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If there are any men reading this post out of sheer curiosity, congratulations! You should reach right over and give yourself a big pat on the back for trying to learn more about women’s health.

Now, let’s get down to business.

I know many of you have been waiting for this post for a while. I’ve been dropping hints about trying THINX out, and I keep mentioning I’m going to write a review, but I just never got around to it. What took me so long? Well, I wanted to try them out in multiple contexts, and unfortunately that takes a few months (If you know what I mean…)

(photo by THINX)

What the heck is a “period panty”?

When I first heard about THINX period panties, my first thought was “why?!” and my second thought was “I HAVE to try this.” 

THINX period panties are underwear for women with periods. What does that mean? Well, if the diva cup is the new tampon, THINX are the new pads.

Basically, THINX is a pair of underwear you can wear during your period without a cup or tampon. You can also use THINX as an alternative to a panty liner for spotting or backup protection.

Want to know the story behind this beautiful invention? THINX has you covered. 

You can see why I’m obsessed right? 

Wait… So you just bleed into them?!

Yep. Seriously, you wear them just like you would wear a pad.

Granted, every woman has a different flow, so you’ll need to decide for yourself how you want to wear them. The hipster can hold two tampons-worth of liquid, while the thong can only hold half a tampon, so you’ll want to use that on your lightest days.

Once you’re finished, you wash the underwear in the sink until the water runs clear. Then you throw them in the wash with the rest of your clothes. Be sure to wash them on cold and hang them out to dry. Don’t worry, your clothes will be absolutely fine!

Let’s stop being weird about periods

Isn’t it gross?!

In all honestly, it’s not gross at all. I mean we all know I’m not weird about my own blood, especially since I told you about my morbid fascination with checking to see how much I bleed into my Diva Cup. (Too much information?) But THINX period panties don’t look or feel gross.

You know all of those pad commercials that talk about their patented technology that keeps you feeling dry all day? Well, THINX is like that but better, since it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a diaper.

Washing the underwear in the sink isn’t weird either. I thought I’d be grossed out but really it’s not a big deal at all, and it only takes about 30 seconds.

They’re actually pretty cute! (photo by THINX)

How do they look and feel?

I decided to test out the hipster and cheeky styles, since I wanted one for heavy days and one for light days. While I usually wear medium-sized underwear, I ended up going with a large due to the sizing chart on the website.

I was shocked when they arrived because they look HUGE compared to my normal underwear. I was really worried I should’ve bought my normal size, but when I tried them on they fit perfectly.

THINX panties appear huge because they don’t have that much stretch to them, but they actually look pretty cute on. THINX are also much thicker than my normal underwear, but again, once it’s on you can’t really tell.

Chillin’ in my THINX

The “Period Technology”

In the bottom of the underwear there is a slightly thicker section. On the hiphugger, this section extends to cover half of the butt area, whereas on the cheeky version it just covers in between your legs.

Even with this, THINX feels so much better than wearing a pad. You barely even notice the thicker section while you’re wearing it, and their technology keeps you feeling dry. I could actually forget I’m on my period while wearing THINX. It’s magical.

There’s a reason why THINX is one of TIME’s 25 Best Inventions of 2015.

The THINX team (photo by THINX)

So can you actually wear them without a tampon or something?

Yes. I’ve done it multiple times and I’ve had no problems. No leaks, no stains, no nothing. Seriously.

You know how sometimes even pads with the wings still get messed up and you bleed on your underwear? Well I haven’t had any of those problems with THINX at all. No stains on my sheets, legs, or clothes. I’ve even used the hiphuggers on my heaviest days without an issue.

But before you decide to use THINX without backup, you need to know your cycle. I usually only use about two tampons in a day, so I never had any issues with the hiphugger. If your flow is on the heavier side, maybe don’t use THINX on your heaviest days without a back-up plan.

