Thinx

December 24, 2018 12:39 PM

Have you tried think (period underwear)? Did it work out for you?

I'm only interested in hearing about period underwear, NOT menstrual cups.

posted by Aranquis to Health & Fitness (26 answers total)

I’ve been using Knix’s period underwear for three cycles and am so happy with them that I’ve passed my stash of tampons onto my sister. I always had minor leakage issues with tampons but have not experienced that with these. The only issue I had was on the first day that I tried them, I wore some heavy jeans and the seam line in the crotch had some heavy friction with the underwear, resulting in a little leak through. I was bummed and ready to throw in the towel, but after that no issues.
posted by icaicaer at 12:48 PM on December 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Tried it, life-changing! GET IT.
posted by rada at 12:49 PM on December 24, 2018 [3 favorites]

I like them a lot. For heavy bleeding days I use tampons plus Thinx undies, never had a bleeding-through incident. For light days or at night I use only the Thinx undies. I rinse them out in the sink and then they go in the washing machine, works absolutely fine.
posted by CompanionCube at 12:52 PM on December 24, 2018

I haven’t used them (iud; it’s not worth it for what little period I get) but my best friend did and LOVED them. (Of course, she promptly got pregnant like three months after buying them so she didn’t get as much use out of them as she’d like and now they don’t fit....)
posted by Weeping_angel at 12:54 PM on December 24, 2018

They did not work for me—I have much too heavy a flow, at least on day 1. But I gave them to my teenage daughter and she loves them, especially for sleeping.
posted by wisekaren at 1:02 PM on December 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

I FUCKING LOVE THEM. When it's a heavy flow day, I basically use them as backup to a tampon, but use them on their own on light flow days/at night/whenever I'd use a pantyliner (like if I think I might be getting my period but maybe not), and they are brilliant in terms of peace of mind. (They're also great if, say, you're going to be stuck in a window seat on an airplane on the day you're pretty sure you're going to get your period, because if you DO get it, no big deal -- you're covered. That kind of thing.)
posted by Countess Sandwich at 1:33 PM on December 24, 2018

They really did not work for me.
posted by limeonaire at 1:41 PM on December 24, 2018

I have a pair of Thinx that I sometimes use for sleeping. I get light periods so I can’t really comment on their absorbency, but I’m not super in love with them as underwear - they’re thick and swimsuity. (Which makes me think their activewear line is probably pretty good.)
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:11 PM on December 24, 2018

Yes, they are great. I take hormonal birth control pills so my period is very short and light, and it's so much easier than having to carry/worry about tampons. They are bulky so they will take up more space in your underwear drawer. But they feel totally normal and not diaper-y at all. I just wish they had more colors.
posted by matildaben at 2:12 PM on December 24, 2018

I have three pair and I like them. They're not really a style of underwear I'd wear day to day, so I really only use them at night. I've been thinking about getting a few pairs in other styles, though.
posted by rachaelfaith at 3:05 PM on December 24, 2018

I have two pairs that I use. One is a more absorbent pair that I use as backup on my heaviest day, combined with a menstrual cup. I have a heavy flow and sometimes get leaks if I'm out and about and don't feel like dumping the cup in a big public restroom. The underwear have always held just fine for that use. I haven't tried them alone but I seriously doubt I'd make it through a heavy day with just the underwear. The other is a lighter absorbency and I use it alone either on spotting days or light flow days/nights. I love them and should really buy more, they are just so expensive.

I don't rinse them out immediately afterwards, just let them dry on the side of my clothes bin (they're black so nothing really shows) and then throw them in the next wash (which are pretty frequent as we are a family of four). If they were heavily used I'll throw them in two consecutive washes. One issue I have had is that they are not supposed to go in the dryer as it wrecks the absorbency, so I have to be really careful to pull them out of the load before transferring.
posted by Cuke at 5:38 PM on December 24, 2018

I'll post a negative. I bought three pairs and loved them (no leakage as the only period protection, comfortable enough although fit a bit on the big side for me), but after the first few washes, they developed a permanent terrible smell that is reinvigorated every time I wear them during a cycle. This was with immediate thorough rinsing right after removal (with soap), washing in laundry and hang drying. They may have ended up in the dryer once, which possibly caused the problem?

