Menstrual Cup Firmness - Why It Matters

The resistance a cup has while squeezed is its firmness. The durometer (a scientific score for the hardness/softness of materials like silicone also called a shore score) plays a large role in a cup's firmness. Categorizing and assigning firmness to cups is not standardized - it's subjective which means your opinion of a cup's firmness might differ from mine. As this has been a popular request to add firmness scores to cups in my resources, ratings are now listed on my comparison chart. The real reason I finally rated all of the cups is part of another, more ambitious project that is still in the works. Stay tuned for news on that at a later date!
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Skip Ahead:
00:00 Intro
01:18 Introduction to Cup Firmness
04:38 Why Cup Firmness Matters - Comfort
05:32 Firmest Cups - Insertion and Seal
06:48 Softest Cups - Insertion and Seal
08:20 Firmness and Staying Placed
09:52 The PN Firmness Scale - How it Works
13:22 Softest - Firmest Cup Attributes and Examples
18:09 Bladder Pressure and UTI's
19:15 The Goal? No Sensation

[@okiguess2313]

This is actually super helpful. The first cup I tried was too firm for me, so the chart helped me with deciding what my next one will be.

[@anafernandes.mp4]

Hey Kim! Just wanna say thanks for the period nirvana quiz, even tho I don´t live in the US so I can not buy the period nirvana recommendation for me, something that really help me was analyzing the pattern of the cups that the quiz recommend to find one available to me to buy, and it actually worked!

[@maheenm.k1015]

I just wish there was a way to figure out if you need a softer or firmer cup without having to buy cups you might not like. Maybe second hand cups should be normalized.

[@shinegirl7962]

There are buy/sell/trade groups that very much have normalized second hand cup/disc use and exchanging. :)

[@internetexplorer6304]

If a 'sample platter' isn't available I'd say start with an average cup first then go softer or firmer from there.

[@nightmarefanatic1819]

I definitely think secondhand cups are fine, they are easy to clean and sanitize. My only caveat would be to either not sell ones with trimmed stems or to make sure they're going to someone with a similar vaginal structure.

[@dean1456]

I'm not sure if I agree with you,, I'm trying to be objective, but the only thing that comes to mind is disgust. I don't share anything, not even t-shirts. However, observation is required to determine which menstrual cup is appropriate for your body. Menstrual cups are also not cheap. So it's a waste of money if you try many at a time and it doesn't work for you. I have a variety of menstrual cups in various shapes, sizes, and firmness levels. I use them all, but in different situations and conditions. On the last days of my cycle, I wear an xs menstrual cup. When there is a lot of flow, I'll use the large size. large ones gives you a complete sense of security, despite the fact that it sucks your body more due to its size. and it'll feel a bit different. If I may make a suggestion, you should only get the largest and smallest menstrual cup. Firmness level is not so important,. When you're in a heavy days, all you need is a large menstrual cup. firm cups are easier to pop up in your body, which is the only benefit i feel. but it still leaks like a bitj Shape shit is also irrelevant,, you can have whatever shape you want. the fact that the cervix is changing, I believe the theory of low cervix, high cervix is bunk. Another suggestion from me: trim the cups stem, If you're feeling uneasy and the stem feels like it's stabbing you. Your cup isn't too large, but the stem is. good luck,.. and sorry if i talk too much hehe

[@JenIsHungry]

@@dean1456 so much of the shit you said was just wrong lol You being an extreme germ freak isn't a problem from other people. It's proven that the cervix changes throughout the cycle, firmness and position differs. Shape and firmness are extremely important as every woman's body is different. I can't use firm cups, they are extremely uncomfortable and cause cramps.

[@claranguematio6717]

I started my cup journey with a small cup with average firmness, it was esay to get a hand of it but I was not confortable with how often I had to change it to avoid leaks , I switcher to higher capacity of the same generic brand and still had some leaks . I took your quiz and was recommended the merula XL , when I could order it I did so and it hasbeing a blessing up until now ,it has the perfect firmness and shape(The rounded bottom and the soft ladder stem are so nice ) for me who has a pretty active pelvic floor muscles. Thank you so much.

[@dented_riddles9967]

The Keeper was my first and so far only cup, and I got it when I was very young so I'm quite used to it. This is apparently the hardest cup out there, so imagine my blank stare when I learned what the 7-fold was! I'm like bruh, it'll barely stay C-folded!

[@Straydogsandcat]

In india there are so many brands who sell soft and it didn’t open! I hated them until I found the one which opened!

