One of the best speeches in the award-winning sort-of-feminist topical comedy TV series ‘Fleabag’ goes along the lines “Women are born with pain built-in: period pains, childbirth, you know. Men don’t. They create wars so they can feel things and touch each other and when there aren’t any wars, they play football”. That all brings us to the subject of what are the best tampons for swimming. Why shouldn’t we women swim whenever we want?
- EDITOR’s TOP3
- Playtex Simply Gentle Glide Multipack Unscented Tampons – EDITOR’s PICK
- Tampax Pearl Plastic Tampons – EDITOR’s PICK
- Femtex Tampon Super Absorb – EDITOR’s PICK
- Natracare Organic Cotton Tampons with no Applicator
- Playtex Sport Tampons with Flex-Fit Technology
- U by Kotex Fitness Tampons with FITPAK
- OB Super Plus Applicator Free Digital Tampons
- Veeda Natural All-Cotton Tampons
- Solimo Plastic Applicator Tampons
Best Tampon for Swimming
EDITOR’s PICK |
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1. Playtex Simply Gentle Glide Multipack Unscented Tampons |
| Best for leak-free protection |
| Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
 |
Playtex are a well-known and popular brand and we find these straightforward to use, good value for money and best of breed for their 360° leakage protection, which is a must for example for swimming in a pool. |
| Pros: — Really secure, so no chance of leakage; — No BPA in the applicator; — Choice of unscented or scented. Cons: — Not everyone likes applicators. |
2. Tampax Pearl Plastic Tampons |
| Best for convenience |
| Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
 |
Changing your struggling tampon in a hurry in the ocean isn’t advisable (for hygienic and obviously social and environmental reasons). If your summer plans include going to remote rivers, lakes or beaches where it’s a long way to a bathroom, you need a tampon that’s ready for the job. These are all of that and more. |
| Pros: — Great value for money; — Well made. Cons: — Again, not for you if you don’t like applicators. |
3. Femtex Tampon Super Absorb |
| Best for heavy flow situations |
| Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
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Not sure about the Femtex name (is it just me but does Femtex sound like Semtex?) but these Femtex tampons are great for heavy flow situations and easy to fit. |
| Pros: — Reliable design that won’t leave you embarrassed if you have a heavy flow; — Easy to fit. Cons: — Not the cheapest. |
What to think about when choosing Tampons for Swimming
You might think all Tampons are essentially the same – but it is not like that at all. Of course, there’s quite a bit of engineering too needed to design sport tampons for swimming which get top reviews. On the one hand, they are supposed to absorb fluid and on the other hand, are supposed not to absorb fluid. Remember this isn’t just sports, which poses its own challenges, it is actually immersion in water. It can even be on the beach, snorkeling or competitive swimming or teens jumping into rivers.
However, that’s not the real issue. In fact, the environment and health are becoming very important in the buying decisions that some women make. To understand why, you need to look at the astounding statistics.
About 70% of American women use Tampons and they spend over $3 Billion per year on them. An average American tampon user might use 12,000 tampons in their lifetime. That colossal figure is one (or in fact 12,000) reasons why, with so many Tampons used up and discarded each year, we know some women think very carefully about the impact on the environment when choosing what Tampon to buy.
We also know that because of this environmental concern, some of you prefer organic tampons and don’t especially like the most affordable Tampons made of some cotton and a lot of rayon – or highly absorbent viscose rayon.
So, it’s topical to choose a brand of “organic” Tampons that have a low environmental cost and any recommended list of popular products needs not just to cover price but also how a product is rated environmentally.
The FDA and the Big Organic Tampon Debate
Tackling this conundrum, we looked at 7 purpose-designed tampons for swimming on period. We looked at juniors as well as the best tampon for swimming when you are an adult. It is worth saying upfront that you should only buy FDA approved tampons and you should follow their guidelines. These guidelines include not wearing a tampon for extended durations, even when “the heavy flow” is an issue, as this can encourage harmful bacterial growth. In the worst-case super absorbent tampons have been linked to the rare but very serious (and occasionally fatal) tampon use related condition known as TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome). This is where a bacterial build-up caused by the tampon overwhelms the body.
Put that all in context and it means it’s important you are not buying “best” tampons for swimming that are more absorbent than you need (because again this encourages leaving them in too long). All this is a key reason why in the USA, Tampons are classified as a Class II medical device and that in turn means they are heavily controlled and regulated by the Federal Food and Drug Administration. So that means be careful about some claims made by ‘Organic’ brands as if there was something superior about their safety or health benefits. Yes, there are valid environmental reasons to go organic but personal health is not one of the key differentiators between different competing products. They are all safe. The FDA makes sure of that.
