Squishiness Ratings

I’ve been asked about comparison “squishiness” of all the cups.  This is hard to rate really, but I will give it a shot.  This is just my opinion, it’s quite hard to judge, and the cup sizes actually make a difference in squishiness.  Some cups are stiffer at the rim, than they are in the body.

I’m rating these from 1-10.  1 being most squishy, 10 being least squishy.   Basically it is rated on how much effort it takes to push the material in.

Squishy at the top rim

Small Yuuki – 1

Miacup (large?) – 1

Large Coloured Lady Cup – 2

Small Diva – 2

Femmecup – 3

Small coloured Lady Cup – 4

Large Mooncup (UK) – 4

Small Mooncup (UK) – 5

Large Lunette – 5.5

Large Mooncup (UK) – 6

Small Lady Cup – 7

Small Keeper – 8

Small MeLuna – 9

Large MeLuna – 10

Squishy at the body

1 – Femmecup & Large coloured Lady Cup

2 – Small Diva & Miacup (large?)

3 – Small coloured Lady Cup & Small Yuuki

4 – Both sized Mooncup (UK)

5 – Large Lunette

6 – Small Keeper

7 – Both sized MeLuna

More Cup Photos

People asked me to take some comparison photos of the MeLuna, and since I also got the Yuuki cup since taking photos, I figured I’d go on a bit of a photo spree.

see many more pics by clicking –>

Fleurcup – My Thoughts

I only found out about these recently, and I was excited to see new cups available, and in colours!

I e-mailed them to ask for a sample, and unfortunately they refused, saying they are only interested in the European market.  (I asked them to reconsider, as European people do read my website too – but again no).  A shame, since I would have liked to include the Fleurcup with the other cups I have in photographs, be able to tell people more about it  (it’s look, feel and so on) and promote it more.

(They are actually the first cup company to deny my request for a sample)

So all I can comment on is that they look pretty and that their website is a little less professional looking than the other cup brands. Unfortunately there are no immediate plans for an English version apparently (it will come later), but you can use google’s page translator to translate the page from French to English.

New cup pictures

I took some new pictures of the cups I have.

Cup Images

These are pictures of the cups I have. (none of the stems have been trimmed)

Diva (sm), Femmecup, Keeper (sm), Lady Cup (lge), Lunette (lge), Miacup(lge), Mooncup (UK)(sm), Pinkcup (sm)

Miacup – My thoughts

I first heard of this brand when they e-mailed me to let me know they had set up their online store with a coupon for me to obtain a free cup…… which I was very greatful for! Having a look around their site I was very impressed with the amount of information on there – they appear to be genuinely interested in helping women with the product…. and of course the cup’s colour seemed very appealing, being one of the only cups available in an opaque coloured cup (since the Keeper is technically a “coloured” cup, brown being a colour afterall). I thought the cup was pink, as is shown in the main pictures on the site, but looking at their video on folding, the cup looked purple. I was excited to get the cup so I could see just how purple it was.

Because Lunette has always been my favourite for a few reasons, mostly being lack of writing and the tab stem, the Miacup also having these features is what first drew me to the cup… It is very similar in shape to the Lunette. The colour as well is a huge bonus for me, given that I am a purple nut!

Testing it out – It has the same more defined rim as most of the other cups, which makes it different to the Lunette, but otherwise, they are basically the same. The Miacup silicone is a little softer than the Lunette, and my Miacup is indeed purple. A pinkish purple, but more like the colour shown in the video, rather than the pink looking one shown. The colour is similar to the colour they use in their headings and buttons. The colour isn’t completely uniform, it has the occasional speckle/grain of lighter colour, which doesn’t bother me at all as the surface is perfectly smooth. I like that there is no writing on it (they have the Miacup logo on the inside rather than any writing). My only issue with an opaque cup is that with the Keeper’s holes you can’t see if they are dirty or not, but the Miacup holes are larger, and you seem to be able to see through the holes enough to see if they need cleaning. Also if you are interested in measuring your flow, and seeing the contents of the cup, an opaque cup is not the best choice. On the other hand, I do like the fact that an opaque cup won’t discolour like the silicone ones do. As with the other rimmed cups, I felt this cup more with insertion and removal, and a little blood got caught under the rim, so the outside needs marginal more cleaning than the smoother outer cups. But the flat stem is comfortable like Lunette, and overall I very much like this cup.

Gear – I got sent a very attractive boxed version, which I assume is not how normal customers would get their cups, but I’ll show what I got anyway. It came in a box that was sealed with sealing wax and cord, and even had a ribbon inside so that when you lift the ribbon all the leaflets etc. came out of the box easily. I was extremely impressed It was like a nicely wrapped gift!

The pouch is satin with their logo embroidered on, and a satin lining. It is by far the best made and most elaborate cup pouch I’ve seen. They provide a small booklet that gives instructions on use. Which is the most informative instructions any of the cup manufacturers provide (second would be Mooncup (UK) who sent me a little booklet in several languages). I also got some leaflets and business cards with a 5% discount code on them. I like the minimal themeing on their printed matter – looks like recycled paper with just the pinkish purple and a dark grey writing. Nice and subtle.

Personal Observations – I’ve been very impressed with this company. Their FAQ section shows they have been looking around to see the sorts of questions women want to know and provide answers, and their forum will enable more discussion which is great. When I’ve suggested some ideas for the website I got back positive replies (and straight away!), which shows that the company seems to be interested in what people have to say. I like that the company donates money from each sale to charity (and encourages customers to donate as well), and is concerned with environmental issues.

Ratings

I’ve rated all the cups I’ve tried. They can be found here: http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/my-comparisons-and-ratings/

Pink Cup – My thoughts

Basically this is just a pink coloured version of the Lady Cup, so see my thoughts on that here here

While pink isn’t my favourite colour, I think I prefer the pink over the clear cups (and certainly more than the yellow Mooncup (UK) or brown Keeper).  Its quite a nice subtle pink, just enough to let you know it’s not clear, without being overpoweringly PINK  if that makes sense.  It is still completely transparent, so the pink tone to the cup has not affected the ability to see into the holes.  To me it makes the cup appear a little less “medical” and a bit more like an accessory.  I think it’s fantastic to see a cup brought out in a colour, and hope to see more colours available in the future.

Comes in it’s own pinkcup bag, they seem to be essentially marketing it as a different product (much like Keeper Inc. doesn’t just market the Moon Cup (USA) as a “silicone Keeper”)

Femmecup – My Thoughts

The cup itself seems virtually identical to the Mooncup (UK). The only difference I can see is the Mooncup has rings around the base and stem to grip with and the Femmecup has a spiral instead (which I do like). The Femmecup has a clearish white silicone, which is much more appealing than the yellowish Mooncup.

It feels thinner than the Moonkup (UK), and I was sent 2 samples, one of their newer versions which have larger holes and a slightly softer silicone… their silicone still feels slightly different to the others to me…. it’s almost like the silicone is more plasticky than the more rubbery feel of the other cups.. but I think it’s easier to get/keep folded than Lunette and Mooncup (UK)… and about the same as Diva. The stem seems to be thicker (it’s the hollow tube kind) than Mooncup (UK), so untrimmed it feels a bit pokey (like most of the other cups). The holes were tiny, probably the same size as the Diva, and as with the Diva, putting my palm over the cup and trying to squirt water out didn’t do anything…. but in the newer sample I have, the holes are larger.

Its got the website address in raised letters on the inside, and 2 measurements 15mls and 7.5mls inside. Flat bottomed but no size marking (since it comes in one size only – which appears to be the same as the small Mooncup). Nothing on the outside except the spiral and the thick ridges and the thicker ridge rim (like Mooncup).

