the day.

Panties should be rinsed as soon as possible and washed (often by hand if you have not purchased enough panties to last until the next machine wash).

They cannot be dried in a machine but must be dried in the open air. It takes an eternity of days to dry => for a complete cycle, you have to buy a lot of them, and the products are really expensive => if I follow their recos, I need 3 years of sanitary napkins to make the purchase of these products profitable.

These panties are clearly not compatible with water activities 😉 don’t expect to be able to swim in them.

If you wish to buy them (from the US), click on this link to get the 10$ welcome for the 1st purchase: http: //ref.thinxify.me/nrwj7

Conclusion

With so many inconveniences and an unbearable smell, expect to have a consequent number of ruler panties to cover the whole cycle (I would say 8 at THINX and 6 at the other brands).

I only tested the 4 tampons model, so I don’t know why the reviews are so complimentary for the other less absorbent models, maybe the girls who tested them have less menstrual periods than me? In any case, their badly made site got me drunk from the beginning until the delivery.

Update November 2020: my sister has just bought the same models and she tells me that there is no odor problem. I know that THINX made some modifications at the end of 2019, maybe that’s why?

And for people who have to change their panties at work and carry around a wet/odorous thing all day in the bag, in my opinion, it’s a big NO NO! It reminds me of the GoGirl product (which I talked about here), an interesting product allowing women to do p*p* standing up but whose use is finally too restrictive to be essential for travelers.

However, after trying two other brands very appreciated by women with heavy periods, I learned to appreciate THINX a little more because the absorption is really better with THINX. It’s the only brand that guarantees me 0 humidity for many hours – whereas with the others, during heavy periods, there is a halo of humidity on the surface at all times. This may be explained by the structure of the pants at THINX: 4 layers while the others have only 3.

Plus, their referral system is really cool. You get 10$ for each sponsorship, and you can cumulate them and use them to pay for the panties AND the shipping fees (this isn’t the case with other brands). So, after sponsoring several people, I could buy panties for free ^^

If I had to give notes, I would say: Absorption: 10/10 – Comfort: 8/10 (it remains a bit thick) – Odor: 6/10.

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Update in January 2020: I’ve been using these ruler panties for 5 months now and for some mysterious reason, my periods are less and less abundant (it’s not at all related to these panties but probably to my eating habits which have changed). I can confirm that for the less abundant periods, it is very pleasant to use, even if the recurring odor problem is still not solved. Thanks to the heating (I don’t put them on but in a heated room), the panties can dry overnight and thanks to that, with only 3 panties, I have enough to change during the day. However, when there is no more heating, I will have to alternate between the towels during the day and the panties at night – because they will not dry in time. In short, my opinion is still mixed, but I continue to use them because at least thanks to them, I am no longer stressed at night and I am no longer afraid of getting the sheet dirty.

Update: A study is concerned about nano metal particles, and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contained in THINX menstrual panties. I recommend reading the articles in Cosmopolitan and Sierra. After that, they made some modifications, but I don’t know the new results

Update in April 2020: after 8 months of use, the absorbent zone starts to lint a little, maybe because of the disrespectful washes I make them undergo (washed with jeans, among others)…. it doesn’t change much in terms of absorption or comfort

Update November 2020: my sister has just bought the same models and she tells me that there is no odor problem. I know that THINX made some modifications at the end of 2019, maybe that’s why?

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Be very careful which brand you buy, because there are more and more smart people who resell Chinese waterproof panties bought 2€, and call them “menstrual panties made in Europe”. Avoid buying them on Amazon, and read the terms and conditions and legal notices before buying. Any menstrual panty < 25€ is suspect.