Dunnes Stores Period Pants Review: Here’s why you need them…
Period pants are nothing new. They’ve been on the market for a number of years now and there are various brands out there.
Before now I’ve never been swayed by period pants; they’re were quite expensive (some are €40+ for a pair) and they seemed like a lot of hassle (they have to be hand washed, so that’s time consuming during your period).
But a few months ago I was in Dunnes Stores and I spotted a new collection og period pants, which I decided to review for Missy.ie. And I have to say; they’ve been life changing and I now have a few pairs of them.
Here’s why you need them…
They’re Only €8
The deciding factor on me buying my first pair to try out was that they were only €8, so waaaay cheaper than other period pants I had ever seen.
Generally the advice is to change period pants every 10-12 hours. So the outlay is going to be a lot if you want to wear them for the duration of your period, but you can reuse them again and again. Personally, I’m still going to be using pads and tampons during the day, but the period pants will be used at night and towards the very end of my period. It depends on your personal preference.
They Come In Different Styles
There’s nothing ugly about these period pants. They come in a variety of styles and colours.
My preferred style is the Heavy Absorbency Period Full Brief as it’s high-waisted and has a lovely mesh detailing on the top. I picked up the polkadot style as it was cute but the cut is different and I personally don’t like it as much.
Sizes go from an 8-20. They are a little more snug than your standard knickers, so maybe consider going up a size because we all know how real period bloat is.
You Can Wash Them In The Washing Machine
As I mentioned above, one of the things that put me off about period pants before was the need to hand wash them. I’m not against hand washing, but coupled with how expensive period pants initially were it meant spending a lot of time trying to wash and dry them on your period to reuse them. Or investing in multiple pairs.
The care instructions say
- Rinse after use
- Machine wash cold (30°C) with similar colours
- Do not tumble dry
- Do not use bleach or softeners
- Do not dry clean
Mine have washed well a number of times and they’ve also accidentally made it into the tumble-dryer and survived. Obvs wouldn’t recommend it, but it was fine.
The Period Pants Come In Different Absorbencies
Like pads and tampons, the period pants come in different absorbencies; light, medium and heavy. You should always use an absorbency to match your flow. I have two heavy pairs for the nights at the start of my period, and a medium one for later.
They Help Environmentally
Look, having a period is stressful enough; we don’t need more shame and pressure on us to always be environmental, but period pants do help cut down a lot on period waste as they can be used again and again. I’ve only had my period pants a few months, but so far they are lasting veery well. I’m in the every little helps camp when it comes to the environment. If you ca make small changes do.
Why I Love The Dunnes Period Pants
One of the things that still stressed me out about my period was the nighttime situation. I have ruined many a pyjama over the years thanks to period blood and I just find pads annoying at night. I’m one of those people who moves around a lot in the bed, so I often woke up to leaks or my pad having moved; not any more. The period pants catch everything. Plus, they are wider and longer at the back than a regular pad.
I can also confirm that oder is not a problem. Whatever magic that is in the layers traps oders. And they also don’t feel wet or anything incase you were wondering. You also can’t see the blood because of the dark material used.
I think period pants are great for night, I’ll never go back to normal pads at night again. Staying at a friends house while on my period was not a worry when I had these. But I also think that they would be amazing as an added protection, especially on heavy days. Or even for those weird days before or after your period when you have spotting, but maybe not enough to wear a pad or a tampon. I also think they would be good if you’re waiting for your first period, just as an extra reassurance if you need it. And ideal for sports.
In all, I love them and have been recommending them to everyone with a period. Just to add to my review, Dunnes Stores did not pay me for a review of their period pants. I bought the 3 pairs myself. I just love them.
Shop the Dunnes Period Pants range in stores nationwide or online.
Read more on periods here.