Testing it out – I tried it once for a “dry run” and once with my period. I found no leaking, it opened up fine…. same slightly more uncomfortable insertion than Ladycup or Lunette because of the rim being more bumpy, but it’s only in comparison to flatter cups. I’d expected the holes to fill up with blood as they had done on the Diva, but they didn’t. I don’t know if that was just luck or something different with my blood that cycle, not sure, but I was happy about that, since cleaning was then easy. I did get some blood collecting around the writing on the inside, which I hadn’t noticed until next time I went to use it and saw the dried blood there… so I need to do more than my lazy rinsing methods that work for the Lunette.

Gear - The bag it comes in is like a lighter weight version of the Mooncup bag (unbleached cotton). I also got a stack of (very nice) flyers to hand out. Mine was sent in a padded envelope, with the cup in it’s bag, inside a plastic display type packaging with cardboard top (like you’d expect to have a hole punched in so it can hang in shops). With it’s instructions. My newer sample came with a (flat for postage) box in their pink and blue colour theme so that I had an example of that packaging.

Personal observations – One of the nicest of the cup companies I’ve dealt with. Not only did they send me a sample in the first place (without a hole punched in it!), but they also sent me an updated sample when they changed the cup slightly, and the new packaging, so that I would be updated with their product. All e-mails have been very friendly and personalised to me (not your standard automatic responses), I’m quite impressed with this company.

Ratings

I’ve rated all the cups I’ve tried. They can be found here: http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/my-comparisons-and-ratings

Lady Cup – My Thoughts

The sample they sent is a proper cup – no hole punched in! So that was very nice of them. First impressions were “ohh wow – it’s bendy!” It was a softer feeling silicone to the other cups, so a lot more flexible. However, I later found out that the cup they sent me as a sample was made with a thinner silicone than the cups they normally sell. So I got another sample, the smaller size this time, and the silicone on that is as the ones they sell. Which is still softer/ more flexible (squishier) than the other cups. I was surprised at the 2 rows of holes, and the fact the holes are quite large. Its also the plainest cup, with no writing or markings inside or out – except the small bumps on the bottom to help grip (where some of the other cups have lines/ridges). Because there are no ridges on the outside of the cup, it is much more comfortable for insertion. Not that any of the cups are “uncomfortable”, but it’s a noticeable difference.

It does look a little more “budget” than the other cups – as several people have commented on (I don’t think it looks “cheap” but if you were to line them all up and ask someone which was the cheapest, I’m sure they would pick lady Cup) – with the lack of writing and the lack of the ridge near the rim… In my opinion the writing on the cups is pointless though…you generally know what cup it is without it having to tell you – most people only have one (and even me with my lot of samples can tell them apart without having to read any of them) and without writing it’s easier to clean… and the lack of ridge makes the cup more comfortable to insert. So I think the plainness is actually a bonus, and I’d prefer a plain cup over some of the others.

Testing it out - Folding it and inserting it was easier than the other cups. The thinner sample cup was incredibly easy to keep folded due to its softer silicone, but the tradeoff for that was it didn’t pop open easily once inside. The softness of the silicone in that thinner sample cup meant it didn’t want to pop out violently like the others. I was able to get it to open, but it took a bit of poking and about 5 “stirs” (putting my finger to the rim and moving around, pushing the vaginal wall out to let the cup open) to get it to open properly. When I e-mailed the Lady Cup people to give them my thoughts on it, that is when they told me that the sample I received was the thinner silicone, so I asked for another sample, which they generously did. Which I had no problems getting to pop open. The silicone on the proper cup is less flexible than the thinner sample, so has the same “pop” that the other cups do, but it is still soft and easily folded.

Cleaning was easy – the easiest of all the cups. The blood stayed in the holes on removal – like it does in all the cups, but washed away when I rinsed the cup. I didn’t need to actually clean them at all. So it’s the easiest cleaning cup I’ve tried yet. The stem is more comfortable than the other tube stems because of the softness of the silicone, I’d probably be able to leave it untrimmed without too much complaint. Its not as frosted as the other cups, so it looks clearer.

Gear - My first one (the thinner sample) was sent in a small box surrounded with shredded paper in a packaging box… so it was very well packed. It came with an apricot coloured cotton pouch, a sachet of lubricant and 2 milton steralising tablets. The second one (the proper cup) was in the apricot bag, inside a plastic bag (as you would expect for display) in a mailing bag. The coloured cup samples were again all proper saleable products (I believe), packaged in individual boxes with the colours marked on the sides, packed into a mailing box with padding.

Personal observations – A lovely company to deal with. They actually e-mailed me to tell me of their product when they started out, so I asked for a sample which they provided. I also suggested some changes to the way things were said on their website due to some translation problems, so I’ve had a few e-mails back and forth with them. The correspondence I’ve had with them was quite positive. And, not only did they send me a sample in the first place (without a hole punched in it too), which is very much appreciated, but they also sent me a sample of their proper cups, so that I would have one of the proper products to be able to compare, and they have sent me each of their coloured cups as well! All e-mails have been very friendly and personalised to me (not your standard automatic responses), so I’ve been extremely impressed by this company.

My love of purple is fairly well known…. and while I have always been a huge fan of the Lunette because of it’s design, I have to say the new purple LadyCup has really become a favourite. Infact all the colours are great. I’m not normally a fan of orange, but the orange LadyCup is really nice too (sort of reminds me of tropical mangos or something), and the colourful bags are a nice touch, with the cup name on a tag on the side of the bags, and the ribbons matching the cup colours. They seem to put a lot of effort into little touches like that.

Update:

There has been a few problems with some of the coloured cups.  It would seem that some batches are prone to splitting.  The company is replacing split cups, and have sold off remaining cups from those batches as “trial” cups, only guaranteeing them to last one use (although some women get more than that).  As a way to let women try cups inexpensively.  I bought 2 of these “Trial” cups, and found the silicone to be lighter in colour, and also stiffer than that of the non-faulty ones I have.

I do not know if the new colour for these cups is the more transparent/lighter versions, and all cups will be this new colour or if this lighter coloured cup is only from the defective batches, and only the defective ones are this light.

“Trial” Lilac cup, “proper” Lilac cup, “Trial” Blue cup, “proper” Blue cup (small size)

Mooncup (UK) – My Thoughts

I have both the size “A” and size “B”

Testing it out – I felt the ridges more inserting it… more than the Diva….and a lot more than Lunette or Lady Cup. Not uncomfortably so, I just felt the ridges more…. I tried inserting it while on the toilet and while lying on the bed… I felt it a lot more when on the toilet. The actual rim of mooncup is thicker than the other cups, which may be what it is…but its only a thing I noticed because of trying all 3, and it certainly wasn’t Uncomfortable… just less comfortable than the others. The stem (when untrimmed) pokes quite a lot…. its very annoying when you go to the toilet as it gets in the way of wiping (it pokes out of the vagina on me), and sitting was painful, as it jabbed me more. I wear the Lunette untrimmed as I don’t need to trim it, I could at a pinch wear the Diva untrimmed, though I would trim it to make it more comfortable… but I would absolutely trim the Mooncup stem as it’s too annoying and uncomfortable to use with the full stem….. but most people trim the stems anyway. So apart from the stem, it felt no different in wearing than the other cups. The outside collected more blood in that rim part than the Lunette does (the same as the other cups with pronounced rims). The holes weren’t as hard to clean as the Diva, they came clean quickly. The bottom of the inside was not as easy to clean as I’d thought a flat bottom would be, but easier to get into than the Diva, because the Diva is quite narrow at the bottom. The smaller Mooncup (“B”) didn’t feel noticeably different to the larger (“A”) at all. I tried cutting the stem in half on my extra sample (they accidentally sent me 2 lots), and it wasn’t uncomfortable after that. So I’d be pretty happy with it cut in half to 2/3 off… though I still prefer the flat tab stems. I find the yellowed colour of the silicone a bit offputting…. it resembles that old stickytape….

