I should go ahead and warn you right off the bat, this review might enter TMI territory. I will be talking about periods… more specifically my period. I will not apologize for doing that… but I’ve at least warned you. Turn back now if you are squeamish.
My period an I are not exactly buddy-buddy. I got some terrible advice early on that kind of made periods miserable for me from the get go. When I first got my period I panicked and went to my Grandma and told her I was bleeding when I peed. She said I got my period and said to just wrap toilet paper around my underwear and that would take care of it. I didn’t know any better so I did. I spent many years wrapping toilet paper around the crotch of my underwear in order to make a makeshift pad. It was messy, it was smelly, and I ruined many pairs of pants that way. I just didn’t know there was a better way, Grandma had never steered my wrong, so I figured this was as good as it got! Then, sometime in high school (yes, high school!) my mom finally got involved and showed me that pads existed for this purpose (this is how shitty my health/sex education in school was, I had no idea!). That was a huge relief! Suddenly I felt cleaner and a little less frightened to leave the house during my period. Fast foward into sometime in college I decided to try tampons and things got even better! I liked not feeling like I was wearing a damp diaper around… sure I had toxic shock syndrome in the back of my mind at all times and I my anxiety went through the roof if I wasn’t in a position to change the tampon every couple of hours, but even still it seemed worth it to feel more comfortable those 4-6 days a month. I liked being able to sleep without worrying about if my pad would shift and I’d end up with a huge blood stain on my sheets.
Now, as a grown ass woman I am finally trying a menstrual cup and I have never been more excited about periods in my life than I am at this moment. I can already tell you that I will never be using anything else again. I am completely smitten with the Fun Factory Fun Cup Explore Kit. Hot damn this little hunk of silicone is a game changer… and at risk of sounding like a really lame ad for a menstrual products… (just imagine me running through a field of flowers wearing a white flowing dress as you read this next bit…) I feel liberated. I really do.
I really should thank Luvoqa for sending me such a life changing review item! Maybe I should send a fruit basket or something? A thank you card written in menstrual blood? No, no… that might be taking it too far. Right? We’ll go with fruit basket… or virtual hugs!
The Fun Factory Fun Cup is made from 100% medical grade silicone, which is hypoallergenic, non-porous, and body-safe. The silicone is lightly textured to provide a better, less slippery, grip. At first I thought the added texture seemed unnecessary, but when lube gets involved, things do tend to get a bit out of hand… thankfully, zero bloody accidents occurred in my week of testing the Fun Cup (although I did get close to losing my grip and dumping menstrual blood all over the bathroom rug…)!
The shape of this menstrual Cup is fairly unique and looks nothing like most of the menstrual cups currently on the market (at least as far as I’ve seen). When I first pulled it out of the box I thought it looked like an adorable little hat, like something a gnome might wear. The tapered tip of the gnomes hat, I mean the menstrual cup, allows for easy adjustment of the cup once it has been inserted. Although once I got good at inserting the cup, I found that I didn’t have to do a whole lot of fiddling with it once it popped in. It seemed to know exactly where it needed to go. Like a homing pigeon.
The Fun Cup comes in two sizes, which means that the Fun Cup can accommodate a wide range of body shapes and sizes. Size A is 2.1 inches in length and 1.56 inches in diameter and is an ideal cup for those younger than 30 who haven’t given vaginal birth, lighter period flow days, or those who simply prefer a smaller cup. Size A is also made from a former silicone. Size B is 2.39 inches in length and 1.7 inches in diameter and is ideal for those who are over 30, those who have given vaginal birth, or heavier period flow days. You can purchase either size separately or if you are unsure where to start you can go with the Explore Kit, which contains one cup of each size. I had no idea which size I would prefer, having never even seen a menstrual cup in person with my own eyes (well, I’ve seen Diva Cup packaging at Target) I had no clue what I’d like, so I asked for the Explore Kit… and I’m glad I did! My initial impulse was to buy the Size A… I would have been disappointed in the end.
By the time my Explore Kit arrived I had just finished my period, so I had to anxiously wait a month for my next visit from Aunt Flo. Never in my life have I looked forward to getting my period… but I was very curious about these menstrual cups! When my period finally did come I opted to try Size A first, since typically my flow starts off very light. I read and re-read the provided instruction booklet and then read one more time just to be sure, the illustrations in the book came in handy, especially since I’m more of a visual learner. The firmer silicone of Size A gave me some trouble, I found it hard to fold it in half and keep pinched in half while inserting it. It also felt kind of uncomfortable once placed. I spent a few hours trying to get used to it, readjusting it multiple times, but finally I decided to give up and try Size B. The softer silicone of Size B made it much easier for me to work with. After a couple of tries I got the cup inserted and adjusted to fit with a good seal. Size B is definitely my cup, much more comfortable than A was. It is very easy for me to forget it’s even there!
There does seem to be a bit of a learning curve involved in using the Fun Cup (is this how it is with all menstrual cups?) and it took quite a bit of practice in the shower for me to finally get the cup inserted and sealed correctly. I have found the best way to get the cup to sit right is to push it in while bearing down, this seems to bring my cervix down to meet the cup… allowing it to dock seamlessly, like a shuttle retuning to the Enterprise. My strategy for removing the cup is pretty much the same as inserting it… I bear down while pinching the sides of the cup, this seems to break the seal easily and I’m able to slide the cup right out.
The booklet says that it’s possible to leave the Fun Cup in place for 12 hours before needing to empty it, but I find myself removing it every couple of hours. Part of this might just be out of curiosity… it’s kind of exciting to pop it out and see what’s going on. Every time I pull it out I have to refrain from showing it to my Stunt Cock while yelling “LOOK AT THIS! LOOK WHAT I HAVE MADE!” I have successfully used it overnight and am happy to report I woke up with no leakage and no red stains on the sheets or in my underwear. The Fun Cups deal held tight and it did it’s blood collecting job perfectly.
Cleaning the Fun Cups is very easy. I rinse my cup under some warm water after emptying it then pop it back in. When my period finished I gave my Fun Cup a quick boil in water, dried it off, then popped it in the included antimicrobial bag to store it away until next month!
If you experience periods I highly recommend you give the Fun Factory Fun Cups a try. Not only are they a wonderfully eco-friendly choice when compared to tampons or pads, but they are going to save you quite a bit of money in the long run! I read somewhere that the average cost for a year of tampons is between $200-$300, depending on how often you change them during the day, the Fun Factory Fun Cups are about $40 and they will last you many years if properly cared for. Earth consciousness and financial responsibility aside, on a more personal level the Fun Cup is so liberating. I have felt much freer to do things I normally avoid during my period. Things like exercise.. even with a tampon it felt kind of risky to move around too much. Today, with my Fun Cup I enjoyed a vigorous workout and. It once did I feel like the cup was going to come loose. Why aren’t menstrual cups handed out to everyone the moment they get their period!?
I really hope this review convinces you to give the Fun Factory Fun Cups a try! If it has, Luvoqa will be more than happy to hook you up with the cup of your choice! You can choose from the Fun Factory Fun Cup Explore Kit (which is what is pictured here in this review) or if you know exactly what size you are after you can grab the Size A Kit or Size B Kit!
The Fun Factory Fun Cup Explore Kit was provided to me free of charge by Luvoqa in exchange for my honest review.