Table of Contents
Two Kinds of Menstrual Cups
Keep reading for our review of the Aiwo Menstrual Cup, but first, a bit of general information about menstrual cups.
In the world of menstrual cups, there are two main kinds, the cheap cups from China, and the menstrual cups from reputable companies.
Cheap menstrual cups from China
People buy very cheaply made menstrual cups in bulk from Alibaba, package them and then market them on Amazon. You can usually find them for $5-10, but some of them are kind of cheeky and are charging around $20, the same price as the best menstrual cups brands.
They are usually made from very cheap materials and there is a lack of transparency about exactly what kind of product you’re getting.
There is often a lack of even basic information about the cups such as the length, diameter and capacity, as well as which country they are manufactured in. Just about the only positive to these cups is that they’re cheap!
But, you get what you pay for and we most certainly don’t recommend them. They are usually very flimsy, and it’s very difficult to get them inserted correctly. The result is that they usually leak like crazy and you’ll end up buying another menstrual cup!
For more details, see: Are Cheap Menstrual Cups Worth It?
Do you Recommend the Cheaper Menstrual Cups?
In general, we don’t really recommend these cheap cups because after all, it’s something that you’ll be putting inside your body for up to a week each month. In our opinion, it’s worth it to pay a bit more for a product that’s top-quality.
What about the Aiwo Cup? It could be considered one of these “cheap menstrual cups.” As far as pricing goes, it’s higher than it should be for this kind of period cup!
Menstrual Cups Made by Reputable Companies
Let’s talk about the best menstrual cups brands for a minute.
These period cups are made from top-quality medical grade silicone (the vast majority of menstrual cups), latex (the Keeper), or Thermoplastic Polymer-TPE (Meluna). These cups are made by companies that have been around a long time, in some cases even decades.
Some of the most trusted names in the menstrual cup world include the Diva Cup, Lunette Cup, Moon Cup and Femmy Cycle.
These menstrual cup companies are very transparent about both the materials in their product, as well as the manufacturing process. They have a lot of helpful information about how to use their product, and also have great customer support.
These top-quality cups have company websites, and a ton of reviews over on Amazon. They are committed to women’s health and in general, are excellent companies!
For some of our top picks for menstrual cups, you’ll want to check out our comparison chart below:
Best Overall | Best New Cup | Best for Low Cervix | Best Soft Cup | Best for Period Sex |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lena Cup | Saalt Cup | FemmyCycle | Sckooncup | Ziggy Cup |
Check price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
What do you Want in your Body?
While the cheap cups from China certainly are cheap, a menstrual cup isn’t something that you really need to save money on. After using a period cup for only 3-4 months, you’ll save money when using a menstrual as compared to disposable pads or tampons (for more details, see: Aren’t Menstrual Cups Expensive?).
In the end, it doesn’t really matter whether you spend $10 or $30 on a menstrual cup! You’ll recoup your money in only a few months.
And, think about it. Do you really want to be putting something into your body when you’re not really sure what it’s made from or how it’s made? We most certainly don’t want to be doing that here at Reusable Menstrual Cups.
Aiwo Cup in Real Life!
Aiwo Menstrual Cup: No Real Information
This now brings us to the Aiwo Menstrual Cup. The Aiwo Menstrual Cup seems to fit best into the category of cheap menstrual cup from China.
The company doesn’t appear to have an official website and it was really hard to find any information about the product, including size, length, etc. This is basic information that should be included on any product description on Amazon.
In terms of design, the Aiwo Menstrual Cup appears most similar to the FemmyCycle Cup. But, the look is probably the point where most of the similarities end! The FemmyCycle menstrual cup is a top-quality product from a reputable company and it comes highly recommended by us here at Reusable Menstrual Cups.
Aiwo Cup: Unique Discharge Valve
One interesting thing about the Aiwo Cup is that there’s a “discharge” valve. This allows you to empty the cup without taking it out. In theory, you could put in the Aiwo Cup at the beginning of your period, empty it when needed with the discharge valve, and then take it out at the end of your period.
Is the Discharge Valve Actually a Good Thing?
However, we’re not sure that this is a good option, or not. Perhaps a medical doctor could weigh in on this and let us know? It just seems not right to leave a menstrual cup “up there” for so long without taking it out, giving the vaginal muscles a break, and washing the cup.
In theory, it could be a bit less hassle though, particularly if you have a sensitive vaginal canal opening that gets irritated easily by inserting, and removing your menstrual cup.
What about Toxic Shock Syndrome?
Also factor in the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome. The main reason why you’d want to empty a cup every 12 hours even during a light flow is because of this risk. You really should clean off the bacteria from your menstrual cup at regular intervals.
There is some recent hype all over the Internet about how menstrual cups come with a higher risk of TSS than tampons. Studies in a lab have shown higher levels of the bacteria that causes toxic shock syndrome on a cup than with tampons.
Real life? Only one person to date has gotten TSS from a menstrual cup. However, it’s prudent to take the basic precaution of taking your menstrual cup out every 8-12 hours and cleaning it thoroughly with a mild soap or menstrual cup wash.
Is the discharge valve useful when you actually should take it out regularly to clean it? Not so much.
How Does the Discharge Valve on the Aiwo Menstrual Cup Work?
