Yahoo Finance 13 best menstrual cups for a more eco-friendly period
Every year, the disposal of single-use menstrual products, such as pads, tampons and applicators, creates more than 200,000 tonnes of waste in the UK, and it’s estimated that spending on single-use period products tops nearly £5,000 over a person’s lifetime, according to the charity Bloody Good Period.
Whether you’re looking to reduce your impact on the planet or cut the amount you spend on period products, a menstrual cup is an option well worth having on your radar. They’re reusable, can save you money and are a neat way to streamline the number of products in your bathroom, as a single menstrual cup can last up to 10 years (or more).
Another benefit of using a menstrual cup is that you can leave it in for up to 12 hours, meaning it’s a practical option for using overnight, when you’re out on long travels, exercising or while working shifts where changing a tampon or pad regularly might not be possible.
“When choosing a menstrual cup, it’s important to consider your flow type,” advises Lucy Lettice, co-founder of &Sisters , the UK’s largest plastic-free period care brand. For lighter flows, she recommends mixing a menstrual cup with reusable pads.
“Applying a small amount of lube to the outside of the menstrual cup before insertion can help [if the flow is very light],” she adds. “For heavier flows, a menstrual cup is ideal as it collects the period blood rather than absorbing it.” It’s also worth noting that it can take time to get used to a menstrual cup so don’t feel deflated or frustrated if you have to switch between a cup and other period wear before making a full transition.
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Generally, menstrual cups come in two sizes: A and B, with the former for those who are aged 30 and over and anyone who has given birth vaginally, while size B is for those under 30 and who haven’t given birth vaginally. Sizing can differ though so it’s always worth checking and getting in touch with individual brands if you do have any questions. If you’re unsure about whether you have a high or low cervix and want to know more, then this helpful online guide by Rubycup is well worth a read.
Made from either silicone, rubber, latex or plastic, menstrual cups most often come in a small funnel shape that is designed to be inserted into the vagina to collect fluid and period blood. As mentioned, they can be worn for up to 12 hours, and then emptied into a toilet, rinsed under water and popped back in to be used again and again. From cups for lower cervixes to ones designed to be worn during sex, our round-up of the best menstrual cups will have you covered.
How we tested
Testing the menstrual cups out during our flow, from lighter to heavier days, we assessed the comfort, ease of insertion and removal as well as how they performed in use. We also took into account the design, cost, ease of cleaning and any other selling points worth noting from each product. We were also interested in the ethos and charitable work that many of the brands promote. From beginners to experienced menstrual cup users, there’s an option out there for all.
The best menstrual cups for 2022 are:
Best overall – OrganiCup menstrual cup: £19.89, Superdrug.com
Best for comfort – Lunette menstrual cup: £26.90, Amazon.co.uk
Best for easy removal – Superdrug luna menstrual cup, medium: £7.49, Superdrug.com
Best for beginners – Boots menstrual cup pre birth: £17, Boots.com
Best budget cup – Hey Girls sterilising pot: £10.90, Heygirls.co.uk
Best for straightforward use – Mooncup menstrual cup: £17.95, Ethicalsuperstore.com
Best for teenagers – Saalt cup: £25, Saalt.co.uk
Best cup with shorter stem – Bettercup size B: £20, The-Bettercompany.com
Best for experienced users – Nixit menstrual cup: £35, Nixit.com
Best starter pack – Kegel8 menstrual cup starter pack: £32.99, Kegel8.co.uk
Best for travel – Intimina lily cup compact: £24.95, Lookfantastic.com
Best Fairtrade option – Fair Squared pink period cup: £19.95, Fairsquared.co.uk
Best for a chic design – Nüdie period cup: £23.75, Andsisters.com
OrganiCup menstrual cup
Best: Overall
Rating: 9.5/10
The award-winning OrganiCup may seem very unassuming but it’s a neat little choice if you’re new to menstrual cups. The offering is simple: a clear, 100 per cent soft medical grade silicone cup that holds up to three tampons worth and can be worn for 12 hours. Available in three sizes, including size A and B, the mini option (£19.89, Superdrug.com)is suitable for teenagers and is accompanied by a drawstring storage bag made from unbleached organic cotton. OrganiCup also has a strong charitable mission, initiatives including being involved with the City to Sea’s Rethink Periods project which provides teacher training and partnering with NGOs to tackle period poverty across the world.
As well as being easy to use, comfortable to wear and not causing any leaks when we tried it (even on very heavy days), we love the fact that the brand truly puts sustainability front and centre. Instead of flashy packaging, the cup comes in a simple cardboard box which can be unfolded to reveal information and instructions printed directly onto the inside of the carton, rather than having produced a separate leaflet. The packaging is also deliberately minimised in size to reduce transportation emissions and ships in plastic-free packaging.
