Frequently Asked Questions - How to Choose the Pads
A: No.
Welcome to the world of cloth pads! You may want to try a variety of sizes shapes and materials before you buy a lot of any one thing, since cloth pads often feel and work differently than disposables. You may find that you feel more secure with a longer or wider cloth pad than you would be comfortable with if it were paper and plastic.
The top layer of a cloth pad can feel dry and comfy even if the layers under it are soaked through, so it takes some getting used to learning when it's time to change. A layer of PUL or some other water resistant backing can give you extra security until you get the hang of knowing when your pad is full. I sometimes refer to PUL lined pads as “training pads” although many women who have watery flow find that they do need some waterproofing most of the time.
Recommended order: 
Standard Variety Sampler Set.
Vegan, all-natural, and all cotton and hemp options are available.
A: I have used multi-part pads such as Glad Rags or Lunapads.
Great! Pads from Amy's Rag Bag are a similar concept, but in a lot of ways completely different. These are multi-part pads, but the pieces can be used alone as liners. You don't have to stuff them or fit them under bands, you simply stack them with the winged layer on top to hold everything in place.
Similar to Lunapads, you can often change the top layer only when the bottom layer stays clean.
A: I have used all-in-one style pads.
These are different in that pieces can be used individually, but most of the time a pad is made up of two pieces. What's convenient about these is that they are easy to wash and they shouldn't take any more time to dry than the rest of your laundry does. They are also customizable – the winged liner is usually your main pad, and then you add absorbency and/or waterproofing as you need it.
Mostly light or moderate.
Winged liner and straight absorbent boosterYou could probably get by with light pads most of the time, and you can add boosters as needed. You will rarely, if ever, need to use three pieces at a time.
Light Pads
11 inch Bow Tie and Stretch Wing
All-in-One Pads
Standard Variety
Short Pads for Light Flow
Long Pads for Light Flow
Mostly heavy.
Layered in the MiddleA winged liner should give you enough protection on your lightest days, but most of the time you're going to want the complete sandwich = winged liner + absorbent booster+ water resistant booster.
Standard Variety
Short Pads for Heavy Flow
Mid-Lenght Pads for Heavy Flow
Long Pads for Heavy Flow
My heavy days are very heavy.
Short Pads for Heavy Flow
Mid-Lenght Pads for Heavy Flow
Long Pads for Heavy Flow
Watery gushes.
Watery gushes need some textured material to grab and absorb them so that they don't spread to the edges of the pad's surface. Flannel and terry do the job well. PUL for waterproofing or wool or synthetic fleece for a water resistant backing can help distribute flow inside the pad so that you can wear it longer between changes. The heavier your flow is and the greater the the gushes, the more area coverage you'll need.
cotton terry top
Thick or Clotty.
If your flow is mostly thick or clotty, you'll want to avoid silk and flat cotton topped pads. Flat cotton tops feel wet and silk tops develop a crust when thicker flow doesn't permeate.
The good news is that you can almost certainly get by without any waterproofing.
My flow varies a lot.
Flannel is a good all-purpose topping when you don't know what you're going to get. You may want to err on the side of terry if you're worried about any surprise gushing.
flannel tops
It spreads to the back of the pad.
10 inch Bow TieYou'll probably want at least 8 inches of pad - 10 or 11 if you are tall and/or if your flow tends to use your body's natural channel before depositing itself at the back of the pad.
The Backups provide thin area coverage with flares to help keep the pad in place, and then you can stack absorbency where you need it.
It spreads to the front of the pad.
Asymmetrical All-In-OneToppers and Backup pieces (the ones that aren't symmetrical) can be worn with the big/long end to the front. You will need at least 7 inches of asymmetrical pad, or at least 10 inches if your flow spreads to the back as well as to the front.
It spreads side to side.
Contrary to popular belief, this does not necessarily mean that you need wings. If you have heavy gushes that flow straight down or to the sides, it's important to have a flannel, velour or terry top to grab it immediately. Channels along the top of the pad are also important.
Cores Sewn InThe way I sew the cores in, the edges (except for hemp jersey) fluff out after a few washings and act as buffers, kind of like the training lanes at the bowling alley. The way the tops are folded under also helps buffer against side leaks. Pads generally get more absorbent the more you wash them, but if you have heavy flow and are worried about side leaks, you will especially want to wash the pads at least twice and wear them for a couple “dry runs” before using them when you have your period.
Channelled SoakersAnother way to combat side leakage is to leave the core out of the Topper altogether, so that you've got a concave top layer that catches your flow and channels it into the Soaker and/or Backup below.
It goes straight down.
Short PadsThe top layer's absorbency isn't as important as it is for wild and crazy flow, so go ahead and try all the different toppings to see which ones are the most comfortable for you. Flat cotton is cool and thin and a more popular choice in Summer. It also comes in more interesting prints and retains its good looks longer than flannel does.
You will want PUL, wool or synthetic fleece to help distribute your flow throughout the pad so that you don't have to change as often.
It varies a lot.
Area coverage and an absorbent, textured top are important for all-purpose pads.
