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Swimming on your period is a topic that triggers a tsunami of questions. Can you go swimming on your period? Does your period stop in water? Can you swim with a tampon? Can you go swimming on your period with a pad? And of course, can you swim in the ocean on your period…because ahh sharks?!
Of course you can go swimming on your period! But a lot of people choose to avoid the water completely when they have their period.
Most likely because they don’t like wearing tampons and of course you can’t really wear pads in the water.
But these days, there’s more to the period product range than just pads and tampons. With period swimwear and menstrual cups, you have more options than ever to go swimming on your period.
It’s not a big deal to avoid swimming on your period for the colder months, but if it’s summer and you enjoy being in the water, then having your period sideline you to the shore can be frustrating.
Here’s what you can expect to learn in the below article:
How Can You Go Swimming on Your Period?
As with all period related problems, I like to think there is a solution. Swimming on your period is no different!
There are two reusable period product solutions for swimming on your period. You can either use a menstrual cup or you can try period-proof swimwear.
Period-proof swimwear will allow you to swim on your period, without any other form of protection. Yep that’s right, you won’t need a pad, a tampon or a cup.
Period swimwear is designed to absorb your flow, giving you the freedom to live your best life and go swimming regardless what time of the month it is!
A menstrual cup will also allow you to swim on your period without any other form of protection. A menstrual cup will sit inside, just below the cervix where it will collect your menstrual flow.
Menstrual cups can be worn for up to 8-12 hours, so are a great option if you find yourself at the water all day!
You can read more about menstrual cups later in this article.
Period Swimwear vs Period Underwear
Period swimwear is basically the same as period underwear, except it’s designed to be worn in the water, whereas period underwear is not.
You cannot swim in normal period underwear. Period underwear and period swimwear have completely different designs.
If you want to learn more about period underwear, then you may like to read some of my previous period underwear related posts:
Modibodi Reviews – Everything You Need to Know Before Investing in Period Underwear;
Period Proof Swimwear From modibodi
My favourite period underwear brand, Modibodi, also has a great period-proof swimwear range.
Click here to check out their latest period-proof swimwear range.
So What Do The Period Proof Swimwear Look Like?
Period swimwear used to be pretty conservative, only coming in black or navy colours. But in exciting news, Modibodi have now released a new range of period swimwear that features a range of colours, prints and styles and they’re all made from recycled nylon! They also have a range specific to teens, that includes bright, fun colours and prints in bikinis and one piece.
Here is a comparison of the different styles, click any of the links to view the styles in more detail:
New Modibodi customer? Click here to shop and use the code TBP2022 to get 10% off your first order
| Style | Image | Price |
| Modibodi Recycled Swim Wrap One Piece Available in Bloom Multi (pictured) |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi Recycled Hi Waist Cheeky Brief Available in colours: Cobalt Blue, Poppy Red, Bloom Multi |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi Recycled Keyhole Crop Available in colours: Cobalt Blue, Poppy Red, Bloom Multi |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi Reversible Recycled Swimwear Crop Top Available in colours: Black and Sunset Orange (pictured) Animal and Earth green |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi Recycled Swimwear Brazilian Brief Available in colours: Animal (pictured), Earth Green, Black, Sunset Orange |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi Recycled Swim Hi-Waist Bikini Brief Available in colours: Animal, Earth Green, Black, Sunset Orange |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi Recycled Swim Bikini Brief Available in colours: Animal, Earth Green (pictured), Black, Sunset Orange |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi RED Youth Recycled One Piece Available in Maui Multi |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi RED Youth Recycled Racerback Available in black |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi RED Youth Recycled Bikini Brief Available in colours: Maui Multi (pictured), Papeete Pink, Bora Bora Blue Black |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi RED Youth Recycled Swim Crop Top Available in colours: Bora Bora Blue (pictured), Maui Multi, Papeete Pink |  | Check Price |
| Modibodi RED Youth Racerback Available in black and navy |  | Check Price |
All styles are light to medium absorbency and are perfect for swimming on your period.
How does Period Swimwear Work?
Modibodi patent-pending swimwear technology is designed for protection from periods and light bladder leaks.
With protection from their super slim (only 1mm) swimwear technology, your period won’t keep you out of the water! Hit the pool or the beach and be protected with the period swimwear able to hold up to 10ml or 2 tampons’ worth of fluid.
The absorbent technology contains two layers:
1. TOP LAYER
Made from a sporty mesh which is fast-drying, antimicrobial, anti-odour and backed with a breathable, waterproof layer.
2. BOTTOM LAYER
The bottom layer is the outer fabric of the swimwear – a recycled nylon which is chlorine resistant, UV50+ rated, water repellent, and dries 3x faster than regular swimwear.
Don’t forget, I keep all up to date Modibodi discount codes in this post: Modibodi Discount Codes. So make sure you click on that link to get a discount code to use at checkout and save yourself a bit of money on your purchase!
Where do Modibodi Ship?
The good news is that Modibodi deliver all over the world.
Modibodi ships internationally to so many countries. They are originally an Australian company but don’t worry, they have a hub in the USA and in Europe, so you won’t need to wait long for your order to arrive.
They offer FREE SHIPPING to the USA for orders over $75USD and free shipping in the UK.
If you’re in Australia, you’ll get free shipping on orders over $100 AUD OR just use the code FLYFREE to score free shipping on orders of any value.
Modibodi also offer a risk free trial period. Their trial period is for first time customers, for a 30 day period, on one item.
If, after trialing the product, you’re not happy with the way it functions, you can return the item for a refund. You can read more about their trial policy here.
Menstrual Cups for Swimming
If period swimwear is not really your thing, or you’d prefer just to use period swimwear as a back-up, then you may like to try a menstrual cup.
What I love about menstrual cups is they can be worn for a long time, up to 8-12 hours, depending on your flow and the specific cup guidelines.
This is really perfect for long days at the beach, the lake, by the pool or on a boat (if you should be so lucky!)
There are so many menstrual cups on the market at the moment, it can be a little overwhelming. And I don’t have one brand of menstrual cup that I recommend, because menstrual cups can vary in their length, firmeness, capacity and more. What might work for me, or your best friend, might not be right for you and your body. We all have a unique anatomy that needs to be taken into account when choosing a menstrual cup.
If you’d like to learn more about how to choose a menstrual cup that’s right for you, you can read my free Guide to Choosing Your Best Menstrual Cup. It’s worth a read before you decide which menstrual cup to invest in! Just enter your details below and I will send the guide direct to your inbox:
If you have any questions about the Modibodi swimwear range or menstrual cups please let me know in the comments below or email me at hello@thebetterperiod.com. And if you’re already using the swimwear or a cup for swimming, please let me know your experience!
Ellie Heasman
The Better Period
Ellie Heasman is a period blogger and founder of The Better Period. Ellie helps people on their journey to a better period through introducing them to the world of menstrual cups and period underwear, and sharing knowledge about the menstrual cycle and fertility awareness. You can join in the better period conversations on Instagram @thebetterperiod_ or find out more about Ellie here.
Hi,
I’m assuming the swimwear stops water from going inside and also keeps whatever is inside in the inside. If that understanding is correct, does that mean on heavy days it should be fine to wear a wingless pad inside and change the pad throughout the day? Assuming the swimwear will keep the pad away from water from the outside?
Hi Agnes, can’t say I have ever tried that. I’m not too sure that it would work really, the outer fabric of the swimwear is water repellent but I don’t know that it would keep you entirely dry inside. They are designed to be worn on their own or if you are having a heavy day you could wear them as backup with a cup or tampon.