Aiwo Cup: 2 Sizes, and 2 Colors
The Aiwo Cup, like many other menstrual cups comes in two sizes: small, and large. There are also two colors: pink, and clear.
It’s unclear as to which size the company recommends for certain situations. For example, most companies would recommend the smaller size for people who’ve given birth vaginally, or the larger size for people over 30.
As far as the dimensions of the Aiwo Cup go, it’s unclear as to what the diameter, length and capacity of the cup is.
We wish there were more information about this, and it’s one of the main reasons why we can’t recommend the Aiwo Cup.
Reputable cups from good companies have a wealth of information about sizing and who each size is for.
Aiwo Menstrual Cup Unboxing
Aiwo Menstrual Cup: Poor Quality of English in the Product Description
Another indication that a menstrual cup is perhaps not of the highest quality is poor English on the product description on Amazon. We saw things like:
“Long-term use can effectively reduce the inflammation of department of gynaecology.”
“Don’t need to take out the in vitro.”
Clearly, the Aiwo menstrual cup isn’t a top-quality product! Any reputable company would take far more care with their product description, even if English weren’t their first language.
Take a look at the Aiwo Cup for yourself on Amazon:
What about Toxic Shock Syndrome and the Aiwo Cup?
A common question that people have is whether or not there’s a risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) with the Aiwo Cup. And, is that risk higher or lower than with tampons?
Let’s talk numbers. There are far more people who use tampons than menstrual cups. There are also hundreds of people who get TSS from tampons each year.
But, when you consider the number of people who use tampons, the overall risk is actually quite low. This is especially true if you take basic precautions such as changing your tampon frequently enough or using the lowest absorbency possible.
To date, there’s only one reported case of Toxic Shock Syndrome associated with a menstrual cup. It happened because the person cut themselves when inserting their Diva Cup at the beginning of their period. They then left the cup in for too long.
It’s clear that the overall risk of TSS from a menstrual cup is lower than with tampons.
However, basic precautions are needed with menstrual cups, such as washing your hands before handling the cup, and taking it out and cleaning it within 12 hours.
Need more information? Check out: TSS Warning Signs and Facts.
What about Sex with the Aiwo Cup?
If you’re looking to have sex during your period, you might wonder whether or not the Aiwo Cup makes a good choice. For penetrative sex, regular menstrual cups like the Aiwo Cup are not suitable.
They are too firm, and there just isn’t room up there for everything. The way the Aiwo Cup is designed is that it sits low in your vaginal canal. It just won’t work, and even if you did try, it’d likely be pretty uncomfortable for you and your partner.
Of course, for anything that isn’t penetrative sex, the Aiwo Menstrual Cup is a decent choice. Unlike tampons, there are no strings hanging out so your partner may not even know that you have your period!
Consider the Ziggy Cup for Period Sex
If you want to have sex during your period, a far better option is the Ziggy Cup. It’s a flat, flexible disc that fits right below your cervix. If you’re heard of the Flex Disc, or the Instead Soft Cup before, then the Ziggy Cup is the reusable version of this.
It just came out on the market in 2017. The company behind it, Intimina also makes the very popular Lily Cup. Initial reviews for the Ziggy Cup are excellent, and many people mention that they’re so happy to have an eco-friendly, affordable option for period sex.
If you’re looking for a reusable option for sex during your period, check out the Ziggy Cup for yourself over on Amazon:
More Options for Sex During your Period
The Ziggy Cup is only one of the options for period sex. There are plenty of other ones, including some cheaper disposable ones, and also some that are easier to insert.
Check out our handy comparison chart below:
The Best Period Sex Options
Best Overall | Most Eco-Friendly | Easiest to Insert |
---|---|---|
Instead Soft Cups | Intimina Ziggy Cup (reusable) | Soft Tampons |
Check Prices | Check Prices | Check Prices |
Many Better Choices that the Aiwo Menstrual Cup
If you’re looking to buy your first menstrual cup, there are a many, many better choices than the Aiwo Menstrual Cup. One of our favourites is the Lena Cup.
Although it’s a newcomer to the menstrual cup world, it’s a top-quality product at a very reasonable price. It’s made from medical grade silicone in the USA by a company that you can trust. The company is committed to offering an affordable menstrual cup that is still top quality.
We love that there are now two version of the Lena Cup: regular, and sensitive. If you’re looking for a soft menstrual cup, consider the sensitive model. It has some excellent reviews online and most people that use it, love it.
The Lena Cup and the Aiwo Menstrual cup are similarly priced, but the difference in quality is night and day! The Lena Cup is made by a reputable company and there is a ton of information and real Amazon reviews.
For more details, check out our Lena Menstrual Cup Review. Or, you can head over to Amazon and buy the Lena Cup now:
Or, check out this handy comparison chart with some of our top picks from the world of period cups:
Best Overall | Best New Cup | Best for Low Cervix | Best Soft Cup | Best for Period Sex |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lena Cup | Saalt Cup | FemmyCycle | Sckooncup | Ziggy Cup |
Check price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Aiwo Menstrual Cup Review: Have your Say!
What are your thoughts about the Aiwo Menstrual Cup? Is it a buy, or are you considering another menstrual cup brand? Leave a comment below and let us know.
Last update on 2021-04-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API