Day pads, night pads and liners: which one, when

There are three of them and the difference is mostly length. That is the short version, and for a lot of people it is the whole version.

The day pad

Twelve to a box, and the box that arrives is printed LILYFLOW REGULAR PADS. It is the same pad the shop calls the day pad. Regular is the packaging name and day is what it is for, so do not be thrown when the parcel says something the website did not.

The night pad

Also twelve to a box, and noticeably longer. Its box is printed LILYFLOW SUPER PADS. The extra length is there because lying down moves the problem backwards, which a longer pad covers and a shorter one does not.

Plenty of people use the night pad on a heavy day as well, and there is no rule against it. The names describe the usual case, not a restriction.

The liner

Twenty-eight to a pack, and much thinner than either. Her own description of what it is for is the clearest one:

Lilyflow organic cotton ultra-thin pantyliners are convenient whether as backup for menstrual cup security, discharge or bladder leakage.

So: the days before, the days after, and the days when you are using a cup and would rather have something behind it.

How much of each

We are not going to tell you how many you need, because nobody else's cycle is a guide to yours. What we can say is that one box of pads and one pack of liners is the usual first order, and one cycle is enough to know whether that ratio is right for you.

If it is, the subscription exists so you stop having to think about it. Choose Day, Night or Both, choose six months or a year, and the whole supply arrives together.

What about the cup and the pants

Both replace a pad rather than sitting alongside one. The cup is medical grade silicone, collects rather than absorbs, and is safe for up to ten hours including overnight. The period pants are reusable and washable, with four layers, and can be worn on their own or over the top of something else for reassurance.

Most people who use either still keep liners in the house. That is what the twenty-eight pack is for.

All three are the same cotton

The pads and the liners are both certified organic cotton, and both leave out the same five things: no synthetic fibre, no bleach, no toxin, no chemicals, no perfume.

Choosing between them is a question of length and of which day it is. It is not a question of quality, and there is no premium tier in this range.

Organic Cotton Pads (Night)

£3.70