Standard
Stretch WingsIf you're an experienced cup user:
Liners alone usually work great for menstrual cup backup. They come in a stretch wing style or with standard cotton wings. The stretch wings are trimmer and contain 3% lycra.
A Guitar Pick is a liner made for thong underwear.
The mini contoured backups worn alone work well too, but they don't have wings so you may want to safety pin them to your underwear to keep them from falling into the toilet. You will also want to wear snug-fitting underwear with this wingless option.
Sampler Sets
If your cup doesn't leak very much and you just want a thin layer of pad for extra security, I recommend trying the All Winged Liners Sampler Set or the All Liners, Including Some for Thong if you wear thong underwear. Both of these sets will give you the chance to try a variety of winged shapes, styles and sizes. You will probably be most comfortable with flat cotton or silk tops if your pads stay dry most of the time.
If your cup does overflow or give you some surprises sometimes, I recommend the Short Pads for Light Flow Sampler Set or the All-in-One Light Pads and Liners Set.
Super Toppers8 1/2" AIOIf the cup is new for you:
Sometimes it takes a while to get the hang of how to insert a menstrual cup so that it doesn't leak, and pads come in handy in case of accidents. I would use a light or medium pad to begin with for cup backup. A light pad could handle a day of dribbles, and a medium pad could handle one or two serious gushes or about four hours of light flow. Both of these pads are included in the Training Pads for Menstrual Cup Backup sampler set.
Other Recommendations
Recommended Pieces: Liners or contoured boosters for light leaks. Light or medium pads for heavy leaks.
Recommended Materials: Silk or flat cotton tops for light leaks. flat cotton or flannel tops for heavy leaks. Hemp jersey or organic cotton fleece cores.
Recommended Sampler Sets:
All-in-One Light Pads and Liners Set
All Winged Liners Sampler Set
All Liners, Including Some for Thong
Short Pads for Light Flow Sampler Set
Training Pads for Menstrual Cup Backup
Recommended site: The Livejournal Menstrual Cups Community is a great source of information.
As long as possible.
Generally speaking, the longer you go between changes, the more you're going to want to layer up. Flannel on top and PUL at the back are your best options for keeping a pad thin and making sure that almost every fiber is saturated before it overflows, but you don't want to wear a PUL pad to the point of saturation because when it finally does overflow, you will have a messy flood on your hands. I think a pad would get uncomfortable before it got that saturated anyway.
Recommended Pieces: Any.
Recommended Materials: Wool, PUL or synthetic fleece.
I change pads frequently.
Silk and flat cotton tops have a nice fresh feeling for short-term use. If you're changing frequently, you probably won't need to worry about waterproofing and you won't need to layer up as much.
Recommended Sampler Sets: Any of the all natural or all cotton/hemp options. Short/light or long/light sampler set.
It depends on where I am or how heavy my period is.
The amount of time you expect to pass before you get to the next restroom will help determine the number of layers you wear at a time. If you're out and about in the world, pack some extra pad pieces in a small wet bag, zippered makeup bag, or even a re-purposed pencil pouch. The more breathable your carrier is, the less likely your pad is to develop odors.
Yes it does!
You're going to want to wear brief, boy cut or standard bikini style underwear with your pads. It's best if they have a snug fit and are made of a natural fiber wit a little bit of stretch.
If your underwear creeps where it shouldn't when you're not wearing a pad, that's a bad sign about how it will behave when you do have a pad in place. This can happen because the narrowest part of the crotch is too far back, and it may pull the pad further back than you want it. If this is the only type of underwear you have, you can compensate for the problem by wearing pads that are longer in the front.
High Cut
These should be fine as long as they fit well and are made of sturdy material, but you can't rely on the contour of this style to keep pads in place.
Bikini
Standard bikinis work better than high cuts because they have more contour.
With bikini style underwear, you may be able to get away with pads that are narrower than the standard 2 3/4 inches, as bikini crotches average closer to 2 1/2 inches wide.
Cotton or hemp briefs.
Never underestimate the power of good, sturdy briefs. Their crotch width is usually smack in the middle of average and they have ample contour to keep your pads in place.
Classic Hipsters and Barely There
These undies may be too narrow to work with most of the pads that I make, although people have found them compatible with the mini contoured backup and I can make the other pieces extra skinny for you. If you're really a minimalist though, you may prefer to go wingless. A safety pin will keep wingless pads from falling into the toilet.
Custom Narrow pads
Thong
Guitar Pick
Slippery, satin, silky, synthetic / baggy or old with worn out elastic.
Wear slippery, thin materials and baggy underwear at your own risk. If you do wear them, you'll need bigger pads with flared ends to compensate for any shifting, and you'll need a good textured backing material like synthetic fleece or corduroy.
Hat tip to Bruce, A. H., Fogg, G. J., Diedling, F. J. and Hammons, J. L. for some of the crotch widths. http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6604609.html
Contrary to popular belief, taller and larger people do not usually need wider pads than the more petite. According to this article (and the research that I conducted in my local underwear department), standard crotch width for almost any size underwear is 2.5 - 2.75 inches, but there is variation in styles. Bikinis and hipsters usually run narrower than high cuts and briefs.
