A little while ago, I shared  my experience with switching to menstrual cups  and I have been really curious about the THINX period underwear, which can be used on its own or as a backup to your current routine, so I decided to purchase a set and test them out!

It’s still a little bit odd for me to share to the public things about my period, but I really do believe there should not be any taboo around speaking about what is a natural part of life and something we cannot do anything about.  These posts are to share my experience and help others make informed decisions about their personal hygiene.  Let me know in the comments if you like these kinds of posts!

Price

These undies will run you between $24 – $34 depending on what style you want or need.  You do get an additional discount if you buy a set, 3 or more – 10%, 5 or more – 15%, and 7 or more – 20%, but it is still pretty expensive.  I ended up buying a set of 5, costing me about $130 with shipping (I apparently did a guest checkout)

Shipping

If you are in the USA, your first order ships for free if you register and $5 otherwise, but anywhere else there is a standard shipping cost of equivalent to about $10 USD.  I received my package within a week in a small little package.  My suggestion would be to make sure you order this home unless you are ok with package period product illustrations arriving at your office.

Styles & Review

I purchased 5 pairs as my period usually runs a full week and I wanted to use these both as backup on my heavier days as well as on their own on my lighter days.  I purchased 4 styles in total, doubling up on one of them.  In almost all cases I was using these as backup to my menstrual cup, except on my lightest days.

Original vs. Cotton

THINX offers 2 ranges of their underwear, original and cotton.  The original line, as the name suggests, is their original collection of period underwear.  All of these are made with a blended cotton interior and blended nylon exterior.  Where as the cotton line, which was released later, has both a blended cotton interior and exterior.  In both lines the ‘middle layer’ is made up of breathable PUL and a blended cotton.  The PUL is a type of laminated fabric that is a waterproof layer and is what prevents leaking.

Original Hiphugger

One of the 4 pairs that THINX offers that claims to holds up to 2 tampons worth and are geared toward more heavy days of your period.  The style offers more full protection, with the maximum coverage front and back.

These are probably the closest to granny pants without the baggy bum part, but honestly are super comfortable.  Rather than making it the same material all the way up your hips, they have used a more sheet elastane type fabric, which gives it a better look.  Holding these in your hands, you can definitely feel the extra protection that extends to the bum area to protect you no matter how you are situated.

I use these on my heaviest of days when I usually go through a cup and 2 pads in the at some point in middle of the night.  Let’s just say, I don’t get a good nights rest on those days.  This pair just barely survived a night with me.  What I mean by that, by morning I had gone through the underwear, BUT I did not have to change the sheets.  And because of the breathable fabric, I was generally much more comfortable and did not feel like I was wearing a big diaper.

Cotton Bikini

One of 2 pairs that claims to hold up to 1.5 tampon worth.  This one, which will be similar to the Original Cheeky are not as high rise and maybe a little less butt coverage.

I really wanted to try our one of their cotton pairs as well as their original and decided to go with the bikini style, which is most similar to basic Victoria’s Secret cotton underwear.  Again, as with most of these, you will be able to feel the extra layer of material that absorbs and protects you, but its not noticeable once you have them on.

I do like these as there is less fabric compared to the Original Hiphugger, but generally think that the original style is more breathable, given the amount of material already there.

Original Cheeky x2

This pair claims to hold up to 1 tampon worth and are meant for light days.  These will be a lower rise and even less bum coverage than the Cotton Bikini, which might explain why it has less protection.

I really enjoy using these on my medium – light days, still in conjunction with my cup, which works perfectly.  It gives me enough peace of mind at work during the day and frees me of having to faff with where to hide my pads when I go to the bathroom.

Original Thong

The thong pairs claims to hold up to 1/2 a tampon worth for your lightest days.  These are pretty standard style of thong and in these you really don’t notice the extra fabric.

My biggest complaint with all the other pairs is that you definitely get panty lines if you are wearing them under anything tight with a stretch material (leggings…) and this pairs solves that!  I got these for the tail end of my cycle and also for those dressy occasions that require you in a dress or something that is generally unforgiving to any undergarments.

Washing

Washing is pretty simple and just requires that you rinse your underwear out before throwing it in a laundry bag and washing on cold with your other laundry and hang dry.  Easy!

Overall thoughts?

I am really glad I decided to take the plunge and pay the seemingly high price for them and am considering getting a few more, so I don’t have to wash them as often.  The biggest wins for me are the comfort of these vs. pads as backup, hygiene and convenience of them.