Where to get soft cups

Some of the cups have a smoother silicone than others, and we found that the cups with the very plasticky silicone, like the Luna and Yuuki cups, required more lube going in and out of the tube.

I spilled the most trying to remove the Luna cup, as it would catch on the silicone and I had to yank a bit more to get it out. But most cups were easy to insert and remove, opened up without much trouble, and performed well overall. Which makes our job a lot harder here. Most cups are really, really similar in fact, some cups seem to be made at the exact same facilities using the same molds.

And the shape of the cup, rather than being the bell-shaped curve, has more of a kidney-bean-shaped bottom with grippy rings that are really easy to hold onto. We found that this design makes removal easier, since the cup is shaped to be pinched. The Cora cup is made of the same soft silicone so many cups are and is easy to clean.

It holds slightly less volume than some of our other picks, so if you know you have a heavy flow you might find yourself emptying it more than some of the other options.

We really like MeLuna cups in general, because they are so customizable. Unlike most cups, which come in only two sizes, MeLuna cups come in a whole bunch of sizes and styles. We tested a handful of combinations of firmnesses, handles, and sizes, and they were all easy to insert and remove because we could fold them in all sorts of ways thanks to them hitting a sweet spot of firmness and thickness. They were also easy to clean. The MeLuna Classic falls into the middle of the size range we tested.

Unlike most menstrual cups, which are made of medical-grade silicone, the MeLuna is made of medical-grade thermoplastic elastomer TPE. The material is manufactured in Germany, where it must comply with standards that allow it to be used in products like baby pacifiers.

You can get the MeLuna Classic in four sizes , from small to extra-large. The small cup holds between 10 and 28 milliliters, and the extra-large holds between 21 and 42 milliliters. The MeLuna Classic is also right in the middle of the pack when it comes to firmness. In addition to a cloth carrying pouch, MeLuna cups come with a small brush that can be helpful for fine-detail cleaning.

The MeLuna offers the shortest cup we could find, with an entire Shorty line of cups for those who have very low cervixes. It has all the same attributes we like about the MeLuna Classic. The caveat here is that if you also have a narrow vagina, the DivaCup might be uncomfortable to wear because it is relatively wide.

If you have a long but narrow vagina, go with the MeLuna. In the United States, the DivaCup is a best seller. But the DivaCup is actually one of the largest, longest cups you can buy the MeLuna Classic Medium is 48 millimeters long, and the DivaCup is 66 millimeters long. The Lena cup is a good choice here. The silicone on the Lena is really nice and smooth, but no less firm than the MeLuna or DivaCup, and of the wide cups we tested it was the easiest one to handle without spillage.

For a long time menstrual discs were available only in disposable form, most commonly as the Softdisc formerly known as the Softcup , made by Flex Company. Now, however, reusable menstrual discs are available, and we decided to test three of them.

Discs do not sit in the vaginal canal the way cups do. To use a disc, you squeeze the rim so that the disc becomes a long, thin shape like a tampon , and you insert it up into the vagina and push it all the way back so that the farthest part of the disc finds its way tucked up behind your cervix. Then you press the side of the disc closest to you up and tuck it up behind your pubic bone. This tension is what keeps the disc in place. Removing a disc also differs from removing a cup: Rather than pinching the bottom of the disc and pulling out, you insert a finger into your vaginal canal and hook it under the rim of the disc.

As with a menstrual cup, inserting, positioning, and removing a menstrual disc involves a learning curve. Discs require you to insert your fingers much farther up your vaginal canal than cups do.

If you have a low cervix, menstrual discs are probably not the right option for you, as they do require a certain amount of space to fit comfortably. In fact, for most people, we recommend a menstrual cup over a disc. That said, some people prefer menstrual discs. But you might need to reach in and push the disc back in place if this happens. If you do think you want to try a menstrual disc, we recommend starting with trying a disposable one like the Flex disc.

Of these, we think the Lumma Unique is the best option, particularly for people who like the way a disposable disc fits and feels. Lumma Unique : The Lumma is the only menstrual disc that actually comes with size options, offering Short, Medium, and High options that refer to the height of your cervix.

The Lumma is also the only disc available that has a little string to help you remove it, which we found beneficial given how far into the vaginal canal you have to place a disc. Ziggy : Unlike the other two discs we tested, the Ziggy is oblong and actually has a correct orientation for insertion. I found that when trying to hook my finger under and remove the Ziggy, I wound up disturbing the contents enough to cause spillage most of the time. A tester who used both the Ziggy and the Nixit during penetrative intercourse reported that the two discs performed relatively similarly, but she preferred the Nixit as it was easier to remove, and although she could always feel the Ziggy during sex, eventually the Nixit was undetectable.

A good hot wash or boil is totally fine. Before cleaning your cup, you should always read the instruction manual that comes with it. You should follow the rules for your cup, with one exception: Many companies that make menstrual cups also sell special soaps and cleaning wipes along with them, and they might even recommend these things in their manuals.

