WUKA – Kickass Period Pants

AD/WUKA sent the products feature for me to review. Thoughts and images are my own and I have been in no way influenced to write a biased review.

WUKA – Wake Up And Kick Ass. The brand name alone has me going, “aw hell yeahs!” and searching  Instagram with the #grlpower hashtags. At the moment, like so many women, I am living for the bodiposi movement and anything and everything that encapsulates women feeling bold and empowered. The movement has even inspired me to post my very own ‘scary’ body pictures on Instagram. So with that in mind, let’s talk about periods and period pants.

When I was asked if I’d like to review the WUKA period pants, I was actually embarrassingly excited. I don’t enjoy my period. Does anyone? The main reason for this is because my flow has dramatically changed since having babies. Before Luke, my periods weren’t that bad, I rarely got cramps and I could just carry on with life. These days however, it’s a different story. 

Let me talk to you about heavy flows and babies. 

I don’t think it needs to be said chaps, but there’s going to be a fair bit of period chat in this blog post, so if that’s not your bag, one of those posts might pique your interest instead! 

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I have had two rather large babies. 

Since giving birth to Oscar a year ago, my periods have been heavy! They’re a lot more uncomfortable and cause more physical pain than they ever did previously. They also bring about absolute carnage when it comes to my hormones. You know they say that it takes over a year for your body to recover from giving birth? When my time of the month arrives, I can well and truly believe it. 

Tampons are out of the question for me. 

Besides the physical and mental toll that mother nature takes on a monthly basis, there are other things that make periods even more difficult for me. Since giving birth for the second time, tampons are 100% out of the question. Now, no matter where I am on the menstrual cycle, tampons hurt. Yup, they actually cause me physical pain…not discomfort – pain! And so for the past year, I have been living the sanitary towel life. Now, there are a lot of things I don’t like about using this a period product but the two main concerns for me are: the cost and the environment.

WUKA period pants offer a sustainable alternative to traditional menstrual products. 

The war on plastic isn’t going to be won any time soon, if indeed, it ever will. That’s why we all need to be doing our bit to help the environment out. Did you know that each menstruating person uses over 11,000 disposable tampons and sanitary towels in their lifetime? Around 39 disposable products are used per cycle, which means a whopping 468 disposable products are used per year, per person.

All of which get disposed of in the bathroom bin, or worse, flushed down the toilet. Most menstrual towels are made from 90% plastic and many have fragrances added that contain a cocktail of chemicals – all of this eventually ends up in our oceans, poisoning marine life and, ultimately leading us to eat seafood that contains previously ingested toxins.

It seems to me that dealing with periods in this manner is costing us dearly, both figuratively and literally. 

Change is coming, so let’s embrace it. 

Over the last 2 months I have switched from my normal menstrual product to WUKA’s period pants. I’ve got a lot to say about these little beauties, so let’s get started. 

Comfort is important! 

When you’re on your period, being comfortable is so important. The WUKA period pants are so soft and comfortable. Straight away I knew I was going to get on with the period underwear as I wasn’t left with the usual plastic-y feel that sanitary pads have. Also, the pads usually give me a little bit of chafing which I’m pleased to be able to avoid! 

Style wise, I really love the look of WUKA’s period pants. 

I love the band and I love the message that WUKA stands for! I have a heavy pair and a medium pair, both of which are extremely comfortable. It is definitely noticeable that the heavy flow pair are a bit bulkier and I think the outline showed a lot more than the medium when working out in leggings, so that’s something to be mindful of. However I can say that if you are on your period and you are planning to go mountain biking, the heavy flow pants really add a level of comfort for your bum! 

WUKA period pants are hygienic and there’s no bad smell. 

One concern a lot of women have about wearing period pants is the smell. Thankfully, WUKA have engineered some great technology into their period underwear which means the smell is absorbed into the layers. There was a slight hint of iron on my heaviest day when I went to the toilet, but nowhere near what you’d get wearing a pad. I’d say it was practically smell free, absolutely no one would know. The inner layer of the underwear’s fabric has antibacterial properties which helps prevent bacterial growth and bad odours. 

To ensure this odour-free feature lasts, I recommend reading the washing instructions that come with your period pants carefully. Period pants contain several different materials in order to allow them to absorb liquids and stay free from bad smells, so take a look at this blog post that details the best ways to wash and store period pants if you want to keep your WUKAs in tip-top condition.

All day long protection. 

At no point during my time wearing WUKA have I ever felt unprotected. Before I had heard of period underwear, I was keen to try a menstrual cup, however the thought of that somehow leaking gave me some real anxiety. Wearing period underwear means that no matter what im doing, I will always be protected. The period underwear lasts for the same amount of time as other products, so at the end of the day you simple take them off, wash them at 40 degrees and dry them on the line. They do need to be air dried and because of the absorbent layers in the underwear, they also take a bit longer to dry than normal underwear does. I put mine in the airing cupboard to dry, which speeds the process up a little. With this information in mind, I’d recommend buying at least 2 or 3 pairs, just so you can get through your period without having to worry too much. Usually the WUKA period pants last for 8 hours, but on your heaviest days they may nerd changing sooner. WUKA heavy pants can hold about 20ml of blood, which is the equivalent of 4 tampons. 

Alternative Uses.

WUKA wear isn’t just for periods. There are other ways you can use your WUKA wear period pants to help make your life more comfortable and easier. The WUKA underwear is also suitable for postpartum recovery, surgery recovery and incontinence.

How I got on with WUKA period pants. 

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve now used this brand of period pants for 2 cycles. I’ve really loved using them and I will very happily carry on with them and ditch the other menstrual products once I’ve run out. 

I really enjoy the look and feel of the WUKA period pants – they’re soft and they fit really well, making me feel secure and comfortable. I’ve worn them during a variety of workouts, including running, cycling and HIIT and they’re definitely the best period protection I’ve used when exercising! 

Having to line dry them means that it would be great to have an extra pair or two. I have 2 pairs at the moment but due to the thickness of the fabric used to absorb the blood, they take longer to dry than normal underwear. If you’re thinking about purchasing period underwear, this is something you’d need to consider. 

The important bits you need to know. 

• Period pants can be purchased on the WUKA website.
• WUKA period pants are available worldwide in sizes 4 – 20 (XXS – XXL).
• They can be hand washed or washed at 40 degrees C , then they must be line dried.
• The period underwear comes in light, medium and heavy. There’s also a ‘My First Period’ pack.
• WUKA is registered with the Vegan Society.