You might be thinking “What the hell do tampons have to do with fitness?” but bear with me, I’ll explain my madness shortly.
I’ve been a user of o.b. tampons since my mid-teens. I’ve never been one to carry a purse even in my adult years (except for a brief stint at the age of 16 when I thought my CD Walkman carrying case could double as a purse and I was not only clever, but cool to be doing so! /shudder), so I need something that is small and compact. Something that could fit into the pockets of whatever pants or shorts I had on, or, if I was wearing pocketless shorts like I often did to play sports in, something small that would fit into my sports bra.
When I was first introduced to o.b. tampons (I don’t even really remember how to be quite honest, it was probably an ad I saw on TV), I’m sure I thought the concept was pretty weird. For some people, not using an applicator feels pretty unhygienic I suppose. But the more I used them, the more I got used to the idea and the ease of use of them. And there was definitely no beating the convenience factor of carrying something impossibly small and inconspicuous.
One huge comparison, for me, between tampons with applicators and those without, was that, for whatever reason, an applicator would always pinch me in areas I definitely did not want to be pinched. This pinching problem isn’t something I ever experience with o.b.. Once you unravel the tampons from their plastic covering, you use the tampon string to wiggle apart the base. This creates an indent for you to place your finger and use it to guide it up to where it’s supposed to sit. It does require some maneuvering but it’s not something that ever feels difficult.
After having used o.b. religiously for 15 or so years, I was surprised (and pleased) when the brand reached out to me when I made a comment on someone’s blog saying how much I enjoyed o.b. tampons. Their timing was almost serendipitous: The day before they contacted me I had run a 10K race on Toronto Island while on my period and I had packed several of their itsy bitsy applicator-free tampons into my running shorts simply because I could. No chance in hell would I have gotten a full-on tampon with applicator into those shorts (pictured below). And if you’re in need of a tampon mid-run, you damn well better have it on you or you’re going to be looking at a pretty gory finish line. (This is thankfully not a problem I’ve ever had!)
Just look at how tiny these things are! They’ll fit in any pocket you can think of! Skinny jeans? Short shorts? Athletic shorts? In your hand as you head to the bathroom at work? FOR SURE!
All this to say… I can’t recommend o.b. tampons enough. They are small and inconspicuous, and come in varying sizes depending on how heavy your blood flow is that particular day. They’re a brand that has held my loyalty for over a decade now and I couldn’t be happier.
o.b. Tampons Giveaway!
o.b. was kind enough to sponsor a giveaway for my readers! Please see below for details.
25 lucky winners will receive an 18-count pack of o.b. tampons (regular)!
Details
- Open to residents of Canada (you must have a Canadian address that we can ship to).
- Giveaway runs from October 24th until November 7th.
- Be aware that all entries will be double checked to ensure fairness.