As indicated in my round up of greener menstrual products I am not a fan of the mainstream menstrual products for women. Paper and plastic pads and tampons just aren’t good options for the planet nor for a woman’s comfort. More than anything I think those mainstream options allow us to distance ourselves from the process as much as possible and not take responsibility for it. Either that or it is just pure convenience… aka why wash cloth pads or rinse out a Diva Cup in soapy water and get your hands dirty when you could just throw the problem away… literally.
I was very interested in trying Lunapanties because I see nothing wrong with convenience myself and having panties that also double as a cloth pad seemed genius to me and ooohhhhh it is genius. Even if you use paper sanitary napkins I dare you to see this as less convenient. Other than the washing, which I am assuming you won’t be doing by hand, down at the river, beating your panties against rocks, then this is such an easy solution. Follow me here for a second.. put the panties on… then take them off to wash. Easy! No unwrapping a sanitary napkin, peeling off the gazillion stickers that are affixed to them, no sticking it to the crotch of your undewear, no cursing when your monthly gift misses the napkin and stains your panties, no feeling like you are wearing an adult diaper, no wrapping the napkin up in toilet paper (or a time capsule to protect from pets) and throwing it away to sit in a landfill for all eternity… see… easy!
Lunapanties are basically just panties that come with some extra padding in the crotch area and they have a couple loops sewn into that area as well that allow for you to double up, or triple up even, on the protection by adding absorbent inserts. The panties and the inserts are made of super soft organic cotton (95%) and they are oh so comfortable. The other 5% is lycra to make the panties snug fitting. The ones given to me for this review are a pretty purple color but I see from the web site that they also come in black. I like the purple.
After using them for a week recently I can say that I REALLY love them. I plan to buy a couple more pairs and they, coupled with my Diva Cup, will be what I reach for every month. I also like the fact that I can still use many of my other cloth pads with them too. On heavy flow days I do need to use inserts just for my own peace of mind, and for a couple days I just used the underwear and the Diva Cup with no issues. On the last day or so I just wore the panties with no insert. I didn’t even feel like I was on my period and that ladies is lovely, as I am sure you know!
There have several different sizes (S-3XL) and have several different styles from briefs to thongs. I would recommend getting one pair and trying them to see how you like the fit and style and then ordering more. I requested large size granny panties (briefs would be the name they use) and the large seemed… well… kinda large. They seemed to me that they are sized a little to big.
The price for the panties is $29.99. If you usually buy panties at Wal-Mart for $2.00 a pop then this might seem expensive. If you buy panties at Victoria’s Secret then these will seem like a good deal. I think they are a great value, especially given that they are high quality and organic. 3 panties, my inserts and pads, and my Diva Cup will do me just fine and I will still save in the long run because I don’t have to buy sanitary napkins or tampons every month.
The washing is also very easy. I just threw them in the wash on cold and let them soak for an hour and then rinsed and spun. Then I washed them with a load of towels. They did not stain but I wouldn’t have cared much if they did…. that’s just not a big deal to me. The Luna company recommends Nellie’s A-Natural Laundry Soda Soap Detergent, which I have used and like and they suggest BunchaFarmers Biodegradable Stain Remover Stick for stains. Never heard of it but I may have to try that now!
All in all I find this to be one of those great products that really makes life more comfortable and convenient and yet has the benefit of being the greener option to. A++
They sure arent the sexyest but they are great for the environment. I am still not sure if I would buy simply because they look like granny panties, lol!
Oh I LOVE me some granny panties!! LOL. Sexy can kiss my arse, I want comfortable!
Thanks for the great review Tiffany!
To Christina, Lunapanties come in a range of styles, the one pictured here is the Hipster style, if you want something a little sexier we also have a bikini as well as a thong style. There’s a little something for everyone!
How awesome!! I can’t wait to try the bikini style (well, I CAN wait lol) as soon as AF returns!
Not sure I’d like the panties. My faves are from:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Randumosity
They’re fun! And I just put them in with the “socks, underwear and other stinky things” load of laundry on hot.
Yes, love your points here. I have the diva cup, and I LOVE that thing. SO love not having to buy pad, tampons, etc. I will try these though. thanks for the review!
these seem really cool and like something i would want to try. but i don’t understand one thing….how often do you change them? if you’re at work do you need to change your panties? can you wear these longer than you can wear a disposable pad?
Danielle, the key is to change the insert before the actual panties get saturated. That prevents stains and keeps you from having to put on a new pair. I would say the best method is to have 2-3 pairs that you wear during your period.
I don’t know if you know this – but there is a TERMINEX ad on your blog! It’s rotating between some green ads… but… AHH!!!!!!!
I am really interested in this! I’m wondering how it works, though. Does the insert go against the skin? Or is the insert between a top and bottom layer of cloth? I am worried about it soaking through. Do cloth pads with a PUL bottom layer exist?
Katie, I do have some PUL lined pads (not from Lunapads) and I use them on heavier days. The liners from Lunapanties go against the skin and are very absorbent. If changed before they get to saturated you won;t have an issue with soaking through… but if I had to leave the house for an extended period of time I would likely grab one of my PUL lined pads.
Thanks for such great info. I am now looking into greener options. I have been using the seventh generation products but they are still going into the landfill so it is time for a change!! Is there any links to all of your fav place to buy?
Thanks again!!
I love Lunapads and the panties.