Expense
For starters, let's talk price* vs. what you get...
- Diva Cup, size 2: $39.99 (Walgreen's online price as of 08/06/16, you may be able to find a coupon in store or if using a Walgreen's reward card), included is 1 cup, 1 drawstring bag, instructions. I chose the size 2 because Diva Cup suggests choosing based on your age and previous birth experience - if you are under 30 and have never given birth (vag or C-section) you get size 1, if you are over 30 and/or have given birth (vag or C-section) you get size 2. I am both over 30 and have given birth.
- Lena Cup, sizes S/L: $36.97 (Amazon.com ONLY, savings of $22.98, price as of 08/06/16) included is 1 cup in each size (small/large), 2 drawstring bags, instructions, share the love card. I love that the Lena Cup suggests choosing your size based on your flow rather than whether or not you are past a certain age or have previously given birth! Since this is a 2-pack I feel like I scored an awesome deal and can likely better service my needs based on flow rather than some arbitrary sizing guide based on my age and birth experience.
*Please note I only included pricing options for the stores I purchased from. You can certainly find a discount on Diva Cup if you purchase through certain online retailers.
Let's compare that to disposable menstrual products (sposies). Some cycles I use fewer products, some cycles I use more. I did not count products used on my last completely sposies cycle, but I will base this on my brand preference and what I feel is my average use per cycle:
- Always Thin Dailies ($5.47/120 count) - 10 = approx. $0.50
- Playtex** Gentle Glide Regular/Super Absorbency Tampons ($6.97/36) - 5 = $1
- Tampax Pearl Light Absorbency Tampons ($6.97/36 count) - 5 = approx. $1
- Always Ultra-Thin Pads with Wings ($5.47/36) - 5 = $0.75
- TOTAL PER CYCLE = $3.25
- TOTAL PER YEAR*** = $39 (12 cycles)
**I also use Kotex Regular/Super Absorbency, which are slightly less expensive
***My cycles average 10 per year rather than 12 because I have a longer cycle-length. My cost per year would be $32.50
With sposies you obviously only use them once and toss. With RUMPS (re-usable menstrual products) you use them many times before replacing them. According to the Diva Cup FAQ page, which you can find HERE, you should replace the cup once a year since it is a personal hygiene item. However, many people say that as long as there is no visible degradation of the product they are fine to use for up to 5 (or even 10!) years. I'm sure that if you only have one cup and/or a heavy or long cycle that lifespan will be shortened due to the extra wear and tear as well as the extra cleaning. I could not find any manufacturer suggested replacement timeline for the Lena Cup.
Let's shoot for the middle and say that you can reuse the same cup for 3 years. This is your cost per year if you divide the initial cup price by 3:
- Sposies cost for 1 year: $39
- Diva Cup cost for 1 year: $13.33
- Lena Cup cost for 1 year (2-pack only): $6.16 per cup, $12.32 total
That's a significant savings. Just imagine how much money you will save by not using sposies if you can keep your cup healthy for 5 or even 10 years! This is in addition to the reduction in waste going to the landfill if you switch to RUMPS.
Bags
I feel that it is important to store your cup in a breathable bag. The bag helps to keep the cup clean and offers a level of discreet storage. I currently keep all of my feminine products in Sterilite Drawer Units. I have a small three-drawer unit near the toilet where I store a small stash of tampons, liners, and feminine wipes (the tampons will be replaced with cups). I have a large three-drawer unit behind the bathroom door where I store a larger supply of liners, tampons, and pads.
Not all cups come with a pre-made bag! The Diva and Lena cups do come with bags, but there are slight differences between them. If you purchase a cup without a bag, you can sew one or purchase one from an online retailer or Etsy shop.
- Diva Cup: approximately 3"x4" with a double drawstring opening. The drawstring is magenta 1/4" satin ribbon, which coordinates with the purple and pink large-print floral fabric. The fabric is tightly woven and softer on the inside than out.
- Lena Cup: 3 3/8"x4 1/8" with a single drawstring opening. The drawstring is baby pink 7/16" grosgrain ribbon. Both bags have a white background, one is a multi-color small print polka dot, the other is a small print floral. The fabric is not what I would call loosely woven or sheer, but it is definitely not as tightly woven or thick as the Diva Cup bag. You can see individual threads in the Lena Cup bags, whereas you cannot see individual threads in the Diva cup bag.
