Soft vs Firm Menstrual Cups: Which One Is Best For You?

Soft vs firm menstrual cups: what are the differences and which one is the best cup for your body? Well, it is not that difficult to figure it out and decide which menstrual cup to choose.
Menstrual cups have practically changed the complete perspective of period products. They have both good and bad sides with good sides predominating. Today’s article is going to help you in what to look for when considering soft vs firm menstrual cups.

Soft vs firm menstrual cups at a glance
Name | Firmness | Image | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Lily Cup | Soft | ![]() | Check Price |
Saalt Soft Cups | Soft | ![]() | Check Price |
MeLuna Cup | Firm | ![]() | Check Price |
Dot Menstrual Cup | Firm | ![]() | Check Price |
Diva Cups | Medium Firm | ![]() | Check Price |
Lunette Cups | Medium Firm | ![]() | Check Price |
What are soft menstrual cups?
Actually, a soft menstrual cup is your very own menstrual cup that possesses an easily squeezable rim. As the name implies, it has got a soft body and the rim especially is softer. This makes your job of inserting the cup far easy.
Soft menstrual cups also give an excellently smooth feel as you use it with no pain or discomfort. It is very compliant and takes no time to regain back to shape, after you leave it next to squeezing.
The soft menstrual cups are delicate ones and go perfectly well with the intra genital structural specifications.
Mostly, all menstrual cups are soft in nature, but soft cups are ultra-soft. Vagina is the most sensitive part of the body and inserting a cup into it might seem painful, but with soft menstrual cups, it is absolutely not.
If you are a woman with high cervix, you will need different sizes of cups. Here’s a guide on choosing the best menstrual cups for high cervix.
Two best, softest menstrual cups that will make your periods happier
1. Intima Lily Cup

Lily cup is known worldwide due to the soft texture of its menstrual cups. These cups need no special introduction. Lily cups provide you long term protection with negligible chances of spillage or leakage.
They are composed of bio compliant medical grade silicone. The most attractive part of Lily cups is its shape. There is no conspicuous rim in this cup. This adaptation greatly facilitates the insertion and removal of the cups.
The overall shape of the cup is also a bit slanting, not at perfect right angle. Since our vaginal canal is not stiff, this shape greatly helps in hassle free insertion of the cup and its removal.
The super soft texture makes it perfectly painless to insert in your vagina.
Available in two variants. Type A is recommended for women who haven’t yet delivered a child, whereas, type B is for post-partum use.
Check out: Softcup vs Diva Cup vs Lily Cup
2. Saalt Soft Menstrual Cup

Prepared in the most ergonomic way, this cup is perfectly aligned for your body. It is an awesome choice for all those women who suffer with urinary bladder issues when they insert a menstrual cup.
Also good for teenagers who experience period cramps. This cup is not only ultra-soft but also extremely versatile in matching the shape of your genitals which makes it a great choice for soft menstrual cups.
The shape of the cup resembles a bulb and it can be easily inserted. The external walls have been precisely rendered extra soft to avoid any injuries while insertion. There is a stem with multiple ridges, which might seem to you a bit prominent in the picture, but the stem is also super compliant and same as the cup.
Experience an odor free and leakage free period with the Saalt Soft Cups.
The cups come in two varieties: small and regular. These cups are tested to be hypoallergic and completely nontoxic. No pain, only happy periods with the Saalt Soft Cup.
What are firm menstrual cups?
These are menstrual cups that have a hard rim. They are sturdy and always exist in their proper shape. This type of cups is not much compliant. When the rim of any cup will feel hard to squeeze and will demand extra effort to do so, you can say it is a hard cup.
They stay in proper place and shape for a long time without slipping away. The best benefit of the firm menstrual cups is that they stick to their place precisely. There remains no gap between the vagina and the rim of the cup. There are least chances of leakages on using such cups.
But, what will be the level of firmness of the cup she will use is totally dependent on the personal choice of an individual. Every vagina is unique and so is the demand of cups.
The best firm menstrual cups to try
There are multiple types of firm cups available in the armlet. Let us have a look at the most popular firm menstrual cups.
1. MeLuna Menstrual Cup

In the world of firm menstrual cups, this is the queen. They are flexible but firm enough. The perfect shape and dimension of these cups are excellent.
The cup comes in two variants: small and regular. When you purchase the cup, there are two freebies that you get, a cleaning brush and a storage pouch. Both of these are super cute and phenomenally useful.
Yes, the rim is firm and not ultra-delicate. You do need to put some effort to squeeze the rim before you can insert the cup in place. But, the best part is that, once you successfully insert the cup, it stays in place precisely.
Hence, this is a great choice for athletic women. Even if you jump around the entire day during your periods, MeLuna cups will provide great protection.
MeLuna cups are made of a chemically tolerant elastomer of thermoplastic. The stem is extremely short and rounded in shape.
2. Dot Menstrual Cup

