Top 10 Reusable Menstrual Pads – 2021
A great reusable menstrual pad should be comfortable, affordable and well made. It should stay in place and absorb just as well— if not better— than any disposable sanitary pad. Today’s reusable sanitary pads are like close allies for your body, disappearing underneath your clothes and letting you live your life as you would any other day of the month. Read through for the ten best menstrual pads, and get ready to be wowed by one of the best-kept secrets in personal care.
Why Reusable Pads?
If you’re new to the world of reusable menstrual pads or are in search of a better brand, you’ve come to the right place. Most of us grew up with disposable feminine hygiene products. It seemed that the only option was to go to the drugstore and purchase what was available there: Plastic-backed, bleached out, white cotton disposables, sometimes with a funky perfume. Not only did the cost of buying them month after month quickly add up, but they could be very uncomfortable to wear (chafing, anyone?).
Cloth pads can cost more up front than a pack of disposables, but they last for a very long time. Imagine not having to spend another cent on pads or tampons— for years! In addition to saving you money over the long run, reusable pads are more comfortable and are better for the environment– and did we mention cloth pads come in cute prints, too?
The average American woman uses nearly 17,000 tampons in her lifetime — or as many as 24,000 if she undergoes estrogen replacement therapy. And that’s just tampons. Women also use innumerable sanitary pads in place of, or in addition to, tampons. After giving birth, some women may also use maternity and nursing pads.
The worrisome thing is that sanitary pad manufacturers aren’t required to list all of the chemicals in the pads. Some consumer watchdogs have done testing on them and said they show indications that they may contain dioxins, synthetic fibers and petrochemical additives. We know a lot these days about the hazardous nature of plastic chemicals, so many women are thinking twice about wearing these plastic products so close to their skin.
The Most Recommended Menstrual Cup to Wear with reusable Period Pads
Reusable menstrual pads are also great to use as a permanent “back-up solution” to menstrual cups, for days when your flow is really heavy. If you’re one of those gals who is really eco-friendly, you probably have a menstrual cup already to wear alongside your reusable menstrual pad.
The Venus Cup is one of the best menstrual cups to wear with your reusable menstrual pad. It’s comfortable and comes in two sizes (small and large); it’s also priced competitively, made in America with biocompatible, medical grade silicone, and is FDA registered. There are no excess chemicals, BPAs, Phthalates, Dioxins, or Toxins in it, so you can feel really safe using it alongside your reusable menstrual pad.
A big plus about the Venus Cup is the fact that they have great customer service working around the clock, and a very detailed FAQs section on their website dedicated to helping you with any question imaginable.
Best Reusable Pad Brands
More and more stores are carrying reusable pads these days, but now with the Internet, anyone can buy high quality, comfortable, reusable menstrual pads from home.
There are established companies that produce cloth pads and smaller ‘cottage industry’ makers of the pads; many of them are a home-based business of one. There is a wide selection to choose from, so we’ve scoured the market to compare as many reusable pads as we can in order to find the best. We hope to help you to make the right choice for you with this list of the Top 10 Reusable Menstrual Pads.
Useful links:
- Reusable Cloth Pads – FAQs
- Cloth vs. Disposable Menstrual Pads
- Tampons & Pads vs. Menstrual Cups & Cloth Pads – What’s Right for You?
- Choosing the Right Fabric for Your Reusable Menstrual Pad
Tree Hugger ® Reusable Cloth Pads
This company sets itself apart by using luxurious fabrics in fun colors and prints, plus they partner with WeForest, and plant a tree for every single cloth pantyliner and pad they sell. The company is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and produces other eco-friendly products including cloth diapers and nursing pads.
Limited Offer! Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 CAN/USA
GladRags ® Reusable Cloth Pads
Unlike some other reusable menstrual pads, GladRags don’t have a plastic backing, which means less irritation. And they’re designed to last at least five years if taken care of properly.
LunaPads ® Reusable Cloth Pads
Sckoon Organic ® Reusable Cloth Pads
PantyProp ® Reusable Cloth Pads
When worn with PantyProp garments, these double-sided pads provide protection from front, back, and side stains and leaks. The design is meant to offer maximum discretion and comfort, so it’s as if you’re not wearing a pad at all.
PantyProp’s reusable double-sided pads are made with a combination of soft cotton and super-absorbent cashmere wool. They are eco-friendly, machine washable, and affordable, and they are made in the USA.
Domino Pads ® Reusable Cloth Pads
Domino Pads are made from high-quality fabrics such as Windpro fleece. In addition to the patterned pads, which are hand-dyed, they also offer pads that are undyed (called natural). Domino Pads are available in seven different sizes and five absorbency levels and come with wings that snap closed. Keep in mind, when you order direct from the site, every pad is handmade to order. This requires a seven-day or less turnaround time for most orders to ship. To get the pads faster, you can buy ready-made Domino Pads on Amazon.com.
