TO THINX OR NOT TO THINX: A REVIEW

I've had my eye on Thinx underwear since I heard about them several years ago, but I never had the guts to give them a try. I decided to order them last month on a whim, and I've been waiting for my period to roll around so I could put them through the paces. I finally got the chance, and I'm here to report the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Okay, it's mostly good. Little bad. And no ugly.)

**By the way, this post is going to talk a lot about menstrual blood and flow...nothing too icky, but just be forewarned. Although, I'm guessing if you're here, you're not all that squeamish about stuff like that anyway. 😊**

FIRST OF ALL, WHAT EXACTLY ARE THINX?

Thinx underwear are a revolutionary new take on a reusable menstrual product. It's one of my favorite examples of companies trying to bring women's healthcare into the 21st century. I mean...we've put a man on the moon, we walk around with tiny supercomputers in our pockets, and yet we still use crappy pads and tampons for our period?? Thinx uses some pretty nifty technology to create a whole new kind of underwear.

There are several layers involved (see picture), but the basic premise is that you wear Thinx instead of panty liners, pads, or (depending on your flow) even tampons/menstrual cups. They're made to be absorbent, moisture wicking, anti-microbial, AND leak-proof.
That's a lot for one pair of panties to live up to! Basically, you can think of them as a wearable, reusable pad or panty liner.

When my first pair of undies arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find that only part of the underwear was made to be absorbent and waterproof. I don't know, I guess I kind of pictured them like a diaper--like maybe it would spread out across my butt or something? But it turns out there are several different areas to them. Here's a traced outline of the different areas on my brand new, unused Thinx:

As you can see, the flow is constrained to only the "pad" areas of the underwear, which makes a lot of sense. They are really high quality underwear (they better be for the price!), and they felt really soft and silky. I also love how they are pretty and lacy--usually, when you hear the words "period underwear", you're not picturing your nicest, cutest pair, that's for sure. The design, quality, and craftsmanship of the underwear is very apparent.

WEARING THINX

I bought the Hiphugger style (their most absorbent one) in black, since I wanted to have a pair that provided a little more coverage. I'm not gonna lie, they're not as comfortable as I thought they'd be. Not the least comfortable undies I've ever owned, but not amazing either. I'd say a solid B+. Comfy, but nothing to rave about.

My first day wearing Thinx was the day my period was set to arrive. My flow starts light, so I didn't see or feel much. (Also, I made the very lame mistake of only ordering one pair...which means I had to alternate wearing & washing day to day). When I finally did have a day with a heavier flow, I decided to be brave and skip the panty liner that serves as a backup for my tampon. I was too chicken to do a trust fall into my Thinx, partly because I'm still testing the waters and partly because my flow tends to be pretty heavy. They actually held up really well, and did everything they said the would do. I wore Thinx all day without changing my tampon (other than every 8 hours, as recommended). Usually, during the heaviest days, I need to change it every 5 or 6 hours or so, so it was definitely a stretch.

I could tell I was "leaking", and it felt a little unnerving to know there was no pad down there, but the Thinx did a good job. Not a single leak, and the underwear absorbed it. It definitely did not feel like I was sitting in my own mess all day.

I didn't really realize how well they had worked until I went to rinse them out before washing them. I kept rinsing, and rinsing, and rinsing, and more kept coming out! It was pleasantly deceptive how much they could really hold without even feeling like it.

Plus, how cute is their website?? I'm such a sucker for good design.

The biggest question I had about Thinx was the capacity. How would I know when they were full? I didn't free-bleed in them this cycle (and if I do, I'll be sure to update this post!), mainly because I wasn't sure what would happen once I reached the maximum capacity of my undies. As a backup to my tampon and a sure fire way to stop worrying about leaking or changing messy liners, it was all-around a major hit. They kept the mess away, I never had to worry about leaking, and I didn't feel like I was wearing my crappy period underwear for a change.

PROS & CONS

WHAT I LIKED:

• Great design
• Good for the environment and your body, especially if you're concerned about what's in our disposable menstrual products
• Comfortable
• Looks like regular underwear (beauty + function)
• No need for pads/liners that are probably going to leak anyway
• Reusable/one-time investment
• Thinner than a pad and even some panty liners
• No pad adhesives, no shifting, no readjusting, no leaking off of the pad!!!
• Faster/more convenient than carrying pads with you, changing pads, discarding pads, etc

WHAT I DIDN'T:

• $$$$
• Seriously, they're expensive. Especially if you're looking to get enough for your period without washing/wearing the same pair (Scroll to the end of the post for $10 off tho!)
• If you're squeamish about period blood, the rinsing factor might be a turn-off. It wasn't for me, but it may be for you
• Hard to tell when they're "full", for lack of a better word
• High maintenance--rinse, cold wash, hang dry, no softeners

TL;DR: WOULD I BUY AGAIN?

ummmmmmYES. Yes, I would. Even just using them as a backup for your regular period go-to, they are pretty darn amazing and they actually do live up to their claims. It doesn't feel like a diaper, it doesn't feel like you're sitting in your own mess (although it can be disconcerting to feel leaks when you know you're not wearing a pad. I'm pretty sure you'd get used to it, though). Especially since I've seen a growing number of concerns over what is in our disposable menstrual products, Thinx is a great way to simplify your menstrual hygiene routine AND be healthier and more environmentally friendly while doing it.

The biggest downside I can see is the cost. It's a huge up-front investment, but then again, they will last you cycle after cycle, and hopefully be able to replace some (or even all) of your disposable tampons or pads.

To help with the sticker shock, I have a special $10 coupon code for Appleseed Fertility readers! If you're ready to buy your first pair of Thinx, click here, sign up for an account, and they'll email you $10 off your first order.

Any current Thinx users out there? Did I miss anything? Tell me what you thought about them in the comments!

UPDATE 6/4/16

Holy crap I love them. I ordered two more pairs so I could wear them for more period days, and they have held up phenomenally. With regular tampons/pads/even a menstrual cup, leaks happen to me more than I'd like to admit--especially at night. How many of us put a fresh tampon and pad in right before bed, only to wake up to a murder scene gone wrong? 🙋🏼🙋🏼🙋🏼 (SO annoying!!) I have used Thinx for 4 periods now, and I have not had one single leak, day or night. IT. IS. PHENOMENAL. 

Like seriously....I will NEVER go back to regular pads again. Ho. Lee. CRAP. I can't tell you how liberating it feels.

I'm actually going to try free-flowing in them next cycle, no tampons whatsoever!  I'll be sure to update again when I do.