Gear – they come in a cotton pouch – looks like calico or some unbleached natural cotton with their logo on, and different coloured ribbons for the size of cup. I believe bought versions come in a recycled cardboard box. With a small booklet of instructions in different languages, and I got pamphlets, which are nicely presented.

Personal observations – I haven’t had all that much correspondence with Mooncup, I asked for a sample, and they sent it. I have on one other occasion e-mailed them (over something with their website), and had a pleasant response.

Ratings

I’ve rated all the cups I’ve tried. They can be found here: http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/my-comparisons-and-ratings

Diva Cup – My Thoughts

Its a small size – “1″, as that’s what they sent…. feels no different when worn to the large Lunette – apart from the stem, which I left intact and it does poke…. I got used to it after about an hour – as it wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but not exactly comfortable… When I got used to it I didn’t seem to feel it when walking around, but could feel it when sitting if I thought about it (if that makes sense). Slightly easier to bend into the C fold than the Lunette (it takes less pressure to keep it folded). I had some issues getting it to pop open properly, that I first figured was just a random thing that occasionally happens with the Lunette too, but it did it the second time I tried too… The end of the stem was a little higher up than the Lunette – as the Lunette is overall a touch longer when the stem is not cut. I actually don’t like the short little stem of the Diva – I like to be able to hold the stem to pull the cup down…. so it felt like it was disappearing up there. I might have had a bit of leaking – hard to tell because there is a hole punched in the cup (not sure if it was leaking because the cup wasn’t sitting right or fitting properly or because of a hole punched in it) but the hole is up high near the rim and it wasn’t filled to there yet. The hole probably effected suction, though the small Mooncup UK didn’t leak.

The Diva has an extra part of the rim, and the blood collected under that rim bit and was harder to clean off than the Lunette, it took more than just a vague wipe that I can do for the Lunette. Also the holes took a *lot* of effort to clean. They are tiny and on an angle, so they are long… The filling it with water – hand over the cup and squeezing to squirt water out the holes didn’t work well (I had the punched hole covered, and had the necessary suction, I think the holes are just too small for the water to squirt out properly). I had to use a pin to clean them out. That would annoy me massively. And both test runs I did of the Diva I had the same problem.. though I spent a lot of time trying to squirt and rinse, I managed to get all but 2 holes cleared… but still needed the pin. I was thinking the flat base of the inside would be easier to clean than the non-flat Lunette, but since the flat bottom has writing on it that collects the blood in it, it takes as much effort if not more to clean as the Lunette’s curved inside. Plus as it’s longer and narrower, it was just that little bit harder to get to the bottom of the cup to clean it. I also managed to get some blood inside the hollow stem, which did rinse out ok, but doesn’t happen with the Lunette… and I imagine if it was to dry in there (I hadn’t worn the cup as long as I’d wear the Lunette) it would be harder to remove.

Gear – they apparently include a pouch and pin/brooch with the cup when you buy it, which sounds cool. They didn’t send a pouch or anything with mine. Just the cup (with a purple ball chain through the hole – almost like it was a keyring LOL which I removed and then lost) and the flyers I’d asked for.

Personal observations – I haven’t had all that much correspondence with Diva, I asked for a sample, and I believe I got a prompt e-mail back saying yes… (it was before I wrote this page, so I wasn’t paying enough attention). I get a bit sick of seeing most people buy a Diva because it’s cheaper

Ratings

I’ve rated all the cups I’ve tried. They can be found here: http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/my-comparisons-and-ratings

Lunette – My Thoughts

I have this as my personal cup (as well as having a sample so I can take it around to show people [don't want people holding/playing with the cup I actually use] I only have the larger size. I’d love to have a sample of the smaller Lunette to add to my cup collection, but I can’t justify buying one.

Testing it out – I find the stem to be very comfortable. At first, when I was new to the cups, I could feel it – not uncomfortable, but just aware it was there…. but I find that because it’s flat and thinner than the hollow tube stems, it just flexes and bends with your body, so I don’t get poked by it at all. So I happily leave it untrimmed. I like to use the stem to pull down on the cup when getting it out, so I really do like to use the stem, and I’ve found the short Diva stem and trimmed other stems to be not ideal for me. The only thing that I don’t like about the Lunette stem over the others is that it’s too flexible to be able to hold the stem and turn the cup (if you do, only the stem turns ) But since I used the Lunette first, I’ve learned not to use the stem to turn the cup (You can turn the cup to help it make a seal by the way)…. just hold the base of the cup, or not turn it at all. The stem being solid also means no blood can go up into the stem, so that’s a cleaner aspect. I’ve never had a problem with Lunette. I often have it fill past the rim (I have a very heavy flow, and tend to leave it in all day) without leakage.

I also like the smooth sides. The smoother, no ridge top makes it slide in/out easier than the bumpier other cups, which I like, and there is less areas to collect blood. While you have to remember what the 2 lines for measuring actually correspond to (they are unmarked), I like that they are just lines and not writing too, as it’s all less places to collect blood…. and I don’t bother measuring flow anyway since I normally just let it fill up. Unlike the other cups that have the name/website on them in raised letters, Lunette’s are in slightly indented larger letters, so again, less chance of catching blood in the lettering.

Gear - The one I bought came in a green/yellow synthetic material pouch, with a ribbon drawstring… but the fabric is very stiff and doesn’t close as nicely as a cotton does. I really don’t like it…. I immediately made my own bag for it, and unfortunately threw out/lost the original one (I’d like to have kept it for the sample). I think this it was in a plastic bag like you’d see hanging on display in a store. The sample I received I think was just put in a plastic bag, (no pouch). But I do find their flyers pretty with the floral stuff.

The sample I received.

This is the bag I got with my personal cup.

Personal observations – I haven’t had all that much correspondence with Lunette, I asked for a sample, and I believe I got a prompt e-mail back saying yes… (it was before I wrote up the reviews, so I wasn’t paying enough attention)… though I have had quite a few correspondences with Henna from kuukuppi.com/leastore.com who is very friendly and lovely to deal with, if you’re buying a Lunette I do recommend getting it through those stores (they are run by the same person)

Ratings

I’ve rated all the cups I’ve tried. They can be found here: http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/my-comparisons-and-ratings

Keeper – My thoughts

Unfortunately the normal hole punch was lost, so they hacked out a chunk of the side of my sample…

Though it does look like it’s laughing… (see the other cup icons I made from it)

So as a result of the cut, I can’t really test it much. So much of the cup is missing, it not only doesn’t fold properly, but it probably wouldn’t keep the suction enough to see if it works at all. Rating this particular sample is troublesome since it’s not an intact sample. but I’ll do my best where I can.

Testing it out – Its a size “B” (small). In a dry run I found it difficult to insert due to the cut bit of the cup making it impossible for it to fold up correctly. I can’t compare on cleaning as it wasn’t worn during bleeding. Though it is very similar in shape and size to the Mooncup UK, the stem is slightly more comfortable than the Mooncup UK and prehaps the Diva – even though it is longer.. not sure why…… but it still pokes. It, like the Mooncup UK , pokes out of my vagina slightly, and thus pokes into my labia. The outside base is smooth, so there are no ridges to help you get a hold on the cup if you’ve cut the stem off. I’m concerned about a potential latex allergy (I’ve read that you can develop them from exposure to latex), and as I’m allergic to elastic, so I may be more susceptible… so I wouldn’t buy this cup for that reason, and I must admit, I find the brown colour less appealing than the clear silicone – but I guess you won’t notice discoloration (as the clear silicone cups can get), which is an advantage of the brown. (and I probably find the brown Keeper more appealing than the yellowed silicone of the Mooncup UK – but that apparently gets less yellow if you soak it in a hydrogen peroxide solution – which I don’t have and wouldn’t use).. Its got basically the same ridges on the outside rim as Mooncup UK does, and also it has some on the inside for some reason… both of which in my little dry run had collected discharge, so that would be equal to blood it would probably have collected… making it harder to clean than the Lunette and Lady Cup which don’t have that pronounced rim (I’ve seen a photo of a newer Divacup that also has a less pronounced rim)

Gear - Mine was sent with a black satin pouch that has a lacy trim. Quite fancy, though very flimsy (the “drawstring” was by way of a ribbon passed through the lace. But the Goth in me finds it appealing. I also got some photocopied leaflets and instructions. A little cheap looking I must admit, though at least they used purple paper to make it a bit more fancy and it’s in coloured ink). I’ve seen several references to the fact the Keeper’s instructions are just photocopied (and early on the Moon Cup USA ones were just keeper instructions with “Keeper” crossed out and “Moon Cup” written in….) But still, they are functional.