[@Feya297]

Hey Kim, I’m a big fan of what youre doing! Making this content makes a huge difference for the world of periods. For it has helped so much, I’m on the edge of buying one myself. I think I’ll boy the organicup mini but the rating is a 2. I’m a quite active teen and I was wondering if firmness is a deal breaker. Love from Holland and I wish you all the best!🌸

[@PeriodNirvana]

The AllMatters (formerly Organicup) is pretty soft, that could affect how well it stays in place in your body during movement but it's always hard to know for sure until you try one. As mentioned, I've heard the opposite response from active cup wearers who prefer a softer cup. Bodies are weird :P I'm not sure what other brands with a teen size are an option for you in Holland, Organicup is the big cup brand in your part of the world. Hope that helped :)

[@Feya297]

Thank you! I guess I will try en see how it goes. Won’t find my perfect cup without trial and error!

[@lebohangnompumelelomakena9739]

Excellent video Kim! You thoroughly explained the cup firmness concept so well in a way that was easy to follow and comprehend! Love your work ❣️

[@bilong92]

have you done a video on cheap/knock off cups and their safety? i'm just curious because I own branded and aliexpress cups and they seem very similar!

[@PeriodNirvana]

I’ve covered this in short form videos but not long form yet. www.periodnirvana.com/private-label-menstrual-cups/

[@MissMommyMoo]

Thank you for making this video and for developing the scale. I recently moved countries and can’t find my brand here anymore. I made it two years post move before discovering this and just bought the most popular brand here thinking it would be similar. Oh how wrong I was. So frustrating! It was like a deflated balloon. 😭 I’m sorry I can’t buy from your shop because I’m not in the US, but thank you nonetheless!!

[@mahisinghvi08]

I’m 15 so the first cup I tried was really small (like a salt teen cup) I don’t live in us so brands that are available there and are affordable aren’t as affordable in my country because import tax and shipping and stuff so I have bought cups which are made here The first cup was soft not as soft as the one you shown but still I wouldnt put it in medium range this cup was a bit too small for me and would have slight leaks and the capacity just wasn’t enough it even fell out once because I sneezed so I bought a bigger cup from a different brand This brand has a medium more on the firmer side firmness it took me one cycle to get used to it as this cup has a much thicker rim too but I’m okay with it now wish it was a bit softer for convenience but no complaints

[@ShinjiniDas1234]

Are you from India and referring to pee safe teen cup and safecup respectively?

[@Kebersox]

the chart is interesting. I thought for sure the Lily cup compact would be softer than Diva. I find I have to help it along to open up.

[@carol-annemartinalolafrase8473]

This period was so so easy period cup was a dream

[@LocaChoca]

TMI question, do firmer cups aggravate hemorrhoids? I know they can cause some cramping issues sometimes, but I've always wondered if the cup can make them protrude more.

[@Nix_101]

I use relatively firm cups and get external hemorrhoids a lot. Haven't experienced any pain or cramping till now though.

[@ritak6329]

I love my Meluna soft that I bought many years ago and went on their site to buy a new one and they don’t sell the soft anymore. So so sad!

[@dariaantona6935]

Thanks for a great and informative video. But you talk very quickly, so it would be possible to listen again and again)))

[@hallie16]

What type of firmness/ and or cup would you recommend with someone who has tight pelvic floor issues?

[@tonigolden8665]

Question, I have horrible cramps. When I cramps by body naturally pushes out tampons even. If I were to try these, should I kind of consider if my body would naturally push it out or not? Recently I tried the disc for the first time and loved it. But now I'm curious about the cup. Thoughts?

[@chapmau]

Thank you for this info I haven't tried very many but I did get some cheap cups off of eBay I found that they were so soft I had trouble making them open and seal and I could push it out if I went #2. Diva cup seems perfect especially for days I'm working and don't want to worry about it but I would like to try more.

[@carol-annemartinalolafrase8473]

I find fimer cups open way easier then softer cups but softer is nicer on my bladder lol

[@lovelyz9571]

Have you ever heard of the vush cup? If so what do you think about it?

[@Mnamni]

I have the lunette 2 I love everything about it but the firmness is too much for me

[@zobothehobo]

Did Flex change their silicone since you did this giant firmness scale? I bought the Flex cup because you had it listed as a 3. I had been using Selena, but due to reach problems I needed to switch... I decided to switch to Flex cup instead of Hello disk because I already knew I could use a cup so long as it was firm enough to open and allow me to push it in properly. Selena is a 3.5... I started with Diva, which was a great firmness level, so I figured Flex (also a 3) would be fine. I opened the package and it's SO MUCH SOFTER than the Selena like SOSOSOSO much softer! Due to my reach issues, I really need a cup I can push the base of to make sure I can push it in place. When I push the base of my Flex cup, it just folds in. I can't get it to open because it's too soft and I don't have the reach to fiddle with it. I'm really disappointed that Flex's accessible design is paired with such a soft silicone but I'm also shocked that it came at the same firmness as Diva and only half a point from Selena. I feel like they had to have changed their silicone. Do you have any insights to this Kim?

