Ruby Cup Review

Now that I have had my Ruby Cup for three cycles, I would like to share my thoughts on it.

To begin with, a menstrual cup is basically a cup (usually made from medical grade silicone) that is inserted into the vagina and forms a light suction to stay there and collect menstrual blood.

Ruby Cup size Medium - Purple

After being introduced to the world of re-usable menstrual products, namely menstrual cups,  I decided upon the Ruby Cup.
I chose this cup for two reasons; one being that it has such great reviews on its stem, silicone and capacity, and the other being that I love their ethics of for every cup purchased, one is sent to a girl in Kenya to help her stay in school and be able to participate in everyday life while she is on her period.

The Ruby Cup comes with a cute little pouch made from organic cotton as well as a booklet with information on insertion and how to care for your cup. I also bought the steriliser (which can be compacted) because it was more convenient than putting in in a saucepan to boil (all you do to sterilise the Ruby Cup is put it in the steriliser and fill with water then put it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes). The cup and steriliser together retails at €39.95.

Ruby Cup, Pouch and Steriliser

Steriliser Compacted

 I would like to say before I start, that since I have not owned a cup before, I am not able to compare the Ruby Cup to any others and my review is based solely on how it has worked for me.


Insertion
Whilst it took some getting used to - being a first time cup user- I found that the Ruby Cup size medium was a good size for me, generally popped open well, and did not leak at all after getting the hang of it.
I found that the punch-down fold was the easiest to insert, and it tended to pop open better than others.


Removal
The Ruby Cup is very easy to remove because of the super grippy stem which is a hollow tube. As you may be able to see in the first photograph, the three grip rings on the cup itself are quite subtle, meaning they are very comfortable but they are not as grippy as some other cups. As I have a very high cervix this was not a problem for me as I use the stem to take it out, but it may be more of a problem for people who need to completely cut off the stem.

* I found that removing my cup in the shower is super easy and efficient especially when just getting the hang of it.


Capacity
The capacity of the Ruby Cup size Medium is somewhere between 24 and 34mL because of the airholes. I found that for me, someone who has a moderate flow that lasts 4-5 days, I would be fine emptying it twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. Towards the end of my cycle, I also found that I could get away with leaving it in for around 24 hours, you should note however that this is not advised, but after looking into it, I could not see any health risks or disadvantages other than some people found that when removing the cup, it sometime smelled a bit funky.

The measurements of the Ruby Cup size Medium are:

Stem Length: 17mm
Cup Length: 51mm
Total Length: 68mm
Diameter: 45mm
Capacity to Airholes: 24mL
Capacity to Brim: 34mL

Bella
xxx

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