THINX also works perfectly as a substitute for panty liners or a tampon on lighter days. I personally prefer to switch to THINX instead of using my Diva Cup on the last day or so of my period. I think the sport or thong would be perfect for those few “panty liner” spotting days at the end of your period too, but unfortunately I haven’t purchased them… yet.

I was too lazy to make a video, but this girl is basically me in all my awkward glory, so watch her instead! She shows you the THINX panties up close so you can see exactly what they look like.

Why You Should Try THINX

Now that you know what THINX period panties are, here are some reasons you should try them out. If you’ve read my post on the Diva Cup, you’ll see the reasons are pretty similar.

1. It saves you money

Think of how much money you spend on pads and tampons every month. THINX panties are reusable, meaning you only have to buy a few pairs and you can wear them until they fall apart.

2. THINX are good for the environment

Just think about all the pads and tampons you go through in just one year… now multiply that by the number of women in your country. Holy cow that’s a lot of bloody garbage! If you can use THINX to replace just some of the pads, tampons and panty liners you use every month, it will make a huge difference to our planet.

3. No more diapers!

Who wants to feel like they’re wearing a diaper all day? Certainly not me. I know some girls that hate pads so much they literally only wear tampons. If you do this, SERIOUSLY STOP. Toxic shock syndrome is deadly and not a joke. Never, ever sleep in a tampon unless you can guarantee you’ll be asleep for less than 7 hours.

THINX are perfect for transgender men too (photo by THINX)

4. No more leaks!

I’ve used my THINX underwear countless times and I never once leaked or had an issue. No more ruined pairs of underwear!

5. Great for those crampy days

Sometimes when I’m having really crampy days, there’s something instinctual that tells me I should not wear my cup. If the cramps are really bad, I usually take my cup out and switch to THINX. While I don’t think it’s the cup’s fault, it’s really nice to have my comfy THINX as a backup for those miserable moments.

6. THINX gives back

For every pair of THINX you buy, THINX will donate one full set of AFRIpads to a woman in need. AFRIpads are washable, reusable pads that women can use to save money and avoid the period shame that keeps young women in many countries home from school.

Enjoying the fresh Hong Kong air

THINX For Travel

In all honesty, I think the Diva Cup is better suited for long-term or minimalistic travel. You only have one small cup you can keep in your bag, and you’ll be able to re-use it for your entire trip with no hassles.

However, I do think I might throw in two pairs of THINX if I know I’ll be getting my period on the road, just to use for my lighter days instead of the Diva Cup.

But I know not all of you want to or can switch to a cup, so for you THINX might be a great alternative to a pad or tampon. You can spend your day sightseeing without worrying about needing to change your tampon when there’s no bathroom in sight. You can sleep soundly without worrying about staining those white hotel sheets.

As long as you can find a place to rinse them out and let them dry without people staring you down in a shared bathroom, I don’t see why you’d have any major issues traveling with them.

Wear THINX on the road!

THINX for Travel: Pros

1. No more packing a ton of pads and tampons

If you travel long-term, especially in Asia, tampons can be a huge issue. What are you supposed to do? Pack a giant ziplock bag full of them? Pads are easily found, but also take up a ton of space, and sometimes it’s impossible to find good pads, or pads with wings. Why not throw a few pairs of THINX in your bag instead and be done with it?

2. Perfect for Expats

Speaking of packing a ton of tampons into multiple giant ziplock bags…. that was my life for the past few years. Both pads and tampons are awful here in China, and if I find the Western brands I like, they’re way more expensive than they are back home. The Diva Cup and THINX have made sure I never need to worry about pads and tampons again.

3. Great for Busy Days Exploring

You can wander around town all day without worrying about changing a tampon or feeling like you’re wearing a diaper. Score!

Not the best place for THINX

THINX Travel Issues

There are times when THINX just won’t work on the road. If these apply to you, maybe reconsider packing them in your suitcase.

1. You’re heading to a tropical destination (with a Diva Cup)

Ugh. When I was in the Philippines the last thing I wanted to do was try out my period panties. Seriously, I had to force myself to do it for research. You’re welcome.

