Monday, October 21, 2013

Soft Meluna & Lunette Comparison Pics

Comparison pics between Soft Small & Medium Meluna cups and Model 1 Lunette.

Medium Meluna, Model 1 Lunette

Firmness comparison. Soft Meluna, Model 1 Lunette




Small Meluna, Model 1 Lunette



Lunette Menstrual Cup Review

I received a Lunette cup to review this month. The Lunette cup comes in 2 sizes - Model 1 and Model 2.

Model 1 Lunette and pouch

Lunette box


Model 1 is smaller and measures 41mm in diameter (1.6in), 47mm (1.9in) in length, the stem is 25mm (1in) in length. Capacity is 25ml.

Model 2 is 46mm (1.8in) in diameter, 52mm (2in) in length and the stem is 20mm (0.8in). Capacity is 30ml.

Model 2 is a bit firmer than Model 1. Model 2 is recommended for women over 30 or who have given birth. Model 1 is recommended for women under 30 or who have never given birth.

Lunette firmness


The Lunette menstrual cup is made of 100% medical grade silicone in Finland. The Lunette cup is also FDA approved. The Lunette comes in several colors as well as clear. They have a bit of a "matte" finish instead of a shiny silicone. (Which i quite like). These cups come with a pretty satin bag (mine was a bright, pretty yellow!) with little flowers stamped on them all over and a handy instruction leaflet. The packaging is made of recycled material, which i LOVE.
 

The Lunette cups are totally smooth on the inside which make cleaning pretty simple. A trick i've learned for when the air holes (which there are 4 of) get a bit clogged is to fill the cup with water then place my hand over the top of the cup and squeeze the cup with my other hand so the water is forced out of the air holes, clearing them. Very easy! On the outside of the cup, "Lunette" and "Made in Finland" is stamped on the rim and there are 2 measuring lines on the outside body of the cup. These markings are very subtle, you can't feel them. For Model 1, the measuring lines are placed at 5ml and 13.5ml. On Model 2, they are placed at 7.5ml and 15ml.

Lunette stamped on rim

Made in Finland stamped on rim

4 air/suction holes



Measuring lines

The Lunette cup is a soft cup and shaped like a little bell. It's not as soft as a soft Meluna, but still pretty soft. The Lunette has raised grip rings around the bottom of the cup to help with removal as well as a very flexible tab like stem (which also has grip lines). The stem can be trimmed if needed, but try the cup out before you trim any of the stem off as you may not need to. You can always trim it, but you can't make it longer again!

Grip lines on bottom and on stem

Stem flexibility


Lunette cups are $39.99. You can order from the Lunette site or one of their retailers. This may seem like a lot of money, but think about how much you normally spend on tampons and/or pads a month. Lunette cups last for years so it's a great investment, both for your pocket book and your body. They are also great for the environment - No throwing away tons of tampons/pads every year and filling up our landfills even more. Just one little cup.

Lunette cups are very easy to care for. Before first use and after the end of each period, simply boil for 5 minutes or use Lunette's Disinfecting Wipes (sold seperately). You can also buy sterilizing tabs (Such as Milton's), but i find boiling works great and is fast and simple. Each time you empty your cup during your cycle, just rinse it out with cold water then wash with a mild soap and warm water. If you're out and about and need to empty and have no sink close by, you can either wipe it out with a bit of toilet paper or a disinfecting wipe and wash it the next time you empty it.

Lunette cups can be worn up to 12 hours before emptying, but this is different for everyone. On heavy flow days, you may need to empty it every 4 hours (as i do).

Inserting your Lunette cup is very easy. There are several different folds you can use (Pictured are C fold, Punchdown fold and 7 fold). I like using the 7 fold with my Lunette cup. The Lunette cup pops oven easily and forms a nice seal. To empty, grasp the stem (or bottom of cup if you cut off the stem) and pull down gently while wiggling it back and forth to break the seal. You can also insert your finger next to the cup and press it inwards to break the seal. Then just grasp the bottom of the cup, pull it out and dump the contents in the toilet, clean it and re-insert.

C-Fold

Punchdown Fold

7-Fold


The Lunette cup is a very nice menstrual cup. Once inserted, you can not feel it. It's not too firm or too soft. If you have a high cervix, you may not even need to trim the stem (like me). I had no leaking issues with this cup. On your heavy flow days, you may need to use a pad as backup overnight (I use cloth). I find that if i get up once during the night on my heavy day and empty the cup, i have no leaks overnight. This is no problem for me as i usually wake up several times during the night anyway. Using a cup such as Lunette may also shorten and lighten your periods! I say give the Lunette menstrual cup a try! You've got nothing to lose!



I was not paid for this review nor was i required to provide a positive review.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Cups

I will have a couple more reviews for you this month. I'm just waiting on AF so i can do proper reviews. I'll be reviewing Lunette & Femmecup.