Buy now £19.89, Superdrug.com
Lunette menstrual cup
Best: For comfort
Rating: 9/10
Scandinavian brand Lunette offers their menstrual cup in a variety of colours, from blue to orange and purple. Why does colour matter? Well, some users prefer a coloured option, as over time the clear menstrual cups can become discoloured. With a vibrant shade, you don’t have that issue so much. The bell shaped cup is made of the highest quality medical silicone, is soft and comfortable to use.
We found inserting and removing the cup really simple and liked that it wasn’t as rigid as some other options. After all, founder of Lunette, Heli did design the cup for a better fit and grip. The flat stem makes it easy to remove and has a good length if you struggle with grabbing hold of a short stem. It also comes with a storage bag and is available in two sizes: model one (for light to normal flow) and model two (for normal to heavy flow).
Buy now £26.90, Amazon.co.uk
Luna menstrual cup, medium
Best: For easy removal
Rating: 8/10
Not only did Superdrug become the first health and beauty retailer in the UK to remove all plastic from its own-brand tampons last year, it also launched an own-brand range of organic menstrual products called Luna. In even better news, the retailer expanded the range to include tampons made with organic cotton and renewable plant material, and a reusable menstrual cup.
Made of 100 per cent soft medical grade silicone, the Luna menstrual cup comes in two sizes and holds three times as much as a tampon. Simple to use, the purple cup comes in a recyclable cardboard box and with its own storage pouch. We also liked that it had a slightly rounded stem making it easier to grab hold of when you need to empty the cup. It comes in both small and medium.
Buy now £7.49, Superdrug.com
Boots menstrual cup pre birth
Best: For beginners
Rating: 8/10
Launched 2020, Boots’ own-brand range of menstrual cups was an exciting move for the reusable period product market. Given the retailers wide reach, it’s a positive step towards making eco-friendly options more mainstream and accessible. Their own brand menstrual cup, made from 100 per cent medical grade silicone and coming in a lilac shade, is available in two sizes: A and B, or pre and post birth. It also comes in a recyclable cardboard box, with its own cotton storage bag and a handy leaflet that’s perfect for beginners.
Fans of the product praise its softness and ease of use in both inserting and removing the cup. We’re happy to say that we agree and think it’s a neat purchase that’ll last you for years and years to come.
Buy now £17.00, Boots.com
Hey Girls sterilising pot
Best: Budget cup
Rating: 9/10
At under a tenner, this menstrual cup is a bargain. Just think of the cost per use – you don’t have to be a mathematical genius to figure that it’s a wiser choice than throwing money away on disposable period products every month. Founded by a mother and her two daughters, Hey Girls is dedicated to helping tackle period poverty in the UK and for every product sold, the brand donates one to girls and women from low-income families in the UK.
The environmentally-conscious brand, which has a wide range of products including period-proof pants, reusable sanitary pads and subscription boxes, offer the hypoallergenic, 100 per cent medical grade silicone cup in two sizes (we’re not quite sure why, but the small comes in white while the large is coloured red). It also comes with its own drawstring pouch so you can easily store it away when not in use.
Buy now £10.90, Heygirls.co.uk
Mooncup menstrual cup
Best: For straightforward use
Rating: 8.5/10
Seen as the original and certainly one of the best known menstrual cups out there, Mooncup have been selling their menstrual cups for almost two decades. We love how the spark for Mooncup came following a conversation between two cyclists (one who is the current commercial director of Mooncup, Eileen) at a Critical Mass Bike Ride in the UK in the late 90s. Mooncup, who make their menstrual cups in the UK are also an employee owned and ethical company.
Coming in two sizes, the clear cup is made from medical grade silicone (Mooncup was the first ever menstrual cup to use this alternative to rubber) and also comes with a nifty storage bag. Effective and simple enough to use, we did find it a little more rigid than some of the other options we tried but it’s still clear to see why the product is such a popular choice.
Buy now £17.95, Ethicalsuperstore.com
Saalt cup
Best: For teenagers
Rating: 9/10
Trying to figure out which size menstrual cup to go for can be tricky – even though most brands have only two sizes, there’s other things to consider such as firmness of the cup or the strength of your pelvic floor. Saalt’s super handy quiz promises to decipher which size and firmness are best suited to each individual and we love that its aim is to find the “goldilocks cup” for you. Coming in either a small or regular size, there is also a specialist teen cup (£25, Saaltco.uk) and a soft cup, made of an ultra-soft silicone in Saalt’s range.
Each cup is made of 100 per cent medical grade silicone, offers 12 hours of protection and comes with a cotton storage pouch. As well as being really easy to use, we also were big fans of the pastel colourways the brand uses for its cups: seafoam green, Himalayan pink and ocean blue are just some of the cute options. The certified B Corp also gives two per cent back to fund initiatives in menstrual health, education and sustainability.
