When we first announced the new, “innovative” Flex menstrual cup we weren’t shy in sharing our thoughts. If you haven’t already seen our article, FLEX Enters The Menstrual Cup Market With The Purchase Of Keela Cup, I encourage you to give that a read. In short, we have no love for Flex and this only served to strengthened that. We like to have as many brands as possible represented on our resources and, as we try to get around to testing as many as we can. With one cycle a month it can be a challenge to keep up. Typically, for a review, we have reached out the company for an assist. As you can imagine, when cups are priced from $20-40, and many brands carry more than one size, the expense of purchasing cups quickly becomes unrealistic. Because of our feelings on Flex, we didn’t want to do that and hesitated on spending the money to test them out. That said, I was able to snag a clearance Flex Cup at Target and took it as a sign to review the cup you’ve all been asking for.
I tried the “full fit” Flex Menstrual Cup for two cycles, plus a refresher here or there to see if maybe it was just having bad vag days. You can see what I thought in the video below.
As you saw, the review was not pretty and, honestly, I really struggled with that — as if my awkward uncomfortableness was not enough of a tell. I’m not opposed to sharing a negative opinion, but having so little that’s positive to say about a product that is meant to solve a valid problem feels pretty terrible. While I’m sure there are some people who will love this cup, I am just not one of them. The quick and dirty is this:
Flex Menstrual Cup Pros:
- Flexible, soft silicone – I really love a softer cup and would say that this one fits around a 2 on our scale, which is essentially my ideal firmness
- Color – being an all black cup, it’s not going to show stains
- Possibly good for those with am extremely high cervix – it could be helpful for those who have had the experience of being entirely unable to grasp a cup that has migrated far beyond their reach and ability to ‘pinch the base’ (While a high cervix is a variant of normal, this experience and need is not.)
- Soft stem – while I hate stems, this one is quite soft and flexible. If you’re a stem lover, this one might be okay for you
- Leak free – everyone is different, but the cup didn’t leak for me
- Bonuses – each Flex Cup comes in a discovery pack that includes 2 Flex Discs
- Availability – the Flex Cup is easily purchased at Target, on store shelves, and Amazon
Flex Menstrual Cup Cons:
- By comparison, this cup is terribly difficult to clean – getting the stem out and put back in is annoying at best, and difficult for those who it is aimed to help at worst. I think the idea of a way to release suction better is a good idea, but this just doesn’t translate into an easier to use cup
- Stretchy stem – while the stem on this is soft, it is also terribly elastic. I can definitely see breaking the lower loop portion as a real possibility
- Stem suction and pull – in video demonstrations the cup is held very firmly in place by hands or in a dry tube. These are not good representations of a vaginal environment. You must pull the stem out a pretty long way before it ever puckers in to release suction, making it pull a lot more than the removal of a typical cup. There’s no way I’d use this cup with any form of prolapse
- Not great for a low or dipping cervix – if your cervix tends to tunnel down or dip into your cup, you may very well feel the thick internal stem designed to help release suction at the rim. For some, pressure of this type on the cervix is quite uncomfortable and may even cause nausea or cramps (it does for me)
Bottom Line?
I really, really don’t like this cup — at least in comparison with all of the other cups on the market. If it was the only one I had access to, I would probably use it over a traditional tampon, but I’m not sure I would use it over an organic tampon. I could probably get past the cleaning hassle but the inability to trim or tuck the stem is a hard pass for me.
16 Responses
I have tried to use it in a thousand possible ways but I always have leaks, especially in the first days, I do not think it is bad but it really did not work for me.
Why isn’t Flex included on your comparison chart? I think you’re overly biased with how much you don’t like them as a company. The Flex company doesn’t hide their history, it’s right on their website, and I’m sure I’m not the only consumer that quite frankly doesn’t care about the details of who purchased who and who designed it first (as long as it’s FDA-cleared, safely manufactured and regulated, etc). If it’s effective, safe, easy to use, then what do I care if they purchased softcup and made it their own??…which is a totally normal business practice by the way. Also, may I respectfully point out that the Saalt cup that you ladies helped design, the package design with the salt/liquidy-y looking geometric shape looks a lot like the Flex design shape on the box except theirs is gold color. Don’t know who did it first, all I’m saying is I don’t think people care as much as you think about marketing rip-offs.
Hard to clean…are you serious? I’m a first time cup user, and it’s the easiest thing. And Flex is a great cup for people who don’t want to have to stick multiple fingers up themselves while also bearing down twice a day for a week. That can be just as irritating to the cervix and vaginal environment as tampons. Although your prolapse comment is a good one, the bearing down to remove a regular cup would also not be great for prolapse, so that’s not unique to Flex. I’m a new cup user, so you guys definitely know more about cups than I do, but in 3 cycles I’ve already tried 3 cups, and I keep going back to the Flex (I also like Lena, and didn’t like Pixie). I’m going to try Saalt next.
I was about to give up on cups before finding Flex. After many hours (not kidding) struggling to remove other brands, I thought cups just weren’t for me. The Flex cup is so easy to remove! I don’t find it difficult at all to clean. I can see why someone who doesn’t have trouble with regular cups wouldn’t want the little bit of extra hassle with the pull tab but no trouble for me. So happy I finally found the Flex cup!!
Incredibly helpful, thank you!
