Review of the IrisCup
The IrisCup is a period cup manufactured in Spain from high quality medical grade silicone. It’s reasonably priced, but is it a top-quality cup that you should consider putting into your body?
2 Sizes of Iris Cup
The Iriscup comes in two sizes: small and large. The small is for those who haven’t given birth, or are under the age of 25. The larger period cup is for those who’ve given birth vaginally, or are over the age of 25.
Iriscup small: 65 mm length, 40 mm diameter, 15 ml capacity
Iriscup large: 65 mm length, 45 mm diameter, 20 ml capacity
You can find the Iris Cup on Amazon:
Iriscup: Very Low Capacity
Iriscup Review
At 15 ml capacity for the small Irish Cup, and 20 ml capacity for the large, this is one of the lowest on the market today.
Compare this to something like the Diva Cup, which has a very average capacity of 30 ml. Although some people may appreciate how small the Iriscup is such as teens, or just very small people, those with even an average flow may not love this menstrual cup.
If you have a regular-heavy period, then the Iris Cup is certainly not the cup you want. A jumbo tampon has a capacity of around 10 ml, so you’ll end up losing one of the big advantages of a menstrual cup, which is having to deal with it less often.
If you have a heavy period, instead, consider one of these high-capacity cups, with room for up to 42 ml of fluid.
If you have a heavy period, you’re probably used to getting up in the night to deal with your period. Even a jumbo tampon combined with an overnight pad might not be enough.
However, by using a menstrual cup with a higher capacity, along with a pad, it might just be a game-changer!
Iris Cup Unboxing
Iriscup: One of the Softest Menstrual Cups
The Iris Cup is one of the softest menstrual cups you can buy. Perhaps you’ve found the average or firm cups felt uncomfortable, or even caused cramps?
If this is the case, you might want to consider a softer menstrual cup like the Iris Cup. They won’t push so strongly against your vaginal canal walls and may feel more comfortable inside of you.
The main disadvantage to soft menstrual cups is that they can a little bit difficult to get inserted correctly. They don’t just “pop” open like the stiffer cups do. You may have to spend some time turning the Iris Cup one way, then the other in order to get it to fully open and suction to your vaginal canal walls.
It takes most people a few cycles, but they eventually figure it out, even with a softer cup.
We usually recommend that beginners stick with an average/firm menstrual cup, while those experienced with cups, can try one of the softer ones.
For more information, check out out handy Menstrual Cup Stiffness Chart:
More Soft Menstrual Cups
The Iris menstrual cup is a nice option if you’re looking for a softer cup. However, it’s pretty difficult to find outside of Europe. Check out this chart below for some of the more easy to find options for soft menstrual cups:
The Softest Menstrual Cups
| Best Soft Menstrual Cup | High Capacity, Soft Cup | Highest User Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| Sckooncup | Super Jennie | Lena Sensitive |
 |  |  |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Should a Beginner Consider the Iris Cup?
If you’re looking for your first menstrual cup, you may want to know whether or not the Iriscup is a nice option. In general, firmness is the most important consideration.
We usually recommend that a beginner stick with a firmer menstrual cup because they’re easier to insert. Once you fold, and insert them, they should just pop open pretty easily and snap into place.
The downside to the firmer cups is that some people find them uncomfortable and they even cause cramping in some rare cases.
Softer menstrual cups are more comfortable, and will almost never cause cramps, but they can be difficult to get open. It’s for this reason that we recommend a firmer cup for beginners (not the Iris Cup!).
Which Menstrual Cup Should a Beginner Try?
Check out some of our top picks for good menstrual cups for beginners:
| 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 |
One of the Lowest Capacity Menstrual Cups
Coming in at 15 ml capacity for the small Iris Cup, and 20 ml for the large, this is certainly one of the lower capacity menstrual cups you can buy. If you don’t have a heavy period, this may be fine. It does have the advantage of being one of the smaller menstrual cups, which may work well for teens or otherwise small people.
However, if you do have a heavy period, then the Iris Cup probably isn’t a great choice.
Check out this menstrual cup capacity chart for more details:
What People on Amazon are Saying about the Iris Cup:
“The Iriscup doesn’t leak! I’ve tried a few others and kept having problems with that. It takes me a minute or so to get it inserted correctly, but once it’s in there, it’s there. The suction seal never seems to break, even during heavy exercise.”
“Insertion is really easy and it has never leaked.”
“The Iris Cup isn’t as stiff as most of the other ones. It takes a while to learn how to insert it, but once you’ve got, you’ve got it!”
“When you consider the price, the Iriscup one of the best period cups you can buy. I don’t really know why all those other cups are almost double the price of this one when it works really well.”
More Iris Cup Reviews
Get an Iriscup Now on Amazon
It’s not easy to find this menstrual cup in stores, which is why we recommend shopping online. Check it out for yourself over on Amazon:
IrisCup Pros:
- The price! It’s one of the cheapest menstrual cups on the market.
- The IrisCup is manufactured in Spain, if you’re from Europe and like to shop local.