- The Winner Is... Diva Cup! The satin ribbon double drawstring is so much easier to close than the grosgrain ribbon single drawstring. While I like the slightly larger size and fabric print of the Lena Cup bag, I prefer the sturdier/thicker fabric of the Diva Cup bag. During the taking of these photos, I discovered that it is easier to put the cup into the bag stem-first, but it's easier to close the drawstring if you put the cup into the bag rim-first. The opening closes more tightly that way, and you can even stand the bag upright on the cup rim instead of laying it on its side.
Features
Cup Shape & Firmness
There is a basic bell shape that it seems most cups have. If you Google menstrual cups you can find images comparing the different cups all lined up by size. You'll notice they all pretty much look alike. There are subtle differences, though. While the Diva Cup and Lena Cup both fit into what I would call a bell-shape category, they are quite different in the company's interpretation of what a bell looks like.
- Diva Cup: This reminds me of a motor oil funnel. Seriously. It is a very steeply sloped cup, almost like a rounded/softened triangle, and the stem is
cylindricalsomething I'll get to in a moment. The base is much narrower than the rim. The side of the cup flares twice, once about 3/8" from the rim and then again at the rim (approx. 1/4" from top of cup). As such, when you run your finger from base to rim you can feel two speed bumps. I'm not sure if this adds to the functionality of the cup or if it is just a design quirk. I only have the Lena to compare it to in terms of firmness, but the Diva is a much softer resistance than the Lena. It does seem to have a bit more firmness/thickness near the rim than at the base, but overall it is very easy to squish.
- Lena Cup: I would definitely categorize this as a Christmas Bell shaped cup. If you hold it upside down by the stem it evokes the feeling of a Salvation Army Santa standing outside a store ringing a bell. The cup has a gentle slope from the stem that flares out once at the rim. When you run your finger from base to rim on the outside it is smooth sailing all the way. There is a ridge on the inside just below the four air holes, but as they are on the inside of the cup you can't feel them. I only have the Diva to compare to for firmness, but the Lena has more overall firmness. It feels like the cup is the same thickness all the way through from top to bottom.
Rim & Length
Both of these brands use a round rim. I'm not sure if there are cups with a different shape, but I just wanted to be sure you were aware... they are round.
- Diva Cup: The Diva Cup has a much more pronounced and obvious difference between the rim and the body of the cup. As I mentioned above the cup is steeply sloped, and then BAM there's the rim. It reminds me of a condom fresh out of the wrapper - it's that obvious of a rim. To measure the diameter I lined up my ruler across the cup from one air hole to the opposite air hole. The Diva Cup (for me) measured right at 1 3/4" - I can't find info about the rim diameter on the company website to compare my measurements with theirs. Measuring the length on this thing was next to impossible! I tried to put it against something to hold it up off the ruler and eventually gave up and just squished it flat. I do have it lined up with the "Start Here" mark on the ruler, even though it doesn't really look like it. For the length including the stem I came up with 2 3/4" (the Diva Cup website says 2 5/8", so I was pretty close). You can trim the stem if it bothers you, but it's so short I kept it intact.
- Lena Cup: The Lena Cup has a more gently flared rim, and it's smooth so you don't have a ridge around the cup on the outside (as I mentioned above). There is a difference in diameter between the small and large cups, but it is not a huge difference. Again to measure diameter I lined up my ruler across the rim of the cup using the air holes as guides. For the small I came up with slightly over 1 1/2" rim diameter and a solid 1 3/4" for the large cup (this is pretty darn close to the Lena Cup website stats of approx. 1.61" and 1.77"). To measure length I once again lined the cup up with "Start Here" and smashed it flat. The ruler kept ooching out from under the cup, so this took a ridiculous amount of time to accomplish. For both the small and large cups I got a firm 3" length including the stem (Lena Cup website lists this as approx. 2.79" and 2.77"). Based on my measurement vs the Lena Cup website the ruler may have moved a bit, but it's still in the same ballpark. Obviously this length will be quite different if you choose to snip the stem off your cup. I have not yet used either size of the Lena Cup, so I am undecided at the moment about whether the stem will bug me or if it will be OK.