[@hannak5585]

I am so surprised you consider merula super firm because when my first cup proved to be way too soft and i was researching firmer cups - merula was the absolute average for most users in terms of firmness, but very tricky to pop open and causing bladder pressure cuz of how wide it is (its mostly sought after for its volume). I got meluna sport and it literally feels like plastic lol, but it works amazingly for me. Like it still gets squished and loses some volume, but i prefer emptying it every 4 hours rather than endless unexpected leaks. Not that I do sports, but extra firm cups can be a game changer for many people

[@PeriodNirvana]

Firmness is Subjective

[@theGhostWolfe]

I don’t think the Merula should be rated 5. I have both the standard and XL, and they are not similar at all. Firmness might be subjective, but they are definitely not in the same category. The softness of the standard was in fact one of the problems I had that caused me switch to the XL.

[@ingridfischer3432]

Thanks for your comment, I'm planning to switch to meluna sport, but until now, I couldn't find any reviews on it yet.😊

[@strawberrymilkshake9074]

flex cup is too soft and i cant check to make sure its sealed because if you pull the loop it comes out. smart design but boo cant get it to work!!

[@shelbelee]

I tried a cup one time and hated it but I also didn’t give it much of a chance but I love menstrual discs! Is it worth it to try it again? Is there a benefit to using both and trading off?

[@Feya297]

I think if you like discs that you should use those!

[@roseedge5626]

I want to use a cup, but since i have a high cervix, and never had sex, but I'm 34 so the quiz doesnt seem to pinpoont quite what I might need. I decided on the lily cup one because it says it's a good all-rounder for beginners. I haven't had any leaks, but I can feel it's not completely open and I can definitely feel it when I ride my bike. Removal is painful and messy and cups are too expensive to buy just to try. I'm almost ready to give up and go back to tampons. What should I do?

[@bryonyw4739]

Do you have your ratings against all the cups you've rated somewhere please?

[@k.v.7442]

Do you experience issues with gripping it when trying to remove it?

[@carol-annemartinalolafrase8473]

So I used my softer cup size a life brand canada

[@ashrowan2143]

Anyone have recommendations similiar to the diva cup? Ideally same firmness definitely no firmer (I have a condition that gives me muscle weakness and pain issues so the diva is already pushing what I can actually fold) but I'm primarily looking at something just slightly shorter I've just started wearing the diva and while I can definitely wear it long term with no particular issue I do have some very minor(for me) discomfort that I think a shorter cup might fix

[@maggiethorpe4837]

HELP! I bought a XS Hello cup (I’m 16) a few cycles ago. I have never been able to use tampons because I can feel them and they make my stomach turn when they are in. I have been using my hello cup for a few days a but I can still feel it, even when I’m laying or standing still. I measured my cervix and it is average/high but I cannot get my cup to sit high enough that I cannot feel it. Any ideas what is going on or how I can solve it?

[@lolk7726]

great video!

[@carol-annemartinalolafrase8473]

I can't even use my diva cup 2 to big lol

[@esteraprianamanik3371]

Nothing perfect, thankyou

[@ubj1993]

I'm in tears. It's my first day of my period and my cup arrived yesterday so had no time to test the cup. I was more than an hour in bathroom literally sweating to put it in and it didn't work. I tried c fold, punch down, 7 fold. It hurts so badly I'm in bed in tears and my vagina hurts. My legs was shaking. My cup is not too firm and not too soft. Once I did get it in it didn't open correctly cause I felt a dent in bottom/side. I must be very tight down there because I could not stick my finger next to it to feel. Then came the part where I wanted to remove it and the trauma continued. The cup felt too high up and skew as the stem felt pushed against the side. I squat down for like 3 ,4 times to get it out. They say grab the base of the cup and squeeze....i can't even get two fingers in down there....Please help😭

[@lithathilakan6657]

Please ask this question on fb group ..

[@ubj1993]

I got it right today. There was some spotting but I'm so pleased. Wasn't painful and I wore it for about 10 hours.

[@isadoralima1092]

Get a longer cup if possible. I now know how to get a smaller cup out because I went through that a few times. If you have a higher cervix height and you’re panicked, it can be tough to get out!

[@Nix_101]

I too faced some pain when I first started using cups at 16, I went for a softer cup though and used lube (it makes it way easier if you're a Lil tight down there). Better not to squeeze and pinch the base and pull. I find that a bit too painful. Maybe, try inserting one finger and breaking the seal if you can reach it.

[@clarani3595]

Use some water based lube .

[@olenavzn]

Hello! I really appreciate your work. Your channel is very useful for women from Ukraine. Please include Ukrainian subtitles. We will be very grateful to you. Thanks.

[@carol-annemartinalolafrase8473]

With period underwear