I was just about to give up on using cups until I found this!!! I have tried the saalt cup (original and soft) diva cup, Lunette cup, organi cup and meluna cup – they all worked fine for the most part – East to put in, very few leaks… but I had trouble getting all of these out!! I have tried every trick in the book, watched endless YouTube videos and read so many blogs… I just found them all extremely difficult to remove.
I finally came across the flex cup and it’s so simple to remove – just like removing a tampon. It is easy to put in, I had no leaks or any issues and finally one that I can remove without digging around in there for 15 min and having a panic attack. I personally don’t find it any more difficult to clean. So it’s an overall win in my book.
I found this review pretty biased due to the authors personal feelings toward the company – but trust me, if you have had difficulty removing cups like me – definitely give this one a shot.
Thanks to flex I don’t have to give up on cups.
I agree SOOOOOO much! I have a very high cervix and I can not for the life of me reach other cups to break the suction. This cup is the ONLY reason I can use a cup and I am so thankful! Best cup EVER! I’m so sad that this persons personal bias against the company lead to this video. It should be taken down and redone by someone who can actually appreciate the cup like someone with a really high cervix who doesn’t have a cervix that lives in their cup.
I brought this cup this is the third one I purchase and for me I like the stem it makes it easy for the removal but I did feel that it leaked other two cups that I used would never or rarely leak but this one did. I also use the full body one and it feels ok but I am looking forward on trying another brand with something a similar stem easy to remove. Will keep it for emergency.
I personally like this cup except for the stem, which is nice and soft but also sticks out similarly but a bit more uncomfortably (because thicker) than a tampon string. However, it is not pokey like some stems so more comfortable than some. Enough that I won’t replace needlessly but will not rebuy once it’s time has come. It does not leak like my previous cup sometimes did but takes a few tries to seal at times, perhaps because it is on the soft side. I do not think cleaning it is that bad, but I do have full use of my hands and fingers so not sure how someone who has a hard time pinching would experience this.
I just want to say I LOVE this cup. If you’re on the fence about it, I recommend 1000%. The other cups I tried wouldn’t suction no matter how much I moved the, or would leak, or yes there were a couple times they wouldn’t come out and I had to (embarrassingly) call in reinforcements (sorry husband). It’s the third I’ve tried and the first that actually worked for me. I was ready to give up and I saw an advertisement for this cup on my Facebook so I ran to Target to give it a try. After a couple attempts,I got it and fell it love. Easy to put it, stays, and so easy to get out (it doesn’t get stuck!). I’ve been using it for a few months and I am a firm believer and trying to convince all my friend to switch.
It would be better if a person who has had difficulties with removing or wearing other cups and doesn’t already hate the company do the review. I find regular cups impossible to remove so it’s possible that this one might be the one that would work. I also feel like if Keela had not had issues and had been able to push this to market themselves then you would have given it a much more positive review. I don’t really understand why you dislike the Flex company so much, other than their marketing strategy. Yes, they copied another companies feminine product and thereby hijacked some of the market – but doesn’t every single menstrual cup company do that? Why are you not upset about every other menstrual cup made after Diva for taking Diva’s share of the market or for Diva taking a share from whomever had a cup before that? I get that you feel like their marketing is deceptive since they do market it as “their idea” and “completely new”, etc but they aren’t the only menstrual product that does that. Lumma markets their disc as an “innovative” design. Cora markets theirs as “designed with our
fearless fit technology to be the most comfortable and simple-to-use cup, possibly ever.” Blossom says theirs “is hands down the most comfortable, economical menstrual cup in the industry” that was “redesigned with silicone and the latest technology in molding and materials.” Saalt says that their founder “couldn’t find one that met her ideal criteria. So she started custom designing her idea of the perfect cup.” How are ANY of these marketing strategies different then Flex? They all say they’ve somehow “redesigned” or “innovated” an existing product, and yet they all look pretty much the same. Flex is merely doing the same type of marketing but they are also SAVING products that otherwise would either no longer be on the market or would never come to market in the first place. They bought a product that some women prefer that was losing money and kept it on the market. With Keela they bought one that was for a niche market and was going to be unable to make it to market and brought it to market. Both times they have spent money purchasing a product with a very limited market share and likely not a lot of profit opportunity and making sure it makes it to market. For the women that need these products its awesome but your quite open and obvious dislike of their marketing strategy is completely clouding your review of the products. If you can’t stomach reviewing the product fairly then please get a guest reviewer that can give an objective opinion.
I am so appreciative of Flex for saving the SoftCup and now the FlexCup (SoftCups had been discontinued, and Flex then bought the rights to continue manufacturing). I have some health issues which affect my grip, and the FlexCup is the only one I can use. I tend to be very “tight” on my period as well and it’s stiff enough to pop open, and I am actually able to grab it to remove it without struggling and getting cramps in my hands. Personally, even with my health issues, have no issue with washing and reinserting the stem in place. Definitely feeling some bias in the review here. I have no comfort issues, the stem is very soft and short when it’s placed correctly, and I find it easy to use. Flex’s products have made my life so much less stressful and have considerably improved my quality of life.
I love the flex cup!
I would love to see this cup reviewed by someone with a physical disability as that was the original target market for the Keela Cup. It’s easy for those of us who have full use of our bodies to see accessible design as unnecessary, but for those who need it I imagine something like this could be life-changing.
Not to say Amanda’s experience and opinion are wrong or invalid, I’m just wondering if someone with a disability might have a different experience.
Thanks for all your work!