These are a bit bulkier, but that's normal for a pad and I've never minded that feeling. They're easy to put on and take off and stay in place well with the wings. I'm pretty sure my underwear are going to last longer now that I'm not ripping adhesive off them constantly too.
The pads seem to have pretty good absorbency now that they've been washed several times and they make me feel drier than a disposable pad does. I kind of love the feeling of hemp and refuse to use other fabrics for pads now that I've tried it. It's so soft. I haven't noticed any smells at all either. I've used them through 2 periods and haven't had any leaks. I tend to have a moderate flow for a couple days and then it trails off, so I don't know if using them through the whole period would work for someone with a heavier flow. Some people might need the heavier pads. I have had blood overflow the inner part of the pad in the morning or when exercising, but the wing caught it and when I looked underneath, there wasn't anything on my actual underwear.
They're super easy to clean even though I haven't used them outside of the house yet because of the pandemic. I just rinse the pads under cold water in the bathroom sink until the water is no longer pink, then I put them into an old compost pail I fill halfway with cold water to soak until I'm ready to do a load of laundry with them. I put them in with towels because I don't think they get enough agitation if they're in a load alone. They stained more the first time when I had them in a load alone than they have since. I don't mind the stains though. If you're going to cover cloth with blood, it's kind of inevitable. It just shows they're doing their job and it's not like anyone but you is going to see them.
I've actually noticed a difference in my period, and I can't say for sure that this is the cause, but I think switching to natural fabrics without chemicals may be helping it flow more freely instead of getting stuck and old inside.
Overall, these work just as well as disposable pads and I feel better about my health and about my impact on the environment using these instead.
