Me "Thinx" I Like It

Hi gents, this post is for the ladies. Feel free to stick around if you have a lady in your life who sends you to the store for monthly supplies. :)

Ladies (and men who love ladies), let's talk about the realities of how much waste is created by tampon applicators and disposable sanitary pads. It astronomical, when you consider the ~2 billion women on the planet of the right age range X multiple products per month. Outside of the applicators, the tampons themselves contain plastics, if you aren't purchasing organic cotton, and some users question the health effects of chemicals used to bleach them.

I'm in a few circles of women who are concerned about the environmental and health impacts of their monthly cycles, and swear by menstrual cups. It's definitely a matter of personal style, but I'm not quite ready to go there yet. So when I started seeing ads for Thinx underwear, I was intrigued. These are absorbent panties that are supposed to replace up to two tampons worth of flow. This is the same concept as a reusable pad built right into the underwear, or for you mamas out there, the choice between disposable or cloth diapers for your little ones.

I ordered a few pairs, tested them out, and am pretty stoked overall. They come in a variety of styles, so you can wear the cut that matches your regular style. Things to note: they are a little bit thicker than my regular underwear (more like wearing bikini bottoms) so I worry they would show under leggings or more fitted clothes; however, they were discreet under medium weight jeans. I was also interested to see that that nude colored Thinx were black on the inside - no signing up for stained underwear.

Thinx definitely delivered on their promise. They were effective, kept me feeling dry, and no leaks. Ultimately, this probably comes down to personal preference. Having been both a pad-user and tampon-user at different points in my life, pad-wearers will be getting an upgrade. These keep you dryer than with a pad, substantially less bulky, and you don't have to worry about overflow. For tampon-wearers, it may be a little bit of adjustment getting used to free-flow. These are a no-brainer for light days, and great for tampon backup on heavy days. For super-heavy days, a you'll probably need to switch to a new pair at night.

Now, these panties come at a premium price, averaging about $34 a pair. I'm definitely not used to spending that, so I did a quick breakdown of when I'd break even. The answer? If I ditch tampons for a year, I break even at 3.5 pairs. This may or may not make sense based on your laundry cycle, but the good news is you won't be spending extra money for the greener option.

$10 x 3 pairs regular panties
$7 (1 box of tampons) X 12 months
=$114

$34 x 3 pairs of Thinx
=$96

Not entirely ready to make the leap? Thinx has a happiness guarantee, and offer discounts when you purchase multiple pairs. Next best thing: opt for organic cotton and applicator-free disposables.