Any hand soap will work just fine. In general, there are two types of menstrual cup cleaning: the cleaning you do in between insertions during your cycle , and the cleaning you do in between cycles. Depending on what your flow is like, how often that emptying should be will change. But inevitably all menstrual cup users find themselves in some public bathroom stall dumping menstrual blood down the toilet. In some bathrooms at home or in single-person bathrooms, for example , you can wash the cup off in the sink with mild soap before reinserting, though not every bathroom provides that luxury.

For these scenarios, many people carry baby wipes around with them to wipe out the cup before reinserting it. In between cycles: Many people like to sterilize their cup once their cycle is over, with a bit more of a deep clean than they might perform just between wears.

You have lots of ways to do this. Many people boil their cups again, check the info on your cup to see whether it warns against boiling for about three to five minutes. Others use sterilization tablets like these. Lots of menstrual cup fan sites advise using either hydrogen peroxide or bleach to sterilize the cups, but we would advise against that because both chemicals might eat the silicone that your cup is made of and cause all kinds of problems.

Sealing the cup like that makes it impossible for the moisture on the cup to go anywhere, and the cup can get stinky.

If you have no prior experience using one, then folding, inserting, and removing a menstrual cup for the first time—or first several times—can be challenging. Every person I talked to who uses a menstrual cup told me that it definitely involves a learning curve. There are tons of ways to fold up a menstrual cup. You can see a video of some of them. We found that the punch-down fold and the 7 fold were the easiest to use; they made the cup the smallest yet still gave us a spot to grip that kept the cup from opening up before we let go.

This is the hardest part. You fold the cup and insert it into your vagina. Then you release the cup, and it should pop open inside you. Another good trick to making sure the cup is open and positioned right is to grab the bottom and twist the cup gently. We recommend squatting over the toilet for this part, especially for the first few times, just in case. Instead, pinch the bottom of the cup, and then slowly remove it. We do not recommend just pulling on the stem, whatever the design, to get the cup out.

When we tested the cups this way, it was a disaster every time. For us, what happened was a lot of blood all over the place. Once the cup is properly positioned, it should feel the same way a tampon does inside you. If you think about it, you can feel it there. Before assuming the sizing is wrong, try removing and inserting the cup a couple of times over a couple of cycles. If the stem is poking you, trim it. If the cup makes you feel like you need to pee all the time or is causing pain in your urethra, you might need a smaller cup or a softer cup.

The cup might be the right size, but it might just be too firm and pushing too hard on your vaginal walls. Or it might be too big. This takes a bit of learning. Again, you might consider wearing a liner or period panties while wearing a menstrual cup for the first few cycles, as you get the hang of it. In a July The Lancet Public Health analysis, researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and their colleagues found that cups were as likely—or more likely—to prevent menstrual leaks compared with tampons and pads.

Menstrual cups are considered a Class II medical device, just as pads and tampons are. Probably, though you should discuss this matter with a doctor.

There are very few studies exploring this topic. But the authors of an ongoing, prospective trial examining, among other things, patient-reported copper IUD expulsions associated with menstrual cup use have recommended that study participants do not continue using menstrual cups with an IUD.

Some of the study authors are employees of companies that are developing oral contraceptives, among other drugs. In theory, you take out the NuvaRing to get your period, so you would just replace the ring with the cup. We heard from at least one person who uses the ring and a cup together and says that it works fine.

TL;DR, you can try to wear both at once, but the cup might leak a bit. Yes, with the caveat that you might want to give yourself some practice with the cup first before you do any strenuous biking. A note about flow: It might seem like you bleed a lot during your period. But the average person who menstruates usually loses 35 to 50 milliliters of menstrual blood during their cycle PDF. The smaller menstrual cups can usually hold around 25 milliliters of fluid, and the larger ones around 30 milliliters.

Those with menorrhagia lose more than 80 milliliters of blood during their periods. But that simply means changing the cup more often, just as you might change a pad or tampon more often with a heavy flow. Anyway, this is all to say that the answer here is probably yes. But if you have concerns, talk to your OB-GYN about them, and they can give you guidance for your specific body.

In fact, some people like cups exactly for this reason. Tampons and pads are very good at absorbing liquids, but not so good at absorbing solids. Because the opening of the cup surrounds the cervix, even if your flow tends to wind up on one side of your vagina, the cup will catch it. Yes, if you can use tampons, you can use a cup. Reusable menstrual cups are durable and can last for 6 months to 10 years with proper care.

Throw away disposable cups after removal. Menstrual cups may be an affordable and environmentally friendly option, but you still need to keep a few things in mind:.

Menstrual cups are more cost-effective than tampons and pads. For many women, using a menstrual cup is a no-brainer. Before you make the switch, make sure you know what you need in a feminine hygiene product:. If you answered yes to these questions, then the menstrual cup is right for you. With so many options available, it can be tough to know where to start. Learn more about selecting a menstrual cup and how to determine which one's…. Be the kind of girl who inspires people to pay kindness forward.

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Anyone with a period may be looking for a sustainable way to manage menstruation. What if you live in a refugee camp? On the streets? Menstrual cups are considered a Class II medical device by the Food and Drug Administration FDA , meaning that rather than the agency testing each cup individually, manufacturers must assert that their products have the same design and function as those already cleared for sale by the FDA.

Most menstrual cups have a pull tab or a stem that you can use to get them out. Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance , tech and tools , wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Follow Select.

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