I contacted customer service and they suggested that I soak them in vinegar before the next wash, which didn't seem to help (tried multiple times). So, now I only wear them as back-up for my cup, or when I'm sleeping or otherwise not leaving the house, as to not overwhelm my surroundings or permeate my jeans with their outrageous outhouse stank.
posted by Paper rabies at 6:58 PM on December 24, 2018 [5 favorites]

I have 5 pairs of Padkix- 3 in a smaller size, 2 in a larger size (bought in two different orders). Both have equal absorbency. I tend to wear the bigger pairs as they’re more comfortable, with the smaller as “I didn’t do laundry” pairs. I use period underwear by itself, with no tampon or cup.

Overall, my flow is light enough that I can wear them by themselves for most of a (24 hour) day and I feel dry and normal the whole day. I rinse immediately after taking them off. It’d probably be fine to not rinse on day 2-3 (flow is heavy enough to not dry out, takes like 5 minutes to rinse out) but if I don’t rinse on light days they sort of dry out and stain more (<1>
They work great when sleeping (no leaks in almost 3 years of use).
posted by smangosbubbles at 7:06 PM on December 24, 2018

Have 3 pairs, use them as backup to cup on first few days then alone last few days, just chuck them in the cold wash without thinking about it at all, they are weirdly thick so I wouldn't wear them just normally but they're ok. I think I got two of them in the dumb "cheeky" style which is like "congratulations always a wedgie" so I don't recommend that, and the remaining pair has a lace border that tears really easily when I forget not to pull them up by it (which is always, obviously). So maybe I did not pick the best style options but they work fine for me for their actual function.
posted by little cow make small moo at 7:51 PM on December 24, 2018

Use them with a tampon on heavy days to address leakage, and then alone on light or spotting days. I would never ever use them alone on a heavy day, even though they say it's possible. They are particularly good on days when you are expecting your period but don't know when exactly it will arrive, and on days towards the end when your not certain it's over.
posted by Toddles at 8:14 PM on December 24, 2018

I use the Thinx - I like them. It took a few tries to find the style I like. The boy short in particular I did not like. But I really like the high waisted pair with the sheer panels on the side. They’re my fave. I also have a cheeky I think and they’re ok. Like others I have to adjust that pair a lot but if I’m sleeping I don’t notice.

I really only use them for sleeping without a tampon and haven’t had a problem. Like some others I don’t necessarily like to wear them during the day instead of a tampon but ymmv. I have about three pairs which lasts a cycle for sleeping purposes for me. I don’t rinse them or anything - I didn’t know that was a thing. Maybe because I only have the black ones. I just toss them in the laundry and they turn out fine. Mine go in a heavy duty/commercial dryer and I haven’t noticed a change in their ability to function.

I mentioned using them to my ob/gyn just conversationally and she was weirdly dismissive! Dunno what that was about - I still kinda laugh about her reaction to myself.

I think they’re worth it for at least a try but I would think a bit about which style you think would work for you best. I think they run a little small imo.
posted by rdnnyc at 8:58 PM on December 24, 2018

To clarify, when I wear them to sleep, I wear them alone, with no pad or tampon. I don't wear them to work or running errands (mostly because I don't like the fit of the ones I have) but if I'm home during the day, I will also wear them solo.

I usually don't rinse them out before washing, unless it's been a particularly heavy day. I got mine in a beige color, with black lining, and the beige outer has definitely stained. I would get all black in the future.

Mine don't carry any smell that I can discern, once washed.

I agree that they do seem to run small (Thinx brand, anyway). And they feel a tiny bit like swimwear fabric.

Mine are all the 'cheeky' style and I don't think I would get them again. I'd like to try the thong style or maybe bikini. They also gave a boyshort style that sorta looks like Dolphin shorts, which is cute.
posted by rachaelfaith at 9:29 PM on December 24, 2018

I have a heavy flow so I haven't used thinx, but I do use lunapanties which allow you to add fabric lines to increase absorbency. You can also swap out liners throughout the day to keep the panties drier. I like them, have been using them for years. I particularly like them for those days when you're not sure when you're going to start to keep paranoia down,and as backup to a cup.