Bububibi ® Reusable Cloth Pads
Heart Felt ® Reusable Cloth Pads
Party In My Pants ® Reusable Cloth Pads
Hannahpad ® Reusable Cloth Pads
Limited Offers: $6.95 (AU) Delivery and Free on orders over AU $50.00 in Australia.
International Delivery from AU $10.00
To Sum It All Up
We’ve put together this list in an order that makes sense to us and would work for most people who are shopping for reusable menstrual pads. However, your own list could be different depending on what is most important to you.
Is eco-friendliness more important than the lowest price? Do you prefer to have handmade products with some variability or the consistency offered by mass-produced items? A beautiful design may rank higher for you than where the pad was made. Your preference also might differ depending on whether you want to have pads to cover your entire menstrual cycle or just as a backup for a menstrual cup.
We tried to rank these pads in order of comfort, absorbency, durability and design. We hope this list will be of great help for finding the best reusable menstrual pad for your needs!
How to Choose?
With so many reusable pads to choose from, where should a girl begin? After reading the reviews, looking at pictures and watching some videos, a few brands of pads are probably catching your interest. Many companies will offer free samples or at least, samples where you pay for shipping only, as a way to try out their brand. Some women like to check out a new cloth pad brand by ordering an inexpensive pantyliner. That can give you a good idea of the type of materials being used to see if it’s something you’d like to wear for your entire cycle. Whatever reusable pads you choose, We wish you luck; and as always, have fun with it!
- HannahCup – Menstrual Cup – Full Review - April 7, 2021
- Fema Cup Review - March 14, 2021
- Kind Cup Review - March 14, 2021
NEVER BUY YOURCOSYSHOP PADS!
This was a terrible experience. I received the package and took the pads out of the box right away to find that these pads are not made of breathable fibers like cotton or bamboo and contain synthetic fibers. This was a huge disappointment. After sending an email to return the product, I was told that I have to pay for shipping on my own to ship them back to the company in France. The cost of shipping would have been more than what I had paid for the package originally, so this made no sense. After reaching out to the company to ask them to reconsider and pay for the return shipping, the employee declined.
Horrible experience. Product does not deliver on what it offers and return policy makes the customer responsible for any fault. Would never buy this again or recommend to anyone.
Lilova review:
I normally buy XL underwear so I ordered XL panties from Lilova because they said they were true to size. They were way too small, measuring significantly smaller around than normal XLs and there is zero stretch to them. I couldn’t even get them over my hips without fear of ripping them. I tried to exchange for the next size up, $4 shipping fee, but I thought it was worth it cuz I really wanted some. I sent my return in and waited a month to receive them, had to email them back to actually get it processed.
They were STILL too small. I could get them on but I’d have MAJOR muffin top and they’d be very uncomfortable to wear. Since they were still too small I asked to exchange or return them (I honestly wanted to just return them and try a different brand), took them a week to get back to me and they want to charge me $10 for shipping this time, no option to return even though it had only been three weeks from when I received the replacements and when I requested my return. So now I’m either stuck with 4 pairs of expensive underwear that don’t fit or I pay another $10 for 4 pairs of expensive underwear that *might* fit. And if they don’t I’ve exhausted the available size selection and am stuck with underwear that don’t fit.
Can’t even tell you if they work because I can’t wear them.
If you’re gonna buy these go at least two sizes up. I don’t understand why they don’t just make them the right size and account for lack of stretch in the first place. Seems pretty basic practice to me for a company where all they do is make underwear. For $30 a pair they should be made correctly.
It’s been a while I use Tree Huggers Pads but I recently switched to YourCosyShop Lillypads, they use active bamboo charcoal and it filter odors way better ( they are a bit more absorbent too ! )
Would definitely recommend to add them to the review
Thanks for the post
Having abundant menstrual periods I prefer high-volume menstrual cups, but I think menstrual panties should be the most comfortable method for those who can !
Hi. I’m moving to Africa. Which material would be best for hot weather? Many thanks
All cotton like Glad Rags- they stood up to their warranty with hand washing and machine washing and all kinds of crazy water in Africa and Asia.
I use Pink Lemonade Shop cloth pads and love the high quality and pretty prints! I was surprised that you don’t have my favorite shop listed.
Wanted to point out that the information for party in my pants was not current, dont know about other companies though.
What would you recommend as the best reusable pad for someone who is highly active and doesn’t want their pad sliding around?
How often do you need to change? What do you do when the pad is soaked and you are out of the house?
Uhhh…bring more with you. Put the dirty one in a water proof bag which most companies sell as well.
I would swap out the pad as you feel necessary. I know some people who like to change it if there’s any blood present when they use the toilet. Others only swap out if they soiled their pad significantly. It’s all up to you and how comfortable you are.
If you plan on using cloth pads, people normally also invest in a “wet bag” or a “wet/dry” bag. These come in a variety of shapes, sizes and fun patterns or plain. They have a waterproof lining that keeps your soil pads contained. It may also have a “dry” area that you can store clean pads.
My niece uses a small wet bag while she’s at school. 🙂 You can find plenty to choose from on Etsy 🙂