This cup is revolutionary in many ways. The color of the cup is black which is rather unconventional for a feminine product, yet it is best suited to avoid stubborn stains and patches.
The cup is quite sturdy. The firm nature of the cup creates a sort of vacuum oriented pull which directs the period blood into the cup. This helps you to stay away from staining.
Constituted of excellent quality silicone, the Dot menstrual cup can be your best period partner. It has a perfect balance of firmness. The rim is firm but the body is soft. Firm rim locks the cup to prevent any leakages while the soft body helps in easy insertion and removal.
You might be thinking that a firm cup would be difficult to handle and might be a complete menace to insert or remove but that is not so. It is firm yet compliable. The stem is flat tab type and features multiple ridges.
There are 4 suction holes in the cup. These features allow easy cleaning and easy removal of the cup.
What are average or medium firm menstrual cups?
You can understand from the name itself that these cups are an intermediate. They are neither too firm nor too soft. They possess the correct firmness to meet your needs and provide comfort as well. Most women are comfortable with this variant. Since we love to avoid extremes, this one is indeed the best.
The medium firm version is extremely easy to insert or remove. The rims are generally bit more firm than the body. Most of the menstrual cups are of this nature. They are neither too hard nor too soft.
The best medium firm menstrual cups to try
Let us have a look at the most popular medium firm menstrual cups predominating in the menstrual cup market.
1.Diva Cup

Diva Cup is one of the most preferred menstrual cups. The specifications and awesome features make it lovable. It comes in three models.
Model 0 is for teenagers who have just started off with the menstruation journey. It is also well suited for thin bodied women.
Model 1 is for women in the age group 19 to 30.
Model 2 is for women who have a heavy bleeding tendency and have already had babies.
The precise fit and awesome shape of the cup is fantastic. The rim and the body are so compliable that you can easily insert or take out the cup with zero extra effort.
They are even easy to clean. These cups also do not demand for stringent maintenance. Just take care about the basic safety measure sand you are done with it. Nothing more needed but I suggest you to use proper soaps and cleansers for menstrual cups.
Diva cup is composed of biocompatible materials and are absolutely safe to use. Diva cups can provide long lasting protection of about 12 hours.
One Diva cup is potent enough to serve for 5 years at least if you properly clean and sterilize the cup regularly.
Diva cups are a great investment and basically save a whole lot of money. They are even safer than high absorbency tampons.
2. Lunette Cup

Lunette Cups come in two models: model 1 and model 2.
Model 1 is for women who experience light to normal flow. Model 2 is for women who experience a higher flow. The capacity of Model 1 is quite high to accommodate all the excess period flow on those heavy flow days.
I am a fan of Lunette Cups. It provides long term protection of around 12 hours. Odorless and completely protected periods is the other name of Lunette Cups. The ingredients are absolutely safe for your vagina. Even if you have a sensitive bladder, this cup can be great for you.
The cups are easy to use and they even come with a user manual to guide you for proper usage. When going out, you can carry the menstrual cups in a separate pouch which is provided.
Switch over to Lunette Cup to save a lot of money. Instead of pads and tampons, use Lunette cup. Made of medical grade silicon, these are absolutely hypoallergic and safe for your intimate areas.
Shape up your period experience with Lunette Cups.
Check out: Lena Cup vs. Lunette Cup
Soft vs firm menstrual cups: comparison based on design, material, and shape
Parameter | Soft | Medium | Firm |
---|---|---|---|
Design | Extremely soft rim and body | The rim is a bit hard while the body is soft as the soft menstrual cups | Both the rim and the body are firm |
Material | The material is less dense and more compliant. Therefore, these cups are soft. The nature of the elastomer used to construct the cups actually determines the level of firmness. | The material of the rim and stem are comparatively stiff and dense. The body of the cups is quite soft. The density of the constituent material is inversely proportional to the thickness. | Made of quite dense and sturdy material. Both the rim and the body of the cup are composed of firm, stiff, and dense materials. |
Shape | Smooth walls and suitable shape that you can easily insert into the vagina. The rim can be easily squeezed to facilitate easy insertion and removal. | The rim might be a bit difficult to press and insert but the rest of the body glides in easily. | These cups are little hard and definitely difficult to insert into your vagina than the other two varieties. They stick to the vagina via a vacuum action and form a tight seal with the cervical canal. This nullifies any chances of slightest leakage. |
Soft vs firm menstrual cups: the final verdict
The variety of menstrual cups that you want to choose completely depends on your personal choice. Each variety has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
The pros and cons are based on the shape, material, and design of the cups. We have drawn a close comparison between the cups to help you understand the comparative values of all the three varieties.
However, there are few conventions that may happen to influence your choices. These are:
- If you have a tendency of leakage due to the non-alignment of menstrual cups with your intra genital shape, then firm cups can be a good choice. They form a tight seal and prevent every chance of leakage. If you are an athlete or going to engage in some physical activity, it is better to choose these cups.
- On the other hand, if you have sensitive bladder issues and are prone to uncomfortable experience with menstrual cups, you can choose to use the soft menstrual cups. Most women love to use this variety because you can literally forget that you have a cup within you, when it is a soft cup.
- Medium firm cups are well suited for all and for all purposes. However, the demands of every individual woman cannot be catered by a single variety.
I personally find the soft menstrual cups to be my favorite. Though it may cause unwanted spills a couple of time, because it is difficult to find them out from within while removal. Otherwise, they are awesome.
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