Battle of the PADS

Heh, I've been planning to do a this post for.... so long! But somehow I just allowed 101 other posts to overtake this plan and so, here it is finally. 

Sorry, foodie-guys, this is going to be a ladies-only post. 

The prices of these pads are... well, about the same so I won't be comparing them base on their prices. Okay, I admit. I can't remember their exact prices. Heh! 

So now, let's start off the list with the one of the pad I absolutely love right now. 

Name & Variant: Kotex Luxe and Kotex Soft & Smooth

Comfort: 4.5/5

Absorbency: 4.5/5 

Overall Personal Likability: 4.5/5

Previously, Kotex was never ever on my radar but ever since their (very sucessful) revamp, they've officially clinched my favourite pad spot. Made ultra thin, but with a 'curvy' surface, it gives a way better fit to our body to prevent having the pad bunching up, which results in leaks. You'll be happy to know that the overnight pads go up to 38cm long, which should be sufficient to prevent back leaks even though it's not the longest night pad available in the market. Even though Soft & Smooth variant is supposed to be softer and smoother than Luxe, I actually do not feel that much of a difference between both variants during usage. Both variants also have equally high absorbency rates so it really doesn't matter which variant you chose. They're equally good.

Name & Variant: Laurier Super Slimguard

Comfort: 3/5

Absorbency: 4.5/5 

Overall Personal Likability: 3/5

Okay, so it claims to be the number 1, thinnest pad in the market with the maximum (which reads best?) absorbency in 1mm. I have to admit, this was my favourite pad in the market until Kotex revamped themselves sucessfully. What made me really disappointed in them was that instead of improving themselves when Kotex started 'challenging' their number 1 position, Laurier just started a bloggers' campaign to tell how brand x (which was obviously Kotex) is just not comparable to them. Having tried both pads, I know those points of focus were either bullsh*t or they really didn't matter much. That's when Laurier Super Slimguard totally disappeared from the pad section in my wardrobe. 

Name & Variant: Stayfree Ultra Thin 

Comfort: 3.5/5

Absorbency: 2.5/5 

Overall Personal Likability: 2.5/5

I believe this brand of sanitary pad is not part of the popular clique in the market, and their quality and efficacy is really average but I've repurchased this for quite some time as they come in 25cm length as compared to the usual 24cm offered by most other brands.

Name & Variant: Sofy Comfort Nite & Chao Shou Shui 

Comfort: 4/5

Absorbency: 3.5/5 

Overall Personal Likability: 4/5

With their overnight pads ranging from 35cm to 42cm, Sofy still tops the list of the longest overnight pads available in the market. Even though Sofy doesn't provide the quick absorbency rate of Kotex, they're still one of my favourite overnight pads (be it Comfort Night or Chao Shou Shui) because it's really quite impossible to experience overnight leakages when the pad itself (the 41 and 42cm) extends beyond your undies. And with all the fanciful side gathers and extended back wings/flaps that made this almost like an adult diaper, you'll need some hardcore sleep-tumbling skills in order to get overnight leakages. 

Name & Variant: Sofy Compact

Comfort: 3.5/5

Absorbency: 2.5/5 

Overall Personal Likability: 3/5

Frankly speaking, I've just started trying this variant of Sofy's day pad, attracted not to the pink packaging, but by how small and compact these 24cm long day pads are. Made to less than half the width of a typical pad packaging, you can easily stuff this anywhere. Front pockets, back pockets, purse, pouch, or even clutch it in your hands.... Okay, maybe not that.
These pads are made almost paper thin with a thicken section in the middle for better fit. Although they're not that fantastic in terms of comfort and absorbency, the high level of convenience due to such small and compact packaging makes this a highly possible repurchase. 

Name & Variant: Adore Comfort All Days

Comfort: 4/5

Absorbency: 2.5/5 

Overall Personal Likability: 3.5/5

Kudos to Adore for coming up with such a weekend-getaway friendly packaging. In just 1 small packet, you'll get day pads, overnight pads, and light days pads. Although not scoring very well in the absorbency factor, Adore has some awesome odour control properties, keeping the dreaded "menstrual blood stench" at bay for hours with an extremely soft and smooth pad surface for better comfort. However, the pad's wings could have been better engineered to do its job properly instead of contributing to side leaks. Personally, I'll choose to stick away those flaps onto the back of the pad itself than to secure them the right way.

And due to the anti-bacterial and amazing odour control properties, Adore will make the best choice as a light days pad where absorbency is not much of a governing factor but comfort and odour is always an issue.

Name & Variant: Whisper Ultra

Comfort: 2/5

Absorbency: 3/5 

Overall Personal Likability: 2/5

When I was young and just started out using sanitary pads, Whisper used to be THE pad to have. Perhaps it was due to a higher price tag compared to the rest available in the market during those days, which gave a "high-class" feeling. But now having tried so many brands, Whisper is definitely the brand I'll not choose to use, mainly due to the dry netted surface, which is really uncomfortable on our skin. There also a couple of times when it gave me diaper sanitary pad rash when the weather was a little too hot. 

Name & Variant: UU Care Anti-Bacterial & Cool Techology

Comfort: 4/5

Absorbency: 2.5/5 

Overall Personal Likability: 3.5/5

With the anti-bacterial variant really similar to Adore, I shall touch on the Cool Technology variant. And let me tell you, it's really cooling for the first few minutes of wearing it. However, the magic loses its touch too soon and it's reduced to just a very soft and comfortable pad. 

The softness of the pad also contributed to its downfall as the ends of the pad is prone to tearing if you didn't peel it off at the correct angle. I also came to notice, on couple of occasions of heavy flow, that these UU care pads tend to give you under-leaking issue. Yes, not back leaks, not side leaks, but under leaks, meaning it leaked from the underside of the pads at the front tips where there's no adhesive material. Kind of weird, but that's what happened. 

So this concludes my humble list of sanitary pads - yes or no. Feel free to share your favourite brand and variant with me in the comment box below.

Till then,
Mia Foo