“Depending on the style of underwear, Flux Undies pants can replace between 1 to 5 tampons worth of blood and can be worn for up to 12 hours,” Paige advises. Of course, these numbers will differ brand to brand.
Do I wear them in place of pads or tampons, or as well as?
If you’d like to, but you don’t need to. “Period underwear is designed to completely replace pads, tampons and menstrual cups so you can wear them alone,” Paige says. “But if you prefer wearing tampons or cups, you can wear period pants as a backup.”
Chloe Laws, GLAMOUR’s social media director, recommends wearing a pad if in doubt, particularly on your heavier days, just in case. “I have to wear them with a pad in them, on the first few days of my cycle. Otherwise I leak,” she says.
How do I make sure they don’t leak?
If you’re worried about leaks, pay extra attention to the absorbency of the period underwear you buy. “I’ve only had to deal with leaks on very rare occasions, and every time was down to me wearing too low of an absorbency for my flow,” Sophie says.
“If you choose a higher absorbency (even, perhaps, a higher absorbency than what you think you need), then you won’t leak. I’m so sure of it. ”
Lucy adds that she’s only experienced leaks when she’s accidentally tumble dried her period pants. “Even then, they only leak at the edges in the same way that a pad would, so you’re always aware if it’s happening and can usually anticipate it,” she says.
“Generally though, I can wear one for a whole day (on day one or two, even), and experience no leaks. Even if I’m wearing white.”
Are they stain-proof?
Sophie says yes! “I always go for darker colours, just to be sure, and all of my pairs are free of stains,” she says.
According to Paige, being sure that your period underwear wasn’t made using toxins or chemicals is the only way to guarantee the material is totally stain-proof. So it’s worth checking this before buying a pair.
How long should they last?
Paige reckons a pair of Flux period underwear “will last a minimum of three years”.
“After this point, they will start losing some of their absorbency, but you can still use them for light leaks or even just as normal underwear,” she advises.
Sophie has had no issues so far with her own pairs: “I’ve been using period pants for around 18 months now, and I’ve not had to replace any of my pairs of period pants just yet,” Sophie says.
“Wuka is my go-to brand; they’re really high-waisted, have cute lace detailing and have lasted super well.”
Lucy reserves her older pairs for her lighter flow days. “To be honest, I tend to use the old pairs for day four or five, when I only need a bit of light protection,” she says.
“I’d estimate the newer pairs last around a year and a half with full heavy flow protection, but probably longer if you look after them properly.”