Short Attention Span Theater

The actual reviews will be coming very soon, but I just wanted to make a list of all the pads I’ll be reviewing. There are some awesome pads and some very creative women out there! It’s been interesting to try these different types out - the length of pads I liked/needed in disposables doesn’t necessarily carry over to my needs for cloth. I’ll start working on my reviews of the tested pads, the rest will have to wait a week or so!

• Perfect Pads - tested
• Luna Pads - tested
• GladRags - tested
• Angel Wings de la Luz - tested
• HagRag - untested
• Moonhut - untested
• Cyclez AIO - tested
• Homemade Mama - tested
• Tamarack Gal’s pads - untested
• Some pads I made - tested
• Baby Dreams Boutique - untested
• Punky’s Pads - tested

Now that I’ve had the pads for a few weeks and done things like washing them, using the few that I could, and just generally getting more exposure to cloth pads, I’ve been able to come up with my review criteria.

• Fabric
  • Appearance
  • Comfort
  • How it washes
• Pattern
  • Is it functional?
  • Sizing?
• Absorbency
  • Does blood pool on pad or absorb well?
  • How long for pad to reach maximum absorbency?
• Any leakage issues?

I may add to this as I go, but this is my initial list…

Also, if you make cloth pads and want me to review your pads with the others, just let me know! I understand that most of you can’t afford to provide free samples like the larger companies can, and I’m fine with that!

Ok well my LunaPads test pad arrived just in time for my period to be over, go figure. So the performance aspect of this review will have to wait for next month, as will the reviews for PerfectPad and the Cyclez pad. I was out of town and doing long road trips and just didn’t feel well equipped enough for the cloth pads just yet, I’m ashamed to admit.

But back to the LunaPads. These are different because the liners go on top of the pad, rather than inside the pad. (either replaceable or permanently sewn in, like the other pads I have) The material is very soft and attractive. One thing I’ll have to play with some more is the liners with the ric-rac that is sewn on to hold the liners in place. The liners seem just a tad bit too wide, so that when placed underneath the ric-rac, it bunches up a bit. That’s just my initial observation though, it may not actually be a real issue.

The gals at LunaPads were also kind enough to send along a delicious piece of organic chocolate and a handkerchief. I’m looking forward to making use of the hanky, as tissues are always so dusty and make me sneeze more than whatever it was that made me need a tissue in the first place!!!

My Perfect Pad just arrived! It is SO soft! The fabric for this one is fleece, whereas the GladRags pad is flannel and the Cyclez is terry. So I’ve got a great range for comparison! The fabrics used are very pretty and it’s very well constructed. The only thing I’m curious about now is when I run my fingers along the underside, it’s kind of noisy. I’m assuming it’s due to the lining and that it won’t be an issue when actually worn. My period is due tomorrow, so I’ll keep you all posted!

For my next experiment in cloth pads, I will be trying LunaPads. If you will recall, I already tried GladRags and really liked it. My Perfect Pad has yet to arrive, due to an unfortunate oversight, but I’m really looking forward to it. I did receive my first AIO - Cyclez Naturalz AIOz. It feels great to the touch but I have yet to try it. I’m due Friday, so I’ll be trying it out this weekend and will post about it then.

It’s fascinating to see how different companies make cloth pads. Commercial pads really are more or less the same. Cloth is much more creative, on top of being more comfortable and more environmentally friendly!

So yes, keep checking back for my upcoming reviews on different cloth pads. I am also starting a project to sew some myself, just to see, and let me tell you, it takes a lot of time and work to come up with something workable AND attractive!

I just ordered one of these so I had an overnight cloth pad. It’s so pretty and soft looking!

In my new, but ongoing exploration of the world of cloth pads, I would now like to promote Perfect Pads! There are so many different options for cloth pads, different materials for covers and absorption, different sizes, different shapes, everything! As a “collector” I love that they offer a Pad of the Month Club!

The site itself is a wealth of information, and one that anyone who is curious about cloth pads should definitely check out!

Read this article: What about the gross factor?

My period started this morning so once we arrived home from our errands, I put on the GladRags cloth pad to test it out. I kept it on for about 5 hours.

First off, it was SO comfortable, so much nicer than I expected. No comparison to disposable pads.

As for absorbency and such, now I know it’s not really heavy since it just started today, but in the 5 hours I used it, the blood didn’t even touch the insert, all I have to wash is the cover. Rinsed that with cold water and the blood came right off. Really no big deal.

My free cloth pad from GladRags came today. It’s SO soft and so pretty, I don’t want to mess it up by using it come that time of the month!

But in all actuality, it’s something I’ve been interested in trying for a while, and it’ll definitely help the environment, as most women use about 10,000 pads/tampons over the course of their lives. That’s pretty significant. And so what if it means a little extra work for me in terms of care. It’s worth it. So if it works well, I’ll get more GladRags. If it doesn’t, there are several other types of cloth pads I can try.

One thing I’ve always been annoyed about in terms of my monthly “friend” is my options for handling it. First off, we’ve got your standard run of the mill pads, or shall we say diapers? No matter how thin they are, there’s always going to be a sweat problem due to the plastic. Then you’ve got tampons. Who wants to stick bleached cotton up there? Especially when the blood tends to ignore the tampon itself and drip down the braided string which is supposedly there for extra protection? Hah. Instead Cups - one size fits most. I like the idea, but I’m not most. Diva cups, moon cups, keepers…interesting ideas, but really expensive for something that might not fit, just like the Insteads.

My next choice for an experiment is GladRags. They’re all natural, reusable, plastic free and there’s nothing that’s going to leave a sticky residue on my undies. They seem very comfortable, come in a neat choice of fabrics and I’ve only ever heard good things about them! I’m hoping to be able to order a small supply soon!