Size does make a difference in the length of the pad - particularly in the crotch length, which is the narrowest part.
The pieces on the right are cut with longer crotches.
Silk ?
No problem! Silk isn't a very common topping for menstrual pads. It's more popular for every day liners.
Recommended Sampler Sets: Any of the vegan or all cotton/hemp options. Long/heavy or short/heavy sampler set. No Wings sampler set.
Wool?
Wool isn't for everyone. I only use it when specifically asked to. It's a good option for someone who has heavy flow and doesn't want any synthetics, but otherwise it's fine to leave it out.
Recommended sampler sets: Any of the vegan or all cotton/hemp options. Any of the standard and all-natural sets except the water resistant and wool sets.
Flannel Toppings?
I'll make flat cotton topped pads instead for your light flow pads, and I'll use terry for your heavy flow.
Recommended Sampler Sets: Standard Variety Sampler set with cotton terry, silk, or flat cotton substituted for flannel.
Hemp?
Cotton terry and organic cotton terry cores for you! Some people are allergic to hemp.
Recommended Sampler Sets: Any, with cotton terry and/or organic cotton fleece substituted for hemp terry and heavy flannels substituted for hemp jersey.
Any conventional cotton?
Not really possible. All of my flannels and corduroys are conventional cotton. I can make your pads with organic cotton tops and organic cotton/hemp cores, but only if they're 8 1/2” long or less.
PUL?
Many cloth pad users prefer to avoid PUL. I'll definitely leave it out if you want your pads to be all-natural or if maximum breathability is important.
Recommended Sampler Sets: Any of the all-natural or all cotton/hemp options. Short/light, long/light, all winged liners, all winged liners and AIO, Guitar Picks and Liners, With Wool.
Synthetic fleece?
Athough it is breathable, I'll avoid it if you want your pads to be all-natural or if maximum breathability is important.
Recommended Sampler Sets: Any of the all-natural or all cotton/hemp options. Short/light, long/light, all winged liners, all winged liners and AIO, Guitar Picks and Liners, Thin Sampler Set.
Anything synthetic?
Yep. But if your flow is very heavy and/or watery, you'll want to layer up the absorbency and/or use wool.
Recommended Sampler Sets: Any of the all-natural or all cotton/hemp options. Short/light, long/light, all winged liners, all winged liners and AIO, Guitar Picks and Liners.
Soak them for up to an hour before washing.
In most cases, this is enough to prevent staining as long as you soak them immediately after wearing them.
Soak them for up to a few days (not recommended!)
If you aren't going to be able to wash your pads right away, I recommend simply letting them air dry in between wearing/soaking and washing.
Wash them in the machine with the rest of my laundry.
This is what I do, although I don't recommend it if you want to avoid stains. Keep in mind that hot water can set blood stains into your other clothes, so rinse them out first if you're going to wash them on hot.
Hand wash.
Hand washing is great if you have the time, but not necessary.
Line dry.
Good for you! Your neighbors will never be able to figure out what they are. I've had several people guess “eye glass cases.”
I want my pad stash to last as long as possible.
Silk doesn't have the greatest longevity. Hemp is more durable than cotton, and flannel tops may wear out before flat cotton or terry tops do.
Recommended materials: No silk. Hemp cores. Flat cotton tops
It's important for my pads to dry quickly.
The longest any of these pads will take to dry is about as long as a pair of jeans would take. Hemp jersey is the slowest drying material that I use, and flannel is the fastest. Trifold Soakers dry more quickly than Standard Soakers. All others are about the same.
Recommended Materials: Silk tops, flannel tops, cotton terry cores, hemp terry cores.
Recommended Pieces: Trifold Soakers instead of Standard Soakers.
I'm concerned about odors.
If you've had problems with odiforous disposable pads, you'll most likely be pleasantly surprised when you start using cloth. Most of the vaginal bacteria that cause odors are anaerobic, so they are much more likely to proliferate when trapped in a paper and plastic pad.
To avoid odors in cloth pads, use all-natural materials as much as possible, and try changing thin pads frequently rather than trying to make a thicker pad last all day.
Recommended Materials: cotton and hemp. Only use synthetic fleece or PUL if you are dealing with heavy and/or watery flow.
I like my pads so thin I can't even feel them.
Hemp terry absorbs just as much as cotton terry and is a lot thinner, although it has less surface area and therefore doesn't absorb as fast. PUL backing is great if you want a super thin pad that you can wear for a long time between changes.
I like the security of a soft fluffy pad, thank you.
Cotton terry cores make a pad soft and fluffy.
If you live in a hot climate, you may want to avoid synthetics as much as possible. They don't breathe as well as natural fabrics, so they could get warm and make you sweat. Flannel also feels warmer than other toppings, so you may prefer a silk or flat cotton top during the warmest parts of the year.
Recommended materials for warm climates: Flat cotton and Silk Tops. No Synthetics.
Recommended Sampler Sets: Any all-natural option with flat cotton or cotton terry substituted for flannel.