Personal observations – Its no secret that I hold a grudge against this company over the “Moon Cup” name for it’s silicone version…. however I’m mostly reviewing the product here and I have nothing against the product itself. I do have to give them credit for being the first successful cup, and for paving the way for the other cups. Also, when they saw the need for silicone cups they did bring out a silicone version, which (despite its name) I think was a very good move. Solving not only the latex issue but also the unappealing brown cup one. Giving consumers a choice is always a good thing!

However the lack of response to my 4 requests for samples and/or advertising materials does not make a good impression. Not even a “no, we don’t give out samples”….. I would have been happy with just some flyers! (or even an e-mail saying no – some sort of communication would have been nice) I’d even pointed out that I had all the other cups, so I was able to show them to potential customers and wouldn’t be able to show their cup since I didn’t have one (and pointed out that since the Keeper is the only cup us Australians can actually buy here, it was important to have one to show!!). Luckily their distributors are more approachable than they are. So based on that alone, considering that other cup manufacturers have gone out of their way to be helpful to me and provided me with samples (and in some cases more than one sample) and advertising when Ive asked for it, I think customer service aspects put all other cup manufacturers ahead of Keeper. Personally I don’t like to give my business to companies who have terrible customer service. If you’re buying a keeper, I’d go through a reseller, since you’ll probably get better customer service that way.

Ratings

I’ve rated all the cups I’ve tried. They can be found here: http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/my-comparisons-and-ratings

My Comparisons and Ratings

I’ve tried most of the cups, and these are my thoughts to compare them. I have observations and opinions on all the cups I’ve tried. I tried to be as neutral as possible in my opinions – referencing back to how I find they feel/look/work compared to eachother to see which I felt performed better in each category. And this was done not being influenced by the companies themselves (eg I didn’t rate a product higher if I liked the company), just their products.

The Keeper scored low on this, mostly because with the sample I have most of the comparisons were not able to be done, so it didn’t get scored. This is not the fault of the actual Keeper Cup, it is largely due to the fact that the sample I was given did not have the small hole punched in like the other samples, it instead had about half of one side cut away. Which meant that certain ratings I was not able to give because I was unable to test it properly. I have been unable to obtain a sample of the US Moon Cup (made by the Keeper), so I can’t rate it at all…

I’ve written down my thoughts on each brand, going into more detail on areas I’ve rated here on, and including pictures of what the companies sent me. To see that, please see their pages.

Diva Cup – My thoughts
Femmecup – My thoughts
Keeper - My Thoughts
Lady Cup – My Thoughts
Lunette – My Thoughts
MeLuna – My Thoughts
Miacup – My Thoughts
Mooncup (UK) – My Thoughts
Yuuki - My Thoughts

Inside (Cleaning)

This is looking at what markings are on the cups (and their potential to collect blood and make cleaning harder). None of the cups were hard to clean, but some were easier than others.

Diva – has their name in fancy font and they have “made in canada”, plus the size in raised numbers on the flat inside base, and measuring lines in mls and oz.
Femmecup – has their website in small letters, and measuring lines with markings in mls.
Keeper – has “The keeper made in USA” in raised capitals all around the inside of the rim (I hate the typeface.. looks large chunky and less professional) and the size raised in the flat inside bottom. 2 rings around the inside. Not sure if they are measuring lines or not.
Lady Cup – has nothing at all inside
Lunette - has nothing at all inside
MeLuna – Has nothing at all inside
Miacup – has their logo on the inside rim, nothing marked on the flat base inside the cup.
Mooncup UK – has their website in larger letters, their sizing in raised letters on the flat inside bottom and raised dots beside the size (not sure why). It also has the lines on the inside, marked mls on one side and plain lines on the opposite side.
Yuuki – Has their name and the number “1″ in slightly indented letters on the inside, with raised measuring lines marking 5mls and 10mls.

I found none of the measuring lines collected any blood really… not as much as I’d thought it would. Though it did make it a fraction harder to clean inside (one lazy wipe cleans the smooth inside cups and I had to wipe a bit more carefully to clean the others) – but rinsing with water seemed to clean them with the same amount of ease. I noticed after getting the femmecup out to have a look at it again, that there was dried blood in the writing that hadn’t washed off properly when I’d rinsed it after use (oops). So the potential for blood catchment in the writing/markings is there, so having no markings is better than having the chance to be harder to clean IMHO… so score one for Lunette, Miacup, MeLuna and Lady Cup with the smooth(er) inside that is easier to clean….

Diva 0
Femmecup 0
Keeper 0
Lady Cup 1
Lunette 1
MeLuna 1
Miacup 1
Mooncup (UK) 0
Yuuki 0

Outside (Cleaning)

This is looking at what markings, ridges and writing is on the outside of cups (and their potential to collect blood and make cleaning harder). I found the more pronounced ridge (where the cup has the “stepped” sides near the top rim) to be slightly more likely to catch blood than the smoother sides.

Diva – Pronounced ridge around the top, slightly harder to clean there. No markings except lines around base for grip.
Femmecup – Pronounced ridge around the top, no markings.
Keeper - Pronounced ridge around the top, slightly harder to clean there. No markings.
Lady Cup – No ridge around the top, no writing or markings.
Lunette – Slight ridge around the top, shallow indented writing and raised lines for measuring (wasn’t hard to clean)
MeLuna – No ridge around the top, no writing or markings.
Miacup – Pronounced ridge around the top, no markings, raised lines at base for grip.
Mooncup UK – Pronounced ridge around the top, slightly harder to clean there. No markings except lines around base for grip.
Yuuki – No ridge around the top, no writing, raised lines at base for grip.

Even though the Lunette has the lines and writing on the outside, they are so minimal that they haven’t collected blood for me. So score 0.5 for Lunette (since it’s still easy to clean) and 1 point to Lady Cup, Yuuki and MeLuna (because it’s probably slightly easier to clean having no ridge or lines), because smoother on the outside is slightly easier to clean.

Diva 0
Femmecup 0
Keeper 0
Lady Cup 2
Lunette 1.5
MeLuna 2
Miacup 1
Mooncup (UK) 0
Yuuki 1

Insertion (Ease)

This is looking at how easy the cups are to insert. How easily they fold to go in.