However, you will still see organic manufacturers making claims like “made without bleach”, or “made without pesticide-treated natural cotton”.
Hmm. Well, pretty much no tampon is made with bleach these days anyway. So, it’s a slightly misleading claim.
Ok yes, you can make Tampons without fragrances, or deodorants, but that’s true for any tampon whatever it is made from, cotton, rayon or anything else. That means it’s arguable whether ‘full’ organics are really that different in many key respects from products that include man-made elements, or whether this ‘Organic’ branding is simply ‘virtue signalling’ by some vendors marketing departments, in order to differentiate their products.
Finally, you might hear from a Tampon brad manufacturer that their plastic applicator is totally BPA-free. BPA (Bisphenol A) is a very nasty pollutant with a reputation for causing reproductive issues with mammals and some speculation that it can contribute to growth, development and behaviour issues in children who are exposed to large amounts of BPA. That includes a possible BPA link with ADHD. That’s why BPA is currently banned in the USA and in some other countries in children’s products. So, here the ‘organic’ Tampon argument is a little clearer and less linked with simple and frankly cynical ‘organic’ product marketing.
So, it should be clear to you dear reader that it is all a bit more complicated and one reason that it took us about 70 hours on this review. We actually did our research.
OK – let’s go into detail now on our top 9 best tampons for swimming.
What are the Best Tampons for Swimming
1. Playtex Simply Gentle Glide Multipack Unscented Tampons
Best for leak-free protection
You really don’t want to get embarrassed with a leakage incident in a hotel or house swimming pool, that’s why we like these Playtex gentle glide tampons. The first point is that they create an efficient and secure 360-degree seal – that gives you peace of mind that you will need to hit the diving board. What’s more, as their name suggests they are designed to glide gently. If you are at the beach or in a national park and trying to change these in a public bathroom that is a point you will really appreciate.
- Really secure, so no chance of leakage
- No BPA in the applicator
- Choice of unscented or scented
- Not everyone likes applicators
Verdict: These Playtex tampons will not let you down when swimming.
2. Tampax Pearl Plastic Tampons
Best for convenience
Tampax are the brand leader and make a range of different tampons which we could have include on this list. However, we chose Tampax Pearl because of their affordability, their robustness (that string is big) and frankly we like the packaging too. But then again, do you want ‘Jumbo’ on a packet?
- Great value for money
- Well made
- Again, not for you if you don’t like applicators
Verdict: A great product for swimming from the big brand.
3. Femtex Tampon Super Absorb
Best for heavy flow situations
These applicator-based tampons are as they say super absorbent. If you are having a day at the beach or a day in the countryside, then you’ll appreciate that they will take care of you over quite extended durations.
- Reliable design that won’t leave you embarrassed if you have a heavy flow
- Easy to fit
- Not the cheapest
Verdict: Another sure-fire swimming choice.
4. Natracare Organic Cotton Tampons with no Applicator
Best non-applicator tampons to use for swimming
Changing your tampon in a river, lake or the ocean isn’t advisable both for politeness, for hygienic and also environmental reasons. If your summer plans include going to one of the beautiful remote beaches where you literally can’t spot another sunbather, much less a bathroom, you need a tampon that’s up to the task. Or in other words: If organic is your thing then you need a well-designed organic tampon. These do the job well and have no perfume and of course no rayon – if that’s what you care about.
- If you prefer no applicator, these are a good fit
- Great if you like 100% cotton and dislike the idea of rayon
- Saying they are chlorine-free is a bit irrelevant and slightly misleading
Verdict: These little organic tampons from Natracare have a lot going for them. They’re made from 100 percent organic cotton, and they’re compact, so they won’t take up too much space in your beach bag.
5. Playtex Sport Tampons with Flex-Fit Technology
Best for beginners
Another Playtex tampon, this one aimed at physical sports. They are comfortable, are designed to never slip out of place, are easy to insert via an applicator, and are good for any level of swimming or water sports activity, like kitesurfing, boogie boarding etc.
- If you are mixing in some serious water sports when swimming these will not let you down
- You will pay a bit more
Verdict: If It’s anything swimming-related involving a wetsuit, Playtex deliver hassle-free days at the beach or on the river or lake.
6. U by Kotex Fitness Tampons with FITPAK
Best for portability to the beach or to the pool
We really like the Comfort-Flex channels that move with you but especially like the FITPAK case which is discreet and fits three tampons for your beach or pool bag.
