Instead’s Softcup
I’ve been asked why I haven’t reviewed or mentioned Softcups here. Not mentioning them I suppose is an oversight… However I don’t really consider them to be one of the “menstrual cups” that I talk about here… which is why I hadn’t included it. But I will now for the sake of completedness…
This is a “softcup”
What they are is a disposable cup, with a more solid rim and a thinner pouch like catchment area…. which sits higher than the other menstrual cups, over the cervix, like a contraceptive diaphragm does, and holds the blood in that catchment area. It is removed and replaced with a new one when you need to empty it. As they sit higher and are shaped differently, they can be worn during penetrative sex, but otherwise work like the other Menstrual cups (can be worn swimming, to bed, etc.)
Compared to a menstrual cup, the Softcup is much wider and shallower.
They now come in 2 forms, The “disposable” which is designed to be thrown out after each use (although a lot of women reuse them) – which are the light pink rimmed ones, and the “reusable” (dark pink) are designed to be reused through one cycle and then thrown out. So both forms are still disposable, one however you can use for a few days before disposing of it.
I haven’t reviewed them here for a few reasons…
- 1). Nobody has sent me one to review (most of the cups reviewed here were sent to me free of charge) – even though someone offered in the comments below, I haven’t received any….. and I’ve never asked for one, or would buy them myself because I personally have no desire to try them…
- 2). I am an advocate of completely reusable menstrual products, so I don’t consider them the same as the “menstrual cups” I talk about here (they are also a different shape, and are worn differently, so I don’t really consider them a menstrual cup like the others).
- 3). Frankly they scare me
(the size and shape just looks bulky and cumbersome).. so I have no desire to actually try them, when I’m perfectly happy with the other Menstrual Cups, which seem to me to be a better design.
But – They are out there for those who feel so inclined 
They have the advantage that they don’t have the TSS risk of tampons. They can safely be worn overnight or during sex. In the US you can often find them in actual “bricks & mortar” stores (pharmacies etc.), and you can buy online.
They claim the cost would be $3 per cycle (using the “reusable” version). If you consider a woman would have 12 periods a year, that’s $36 for a year’s supply. You can buy a completely reusable menstrual cup for that (or slightly more) – which would last 10+ years.
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A menstrual cup is form of reusable menstrual protection. It is inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual fluids. Once in place it forms a seal, preventing blood flowing out of the vagina by collecting it in its “cup” shaped reservoir. Unlike a tampon which absorbs the blood along with the vagina’s natural secretions, a menstrual cup simply holds the fluids until you remove it – so they do not dry out the vagina and do not hold the TSS risk that tampons do.
They hold around 20-30ml, which is for most women will cope with a full day without emptying, and at most perhaps you would need to empty it a few times a day for a very heavy flow. A menstrual cup will last (with proper care) for around 10 years, perhaps longer, so while the initial outlay is high, it pays for itself with savings pretty quick.
This website aims to give information on all the available reusable cups, and provide the latest news. This is a sister site to www.ecomenses.com
Thanks
I’ve honestly never tried them either, but my main reason for using menstrual cups is my own paranoia about TSS and all the other possible complications with tampons and pads. The environmental benefits are why I do use the reusable cups. I mention cups to most of my friends, but found that most of my friends are grossed out by reusable products. I was glad when I stumbled across these because now I can tell my friends about a healthier alternative that doesn’t gross them out.
Your review reads a lot like mine would have: except, having tried it, it’s far messier to empty. I mean, no matter what you do, you must turn the thing SIDEWAYS to get it out. So the contents go all over your hand. I tried one for one whole period. I ended up emptying it ONLY in the shower because bathroom stalls were too hazardous!
Thanks for giving it a mention at least; it’s worth the try just to compare, and worth it for the sex, but that’s pretty much the only perks I can think of.
I just want to say I’ve tried the Instead cups and hated them. The biggest difference between Instead and menstrual cups is that the Instead cup is up against your uterus. I have a tilted uterus, so maybe that’s the problem I have with these, but it would “hurt” when scrapping across my uterus as I pulled it out. And like Heidi, it was a total mess. To be completely honest, it also seemed to shift when I would have a bowel movement and then start leaking. It did not work for me and delayed my switching to a menstrual cup until I read online that the menstrual cup sat low in your vagina. The only “plus” side is you can have sex while on your period, but I never feel like it anyway, so that makes no difference to me.
I’ve used the Instead cups for a few months now (just recently ordered a Lunette Cynthia, very excited to try it) and I loved them. I’ve only used pads before, never tampons, so it was new for me having to stick something inside for my periods… but I found, as long as I changed them in time, I didn’t leak at all like I would with pads. They were easy to put in, easy to take out, although I did get blood on my fingers but I never minded that. And despite looking so big, for me they were comfortable and I never felt like I had anything inside until they were full.
I love to keep them on-hand for sex. Insteads were my first foray into menstrual cups and I think they’re fantastic for that reason. I’ve turned so many people away from tampons with them and all eventually went over to a menstrual cup. They are a good gateway product in my opinion.
We’d be happy to send you a box of Softcup® to try. There is also a reusable version coming out next month which can be reused throughout one cycle.
Thank you
My Address is
Obsidian Star
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Mountain Gate Shopping Centre
Ferntree Gully,
Victoria, Australia 3156
I hate them and are now paranoid about using a reusable menstrual cup because I had bad luck with these. Which menstrual cup is the best for someone who has never used one before and is in college (20′s) and a new tampon user.
I have tried them. In fact, I am wearing one rate now. This is my first shot at having my period without a tampon/pad. I plan on investigating actual menstrual cups (I saw these softcups in the store on sale, and thought “might as well”).
I placed the cup fine, but I find it shifts easily… Going to the bathroom shifts it, and I would say this is expected being that you are bearing down, but sometimes I’ll be walking around and it slips a little (Can’t feel, but the gush of fluid lets me know). I should probably learn, but I am paranoid: whenever this has happened (and it hasn’t happened too too often), I have removed it to see if it was overflowing, and there was hardly anything in the cup (probably because it spilled out). I’m thinking this isn’t a compatible size for my body. Overall it’s comfortable, but I wouldn’t say totally reliable. If I sit in a weird position (which, I am prone to when I study at school), I feel leakage.
One other thing: removing it. A few times, if I haven’t taken it out with total precision (Have been trying to discover best angle to remove it), it catches on my cervix or pubic bone (I’m thinking cervix, terrible reminders of PAP smears) and it’s really uncomfortable for a few seconds. I look forward to trying actual menstrual cups, and hope I have better luck.
In general, I look like I’ve murdered someone every time I remove this thing (Not too badly when I put it in; I think it must spill a lot when I remove it). This doesn’t bother me; but today when I had to go to the public bathroom because I felt a gush of blood, I had debated spitting on my hands so the toilet paper would wipe more blood off of them. *I didn’t have wipes with me, and didn’t spit on my hands, just kind of hid my hands and washed them real quick in the sink). I could see this being a massive turn off for some women.. And I must say it’s inconvenient. Haven’t had sex with this beast in, but I imagine it will get moved around if it moves around already after I’ve placed it properly… I don’t know what would make this product better or if I’m only having issues with it because of sizing problems. My period should be lighter by tomorrow, so we’ll see if it works better. Overall, I think I would use this product again, but I would much prefer to try a real menstrual cup.