I first heard of this brand when they e-mailed me to let me know they had set up their online store with a coupon for me to obtain a free cup…… which I was very greatful for! Having a look around their site I was very impressed with the amount of information on there – they appear to be genuinely interested in helping women with the product…. and of course the cup’s colour seemed very appealing, being one of the only cups available in an opaque coloured cup (since the Keeper is technically a “coloured” cup, brown being a colour afterall). I thought the cup was pink, as is shown in the main pictures on the site, but looking at their video on folding, the cup looked purple. I was excited to get the cup so I could see just how purple it was.
Because Lunette has always been my favourite for a few reasons, mostly being lack of writing and the tab stem, the Miacup also having these features is what first drew me to the cup… It is very similar in shape to the Lunette. The colour as well is a huge bonus for me, given that I am a purple nut!
Testing it out – It has the same more defined rim as most of the other cups, which makes it different to the Lunette, but otherwise, they are basically the same. The Miacup silicone is a little softer than the Lunette, and my Miacup is indeed purple. A pinkish purple, but more like the colour shown in the video, rather than the pink looking one shown. The colour is similar to the colour they use in their headings and buttons. The colour isn’t completely uniform, it has the occasional speckle/grain of lighter colour, which doesn’t bother me at all as the surface is perfectly smooth. I like that there is no writing on it (they have the Miacup logo on the inside rather than any writing). My only issue with an opaque cup is that with the Keeper’s holes you can’t see if they are dirty or not, but the Miacup holes are larger, and you seem to be able to see through the holes enough to see if they need cleaning. Also if you are interested in measuring your flow, and seeing the contents of the cup, an opaque cup is not the best choice. On the other hand, I do like the fact that an opaque cup won’t discolour like the silicone ones do. As with the other rimmed cups, I felt this cup more with insertion and removal, and a little blood got caught under the rim, so the outside needs marginal more cleaning than the smoother outer cups. But the flat stem is comfortable like Lunette, and overall I very much like this cup.
Gear – I got sent a very attractive boxed version, which I assume is not how normal customers would get their cups, but I’ll show what I got anyway. It came in a box that was sealed with sealing wax and cord, and even had a ribbon inside so that when you lift the ribbon all the leaflets etc. came out of the box easily. I was extremely impressed :) It was like a nicely wrapped gift!
The pouch is satin with their logo embroidered on, and a satin lining. It is by far the best made and most elaborate cup pouch I’ve seen. They provide a small booklet that gives instructions on use. Which is the most informative instructions any of the cup manufacturers provide (second would be Mooncup (UK) who sent me a little booklet in several languages). I also got some leaflets and business cards with a 5% discount code on them. I like the minimal themeing on their printed matter – looks like recycled paper with just the pinkish purple and a dark grey writing. Nice and subtle.
Personal Observations – I’ve been very impressed with this company. Their FAQ section shows they have been looking around to see the sorts of questions women want to know and provide answers, and their forum will enable more discussion which is great. When I’ve suggested some ideas for the website I got back positive replies (and straight away!), which shows that the company seems to be interested in what people have to say. I like that the company donates money from each sale to charity (and encourages customers to donate as well), and is concerned with environmental issues.
Ratings
I’ve rated all the cups I’ve tried. They can be found here: http://menstrualcups.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/my-comparisons-and-ratings/
