My Honest Experience of Using the Hello Period Reusable Menstrual Disc

I made the switch to reusable menstrual period products around 8 years ago after learning that most disposable options contain plastic, chemicals and bleach, which are neither good for your health or for the environment. I started out with reusable sanitary pads and couldn’t believe how easy they were to use, wash and reuse – where had these been all my life?! I then moved on to trying period pants, which I loved/love, and these are now my go-to reusable period product each month. However, there are still times when I need an alternative to a tampon, such as for holidays and swimming. Menstrual cups were widely talked about for years, and after trying several brands and struggling with size and comfort, I finally found the Ruby Cup which turned out to be the perfect cup for me. A few years later, I noticed that menstrual discs kept being mentioned online and I was intrigued. Could this be even more comfortable than a cup? Would the insertion and removal be less fiddly? I had to find out, and after a lot of research, I settled on purchasing the Hello Period Reusable Menstrual Disc. This is my honest experience and review of this product.

What is a Menstrual Disc?

A menstrual disc is a reusable period product made out of premium medical-grade silicone. It has been designed to replace your tampon and as an alternative to menstrual cups, providing you with around 12 hours of protection.

How Do You Use a Menstrual Disc?

All reusable menstrual products, like the disc, need to be sterilised before use. This can be easily done by boiling water in a kettle and popping your disc in a cup or bowl, bringing water to the boil on the hob and placing your disc inside or by purchasing a microwaveable silicone tub like the one featured in my Ruby Cup Review or a steam steriliser from Hello Period.

Once sterilised, wash your hands and position your disc with the pull tab at the bottom (not all discs will have a pull tab, but the Hello Period Disc does). Gently squeeze the menstrual disc rims together and insert as you would a tampon. Once in, carefully push it up using your thumb or finger back towards your cervix until it sits just behind your pubic bone. Note: You may want to experiment with different positions to find what helps you to insert your disc as comfortably and effortlessly as possible.

When it is time to remove your disc, wash your hands and insert a finger inside your vagina to locate the pull tab. Hook this and relax your pelvic full and simply gently pull down. A menstrual disc doesn’t use suction to stay in place like a cup does, so there is no need to release the rim prior to pulling it out. You can empty the contents into the toilet, rinse the disc with cold water and re-insert. If you are done with it for the day, wash it thoroughly, dry and sterilise it again.

Pros and Cons of a Menstrual Disc

Pros:

• Better for vaginal health than a tampon – no TSS syndrome
• Made from medical grade silicone
• Up to 12 hours wear
• Great for active people (swimming, exercise etc)
• Suction-free design
• One size fits all (unlike a cup)
• Mess-free sex
• Wear with an IUD
• Better for the environment than single-use period products
• Can help to reduce period cramping (no chemicals or bleach which can contribute to this)
• Saves you money in the long-term

Cons:

• High up-front cost (but as I said above, it will save you money in the long run)
• Learning to insert can take time
• All bodies are different so a disc may not suit everybody
• Removal can be messy
• Not everyone has access to facilities to sterilise a disc

About the Hello Period Menstrual Disc

The Hello Period Menstrual Disc is hailed by the brand as the world’s most innovative, comfortable and easy-to-remove disc. Co-designed by menstrual cup and disc expert, Kim Rosas, alongside founders Robyn McLean and Mary Bond (a registered nurse), this disc has been carefully constructed to meet the needs of those who want a more comfortable and sustainable period. Hello Period say:

 “After realising period care needed some serious innovation. For too long we’d been told tampons and pads were the only option. They’re expensive, wasteful and not overly comfortable or reliable. We wanted more choice and better, safe and more environmentally-friendly options for our daughters.”

Key Features:

• A handy ‘one size fits most’ (but to note that all bodies are different)
• Choose from four ways to wear 
• Suits all cervix heights
• Capacity: 50ml

This is the first disc to feature a double-looped tab for easier removal and they have won an array of awards for their design and sustainability plus they are B Corp certified.

The brand doesn’t only make discs though, they are on a mission to significantly reduce the amount of period waste going into landfill or to incineration and because of this, their range also includes menstrual cups, reusable liners, period pants and period swimwear.

My Experience of Using the Hello Period Menstrual Disc

First Impressions

I have to admit that from all of my research, on screen, the disc looked much smaller than it does in real life. At first, I wondered if it would fit, how much I would feel it, and so on, but from reading so many good reviews, I decided to get over it and give it a whirl.

First Use

After sterilising my disc, I sat down and read the instructions (several times) to ensure that I got the insertion right. My first try, however, didn’t go too well. I could feel the disc pressing in somewhere and I was very aware of the tab which is a more solid construction than the disc itself. After an hour, I decided to remove it because it wasn’t worth the discomfort alongside my period pains.

I went off and watched a few videos demonstrating how to insert, read some more info and had another go at getting the correct placement (if you’ve ever used a cup, you’ll know that it never goes right first time either). I found that once I relaxed, got the disc into a good shape for insertion and figured out where it should sit for me (because everyone is different), I eventually got it right.

Experience of Using

As mentioned above, I usually only ever use a period product like this when I am doing something like swimming and so one of the first tests I did was to go for a swim with my youngest child. I had done this plenty of times in the past wearing a tampon and in recent years wearing a cup, but for some reason, I was a tad nervous. I guess I just didn’t want leakage or movement. I needn’t have worried, the disc stayed in place (as it’s designed to do) and a couple of toilet checks helped to put my mind at ease. I ended up wearing the Hello Period Menstrual Disc for the rest of the day with no bother.

I continued to try this disc out for several months, and for the most part, it was all good. It captured my period blood, it was easy to clean and sterilise and I liked that it is reusable. However, I have to admit, I didn’t always get it into place, and there were a number of times when I could feel pressure, and for me, this was quite distracting. The rim does seem to be quite hard, and over time I guess this could soften but I didn’t notice mine doing so. I do also think one of the issues is my age. I am in my 40’s and my periods have gradually become lighter and shorter which I think may have affected the overall comfort of this product. I was finding that I could wear it much more back in 2024 when I first purchased this Period Disc, but fastforward to now, and it unfortunately isn’t what I reach for. As I said at the start, I love my period pants and they are my go-to reusable period product, and if I do need to swim, I will opt for my cup instead of this disc. It just seems to sit more comfortably inside my vagina, I never feel it and it’s less messy on removal due to the shape.

It’s a shame that this particular product hasn’t worked out in the long term for me, but I can definitely see why others rave about a menstrual disc. Perhaps with a heavier period, I would have loved this but at this stage of my perimenopausal life, it’s just not quite right for me. I would, however, always recommend trying out a disc as I would with all reusable period products, because at the end of the day, there is going to be one that will suit you perfectly.

You can view the full range by Hello Period over on their website here.

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