Plus, the company has become the world’s first period care brand to be certified as “plastic negative” – meaning they remove at least twice as much plastic from the environment as is generated by their supply chain.
Buy now £25.00, Saalt.co.uk
Bettercup size B
Best: Cup with a shorter stem
Rating: 8.5/10
Made of 100 per cent medical grade silicone, the Bettercup is available in two sizes and comes with a GOTS-certified cotton bag. Featuring quite a short stem, it’s worth noting that it might be a better option for those with a low cervix.
As well as the neat packaging (a plastic free, small recyclable cardboard tube) and the cup itself being easy to use, we’re also impressed with the brand’s charitable giving. Founder Ruth has partnered up with her sister who teaches at a school in Zimbabwe to give the menstrual cups to female teachers and teenage students there, so for every sale, a Bettercup is donated to someone who needs it most.
Buy now £20.00, The-bettercompany.com
Nixit menstrual cup
Best: For experienced users
Rating: 7/10
Unlike the other menstrual cups featured in this round up, the Nixit version only comes in one size. Also it’s suction-free, shaped like a circular disc and can stay in during sex. The cup is very soft, light and flexible. It’s easy to insert but we did find it a bit of a struggle to remove when we first tried it due to its shape, plus there’s no stem to help pull it out.
It’s probably not the best option to use if you’re a complete beginner as there’s definitely a knack to using it and you might want to have the confidence of using a more traditional funnel-shaped cup first. But, if you do want to go straight in then Nixit have a handy guide on how to use the cup on its website.
For those who are experienced with menstrual cups and don’t want a monthy cycle interrupting their sex life, then this is an option worth giving a try. It’s not cheap but it does offer something more than most other menstrual cups. Plus it holds up to four tampons worth and fans of the product rave about it being leak-free.
Buy now £35.00, Nixit.com
Kegel8 menstrual cup starter pack
Best: Starter pack
Rating: 9/10
Best known for its pelvic floor toners, Kegel8 also produces menstrual cups. This neat set, consisting of two menstrual cups, a cotton carry bag, a cup cleaning spray and a wash, is a great starter pack. What’s also great is that you get the option of choosing two different sized cups or opting for two of the same size.
Although water is fine for rinsing out your menstrual cup, some might prefer using a specific wash or cleaning spray (especially when out and using a public toilet). The good news is that Kegel8 sells a larger bottle of the cleaning spray too, so the smaller travel version can be easily topped up. Made from 100 per cent medical grade silicone, the Kegel8 menstrual cup is ââphthalate, PVC and latex free.
If you’re new to menstrual cups, then we’d recommend this pack as you have everything you need (and more) in one handy place.
Buy now £32.99, Kegel8.co.uk
Intimina lily cup compact
Best: For travel
Rating: 9/10
Claiming to be the world’s first collapsible menstrual cup, the Intimina lily cup compact can be pulled out to form a traditional funnel shape when needed. It can also be collapsed flat and slot into a protective case, making it easy and discreet for when you’re on the move.
Coming in a size A and B option, the pink collapsible cup is made from an ultra-soft medical-grade silicone and has an easy-grip stem. We loved the fact that the cup folds down, making it a perfect option for popping in a bag when on the go or away travelling.
Buy now £24.95, Lookfantastic.com
Fair Squared pink period cup
Best: Fairtrade option
Rating: 8.5/10
Starting off selling condoms, hand creams and lip care, Fairtrade focused company Fair Squared has vastly expanded its offering over the years. And we’re happy to see it now includes a menstrual cup made from fairly traded natural rubber. Coming in two sizes: medium or large, a cotton bag is also provided for storing it when not in use.
As well as being crafted from fairly traded natural rubber, the product has been certified as being CO2 neutral and vegan friendly. The cup also features a bauble stem, which can be cut shorter for comfort.
Buy now £19.95, Fairsquared.co.uk
Nüdie period cup
Best: For a chic design
Rating: 8.5/10
This award-nominated menstrual cup from certified B Corp &Sisters comes in three sizes: A, B and teen. Suitable to be worn for up to 12 hours, the cup comes in a chic pastel pink colour and has a patented “pebble” stem, which fans of the product say makes removal of the product easier.
We love the simple aesthetic of it, which was created exclusively for the retailer by one of its co-founders Claire, who also happens to be a leading female architect. Using state of the art 3D technology, she came up with the design that incorporates unique features such as the “tri-flow” air release holes. There are also volume markings inside the cup.
Buy now £23.75, Andsisters.com
The verdict: Menstrual cups
We’re so pleased to see that there’s such a variety of menstrual cups on the market, which hopefully will cater to people’s different needs and make the eco-friendly option more accessible. For us, OrganiCup stood out for having its environmental and charitable credentials running throughout the product and brand. Lunette was also highly rated for comfort and ease of use and we love that it offers such a range of colours, while Saalt was another great choice with a teen-friendly option to boot.
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