Diva - Slightly easier to keep folded than Lunette.
Keeper - Couldn’t test accurately
Femmecup – Slightly easier to keep folded than Mooncup or Lunette
Lady Cup – Most flexible silicone. Easier to keep folded than other cups. Easier to insert
Lunette – Slightly harder to keep folded than Diva.
MeLuna – Probably the stiffest (least flexible) of the cups, harder to keep folded (but also smaller than the other cups)
Miacup – Nice flexible silicone, easy to insert
Mooncup UK – Slightly easier to keep folded than Lunette.
Yuuki</strong – Nice flexible silicone, easy to insert

While not really very much difference, I found Diva and Femmecup were slightly easier to keep in their folded position than Lunette or Mooncup. The Miacup and Yukki were easier to keep folded and insert. The Lady Cup is much easier to insert because of the lack of ridges and softer/more flexible silicone. The MeLuna was the stiffest cup, so harder to keep folded. So Score half a point each to Diva, Miacup and Femmecup for being slightly easier to keep folded than Lunette and Mooncup and 1 point to Lady Cup and Yuuki for being easiest to keep folded and most comfortable to insert. The Keeper I have with half of one side missing was not able to be folded up properly (as the top folded but the gaping hole made the bottom of the cup not able to fold – leaving a pointy bit sticking up, so was not easy to insert, remove or keep folded, so I can't mark a score for it….

Diva .5
Femmecup .5
Keeper 0 *
Lady Cup 3
Lunette 1.5
MeLuna 2
Miacup 1.5
Mooncup (UK) 0
Yuuki 2

*Wasn’t scored

Insertion (Opening Up)

Using the same folding method (“c”), and the same insertion positions (essentially trying to keep everything the same), how easily the cups opened for me.

Diva – A few more issues opening up than the other cups (small size)
Femmecup - No problems opening up.
Keeper - Couldn’t test accurately
Lady Cup – Occasional problems opening up with large size, small size opens fine
Lunette – Slight problems opening up.
MeLuna – Didn’t use the “c-fold” as it opens too quickly for me doing it that way, so I used the “punchdown” instead. pops open very quickly (perhaps due to the stiffness and the thicker rim)
Miacup – Slight problems opening up.
Mooncup UK – No problems opening up (either size).
Yuuki – No problems opening up (tested small size)

With insertion I found Diva to have more problems opening up… but I only tried it twice and was using the smaller size. So I needed to press against the vaginal wall to allow the cup space to fully open properly (after turning it and “Stirring” failed). Miacup required a little “stirring” to get it to open, but was easier than Diva.  I find the Lunette usually pops open with no problems, but occasionally needs me to do as with the Diva. Lady Cup can have a few issues depending on the position I am in (because it is very flexible). The MeLuna popped open very easily – but perhaps too easily (popping open too quickly can give me cramps).  Yuuki popped open without problems. So all are unscored for this because not all the cups I have tried are the right size for me, and different positions, folds and more practice can all influence this…..

Diva .5 *
Femmecup .5 *
Keeper 0 *
Lady Cup 3 *
Lunette 1.5 *
MeLuna 2*
Miacup 1.5 *
Mooncup (UK) 0 *
Yuuki 2 *

*Wasn’t scored

Insertion (Comfort)

This is going by how comfortable the cups felt being inserted. Basically I found the more pronounced ridges to be slightly less comfortable than the smoother ones (obviously a smooth surface is going to feel less noticeable being inserted than a bumpy one). Not “uncomfortable”, more “noticeable”…Basically if there were 2 cups otherwise identical, I’d pick the smoother sided one. But it’s really not a big deal, since inserting the cup is all of a few seconds, but still….

Diva – Pronounced ridge around the top, slightly less comfortable.
Femmecup – Pronounced ridge around the top, slightly less comfortable.
Keeper - Couldn’t test.
Lady Cup – No ridge, softer silicone folds smaller, most comfortable to insert
Lunette – Less pronounced ridge around the top, more comfortable to insert than ridged cups
MeLuna – No ridge, comfortable to insert
Miacup – Pronounced ridge around the top, slightly less comfortable.
Mooncup – Pronounced ridge around the top, slightly less comfortable.
Yuuki – No ridge (only a barely noticeable bump), most comfortable to insert.

With Mooncup and Femmecup I felt this more than Diva. It is worth mentioning that I believe the Diva sample I have is the older style and that new versions have a lower profile ridge, almost similar to a Lunette, but I can only go by one picture I have seen of that – so I am judging this based on the cup I personally have. Yuuki was comfortable to insert. Lady Cup was probably the most comfortable to insert, with no ridge and the more flexible silicone making it able to fold up better. So one point to Lunette, MeLuna, Yuuki and Lady Cup for being nicer feeling to insert. Keeper sample couldn’t be folded into a proper shape for insertion due to the hacked out side poking up, so was exceptionally uncomfortable to insert like that, so obviously cannot be scored because I don’t have a proper sample.

Diva .5
Femmecup .5
Keeper 0 *
Lady Cup 4
Lunette 2.5
MeLuna 3
Miacup 1.5
Mooncup (UK) 0
Yuuki 3

*Wasn’t scored

Stems

Even though you can cut the stem to the most comfortable length, I’ve tried these with the stems as they are when they are shipped to you.

Diva – Small stem, but still a little uncomfortable
Femmecup – As uncomfortable as Mooncup’s stem…
Keeper – Longest stem but slightly less uncomfortable than Mooncup’s stem… still uncomfortable though.
Lady Cup – Softer than the other tube stems, so not as uncomfortable, though I would trim the longer stem on the small cup.
Lunette – The most comfortable stem style
MeLuna – Comes in 3 choices of stem! All comfortable.
Miacup – The most comfortable stem style
Mooncup – Most uncomfortable of all the stems, but once chopped halfway is about even with Diva’s stem..
Yuuki – More comfortable than the other tube stems (except Lady Cup)

I can wear the Lunette, Miacup, Yuuki and Lady Cup without the stem trimmed, and I would have to trim the others. I actually prefer the longer stem so I can use it to pull the cup down, so I don’t like the shorter Diva stem as much as I do the longer ones….. however the Mooncup stem was very uncomfortable unless cut in half….. Femmecup likewise. I also like the Lunette, Yuuki and Miacup solid stem better as it can’t fill with gunk, and its more flexible/softer – it also had ridges for gripping.  Ladycup stems are so soft the tube squishes flat when grasped, so I found it just as comfortable as the tab stem, but I find the solid stem feels more “solid”.  Yuuki has a solid stem but it is thick like the tube stems, so at first I could feel that, but then as it settled further up and I got used to it, I stopped being able to feel it at all – it doesn’t seem to poke, perhaps because the end is rounded and the tube stems have a flat end. MeLuna offers various options for stem, however I found the tab and ball stems to be too slippery to work properly (though both very comfortable, couldn’t feel them). The ring stem was great though, providing enough grip without being protrusive. So Lunette and Miacup gets a point for a better stem all round – more flexible, easier to grip, can’t fill with gunk and flat for a much lower profile with no poking. MeLuna gets 2 points for giving women the option, and the inovation of a ball or ring stem (which will please the women who normally cut off the stems)… even though I personally prefer to have a decent stem to be able to hold.

Diva .5
Femmecup .5
Keeper 0
Lady Cup 4
Lunette 3.5
MeLuna 5
Miacup 2.5
Mooncup (UK) 0
Yuuki 3

Wearing

In actual wearing (once they are in) they all felt exactly the same…(except the stem poking issue)…. Though I had a little leakage (slightl spotting) with the Diva, but it was the small size, and having a hole in it may have effected it (though the mooncup didn’t leak and the Diva hole was up high in the rim so I hadn’t worn it long enough to fill to there). I can wear my Lunette and let it fill past the rim, but I couldn’t try that with the Diva or Mooncup as they have holes punched into them…so I couldn’t test that obviously. I did get leakage with the large size Lady Cup when it was filled past the holes, but only slightly (and I occasionally get that with Lunette when it’s filled past the brim). When I tested the Femmecup, MeLuna and Yuuki it didn’t get to the level of the holes, so I didn’t test it filling past those. The sample Keeper with half its side missing I didn’t bother trying during my period at all. So I won’t rate this at all for any of the cups, because some of the cups are samples with holes punched in, some are small and some are large, so I can’t accurately tell which performs better (and they all feel the same once they are in).