I just let them dry and throw then in the next hot wash.
posted by platypus of the universe at 4:41 AM on December 25, 2018

I absolutely love them. They changed my period from me contstantly doing an am-I-bleeding spot check, to being able to relax. I have a heavy flow and my job sometimes doesn’t allow me to take bathroom breaks whenever I want and it’s SUCH a lifesaver to know I won’t bleed through my pants. I use them as a backup a regular tampon most days. I have 4 pairs, with 3 more on the way.

The hardest part is remembering not to throw them in the dryer.
posted by Pretty Good Talker at 10:21 AM on December 25, 2018 [2 favorites]

I own four pairs and use them with tampons and for sleeping or exercising.
I have only had bleed through once, on a super heavy day.
I really like them as they reduce my spotting anxiety.
After use, I let them dry and then right before I do a load of laundry, I wash them out in the sink with some soap like Woolite, as I find there's a lot of stored liquid (gross) inside and I want to squeeze much of that out of them before I wash them with my other clothes. I haven't had a problem with smell so maybe it's because I hand-wash and then machine wash right after? No idea.
I let them air dry afterwards on a drying rack.
posted by egeanin at 2:22 PM on December 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

Paper rabies - I am so glad that you also had this issue with Thinx, as I was convinced it was just me. I washed them exactly as directed, and they have developed this totally horrible smell. Everything that I have tried to do to shift this stink has failed. The thing is that I've used washable cloth pads for years and never had this issue - whether they have been dried on the line or in a tumble drier they've never smelled bad.

Perhaps some interaction between whatever makes them less liaible to leaks (as that's the main difference from cloth pads) and one's personal vaginal flora explains the difference, and the fact that not everyone experiences this? They were handy before they got stinky, so maybe the solution would be to buy a single pair and wear them through a few cycles and see how they wash for you.
posted by Vortisaur at 3:12 PM on December 25, 2018

I absolutely love mine. I haven’t used a tampon or cup or anything but them in two years and only had one threat of a leak. I wear the ones that look like bike shorts on heavy days and have several others for light days. I generally shower when I change my underwear, so I just take them in the shower with me, squidge them around in the suds by the drain while I shower, then cold water wash within a day or two. Sometimes I use vinegar, sometimes I forget. My menstrual cup used to develop that godawful smell but so far no issues with these.
posted by sorrygottago at 5:20 PM on December 26, 2018

I was in the market to reduce single-use waste and went back and forth on getting Thinx before settling on washable/re-usable Luna Pads.They might supplement Thinx or provide more peace-of-mind for you.
posted by edgybelle27 at 6:33 PM on December 26, 2018

I have a pair I bought on sale sometime ago and the lacey top part of the band ripped from my thumbs when putting them on for the second or third time, I heard they maybe fixed that but still looks the same on the site now. I'm a tampon user and the one time I wore them on a regular period day without tampons I didn't really like the feeling of going to the bathroom and having the extra cleanup of blood (like if you were wearing a pad)-however it was not as messy as a pad and they didn't leak at all.
Now I just wear them on my very last day which is usually nothing (unless you go unprotected of course then you'll get a surprise) and maybe at night on my heaviest days if I remember I have them.

They are indeed thicker than regular underwear but as I was wearing them I didn't really feel like I had a diaper feeling.

I wash in the sink but have probably put them in the dryer a time or two. Oops?

Buy a pair now while they're on sale "BYE2018" for 10% off, expires come 2019!
posted by ataco at 7:27 PM on December 26, 2018

I use Thinx as backup for my menstrual cup on heavy days. I'm generally pretty pleased with them, with two caveats: (1) As you might expect, they don't breathe especially well, so things can get a mite...humid sometimes, especially if I'm walking a lot. If you're prone to yeast infections, beware. (2) I got three pairs of bikini briefs and one pair of boy shorts, all in the same size, and the boy shorts do not stay up AT ALL. They are just absurdly stretchy. (I could probably fit a house cat in there, in addition to myself.) I only wear them at night, inside form-fitting cotton bike shorts.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 11:52 PM on December 26, 2018

Yeah, the boy shorts are a weird fit. They don’t feel particularly stretchy to me, and even though they’re technically mid-rise they feel low-rise in a way I can’t explain, like they’re being held up by the bottom of my hips? A friend gave them to me because they didn’t work for her, and we have different body shapes but match the size chart. I’m not sure who they’re supposed to work for.
posted by Metroid Baby at 5:22 AM on December 27, 2018