"Reusable" instead softcups and my divacup review (blog)

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12 March 2011 @ 05:53 pm

I don't know if anyone's posted about this yet, but the Softcup company just posted via facebook that they're coming out with a new type of "reusable: softcup that can be used for a whole cycle.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=314773239948&set=a.291919079948.44539.39188084948&ref=nf

Now personally, I reuse my softcups for a whole cycle anyways, so I'm not sure how much of a difference it will make. If they make them easier to clean between uses that would be nice. But from the photo of the "new" softcup on the box, it doesn't look all that different. It is nice that they're encouraging women to use one product per cycle though. I wonder if they're still working on the smaller size softcups...

Also, I have recently started a blog and I'm going to be reviewing all the menstrual cup brands I've tried. So far I have written a post on the divacup and a post about how to win free reusable menstrual products. :) So feel free to check it out. Also I'd love to have more menstrual cup blogs to add to my blogroll.

http://whimaway.blogspot.com

Tags: divacup, instead

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babybloodheart on March 13th, 2011 12:23 am (UTC)

Okay, very cool. They're apparently coming out with a thinner rimmed softcup too.

I just wish they'd hurry up and get them available over here in the UK - we are more fond of our menstrual cups here, but softcups might get more interest.

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whimaway on March 13th, 2011 01:01 am (UTC)

Agreed. My friend who has never wanted to try reusable cups, tried insteads without hesitation.

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serpent_849 on March 13th, 2011 12:52 am (UTC)

such. a. huge. box. for. just. two. cups? :S

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lintilla on March 13th, 2011 05:13 am (UTC)

Insteads are larger than bell-shaped cups.

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serpent_849 on March 13th, 2011 05:22 am (UTC)

yeah but aren't they kinda like plastic bags? or will it damage them if they are folded for storage?
i hate empty plastic bags and if i need to take one along i fold it really small and put into my handbag XD i'd fit several into a box like this! :D

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lintilla on March 13th, 2011 05:23 am (UTC)

Not sure - I only tried Insteads once, and that was a looooooong time ago.

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whimaway on March 13th, 2011 06:06 am (UTC)

They have plastic bags connected to a very stiff ring, so you can't compress them to fit more in a box. The rings always spring back to their round shape.

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nickelshoe on March 13th, 2011 09:01 am (UTC)

I wouldn't fold it, I'd just keep it flat. When they're in their little bags they look kind of like giant condoms, IMO.

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whimaway on March 14th, 2011 07:35 pm (UTC)

Hahah yes. When my friend was going through my purse (why was she doing that in the first place?), she found an instead and totally thought it was birth control.

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serpent_849 on March 13th, 2011 12:53 am (UTC)

Pricing hasn't been determined yet, but it will be comparable to other forms of menstrual protection on a per period basis.

mwahahaa not to proper reusable cups though?

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whimaway on March 13th, 2011 01:03 am (UTC)

Oh I didn't see that it only had two cups. If the price is too high, I am just going to keep buying the disposable kind and reuse them... I have been on the same box of insteads for several months now.

It seems like with this they are trying to compete with proper reusable cups... but they really can't unless they go all out and make cups that last for years. Too profit driven...

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lintilla on March 13th, 2011 05:14 am (UTC)

Well, that and I don't think the shape of the Instead cup would lend itself to reusable materials. Does anyone know of a material that is thin enough to accommodate the Instead's shape but durable enough to last more than one cycle?

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whimaway on March 13th, 2011 06:05 am (UTC)

Hmmm yeah, I was thinking along the lines of a dome shaped cup, without the sac/rim combo of the instead, but then I guess it wouldn't be an instead!

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frolicnaked on March 13th, 2011 05:41 pm (UTC)

Like the silicone in a (silicone) diaphragm? I have an Ortho All-Flex (pictured here) that's reasonably similar to an Instead in shape and size. (And could be more similar in size if I owned a larger-sized diaphragm.)

I mean, I'd guess that such a material would cost too much to be practical from a profit standpoint. But just from a can-it-be-done standpoint, I think it could be.

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whimaway on March 13th, 2011 08:45 pm (UTC)

Yes, that's what I meant! :) I've considered getting a diaphragm just to use as a menstrual cup. The semina diapragm looks exactly like an instead, only with silicone! O.o I think since this company is primarily interested in producing disposable products that are more profitable (even if one can be used for a whole period), they wont look into making something truly reusable.

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frolicnaked on March 13th, 2011 02:15 am (UTC)

I wonder if they're still working on the smaller size softcups...

This is what I'm waiting for too. :)

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crittercandy on March 13th, 2011 05:34 pm (UTC)

They probably knew all along that many woman had reused softcups, so now they gave in told the truth about its "reusablity". So that's good for the environment, because now everyone is going to be sure about reusing it again and again.

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theinfamousj on March 14th, 2011 03:11 am (UTC)

I was just thinking that (what you posted).

Gotta love companies that let their consumer base figure out the use of the product and then later market it as if it were their own idea.

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melissa569 on March 13th, 2011 10:13 pm (UTC)

Interesting, they probably will make it like a silicone diaphragm. If I see them in the stores, I might try them.

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theinfamousj on March 14th, 2011 03:07 am (UTC)

Cool! Thanks for sharing. I have passed it along to a friend of mine who uses Insteads. Most of my friends use Divas (because that is what I use so could give personal testimony) but this gal wanted to use Insteads. I told her that she could rinse and reuse for an entire cycle but having the company market something for her to do so will likely increase her comfort level with doing it.

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