Review of Low Cost Period Pants

Review of Cheeky Wipes Heavy Absorbency Period Pants - Feeling Fearless High Waisted Period Pants with Extra Absorbency

The Feeling Fearless Pants (currently not on sale) are high waisted and have the absorbent panel running all the way from the front to the back which is important for me because I apparently don’t bleed nice and neatly in the middle of the gusset. When ordering I liked that these pants had lace panels which I thought would be a bit sexier than normal period pants and I chose high waisted because I often feel bloated during my period and a lower cut tends to emphasise my belly. 

I wanted to like these pants, but I just don’t. I got them in a size 14 to 16 which is a fair reflection of my current size and I found the leg holes uncomfortably tight, but the back and front panels were slightly baggy, which isn’t attractive. They are made even less flattering thanks to the lace panel showing my slightly sagging (I’ve had 3 children and I’m nearly 40) belly which I didn't realise would happen due to living mostly in cheap black cotton pants since my eldest was born. 

The fit and appearance I could forgive and blame on them not being a good match to my body shape, but I also find the seam between the absorbent panel and the lace really uncomfortable, it sticks out (or I guess *into* my bum cheeks) and if I’m moving around it chaffs and itches horribly. They are quite bulky too, but that is fairly common for the higher absorbency period pants.  Unsurprisingly given they are the only pants reviewed claiming to be for heavy absorbency these pants came out top in my table top absorbency test. Despite the discomfort I’ve worn them a few times now, especially at night because I am happy with the absorbency and the size of the panel, but in both appearance and comfort I don’t rate them.

Cheeky Wipes period pants review - Feeling Fearless

Review of Cheeky Wipes Moderate Absorbency Period Pants - Feeling Pretty Lace Topped Period Pants with 4 layer absorbency

The Feeling Pretty “mid rise” pants are available in a range of colours. They have about an inch of lace around the top of the pants and are a similar shiny nylon/ elastane mix to the Fearless pants on the rest of the outside. The seams are flat so the longer length gusset is more comfortable. The gusset feels about half the thickness of the higher absorbency cheeky pants. Like the other pants in the range the panel runs from front to back (other than wear the lace is at the top of the pants). Again I'm not a big fan of the style or the cut and found the leg holes uncomfortably tight, but overall these pants are more comfortable than the Feeling Fearless style.

Cheeky Wipes Period Pants state on their website that you can buy a pair and if you don’t like them you can get a “full refund” within 45 days. I don’t know if that includes postage and obviously you would need to choose wisely as you will only get one pair refunded, but it makes trying them lower risk. Think carefully about the style you are likely to be most comfortable with if you want to try them.

Cheeky Wipes period pants review - Feeling Pretty

Review of WUKA Basics Hipster Medium Flow Period Pants

WUKA is a popular period pant brand so when they brought out their basics range I had to try a pair. Available in one style and two absorbency levels WUKA Basics Hipster pants (affiliate link) cost £12 with free post and packaging for the medium flow. The Heavy Flow Basics pants cost £18 which falls outside of the value price range in my view. The WUKA normal ranges cost between £19.99 and £24.99.

The Basics pants are a cotton/ polyester mix which is comfy, but always feels a bit more functional and less pretty to me than other materials. I find mine often end up with fluff etc and look a bit more tired than nylon mixes etc. 

WUKA say these medium flow pants should hold about 15ml of period flow. The gusset absorbent panel goes up to waist line at the back, but not all the way up to the top in the front. In my table top test of the pants reviewed in this post the WUKA Basics were the second most absorbent and only started to show signs of dampness at the seams when I added 15ml of water in a very short time frame (normally that level of loss would be spread over hours). The absorbent panel feels much thinner, and so less nappy like, than the more absorbent Cheeky Wipes pants.  The material absorbed the water quickly and felt dryer than the other pants so I was really impressed with them.

I found the pants were a little tight around the leg holes, but not as much as the Cheeky Wipes pants. My main negative about these pants is the cut. I prefer my pants with a higher leg cut and higher rising, but I can't fault the quality of the pants. If you are happy with hipster style pants these are an excellent pair of period pants to go for.  They have made me very tempted to try one of their more expensive pants in a style which might better suit me.

WUKA offer a 40 days trial with free exchange and refund on their pants.  You can buy will free postage on their website or you can buy them in several shops including: Superdrug, Sainsburys, Planet Organic, Ocado and Whole Foods.

WUKA Basics Hipster period pants review

Review of Floweret Period Pants

I bought these pants on offer for £5.99 with £4.95 postage. The price listed on their website seems to vary eg at time of writing they are £11.99 down from £23.99, but a few weeks ago they were showing as £19.99 full price which definitely doesn’t fall into the value range. As they appear to do big discounts every so often I thought they were worth including. To be honest I’m always a little dubious when companies reduce their products so significantly at times and it makes me want to avoid buying from them full price, but suspicions aside what are they like?

