Getting your period might be the worst thing a girl can expect during the day. Whether it’s before swim practice or during a math test, periods strike at the most inconvenient times ever, but what can be even more annoying is not having a pad or tampon on you.
I’ll be honest, school feminine products are one of my last resorts when my period hits. I’ve resorted to asking my whole friend group, to random girls in the hallways, to running to the nurse’s office. Due to all the negative rumors of the school products, it’s made me avoid them like the plague. However, I’m not the only student with negative views on the pads and tampons at Argo.
“The quality of the pads and tampons are what you’d expect for a free product—not the best,” an Argo student, Natalie Granda, expressed. “These products are decent for when you’re in a sticky situation and don’t have access to the products you’d usually use, but I definitely wouldn’t rely on them for long-term use.”
While these opinions are valid, it’s important to put them to the test. I gathered two different kinds of pads and tampons, as well as the Argo period products, and compared two main factors: cost and absorbability.
The pads used were the Argo pads (Maxithins), Always light pads, and Bodyform regular pads. The tampons used were Argo tampons (Royalty Premier), Tampax, and Equate variety pack.
Everyone wants a decent quality pad or tampon, but we need to remember the costs this could bring upon Argo. The current pads and tampons Argo provides cost about $0.20 and $0.22 respectively. The pads tested with the best unit price were surprisingly the Argo pads. The tampons tested with the lowest cost per product were the Equate Variety pack, costing only $0.13 per tampon. While the school currently has decent pricing for pads, they could still look at cheaper options such as the Equate tampons, which also provide a variety of tampons from light to heavy.
When comparing each product, I tested the tampons and pads for absorbability by seeing how well they could absorb water, in this case ¼ of a cup (59 mL), to see how well they could handle regular to heavy flows. For the pads, I poured the water evenly across the pad. For the tampons, I put the liquid in a cup and dunked the tampons in fully. And for visuals—but mostly for fun—I dyed the water pink.
Out of all the pads tested, the only light one, Always, was able to soak up more than ½ of a cup of water. The Argo pad was the second best and the Bodyform pad performed the worst.
Unfortunately, the Argo tampons did not live up to the quality of their pads. Coming in last out of the three tampons tested, Argo tampons absorbed far less than the Tampax and Equate tampons, which took in about the same amount of water.
Overall, the Argo feminine products still have some room for improvement. I urge you to speak up about your opinion on these products, like on social media, to hopefully encourage Argo to purchase different and more effective products in the future.