For me, the Diva Cup was perfect for the Philippines. I could hike, swim, motorbike and paddle board all day with no issues. Now, for science I did wear THINX to sleep once and on a light day I spent motorbiking around an island.

I think the main reason I didn’t want to wear my THINX is because the Diva Cup is so amazing, and it’s perfect for those sweaty, humid places where you don’t want to wear a pad. If I didn’t have the Diva Cup I would’ve happily used THINX every evening instead of pads.

I barely wore them in the Philippines

2. They take too long to dry

Part of the process of THINX is rinsing them in the sink. If it’s hot outside, THINX can easily dry in an afternoon. But if the weather is damp or chilly it might take them a full day. If you’re about to move to a new location, wearing THINX as a pad the night before might not be your best bet.

You can definitely travel with wet underwear in your suitcase, but be sure to put it in a plastic bag and let it dry when you get to your next location so they don’t stink! You can also wait a day to wash them out if you’re in a pinch.

3. Washing them in public

Seriously, I’d hate to see the face of another person in my hostel if I chose to wash my THINX in public. While the blood isn’t as gory as you’d expect (the water is just slightly pink), someone might notice and that’s just awkward.

4. Camping or trekking

You can always rinse your THINX in a river and leave them out to dry on a rock. But if you’re moving every day, or you don’t have a good place to rinse your underwear, THINX might not be a good idea. In this case I would 100% recommend the Diva Cup, which you can rinse out with bottled water.

I think it’s important to note that all of these travel “issues” with THINX only exist when you use THINX as your only form period protection on heavy days. If you want to use THINX as backup for a tampon or cup, or you want to use them on your very light days, then pretty much all of these issues disappear.

Should I really buy these things?

THINX period panties are weird. Even THINX knows it sounds weird. But if you’re at all interested, I would say go for it! If you have a heavy flow, you can always just use them on your lighter days or in conjunction with a tampon/cup. If you hate them, they also have a 60 day money back guarantee, even if they’re used.

How Can I buy them?

Unfortunately, THINX are only sold in select stores, so your best bet is to order them off their website. The more underwear you buy, the cheaper it is. I would recommend starting with three pairs, and if you really love them, invest in a few more.

I also have a $10 off coupon for all of you! (You’re welcome.)

If you want to look into other options, there are also plenty of other period panties from brands like Knix.

THINX is a company I’m proud to share

A few months ago I reached out to THINX and asked them to partner with me because I love their message and everything they stand for. Women should stop being ashamed of their periods. I talked a lot about this issue in my post, The Global Period Taboo, but I want to mention it again.

In addition to working towards ending period shame, THINX also works with communities in Africa to donate AFRIpads to girls in need. To be honest, before I saw this video from THINX I never really thought my ability to purchase pads and tampons was a privilege. In comparing myself to men, who never have to worry about these sorts of things, I forgot to recognize the immense privilege I have over other women who can’t afford them.

Many women in the developing world (and poor women in the USA!) can’t afford access to things like pads and tampons, and resort to using newspaper, toilet paper, cloth and leaves. Because these things shift around while you walk, the fear of leaking or worse, having your bloody cloth fall out, shames girls into staying home from school for a week every month!

When half your society isn’t educated and can’t make money to support the family, that’s a lot of missed potential. Thankfully, this video discusses a new solution, AFRIpads, which are washable, reusable pads that women can use to save money and avoid the period shame that keeps young women home from school.

For every pair of THINX underwear you buy, a full set of AFRIpads is sent to a girl in need. Help other women while also helping yourself to an enjoyable, stress-free, eco-friendly, cost-effective period. 

Get Your $10 Coupon!!!

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Have any of you used THINX? Do you think they’re cool or weird? Let me know!

I received the two pairs of THINX panties in exchange for an honest review. As you all know, I’ve been obsessed with THINX for a long time now, and I actually reached out to them for this partnership. All of my opinions are 100% honest, and I wouldn’t keep using THINX if I didn’t love them. 

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