Described as “mid-rise pants” they are only a slightly lower cut than the Cheeky Wipes high rise ones. They claim to hold 15 to 20ml and they only come in one style. In my table top test they weren't very absorbent compared to the other styles tested. While they may hold the stated level of blood if discharged at a slow rate, my absorbency test raises questions over this. The company primarily focus on selling a menstrual cup so their pants are probably designed for the many cup users who like to wear something as back up or on the lighter flow days. The cotton/ spandex outer pants is plain with a think strip of elastic at the top. The absorbent gusset goes up to the top at the back and a little higher at the front to some of the other brands, but not all the way to the top. The way the gusset is stitched in should ensure it lies flat and doesn’t irritate, but it isn’t hemmed so looks a bit cheap to me. The pants on a whole don’t impress me with their quality of appearance and while they are decent value for the price I paid (essentially £11) there are a huge number of better period pants for their full price equivalent including Modibodi, Thinx and WUKA. 

Floweret Period Pants Review

Review of Love Luna Period Pants (AD Gifted)

Love Luna pants can be bought from Sainsburys (either in larger stores or you can order for collection). They have 2 styles currently in their period pants range as well as few options in their “leaks” range which say they are suitable for period wear as well. Their pants cost £10 to £12. I received 2 pairs in August 2020 as part of my previous periods pants post (so I have disclosed this part as AD Gifted, but I had no obligation to post about them further).

I am including the pants in this post both because of their cost and because I think they are really good pants for the price. I received 2 different styles: a fuller brief which are cotton and a mid-rise pair in nylon/ elastane mix which are less absorbent. It looks like they no longer sell the second pair which is a shame because they are good for light flow days, however the style replacing them look very similar. My only criticism of these pants is the absorbent gusset is quite small and I think it’s the same in the newer style (although they say it’s longer than a standard pad).  

The Love Luna Black Period Full Knickers are one of the pairs I regularly reach for during my period because I find they fit well and are comfortable. With the outer layer of black cotton (and elastane) they look a little scruffy after 6 or so washes, unlike nylon pants, but this doesn’t affect their performance or comfort. The full knickers hold 15 to 20 ml and the gusset goes two thirds of the way up the back with the remaining middle section at the back double layered which feels like it offers some extra protection, but isn't actually waterproofed in my test. Some of the name and washing instructions which are printed on are peeling off, but it’s still readable. For the £10 price tag these are great value, functional period pants.

Love Luna Period Pants Review

Love Luna is available in supermarkets

Review of Innersy Period Pants from Amazon

I thought I better check out what was available on Amazon. The majority of period pants that come back in search results are by Innersy. I was a little wary about these pants from the poorly written description, but I ordered a 3 pack described as “Heavy flow”. In the instructions they clearly state they should be used as back up or light flow days which left me wondering why they were described as heavy flow. Possibly because if your flow is heavy you will probably leak so these will provide you with a window to get to the toilet? They were £18.99 for a 3 pack (with free prime delivery).

The Innersy pants have 3 layers including a "slight absorbent" fabric and a "leak resistant" barrier, but it doesn’t feel like there is much absorbency. Comfort wise they are good (I went for a size 16) and it’s nice that there are a range of colours. The panel runs all the way up the back. I was actually impressed in my table top test that they could hold onto before leaking given there is so little substance in the gusset. 

Other than for spotting or very light bleeding I wouldn’t be confident to wear these alone, but if you are looking for a back up for a cup or tampons and want something instead of panty liners then these should work fine for a low cost (just over £6 per pair).

Review Innersy Period Pants from Amazon

Conclusion - Which Period Pants To Go For?

If you are looking for low cost period pants then there is a growing range out there so you are bound to find some that fit your style. There are several brands than can provide reassuring absorbency and protection against leaks at a lower price point and are comparable to higher value pants I have reviewed. If you are looking for a really good pair of high absorbency pants I think you need to pay more though. The Cheeky Wipes “Feeling Fearless” pants look like they would hold the most liquid from the styles I tried and the size of the gusset will provide reassurance, but I would struggle to recommend them because I think they are so uncomfortable. 

The biggest challenge to choosing pants is finding ones you will be most comfortable wearing. My original period pants post includes lots of information about period pants, but ultimately comfort is hard to advise on because we all have different body shapes. Based on my experience I would recommend Love Luna or the WUKA Basics if you are looking for low cost period pants for a moderate flow.

Period Pants Discount codes

Cheeky Wipes, WUKA and Floweret all offer regularly discounts and offers on their period pants. There were great deals on Black Friday, but there have also been discounts for International Women's Day and when new product lines have dropped.

If there aren't any valid discounts listed below then sign up to the relevant newsletters or follow the accounts on social media if you are happy to wait. Alternatively I would suggest buying a pair to see if you like them then buying in bulk when discounts are available.

Cheeky Wipes Discount codes and offers

15% order off your first order using this affiliate link

25% off sitewide until 3rd May (no discount code needed, discount automatically applied at check out).

10% if you sign up to the mailing list

10% 3 for 2 until 28th Feb

WUKA Discount codes and offers

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