There is a comfortable to use, plastic applicator too.
- Another secure model for strenuous swimming related days out
- Not sure this applicator is up there with the best
Verdict: Easy to keep to hand for an active day swimming.
7. OB Super Plus Applicator Free Digital Tampons
Best for beginners who don’t want an applicator
If you are looking for the best tampon to wear while swimming at the beach or at the pool and you need big absorbing capacity, then these final OB Tampons are a good option. Note that Digital means ‘use your finger’ as these Super Plus polyester/ polyethylene Tampons come without the need for newbies to get used to an applicator, which can be complicated for beginners. If you have green credentials too you will be happy that you are not going to add more to plastic waste.
- No applicator is good for beginners
- No applicator is also good for the environment
- If you prefer applicators, these are not for you
Verdict: You’ll choose these non-organic models from OB maybe because the real issue is applicators.
8. Veeda Natural All-Cotton Tampons
Best organic tampon for affordability
If you are looking for something organic and low cost, you might try these Veeda tampons, which are about as organic as you can get. No applicator, no scent, pure cotton with no GMO and best of all – they are cheap.
- Simple and straightforward, no frills, no fuss
- Pretty affordable (for a pure organic tampon)
- Comfortable to apply
- Ticks all the organic boxes for no pesticide, dioxin, chemical, chlorine, dye, fragrance and synthetic materials. And recyclable packages
- Not quite as robust as some competitors
- If you prefer applicators you might struggle a bit with these
Verdict: If life ‘au natural’ is your thing and you are on a budget then these make real sense as tampons for swimming.
9. Amazon own brand Solimo Plastic Applicator Tampons
Best budget non organic with applicator
If you thought Amazon were already getting around pretty much everywhere – well there is one more place they have now reached. How about low cost Amazon tampons that you can easily add to any other Amazon order. I mean, Jeff Bezos needs the extra cash- right?
Joking aside, these are good straightforward models that work fine for swimming and are easy to fit.
- Cheap but not too cheap – they are still effective
- Not especially organic
Verdict: Perfectly good for swimming. Amazon now goes from A to Z with one more destination added.
Conclusion
First and foremost, as you have seen you can just go ahead and buy any of these tampon products and you will have a solution for worry-free swimming. They all do the job and they all do it well. Yes, there are differences between products using applicators or not and that is an important point, first because some women just don’t like applicators and secondly because some women don’t want to create yet more plastic waste in the world. And who wants more BPA anyway?
Forget the marketing hype behind ‘chlorine free’ however. That’s just misleading and a bit cynical. All tampons you are likely to buy in the USA are chlorine free.
EDITOR’s PICK |
|---|
1. Playtex Simply Gentle Glide Multipack Unscented Tampons |
| Best for leak-free protection |
| Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
2. Tampax Pearl Plastic Tampons |
| Best for convenience |
| Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
3. Femtex Tampon Super Absorb |
| Best for heavy flow situations |
| Our rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
If you want to delve deeper into which tampon really is more environmentally friendly, when it comes to making your purchase, we hope we have given you some clear pointers on what is marketing hype (anything to do with chlorine) and what is actually real (plastic applicators with BPA).
Thanks for reading and please let us know your comments.
What’s the big issue with TSS – what exactly causes it?
TSS illnesses related to long duration Tampon use is caused by a build up of harmful staphylococcus (staph) or streptococcus (strep) bacteria, facilitated by a saturated tampon that has been in the vagina for a longer duration. These types of bacteria normally live on the skin and especially in your nose or mouth without causing much harm, but if they get deeper into the body such as in the vagina and then are left to grow unchecked, then they they can release powerful toxins that will damage tissue and in extreme cases (which can be fatal) stop organs altogether.
What is the best way to prevent TSS?
Simply by removing a possibly infected tampon, disposing of it and replacing it with a clean fresh new Tampon. This means that the build-up is much less likely to happen, as most or almost all of the bacteria get thrown away.
Is BPA really such a big deal?
Some scientists think so. BPA added to plastics has many benefits as it makes a really strong combination (which is important to tampon applicators – you really wouldn’t want them to break) but also has a tendency to “leach” and in 2008 tests found about 70% of Americans had significant amounts of BPA in their urine. It’s a big issue when it gets into the sea as it does demonstrably affect marine mammals. Higher doses in marine animals leads to lowered fertility and lowered physical development due to messing with the animals endocrine system (the system in animals and in humans that secretes hormones). So, it may look like just one little plastic applicator but there is way more to it – in some people’s view.