With disposal of single use menstrual products, such as tampons, pads and applicators generating 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, reusable period products seem like a savvy and more environmentally-friendly option. An investment in the first instance, they can save you money in the long run and once you’ve made the change, you may well never look back.

One such reusable period product garnering more and more interest is the period pant. Now, the idea isn’t new exactly, but the number of brands launching products out there in a range of sizes, colours and styles is growing.

Following in the footsteps of established period care brands such as Wuka, Thinx and Love Luna, a number of retailers have dipped a toe in this market and the latest to join in is tights and lingerie brand, Pretty Polly. We got our hands on the products from the new range to see if they’re worth adding to your underwear drawer.

How we tested

We tested the Pretty Polly period pants during our flow, but also on days when we weren’t bleeding to see how they fared for comfort and general wear. The pants were put through their paces on varying days of our cycle and worn in both daytime and overnight to see if they performed well in a range of settings.

It was also important to us to try the pants in a variety of situations, including socialising and during exercise, to see how they managed. Another key consideration was how easy it was to wash and dry them, plus seeing how well the materials and design tolerated this. Of course, elements such as cost, availability of sizes and choice of absorbencies were taken into consideration, too.

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Pretty Polly period pants

Rating: 6.5/10

Materials: Modal, elastane, cotton, polyester and polymide
Absorbency options: One – light to heavy
Sizing options: XS - XXL

Design

As mentioned, Pretty Polly is known first and foremost as a hosiery brand, but it has branched out over the years with lingerie, loungewear and activewear. Period pants are its latest addition. Billed as leak-proof, breathable and fresh, the range is very select at the moment; currently the period pants come in just two styles and in two colourways, but we assume this is something they may add to in time.

Customers can choose between a hipster short style or a midi brief in either black or a dark dusty pink named “woodrose”. There are six sizing options, ranging from XS to XXL but only one absorbency is on offer: light to heavy, which the brand claims can absorb up to three super tampons’ worth of liquid.

Although the period pants come in two different styles, we actually found the hipster and midi brief to be pretty similar in shape. They both come with a lacy band across the top of the pant, which is a nice touch and, as well as looking good, it’s comfortable too. Made with modal, the fabric of the pants is super soft and snug. The padding does feel quite significant in comparison to the light material and, in comparison to some other options we’ve tested, we’d say the padding isn’t quite as inconspicuous.

There are four layers, which are designed to absorb liquid and keep the wearer feeling fresh, including one which has been treated with an anti-odour agent. Pretty Polly says that its pants provide a maximum nine-hour wear option, thanks to this design and their absorbency.

Both the midi brief option and the hipster short style are priced at £19, placing them well above budget picks on the market but lower than some of the big names, such as Thinx, Flux and Modibodi.

Performance

We were happy to see that the period pants arrived in a fully recyclable cardboard packet, with a plastic-free window, through which you can feel the fabric. The first thing we noticed, after getting the Pretty Polly period pants out of the box, was their softness. Thanks to the use of 90 per cent modal in their outer fabric (there’s also 10 per cent elastane to allow for stretch), the pants are gorgeously soft and smooth.

We’ve said it many times before but it still rings true: as well as looking and feeling good, it’s absolutely vital for period pants to deliver on absorbency and freshness.

As mentioned previously, the padding in the pants does feel a little bulky. Given Pretty Polly is covering a wide range of bases with just one absorbency option in their range, it can feel a little too substantial if you choose to wear the pants on a lighter flow day. It also means that on non-period days, they’re not ones we would necessarily reach for, given the thickness of the padding.

Having tried the pants on various days of our flow, we found the Pretty Polly period pants to work best on medium flow days. The fit of the pants is quite snug, so it means once on they deliver a feeling of security and cosiness.

Although the absorbency is good on heavier flow days (we didn’t experience any leaks), we did find a need to change pants after a few hours to feel truly dry and fresh. We also found that the period pants washed fairly well, but again due to the bulkiness of the padding, took a little bit of time to dry fully.

The verdict: Pretty Polly period pants

There are some things that the Pretty Polly period pants do really well: they’re soft, comfortable and keep you leak-free on even heavy flow days. But, given the range is so small at the moment, there is some room for improvement. We’d love to see a range of absorbencies so customers have more variety, different styles and an option with smoother padding. As this is just the first launch into reusable period underwear by the brand though, we’re hopeful that any expansion to its range would address these niggles. Overall, Pretty Polly’s period pants deliver – we’re just excited to see what’s to come.

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Pretty Polly’s period pants claim to be leak-proof – but do the sustainable undies deliver?

From comfort to freshness, we tested during our flow and for everyday wear