Diva .5 *
Femmecup .5 *
Keeper 0 *
Lunette 3.5 *
Lady Cup 4*
MeLuna 5*
Miacup 2.5 *
Mooncup (UK) 0 *
Yuuki 3 *

*Wasn’t scored

Cleaning the holes

The holes of the Diva really bugged me, and I only tried it twice.  They would not rinse clean for me, I had to get a pin and poke them clean. I imagine I would take to it with a heated metal skewer to enlarge them if I bought one and had to use a pin each time…. I tried putting my hand over the cup and squirting water out through them (my usual method) , and it doesn’t work to clear them (where it does for the other cups)…. With the Keeper’s brown colour, you can’t see if the holes are dirty though, which is a big turn off for me – given the amount of gunk I’ve seen in the silicone cups holes, if you don’t see it, you might not clean it well enough to remove it…. and not all of us disinfect or boil the cups between uses….Lady Cup’s holes were the easiest to clean, being HUGE, they didn’t even need the palm squeeze trick to clean them, they came clean with a rinse under the tap. Miacup’s holes while also opaque like Keeper, are larger so I can see through them, so I’m happy with them. The Yuuki holes are also on an angle like Diva, but when I tried it (twice) the holes rinsed clean fine – but the Diva holes are angled upwards (towards the rim) while the Yuuki holes are angled down (towards the base), and Yuuki holes are very slightly bigger, so that might be why one was easier to clean than the other?)……..So I’ll give a 1/2 point each to the Mooncup, Femmecup, Miacup, MeLuna and Lunette for their easy to clean holes, 1 point to Lady Cup because it’s holes are easier to clean, and minus 0.5 to Diva for its incredibly difficult holes to clean and also minus 0.5 for Keeper for the fact that while they seem to come clean ok, you can’t see if the holes need cleaning or not….

Diva 0
Femmecup 1
Keeper -.5
Lady Cup 5
Lunette 4
MeLuna 5.5
Miacup 3
Mooncup (UK) .5
Yuuki 3

*Wasn’t scored

Visual Appeal

This is somewhat subjective…. everyone has different likes and dislikes… but I figured I’d also rate these things as well..

Diva – Frosted silicone, looks appealing.
Femmecup - Whiter silicone than the others with a slightly shiny look. Feels a tiny bit more plastic than the other cups, but has a cool spiral on the stem
Keeper - Brown rubber, does not look appealing.
Lunette – Frosted silicone, looks appealing.  Also brought out a limited edition blue cup (“Selene”) which is very appealing.
Lady Cup – Clearer silicone with a slightly shiny look, without markings (plain), doesn’t look as appealing.  However they have coloured cups available which I do find very appealing.
MeLuna – Coloured versions, and nice deep/vibrant colours, they do have a slight seam down the sides and a round “flaw” however.
Miacup – Love the purple! It is very different to the other cups, being a solid colour. However the exact colour can vary between cups, so it is not a consistent colouring
Mooncup – Yellowed silicone, doesn’t look as appealing.
Yuuki – A very clear silicone, but without the shinyness of the Lady Cup and Femmecup. Looks appealing

I used to think the frosted look of the Diva and Lunette looked more attractive than the clear silicone cups… but now I don’t know…,

Femmecup can have 1 point, because visually it’s appealing with its spiral (which is different to all the other cups) and whiter appearance, but it loses half a point because of the feel…. which I find ever-so slightly plasticky and the slight shinyness to it (so it gets half a point in total). Diva can have 1 point because it’s silicone is nice and smooth (where most the other cups have a more “sticky” type feel). Yuuki can have half a point because it’s silicone is a nice clear and doesn’t look quite as plain as the Lady Cup. Lady Cup, MeLuna, Lunette and Miacup can get 2 points for bringing out cups in a colour (or colours) that is solely designed to increase it’s visual appeal.

Diva 1
Femmecup 1.5
Keeper -.5
Lady Cup 7
Lunette 6
MeLuna 7.5
Miacup 5
Mooncup (UK) .5
Yuuki 3.5

Accessories

This is also something that isn’t really related, but in order to be fair to the other cups, I wanted something I could honestly mark some of the other cups well on….and otherwise poor Keeper was a negative score (remembering I can’t score most things for it due to the sample I have)

Diva – Mine came with nothing, but they normally come with a pretty bag and pin. Very nice!
Femmecup – Plain bag like Mooncup, but thinner fabric and a bit cheaper looking. Ribbons are in keeping with the colour theme though, and the box/packaging is bright and colourful without being too cheesy. Nice.
Keeper - Mine came with an interesting bag (black satin with lace trim), was pretty… but rather flimsy (though I’ve seen ones online that are better made). Quite nice though..
Lunette - The pouch I got was pretty terrible….synthetic stiff fabric with cheaper thin ribbon (which I found didn’t keep the pouch closed properly). They have changed to a blue bag now, which looks like a softer fabric and the ribbon is thicker and looks better (it’s still only threaded on one side though, so doesn’t drawstring as nicely)…
Lady Cup – Coloured cotton bag with co-ordinated ribbon (matches the writing on the bag, or the cup colour itself). Quite nice (some say one of the most attractive bags for the cups)
MeLuna – Mine came without packaging, but with a blue suede-like pouch with printed silvery design, which is nice.
Miacup – Mine came in a lined satin pouch with embroidered logo – very swanky indeed!
Mooncup – Comes in probably the plainest bag, but I do like the more natural look..makes it seem more environmentally friendly. Nice..
Yuuki – Mine came without a pouch, not sure if the regular ones you buy include a pouch, but it did come with a sturdy cardboard tube which you could use to store the cup in.

Interestingly I’ve seen a few people say they don’t like the Diva bag, but I personally think that Diva gives a really nice pouch and the pin is a nice touch. So it gets 2 points. Miacup’s pouch is very well made and plush, so it gets 2 points too. Even if the pin and satin bags aren’t your thing, they put the effort in to give you something special. Everyone else gets one point, except Lunette which gets no points because their bag is least appealing, mostly because of the type of fabric and the drawstring that doesn’t really work.. I won’t score the Yuuki because I don’t know if it comes with a pouch or not.

Diva 3
Femmecup 2.5
Keeper 1.5
Lady Cup 8
Lunette 6
MeLuna 8.5
Miacup 7
Mooncup (UK) 1.5
Yuuki 3.5 *

Removal(Comfort)

This is going by how comfortable the cups felt being removed. Basically I found the more pronounced ridges to be slightly less comfortable than the smoother ones (obviously a smooth surface is going to feel less noticeable being inserted than a bumpy one).

Basically it’s the same as insertion – the less bumpy cups feel nicer than the bumpier ones. With the exception of the MeLuna, which has a stiffer rim, even though it is less ridgy, so I found it more uncomfortable to remove than all the other cups. So I will deduct 2 points from MeLuna for being most uncomfortable, I can’t score Keeper because the sample I got was not complete. Ladycup and Yuuki will be given a point because of it’s flexibility making it more comfortable to remove than the ridged cups.

Diva 3
Femmecup 2.5
Keeper 1.5
Lady Cup 9
Lunette 6
MeLuna 6.5
Miacup 7
Mooncup (UK) 1.5
Yuuki 4.5

____________________________________________________________

Conclusion

So in ratings, the cups come out as (in order of highest rating to lowest):

Lady Cup, Miacup, MeLuna, Lunette, Yuuki, Diva, Femmecup, Mooncup (UK), Keeper

The Moon Cup (USA) I imagine would rate the same as mooncup UK (perhaps half a point better because it doesn’t appear to be yellowed silicone)

Does this reflect what I would personally rank the cups in what I would buy? To be honest, if I had just one cup, not comparing it to any of the others, I’d be happy with any of them… yes, even the Diva or Keeper! they are all certainly better than tampons, and I wouldn’t bother with the disposable instead cups….. All the cups are brilliant little things, and I think every woman should have one – any one… Its only that in comparison to eachother I have a preference. So ……

In a perfect world – my most ideal cup would be a translucent purple Lunette. I have always preferred the shape of the Lunette, but I admit I am swayed by colour!