- It’s not as stiff as some other cups like the Dutchess Cup or the Diva Cup, which can help reduce leakage for many women.
- Insertion and getting it to “pop” into place can be easier due to reduced stiffness.
IrisCup Cons:
- Some people reported that the directions were a little confusing.
- Slippery material and lack of grips on the base of the cup can make removal a little bit difficult. This seems like a major design flaw and something that should be standard on all menstrual cups.
- The small could be too small for many people if they haven’t given birth, even if they are over the age of 25.
- The small only has a capacity of 15ml, which is far less than something like the Diva Cup or Femme Cup which have capacities that are double at 30ml. This can mean having to change the cup during the night on your heaviest flow days. This will also be a terrible choice for you if you have an above average flow. See: How to Handle a Heavy Period.
- It can be quite difficult to find the Iris Menstrual Cup outside of Europe
For some of the more readily available menstrual cups (especially in North America), check out our picks in the 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 |
How to use the Iris Menstrual Cup
If you’re new to menstrual cups, you’ll probably want to know how to use the Iris Cup! It can be a little bit intimidating because it’s a lot bigger than a tampon.
The first thing to keep in mind is that there’s a learning curve to using any menstrual cup, including the Iris Cup. It takes most people at least 3-4 cycles to really feel confident with it.
Beyond that, there are a few simple steps for using your new menstrual cup in style!
- Wash your hands with soap before handling the Iriscup
- Make sure to wash your menstrual cup with a mild soap or menstrual cup wash
- Fold the Iris Cup (check out some recommended folds here).
- Insert the period cup, pointing it back and down towards your tailbone, instead of up towards the sky.
- It should just pop open pretty easily. If it doesn’t, jiggle or twist and turn it. Or, take it out and try a different fold.
- When the cup is full (it’ll start to leak), or at 12 hours, take out the cup and clean it well. Then put it back in.
- You can take the cup out by squeezing in at the base with two fingers to break the suction seal. If you can’t reach the base yet, pull down gently on the stem until you can. Then, pull the cup out.
- At the end of your period, you can sterilize your cup by boiling it in a pot of water on the stove for 5 minutes.
Which Menstrual Cup Wash do you Recommend?
Check out some of our recommended menstrual cup washes here:
Best Menstrual Cup Wash
| Best Overall | Most Economical | Best Menstrual Cup Wipes |
|---|---|---|
| Divawash | Dutchess Cup Wash | Lunette Wipes |
 |  |  |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
What about Toxic Shock Syndrome and the Iriscup?
A common question that people have is whether or not it’s possible to get TSS from a menstrual cup like the Iris Cup. And, is that risk higher or lower than with a tampon.
Let’s talk numbers. There are a few thousand people who get Toxic Shock Syndrome from a tampon. Of course, there are millions of people who use them so this must be taken into account. Your overall risk is very low especially if you take the basic precaution of changing your tampon frequently enough.
There’s only one person who’s gotten TSS from a menstrual cup (the Diva Cup specifically) to date. Of course, there are fewer people who use this product compared to tampons.
So overall, your risk of getting Toxic Shock Syndrome from either tampons or menstrual cups is very low. However, it seems like the risk from menstrual cups is lower than with tampons.
What about Sex with the Iris Cup?
Beginners to menstrual cup often want to know whether or not they can have penetrative sex while using a traditional menstrual cup like the Iris Cup. The easy answer is no!
Menstrual cups are not designed for this purpose and there just isn’t room for everything up there. Even if you were to try (people have!), you’d likely find it extremely uncomfortable.
If you’re looking for options for sex during your period, then you’ll want to check out this chart below with out top picks:
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 |
Consider the Ziggy Cup for Non-Messy Period Sex
Of these options for sex during your period, perhaps our favourite one is the Intimina Ziggy Cup. It’s a reusable disc that’s made from the same material as the Iriscup (medical grade silicone).
It’s flat, flexible and fits right under your cervix. This is what makes it suitable for penetrative sex. Compare this to something like the Iriscup that sits low in the vaginal canal. The comfort factor is obvious, and even a softer menstrual cup like the Iris Cup won’t work that well.
You can check out the Intimina Ziggy Cup for yourself over on Amazon:
The Takeaway on this Popular Period Cup:
If you’re looking for an economical choice for a period cup, look no further. The Iris Cup is one of the cheaper ones on the market that’s manufactured in a first world country and is made from the highest quality platinum silicone.
Most people that try it seem to like it. It’s reasonably easy to insert, and remove and most people find that it doesn’t leak.
However, if you have an above average flow, this certainly would not be a good choice for you. The smallest IrisCup is half the capacity of the more average menstrual cups like the Lunette Cup.
You can Buy the IrisCup on Amazon:
The Iris Cup: Have your Say!
What are your thoughts about the Iris Menstrual Cup? Leave a comment below and let us know.
I liked this cup a lot, but I got rid of it because it had no grip rings and was difficult to remove. It was super soft, and difficult to pop open. It’s a very comfortable cup, though, that being said. For anyone who has popping soft cups opened mastered, I’d definitely recommend this cup.