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The best period pants, for stylish but effective absorbency
I’ve been wearing period pants for over five years, trialling almost every brand on the market, and I’ll never look back.
Just like regular underwear, pants for your period come in a range of styles – high-waisted, bikini, midi, hipster, shorts and so on – but with an absorbent lining to hold menstrual blood. They’re also good for soaking up little leaks, which can be useful postpartum or throughout the menopause.
Ranging in price from £10 for a pack of three pants to £60 for a pair of period leggings, there are styles to suit every activity and flow, including period thongs and swimwear. I’ve worn period pants from specialists Modibodi, Bodyform and Wuka, high street retailers like M&S and Primark and independent brands like Nixi.
Aside from comfort, the average person uses up to 11,000 period products in their lifetime, mostly ending up in landfill (it takes 500 to 800 years for a standard disposable pad to break down) and creating microplastic pollution. Period underwear is worn, washed and worn again, making it a more sustainable and cost-effective option over the years. Here are my favourite five.