Warning – I’ll be talking about my period and period-proof and leak-proof underwear. So, if things like that bother you, turn back now! This is not the blog for you!

Sometimes periods are annoying. Like when I am super busy and have to find time to get to the bathroom every 2 hours annoying. Or when my period drags on for 10 days annoying. But, being a pelvic floor physio I know that they are also annoying because some women find wearing tampons incredibly painful. Or that other women get a very uncomfortable rash in the nether-regions from wearing pads. Or maybe, you just don’t like the throw-away nature and its effects on the environment from using disposable products each month.

For all of these reasons, I decided to try Knix underwear. For myself, and for my patients. And to be clear, I have no affiliation with this company.

Knix underwear claim to “look and feel like normal panties but they have a built in super-absorbent pad with leak resistant backing to prevent any period or other moisture leaks.” Sounds perfect, so I tried them.

I purchased the Athletic Leakproof Bikini and Athletic Leakproof Thong. They were easy to purchase and arrived quickly. I find the sizing chart to be accurate also. They really do look like normal underwear. The gusset between the legs, that has the absorbent pad doesn’t feel exactly like normal underwear, almost like the fabric is double or tripled, but is still super thin. I’m not sure what’s it there. I’m thinking that it’s lasers and robots and whatever gives Captain Marvel her super powers.

I’ve been using them for 6 months now. The makers claim that bikini style holds 2 tampons worth of menstrual blood, and the thong holds 1 tsp. I’ve not been scientific enough to 100% confirm that the claims are accurate, but it seemed pretty close to me!

So for me, I use the underwear alone, for the first day of my period. Then I use a tampon and the underwear as backup, for my heaviest days. I tend to have light days for another 3 – 5 days (I know… annoyingly long), so I switch back to just using the underwear.

I certainly could just use the underwear on my heaviest days, but I would probably need to carry around 3 or 4 pairs. Which I just don’t want to do, though you certainly could. But, I can tell you, with a tampon, they do work fantastic as backup for leaks.

They wash well. After wearing, rinse out under cold water (which I had to do anyways, when I ultimately had a leak). Then toss in the machine to wash, and lay flat to dry. I must admit, I would avoid buying the beige color again. I like it for the practicality under my clothing, but they are a struggle to keep completely stain-free.

My biggest complaint was that they didn’t work well for sleeping. They absorbent gusset did not extend far enough back to lie down all night and reach the leaking zones. But then, magically, as if they heard my fingers typing, they came out with the Dream Short. Higher waist and larger, longer padded area. I haven’t yet tried them, but the reviews seems promising.

So, as a female, I really like these underwear! As a pelvic floor physio – I really like these underwear! I’ve recommended them to patients who have pain when wearing tampons, for those who find removing a dry tampon (ouch) uncomfortable, for women who are working on their pelvic floor strength but still need a pad every day – the cost ends up being a savings, and for those women who have skin that gets really irritated from wearing a pad all the time. Or, again, for those with environmental concerns.

I recommend them for urinary incontinence too. GASP. I know. As a pelvic floor physio I would rather that you improve your pelvic floor strength and endurance and coordination. But sometimes it takes a while for improvement. Sometimes, I can only improve someone’s condition and not completely cure it. So this offers another option.

There you have it. I like these products. A lot. And I am almost certain that I will be ordering more.

 

Katie Kelly, Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist

BSc., MSc. PT