____________________________________________________________

The Cups in order of my personal preference:

Choice #1- Lady Cup (coloured)
I must admit, the addition of the purple Lady Cup has swayed my decision with these ratings.  I LOVE purple.   The Clear Lady Cup rated #3, but the Lilac Cup is the right kind of purple for me, bringing this cup into first choice for me.  I find the Lady Cup is easier to insert and clean with it’s lack of writing and smooth sides.  The coloured versions (Pink , blue, green, yellow, orange and purple) offer something a bit different and fun for those who want something other than the usual silicone.  When faced with the decision of which cup to use out of Miacup, Lunette and Lilac Cup (my 3 favourites), I find myself reaching for the Lilac Cup more often.

Choice #2 – Lunette
I really have a tough job trying to work out which I like better out of a purple Miacup or Ladycup or a clear Lunette….. if only Lunette came out in purple!!  (or perhaps if I wasn’t so attracted by pretty colours).  With the stem design and easier to clean inside and outside, I personally think it is the best choice of cup out there for the actual design and comfort.

Choice #3 – Miacup
This cup is almost equal to Lunette in my choice because I find it very hard to pick which I like better between the two.  It’s purple, offers a money back guarantee, has fantastic customer relations and donates to charity – which Lunette doesn’t.  But it does have the more pronounced ridge that I don’t like on the cups, which I found made it slightly harder to clean than Lady Cup or Lunette, and slightly less comfortable.  It is very similar in shape to Lunette, and has the tab stem that I also like.  So it’s a very tough call on this cup.  Admittedly the purple colour does influence my decision a lot, as does the additional benefits of guarantee and charity work.  If it was clear, it would still rate between the clear Lady Cup and Lunette for the guarantee and charity… but I wouldn’t have quite the love for it as I do.

Choice #4 – Lady Cup (clear)
This is how I’d rate Lady Cup if colours weren’t a factor. Yes, I’m that shallow – I do prefer coloured cups.  Lady Cup is very easy to clean, easy to insert/remove and a stem that I found comfortable enough to wear untrimmed…. however it does have a tube stem, and I found the softer silicone slightly harder to get to open up.

Choice #4 – Yuuki
I’m going to rate this equal to Lady Cup. I haven’t tried the larger size so I am not sure if I would have any trouble with it opening up or not. I can’t really decide if I like the clear Lady Cup better than the Yuuki or if I like Yuuki better….With the options of coloured cups, the clear cups unfortunately are less appealing to me than being able to get a purple cup So it rates lower than the coloured cups. The stem is not as comfortable as the tab stems of the Lunette or Miacup, but I prefer a solid stem to a hollow one, so I don’t like Lady Cup’s stems as much as Lunette or Mia either….overall it looks nicer than Lady Cup…. but it has the added measuring lines and smaller holes which make cleaning a fraction harder. So I think they end up being about equal. If they made a thinner stem, I’d be very pleased with this cup, as really that is my only complaint.

Choice #5 – MeLuna
I think I’d rate this here…. Admittedly I like it largely because of the colour. While it’s colours and stem choices are very appealing, and the fact it opens up easily is good, it’s stiffness is also a negative, making the potential for it to snap open too suddenly, and the bit more discomfort when removing it, means it’s about halfway in my list of preferences.

Choice #6 Femmecup
Although it seems identical to Mooncup UK, it looks more appealing visually to me (love the spiral!) I do prefer the easier cleaning more smooth sided Lunette and Lady Cups a little more though, which is why I rank it here.

Choice #7 – Mooncup (UK)
The Mooncup is marginally less attractive because of the yellowed silicone…. yes, I am that picky… I can’t help it. So it rates below Femmecup. I also don’t like the tube stems of these cups, so they rate lower than the tab stem ones.

Choice #8 – Moon Cup (USA)
Although I didn’t try it, if it’s based on the Keeper (eg exactly the same shape/size), then I think I’d prefer it over the Diva. The main problems I have with the Keeper are it’s colour, the fact it’s latex and the fact you can’t see the holes, which the silicone cup would solve. Since I’ve never seen one in person though, nor tried one, I don’t know if I can rate it any higher. It might be higher…. not sure.

Choice #9 – Diva
The holes are why I rank this cup lower than the others… they annoyed me….. *a lot*…… Plus it’s longer length poked me more despite the short stem, and I like the longer stems to grip.

Choice #10 – Keeper
The fact you can’t see the holes, it’s brown and in my opinion unattractive …and that it’s latex mean I’d choose this cup last. But, I would still chose it over a tampon (unless I had a latex allergy)… so being last isn’t all bad, it’s just that compared to the others, it would be the last of my choices.  The latex does have the advantage that is is the most natural of the cups however, which I’m sure will be important to some women. I would choose the silicone “Moon Cup USA” over the keeper if I had to choose between the two, because of the brown colour and latex issues.

Money back guarantee

Some of the cup manufacturers will give a refund on the purchase price if you return it within a certain time. Some will only offer an exchange for the other size, and some do not have any returns policy at all (which isn’t to say they won’t accept exchanges, but there is no official policy)

Divacup – Did have a 12 month money back guarantee, which has now been revoked, although some individual retailers are still accepting returns.
Femmecup – N/A
Keeper - 3 months
Lady Cup – Will exchange for different size
Lunette – N/A
Miacup – 6 months
Mooncup (UK) – N/A (did have 3 months, but appears to not be the case any more)
Mooncup (USA) – 3 months

Measurements

The measurements for the cups

Smaller Sizes:
Divacup – 4.1cm wide 5.7cm long (7cm including stem)
Femmecup – N/A
Keeper - 4.4cm wide?, 5.4cm long (7.9cm including stem)
Lady Cup – 4cm wide, 4.6cm long (6.5cm including stem)
Lunette – 4.1cm wide, 4.7cm Long, (7.2cm including stem)
Mooncup (UK) – 4.3cm wide, 5cm long (7.5cm including stem)
Mooncup (USA) – Suspect same as Keeper

Larger Sizes:
Divacup - 4.5cm wide, 5.7cm long (7mm including stem)
Femmecup – 4.5cm wide, 5cm long to base of cup. (7.3cm including stem)
Keeper – 4.6cm wide, 5.4cm long (7.9cm including stem)
Lady Cup – 4.6cm wide, 5.3cm long (6.6cm including stem)
Lunette - 4.6cm wide, 5.2cm long (7.2cm including stem)
Mooncup (UK) – 4.6cm wide, 5cm long (7.5cm including stem)
Mooncup (USA) – Suspect same as Keeper

Capacity

I’ve filled the cups with water to test them out – filling to just touching the bottom of the airholes, and level with the top of the rim. I couldn’t test this accurately with the Keeper as the sample I have has a HUGE hole in it, but I covered it with plastic wrap and tried my best.

Size 1 Diva – 20ml to airholes, 29mls to the rim
Size B Mooncup – 12mls to airholes, 25mls to the rim
Size A Mooncup – 14mls to airholes, 28mls to the rim
Size 2 Lunette – 26mls to the airholes, 34mls to rim.
Size B Keeper – 12mls to the airholes, 20mls to rim?

