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Does Period Swimwear Actually Work? I Tried It To Find Out

Wuka's swimwear, seen here on a lovely model.
Wuka's swimwear, seen here on a lovely model.

Wuka's swimwear, seen here on a lovely model.

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At the start of the year I took my first adult swimming lesson. Like many of us, I learnt how to swim initially at the age of 10 during mandatory school swimming lessons. But after a few years, those lessons became a distant memory and any swimming skills I gained were gone.

But this year, I made it my mission to rediscover the joy of swimming and now, almost a year later, I’m doing laps in the pool. Booking those first lessons came with several concerns. ‘What will I do to my hair?’ ‘Will people laugh at me if I get something wrong?’ and the age-old question: ‘What will happen when I get my period?’

When I first started swimming, I hadn’t started my period yet, but as a grown woman in my 20s with often heavy periods, I was worried. But, my concerns were put on pause when I came across Wuka’s swimsuit.

Wuka specialises in period pants and swimwear you can wear during your time of the month. But, as someone who usually gets quite heavy periods, I wondered how comfortable the swimsuit could be.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t going to let my period interrupt my swimming lessons, so I gave it a go.

Habiba Katsha in the Wuka Period Swimsuit
Habiba Katsha in the Wuka Period Swimsuit

Habiba Katsha in the Wuka Period Swimsuit

How does it work?

Every pair of Wuka’s period pants are filled with a super absorbent gusset made up of many layers. The middle layers absorb and lock-in the blood, whilst the outer, moisture-wicking layers keep you feeling secure and dry.

Their period swimwear works in the same way. The material is water repellent on the outside, but period blood-absorbing on the inside, helping you keep worry-free as you swim.

How does it look and feel?

Simple and sleek. I wasn’t looking for a swimsuit with a funky design, I wanted something that would do the job. I’m not a pro when it comes to swimsuits either and to be honest, I wasn’t sure where to look when I was buying a swimsuit of my own.

However, when I put the Wuka swimsuit on for the first time I immediately noticed a difference between the first swimsuit I purchased. I’m normally a UK size 8, but my bum is on the bigger side so I was worried it would feel a bit tight, but it wasn’t. It felt snug but stretchable at the same time, meaning it didn’t feel like I was suffocating. I was also pleased to see it comes in sizes ranging from XXS to 2XL.

It also felt way thicker than other swimsuits, which I was really happy about. The swimsuits absorbency is described on the Wuka website as ‘medium flow,’ so I wasn’t sure how my heavy periods would hold up. Luckily I tried it out on one of my lighter flow days.

When I eventually went into the water I immediately forgot I was on my period. The elasticity of the swimsuit made it easy to swim in and the thickness gave me confidence that I wouldn’t leak once I came out of the pool.

Now, the Wuka swimsuit is my go-to when I go to my lessons. At £49.99 it’s on the pricier side, but it’s become my staple, so I’m getting value per wear.

It’s revolutionary for women and I wish younger me could give this a try.

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