SMALL
LARGE
Stems & Grips
The last area that I want to cover in depth is the part of the cup you're probably going to become most familiar with and have your hands on at least twice a day during your cycle - the stem and grip rings. These come in a wide variety of styles depending on the brand you choose. Some brands even offer different style stems on the same style of cup. Whatever floats your boat. If you think you can grab it or that a particular style would be easier to hold onto, you might even base your cup choice solely on the style of stem available. That is not what influenced my choice. I bought the Diva Cup because it was available at a brick-and-mortar store, and I chose Lena based on the high praises sung by Bree over at Precious Stars Pads, which you can find HERE and HERE. She's a force to be reckoned with, and I admire her knowledge base and willingness to share it all on YouTube to help educate women (and young girls) about their choices.
The stem is there primarily to help you be do two things: 1) correctly position the cup by making sure the stem is just inside the vaginal opening, 2) be able to find and begin to remove the cup when it's time to empty/change it. In my research I've found that if you have a low cervix you might want to trim the stem so it doesn't protrude from the vaginal opening (YIKES!). I think it would be akin to a tampon string, but since it's much thicker and less flexible it would be more of an irritation.
The grip rings are molded into the base of the cup and provide, well, grip for your fingers. Things can get pretty slippery down there when you have your period. Between the blood and extra mucus it's hard to hold onto anything. Grip rings, like stems, come in different patterns and prominence levels.
- Diva Cup: The Diva Cup has four concentric rings on the cup and two more on the stem. The rings are visible and you can feel them, but they are not very prominent. The stem is cylindrical and very short. I don't feel like the grip rings are actually of much use since they are only slightly raised. I didn't have any trouble reaching the cup, but I also didn't have any leakage or excess mucus on the outside of the cup when I was removing it. The stem is hollow, which makes it insanely hard to clean. Short of soaking it, I'm not sure you could really get the gunk out if it ever got in. I did purchase a small lidded pan for the specific purpose of sanitizing my cups but have not done this yet. The stem diameter is approx. 1/4" which is a good gripping diameter I believe, but it is only 3/8" long, so unless you have very small fingers it probably isn't going to do much aside from give you peace of mind that you've got the cup inserted high enough and that you can touch the tip of the stem if you need to check placement after using the bathroom.
- Lena Cup: The Lena Cup Small has three concentric rings on the cup and four more on the stem while the Large has three on the cup and three on the stem. The rings are highly visible and defined in contrast to the rest of the cup which is smooth. The stem is flat and slightly rounded on the end and it's solid so there is no chance of gunk build up. Again I have not yet used the Lena Cup, so I will update this particular section after I do. I have no idea yet of whether the stems are useful or just an annoyance. The stem is approx. 1/4" wide by 1/8" thick, so it's pretty flat. This could be good for no-slip grip, but I don't know yet. The Small has a stem that is nearly 1" long while the Large stem is only slightly over 3/4". This would be due to the difference in length of the cup, since overall they are both very close to 3" from rim to stem.
SMALL
LARGE
WIDTH
THICKNESS
One thing I didn't mention is cup capacity and interior markings.
I do like that the Diva Cup has measurement lines on the inside... The Lena Cup sadly does not. This would not deter me from purchasing a cup. The Size 2 Diva Cup has measurements marked in ml and oz on opposing sides. There are 2 lines - 1/4oz and 1/2oz -or- 7.5ml and 15ml. As per the Lena Cup website the Small has a 25ml capacity and the Large has a 30ml capacity.
The Diva Cup has "The Diva Cup," 2 (the size), and "Made in Canada" on the inside of the rim, and there are four straight air/suction-release holes. The Lena Cup has "Lena" and four slanted air/suction-release holes. I could not get any good pictures of this...sorry.
One cool thing about the two Lena Cups is that they nest...kinda. So if you wanted to store them together in one bag, say for traveling, you probably could.
The Winner Is... To Be Announced!
That's all I have for this CUParison. I hope to update in the next two weeks with my first-time use experience with the Lena Cup and to choose a winner. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave those for me. I'm a newbie and I obviously don't know everything. What you find here is 100% my own opinion and use experience. Be on the lookout for more CUParisons as I grow my collection of cups, and hopefully I'll soon be able to add some RUMParisons of pads!
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