The Kukuppi site gives slightly different measurements for Diva, Lunette & Mooncup:

Size 1 Diva – 20ml
Size 2 Diva – 25ml
Size B Mooncup – 13mls
Size A Mooncup – 15mls
Size 2 Lunette – 20mls
Size 2 Lunette – 24mls

Measuring the accuracy of the measuring lines.
Most of the cups have measuring lines on the side. Out of curiosity I tried pouring water in to see if they were correct according to my measuring devices (a medicine cup and an eyedropper with ml markings). Interestingly… my measuring cups and dropper give a different result to the lines…… I checked my measuring cups against eachother (and a second medicine cup of a different variety), and they appear to be correct (as much as I can tell with 1ml increments). The Femmecup, Diva and Lunette measurements were done on the same day with the same measuring cups/dropper. The Mooncup measurements were done on a different day but with the same measuring cups/dropper. These are approximates only, as my measuring implements are rather less than precise.

Mooncup B has a 12ml mark that my measuring cups said was at 10mls.
Mooncup A has a 15ml mark that my measuring cups said was at 12mls.
Femmecup has a 15ml mark, which my measuring cups said was at 12mls

Lunette’s lines are unmarked, but the top mark is believed to be 15mls, but was 17mls by my measure.
Diva’s 15ml mark was 15mls by my measuring cups.

While the Lunette, Diva and Mooncup samples have a hole punched in them – this hole is higher than the measuring lines, so cannot have any impact on the results. I was also of course careful not to squeeze the cups too firmly when holding them, so as not to reduce their volume. I do not know why the results vary… particularly since the 3 cups measured on the one day, Femmecup, Diva and Lunette have both a matching, higher and lower result. Most of these I tested in both a dry state and with still a few drops of water in from a previous test (which didn’t appear to change the results)

Now I will state here that I’m not a trained measurer or anything and while I’ve tried to check my measuring implements against each other, and tried to hold the cups exactly level and get the volumes as accurate as possible, I don’t believe my results to be completely accurate… with my measuring cups only marking full mls (and me being too lazy to do it with the eyedropper that does 1/4mls)…. and the fact that when measuring water it’s sometimes difficult to get exactly accurate measurements if you want to be more precise than down to 1ml………. so it’s likely that these results are up to 1ml off…. I expect its more likely to be around 1/2ml off… but I’m willing to accept it being a full ml difference. So for example, while I have said that Femmecup was 12mls, it could easily be 11mls or 13mls. I would find it hard to believe however that my measurements could be 2-3mls off though… that’s actually a fair amount of liquid…… and the Diva measurement matched the markings the first time I checked it (and as with all the measurements, I did check more than once), and I measured it at the same time I measured Femmecup and Lunette – which have different results. But I find it unlikely that all the menstrual cups would have markings at incorrect levels…. or why 3 measuring devices I have, all different brands and shapes, would be all inaccurate to the same level (eg that 2 medicine cups and an eyedropper all actually hold 2mls of water when their measuring lines say 1ml) So I have no idea why the measurement lines don’t match my findings….

Composition

The Keeper is made from latex rubber (Rubber being natural, but an allergen for some), so is not suitable for those with an allergy to latex, or who think they may develop one.

The other cups are made from medical grade silicone, which isn’t the same as that used in breast implants – it is the same as used in medical equipment (such as tubing and in replacement joints), baby bottle teats, dummy/pacifier teats etc. and is reportedly safe for prolonged use.

Colour
The silicone cups can discolour with use (going a yellowish colour). Hydrogen peroxide apparently helps bring it back to the original colour. Most of the cups are a clear, slightly white translucent (see through), but a few are coloured.

Diva – Translucent white/clear silicone.
Femmecup – Translucent white/clear silicone. “Whitest” of the cups.
Keeper - Brown completely opaque (not-see-thru) rubber. Unlikely to discolour.
Lady Cup – Translucent white/clear silicone. Most “clear” of the cups. Also comes in a pink tinged version called “Pink Cup”.
Lunette – Translucent white/clear silicone. Most “Frosted” (less see-thru) of the cups.
Miacup – Pinkish-purple completely opaque (not-see-thru) silicone. Unlikely to discolour.
Mooncup (UK) – Translucent yellow/clear silicone. Has a yellow tinge.
Mooncup (USA) – Translucent white/clear silicone.

Feel & Flexibility
The rubber Keeper is slightly stiffer than the silicone cups. Lady Cup is the softest/most flexible of the Cups. The internal base of the Lady Cup and Lunette comes to a point on the inside while other cups have a flat inside base, so the pointed base is more flexible there – allowing it to be folded a little more at the base.

Stems

So far the cups come in 2 styles. A flat “tab” style solid stem, and a hollow tube. The tab stem is more flexible than the hollow tube kind. The stems can all be shortened if they are too long, and some women completely remove them. They are there to make removal easier but are not required, some women do prefer to use the stem to pull the cup down to a point where they can reach more easily, so like to leave some stem intact, others use the base of the cup to grip and do not need or like a stem.

Diva - Shortest stem, hollow tube.
Femmecup – Hollow tube
Keeper - Longest stem, hollow tube
Lady Cup – Hollow tube
Lunette – Flat tab
Miacup – Flat tab
Mooncup (UK) – Hollow tube
Mooncup (USA) – Hollow tube

Writing & Markings

Some women find markings make cleaning harder as blood can collect in the writing and is hard to clean out. Some of the markings on a cup give measuring details so that you can calculate the amount of your flow.

Diva – Brand name and “made in Canada” printed in raised letters inside the cup, also raised measuring lines in both mls and oz inside. Outside is smooth except for lines for gripping the bottom of the cup.

Femmecup – “www.femmecup.com” on inside of rim in raised letters. 2 measuring lines inside marking 15mls and 7.5mls. Flat bottom inside with no size marking. Outside the cup has a spiral starting at the base (forming ridges for gripping), that continue down the stem.

Keeper - Brand name and “made in USA” printed in raised letters inside the cup, also raised (measuring ?) lines around the inside of the cup. No markings outside the cup. No ridges for gripping on base of the cup.

Lady Cup – No writing or measuring lines at all, completely smooth inside and out, except small slightly raised bumps around the base of the cup on the outside for gripping the bottom of the cup.

Lunette – Brand name in shallow indented letters on the outside of the cup and 2 measuring lines (unmarked) on the outside. No markings on the inside at all. Raised lines on the bottom of the cup for gripping.

Mooncup (UK) – Website address and measuring lines in raised letters on the inside of the cup. No markings on the outside of the cup except for the raised lines for gripping on the base of the cup.

Mooncup (USA) – Brand name and “made in USA” printed in raised letters inside the cup – unknown other markings.

Measuring your flow

Some of the cups have measuring lines on the cup to help you measure your flow.

Diva – 2 lines with markings in mls on one side of the cup and 2 lines with markings in Oz on the other side. Both inside the cup.

Femmecup – 2 lines on one side of the cup, marked 7.5mls and 15mls

Keeper – Has 2 lines running around the entire inside of the cup which could be measuring lines.

Lady Cup – No measuring lines

Lunette – 2 very slightly raised lines on the outside of the cup. No marking

Mooncup (UK) – 2 lines with no markings on one side of the cup and 2 lines with markings in mls on the other. Both inside the cup. When I measured this, the markings were not the same as the amount of water I’d tested it with. Not sure why.

Mooncup (USA) – Unknown, suspect the same as Keeper.

Popularity

The Diva Cup seems most popular as it is more commonly discussed on the web and had 12 month return policy so you could return it if it just didn’t work for you – making it a very popular choice. (There is no trial period for Diva any more) However the fact that it is most often discussed is probably due to the fact that most discussion forums are US based where it is found easily. It also tends to be the cheapest, as many stores offer promotions and specials on it from time to time. So people naturally tend to choose the cheapest and most talked about cup. The newer cups tend to be least popular, probably because they are less talked about. But choosing which cup to buy based on price and what others talk about may not necessarily give you the best cup for you.