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WUKA very kindly gifted me the pants talked about in this article in exchange for an honest review.

Why am I talking about WUKA period pants?

From hearing about Primark period pants to seeing people buy them from hand-makers, I’ve always been curious. As a cloth pad user and maker, I’m no stranger to washing and reusing so the concept has never felt foreign to me as it might to someone new to the world of reusables. 

One thing I was always curious about was how much flow a pair could hold – earlier period pants I’d seen often said they could not be used as the sole method of period protection and served more as a tampon back-up, while WUKA are intended to be used alone. I also would often wonder about how period pants would feel and whether they’d be comparatively more comfortable or about the same as cloth pads. I’m generally a big believer in trying something new and that having options during my period is a good thing as I always have plenty of choices for whatever scenario I might be in.

Who are WUKA?

WUKA is a brand that offers a range of different period pant options. WUKA stands for ‘Wake Up, Kick Ass’, a mantra the brand goes by as they believe that nothing should hold you back during your period. The company started back in 2017 and I distinctly remember seeing Ruby Raut, the founder, speaking on several online reusable menstrual product platforms. I remember always being inspired by her drive in the sustainable menstrual product space.

To briefly summarise, WUKA pants, according to their website, have the following benefits:

• 1 pair of pants can save 200 disposables from going to landfill
• High quality, earth-friendly materials
• Vegan and cruelty-free
• No added chemicals (such as silver or antibacterials)
• Regularly donate pants to people providing education on sustainable sanitary options (such as schools and nurses)
• Plastic-free packaging
• Only available in black to prevent extra dye usage
• Eco-friendly practices within the company’s working environment

First Impressions

On receiving my package from WUKA, I was really impressed. The outer box was cardboard and had only the bare minimum of plastic sellotape. Inside the package was their branded paper which gave a premium feel to the unboxing experience. It also had a postcard featuring beautiful and diverse models which is always nice to see. The period pants themselves were individually bagged in compostable packaging. 

On opening up the pairs of pants, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the fabric. They felt thick enough not to be see-through but not so thick that they’d be too hot in summer. The stitching of the pants in general as well as the absorbent section felt sturdy too.

In my package, I received a pair of WUKA’s most popular Midi Brief as well as a pair from their new, Repurpose collection pants. The Midi Briefs feature mesh panelling which I feel is a nice style touch as well as a thick elastic waistband showing the WUKA logo. The Repurpose pants are high-waisted and feel very similar to ‘no VPL’ style pants. The waistband on this pair is a lot more discrete with a stripe-like detailing. The Repurpose collection is made from offcuts from the fast fashion industry meaning you not only are helping the environment by using reusable sanitary wear but the pants themselves are even more sustainable compared with WUKA’s regular lines.

My experience using them

Both pairs I received were moderate absorbency but I decided, for the sake of giving a fair review, to try them on my heaviest days. The Midi Briefs were very comfortable and comparable to underwear I normally wear (non-period pants). They felt good to sit or move around in with no cutting in at my legs or waist. The Repurpose pants were equally as comfortable and felt suitable to wear with my tight gym leggings due to their thinner feel. Both styles, in my opinion, were true to size. 

Both pants were able to deal with my flow with no problems at all and I felt dry throughout the day. When it came to washing them, I put them into the washing machine with my normal detergent and dried them on a drying rack. They didn’t take too long to dry and the quality of the fabric and stitching was exactly the same after going through the laundry process. 

Here are some of the general pros and cons that I could think of of these pants:

The pros of WUKA period pants:

• Their black colour meant there was no need for me to stain treat them before washing.
• Comfortable and fuss-free to use – lots of period products simply aren’t accessible to all types of people out there, for example, those with specific disabilities. Putting on a pair of pants was really easy compared with the fine motor control required to use internal protection.
• WUKA period pants feel ‘normal’ enough to wear on those days where you’re not sure if you’re about to get your period but still want the protection. With the products I tried, I was able to experience moderate-level protection that did not feel bulky or too conspicuous. 
• I love the sustainability and transparency of WUKA as a brand. In line with the COP26, they launched their Carbon Report which can be found here and contains some really interesting information about carbon offsetting projects they’re undertaking as well as other facts about the brand.

The cons of WUKA period pants: 

• Despite it being a pro above, their black colour can make it difficult to monitor how much you’re bleeding which may be important to those with specific health concerns. 
• The waistband on the Repurpose pants does feel quite delicate compared with the Midi Brief band. I chose to place them in a laundry bag while washing to prevent them from getting picked. 
• While the absorbency held up so well that I did not need to change before I’d planned to, I still personally prefer the convenience of only changing my pad out rather than changing my entire pair of pants. This is definitely my personal preference though and many would probably disagree that this is an issue.

Final thoughts

I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to try out WUKA period pants. I feel that they’re a great option for those who are looking into sustainable period products but may not be into cups or cloth pads. Or, like me, someone who just wants another option to add to their existing reusable collection. I really like the quality of WUKA products and what the brand stands for as a whole. I’ll definitely continue wearing these pants on rotation with my other sustainable menstrual products (cups, cloth pads and tampons). I would also recommend WUKA to a friend if they were on the lookout for period pants.

If you’d like to try a pair of WUKA period pants, head to their website here.