Kennedy, again! I know it’s technically summer, but it feels more like the season of shortages. The latest victim is tampons, and while it’s a huge bummer for us anti-maxi-padders, it’s also an opportunity to try what’s soon to be the future of menstruation: A plastic-free period.

On a global scale, single-use period products add 5.3 kg of CO2 and 200k metric tons of waste every year. But they’re not just hurting the planet, they’re hurting our pockets, too, since we’ll spend an average $6,360 over 40-ish years of menstruation. So whether you’re swayed by morals or money (no shade, sis, get that bag), reusable is the way to go.

I get the hesitation to ditch Tampax for good, which is why I tested all the buzzy sustainable products so you don’t have to. Cups, discs, panties—here’s my honest review of them all. (Spoiler: I gave all my tampons to my mom, so I’d say it’s 5 drops across the board.)

My Flow: Think Jennifer Hudson’s Heavy, because I go through super tampons in about 3-4 hours.

Period Panties

Lifespan: 2 years

I loathe pads. The smell, sitting in them, the fear of spillage—ugh. The worst part by far is the feeling of blood leaving my body. (I squirm every time and am waiting to be diagnosed with this niche form of anxiety.) With that said, Cora’s free-to-flow underwear ($30) was way better than pads. They absorbed liquid much faster, which helped with my comfort and the odor issue. And I didn’t have to find a big red blotch when I went to the bathroom, which makes the psychology of pulling them back up easier.

Granted, panties can’t fix that drip feeling, so they won’t be my #1 choice. However, I’m def keeping them around to double up with my tampons and do some light work on day 5. (Sidenote: Cora’s panty pads don’t go all the way to the back, so people with heavier flows or those who want to sleep/be active in them should try ModiBodi’s heavy-overnight style ($27). It feels more like wearing an extra-long pad, but also offers more protection.)

Now, the cleaning process was “eh.” You have to rinse them out in cold water, and it took multiple goes to feel like they were mostly empty. (I also wrang the hell out of them for safe measure, but I don’t think you have to go that far.)

TLDR: The panties take some work to clean, but it’s pretty easy and they surpass pads in every other way.

Menstrual Disc

Lifespan: 10 years

Next up is Cora’s menstrual disc, which is a shallow, silicone bowl that sits right under your cervix (diagram here). For the average person, it doesn’t get full for about 12 hours. I’m a veteran cup user, and inserting a disc was much more straightforward for me, so I got a nice seal on the first try. Unlike a cup, though, you can’t pull and tug it to know it’s properly placed. But as long as it’s all the way back and tilted towards your bum, you’re good.

I say that, but I was worried for a bit that I did it wrong because it felt way too loose—in a good way. I kept checking for leaks that weren’t happening until I accepted that the disc was awesome. Then I went to the bathroom and blood started gushing out. I was like, “Hmm, don’t love this,” but that’s just the “self-emptying” feature. Due to how your body is positioned when you’re using the bathroom, the disc automatically dumps its contents. That’s a plus for extremely heavy bleeders who fill the tray faster than normal. But, it did leave me wondering what would happen if I somehow got into the bathroom position while not on the toilet. I never did, but still: anxiety.

Taking the disc out was just as easy as putting it in since Cora’s version has a spot to hook your finger. Cleaning is straightforward, too. Dump it out, wash it in the sink, throw it back in.

TLDR: If you don’t mind getting your fingers a little dirty, the disc is a great alternative to tampons that last longer and can be worn during sex (which I didn’t test because #single).

Menstrual Cup

Lifespan: 10 years

So I can’t write this without bias because I’ve been a cup ride-or-die since college, but just know that I love them. There was definitely a learning curve with my DivaCup Model 2, so I had a lot of leaks in the beginning. But once you get the hang of which insertion fold works best for you (punch down, Thotiana!), you know it’s in there—which is a level of security I didn’t feel with the disc. (That could be because I’m just used to cups, so take that with a grain of salt.)

Similar to a menstrual disc, it’s fully inserted, needs to be cleaned between uses, and lasts for 12 hours. The main difference is that it sits lower down in your vaginal canal. It’s also not meant to be worn during sex, and you can’t wear it with a birth control ring (which I have), so it’s not as much of a jack-of-all-trades as the disc. Despite those failings, the cup has a special place in my heart (and my drawer).

TLDR: Menstrual cups have less functionality than discs, but I love them anyway.

Reusable Tampon Applicator

Lifespan: 10 years

Menstrual cups are my fav, but for days when I just don’t feel like getting “all up in it,” I turn to tampons. So, when I heard of Dame’s reusable tampon applicator set ($31), I “eek!”-ed. It works exactly the same as a regular plastic applicator, you just have to load in the 100% cotton tamp yourself. (Bonus: Instead of plastic, the tampons come wrapped in cellulose which biodegrades in 2-4 months.) It was very straightforward to use, and since it’s designed to be antimicrobial, all you need to do is rinse it off and keep dry when not in use. I also tried inserting the tampons without the applicator, which was a breeze as well.

There is one obvious downside, and it’s that you have to keep buying tampons. Yes, they’re organic and plastic-free, but unlike the other reusable options, it’s not just a one-time buy.

TLDR: This is a phenomenal switch from plastic tampons, but it’s still going to be a quarterly bill.