In the half of a decade that I’ve had a period, it feels as if I’ve ruined enough underwear to fill a Victoria’s Secret. But Thinx period underwear aims to make that a thing of the past. Described as period-proof, each pair of undies is made with four layers that absorb blood, prevent leaks, kill bacteria and keep the wearer feeling dry. And depending on the style, they can hold up to two tampons-worth of blood.

It’s fantastic that there are more ways to deal with periods than ye olde disposable pads and tampons! Those disposable products are terrible for the environment! (A pad takes 500 to 800 years to decompose. Yikes!) And they can get very pricey, very quickly. That being said, these panties weren’t a magical solution for me. I tried out a pair that could hold 1.5 tampons-worth, and I still bled all the way through them in less than three hours at my absolute heaviest. I wasn’t wearing them as back up for a tampon or menstrual cup, but because I don’t have a very heavy flow I was expecting them to last for a few hours longer than that. They’re much better for lighter days, as a tampon/menstrual cup back up, or for those days when you’re expecting to get your period but don’t want to have to wear a pad..

My friend Jenni Brown, 17, from Bridgeton, NJ, tried these with me, and this is what she had to say about her experience:

“The panties are super comfortable, almost like a bikini bottom, and never ride up. I wore the sporty style. I did have panty lines, but it was worth it. My flow tends to be quite heavy, so I chose not to free bleed. However, nights are much less stressful. The problem of bleeding onto my sheets, (even with a towel) was always an issue. But not anymore! I could feel confident that I wouldn’t leak throughout the night, which is amazing for sleepovers.”

All in all, these panties are a fantastic idea. While they didn’t transform my life, I still totally recommend them, especially for people with light flows.

Do you think you’ll give them a try? Have you already tried them? Let us know in the comments!