Stayfree Vs. Always Maxi Pads

In the search for the perfect amount of protection during that special time in a woman's life, it's good to have a comparison made between the most popular brands of feminine protection, Always and Stayfree Maxi Pads. For the woman looking for excellent protection, these two brands of sanitary pads are at the head of the game. However, it is important to note the similarities and differences between the two types of pads.

Stayfree and Always maxi pads both come in a variety of forms ranging from long and slender to overnight with wings. I am glad to say that I have tried many of the different shapes and sizes that these pads come in. For that reason, I can say that these two brands do quite well. Always and Stayfree are priced similarly, about 3.29 to 3.39 on average for a pack of sixteen to eighteen pads. A single pad from either Always or Stayfree has a sort of curved shape rather than a rectangular or square one. This shape is supposed to fit a woman's body. Both brands of pads come in light, medium, and heavy absorption.

The difference between Stayfree and Always pads is that Always is known for what is called "dry weave" protection. Dry weave is a net of cotton that lays on top of the rest of the pad. This dry weave is meant to help a woman feel drier as the dry weave locks in fluids and keeps them away from the body.

Stayfree is known for what are called channels. Channels are little lines outlining the sides and fronts of the pad. These "borders" are meant to keep fluid from spilling over the sides, front, and back of the pad. Using channels, Stayfree believes that it will keep a woman feeling drier.

From personal experience, Always wins the dryness contest hands down. Its dry weave works wonders for keeping a woman dry. The fluid stays locked in, hour after hour, and I almost forget that I have on a pad. Stayfree's channels do effectively keep the fluid from spilling over the sides, front, and back of the pad, but without dry weave, Stayfree's pad just cannot compare to the lasting dryness you get with Always.

Even though Stayfree does not keep a person as dry as Always. Using Stayfree does have its advantages. As I mentioned before, both pads are curved. When I say curved, I mean that the shape of the pads is comparable to two ovals cut in half and glued together at the center. Perhaps this shape is supposed to imitate that of a woman's ovaries.

Even though both Stayfree and Always have an "ovarian" shape, Stayfree is curved more than Always. In fact, Stayfree takes up less space than Always, period. Always can be a bit bulky. Its wings are wider than Stayfree's, and its ovals that make up its general shape, seem to have a greater radius than Stayfree's. Therefore, when using Always wings, I frequently have to deal with the wings sticking to one another as I try to take the backing off of them. The extra bulk of an Always pad makes you remember it's there when you to use the bathroom and find some extra part of the pad all scrunched up. Because of this problem, I constantly find myself switching between the two brands, Always and Stayfree Maxi pads. Stayfree's shape is just enough for what my body needs. Even though I may feel a little less dry with this pad. I feel things are not liable to stick together and bunch up.