Nixit Menstrual Cup Review: The IUD-Compatible Solution

Other StuffReview

by Hannah Dobson March 16, 2025 2

The Nixit is advertised as a menstrual cup (or cap, or disc) that doesn’t rely on suction to stay in place. In theory, this makes it better suited to those with an IUD contraceptive device, for whom suction-based solutions are not advised. To be on the safe side, Nixit still advises you check with your healthcare provider for any compatibility issues with your IUD.

Pros

• IUD compatible (but check with your provider)
• Comfortable with no external bits to cause saddle discomfort
• Reusable – reduces single use rubbish

Cons

• Rather messy to install and remove
• Boiling between cycles isn’t for everyone
• Might need lube to help insertion

The Nixit can be fitted for up to 12 hours – plenty long enough for most bike rides – and will hold about four tampon’s worth of blood. It’s made of medical grade silicone and is BPA free. It’s a one size fits all affair, and should last you for up to five years.

Our rating

As well as the Nixit itself, you get a little fabric bag to carry it around in. Before you use it, at the start of each period, you need to boil it for five minutes. This does feel a little medieval, and perhaps won’t suit folks like students who have to make use of shared kitchen spaces. In between uses during your period, Nixit says you can just use their foaming wash to clean it. If you’re not putting it straight back in, you can stash it in the little bag. Remembering to boil it before your next period starts might require some more advance planning than you’re used to – don’t get caught out!

The next job is to get it in. This is a pretty intimately exploratory exercise, especially as you’re figuring out the fitting for the first few times. If you’ve had a couple of kids, this is unlikely to be an issue. Any sense of sacred space has likely gone out the window some time ago. Nixit suggests it might be easier to insert it in the shower, and I’d agree that this is a pretty practical solution resulting in a little less of a Lady Macbeth scenario.

You have to sort of squash the disc and then insert it, a bit like you would a tampon without an applicator. Nixit makes a water based lubricant which you may find helps with this process. In fact, I reckon it’s pretty essential, and seemed to me to help it pop into place as well as easing its passage inside. I recommend adding water based lube even if you’re putting it in while in the shower. The lubricant definitely helped make it more comfortable to get it in there, and for me reduced any cramps I’d get after insertion (I did find that it sometimes gave me cramps for a while after insertion, but I get that with tampons, so no difference there).

Once in, you have to sort of poke it about a bit and push the edge up and behind your public bone. Depending on how your insides are arranged (on that particular day, perhaps), adjusting your body/squat position can make that a little easier. Again, it seemed to me that lube helped it slip into place more easily.

Nixit recommends you try it out with a sanitary towel until you get used to positioning it. On the first few wearings I did find that it popped out of position sometimes – I think with lifting/straining motions that happen when you’re using your pelvic floor. I’m not sure that it would work very well if you rushed straight off to a weightlifting class on first wearing. Even after a bit more practice, while I am in any event not grown up enough to wear white clothing, I’m not sure I’d have the total confidence needed with the Nixit for that. But, with my erratic and heavy bleeds I can’t imagine how I’d ever have that sort of confidence.

Once it’s time to take it out, it’s another fishing exercise. For something that apparently doesn’t rely on suction, it does still feel quite sucked into place and extraction takes some getting used to. Again, I’d recommend doing this in the shower. Alternatively, over the loo, you can sort of pop the edge of the disc out of position, squeeze as if you’re having a stiff poo, and a bunch of the blood will pour out. But you’re still going to have a bit of a messy procedure fishing the whole thing out. If you’re doing this over the loo, be careful you don’t pop it out of place and end up with the contents running down your hand… I recommend sitting low enough to keep your hand above the Nixit.

You can get the Nixit wipes for wiping the disc (and your hands) off before you put it back in, which would be OK in a pinch. But it’s a bit of a delicate procedure, and not something I’d be in a hurry to do in a portable loo at a festival or bike race (where you might not have full hand washing facilities before or after).

If you’ve got access to water, there’s also the foaming cleaner – which is also suitable for cleaning your undercarriage. The foaming wash is advertised as unscented, but I found it has a smell of sorts that I found really unpleasant. Kind of acidic and sour milky smelling. I’m sure the unscented nature is part of making it better for your foof, but I did not like it.

Once you’ve got the hang of getting it in, the Nixit does seem to work pretty well. It’s quite fit-and-forget (though, don’t – remember to remove and clean it at least every 12 hours). Without anything on the outside, I think it gives you a good chance of getting as comfortable as possible in the saddle on bleed days. Over the years, I feel as though my discomfort levels have gone up a lot at certain stages in my cycle, and my tolerance for enduring saddle niggles has gone down. Indeed, ignoring an uncomfortable day in the saddle is often results in a week of bladder problems, which doesn’t really feel like a trade-off worth making. The Nixit, then, is a welcome addition to my kit.

Overall

It’s not as shove-it-in-and-go as a tampon – the positioning matters, and you’ll get the odd leak if you get it wrong. But my experience is that the biggest leaks are when you go to the loo and get yourself into a squatting and straining type position. So, probably less of an issue unless you’re a weightlifter. Just riding along, with a chamois and shorts, any teeny leaks are not a concern for me.

Actually getting it in and out is more of a procedure. The comfort of a private bathroom, sink, and ideally shower goes a long way to making this easier, particularly at the extraction end of things. Deployment is easier. I’d not be in a hurry to attempt either at a wild camp spot or race field toilet, but the 12-hours of comfort might make it worth the effort if other options aren’t available or comfortable for you.

If you’d like to try the Nixit, using the code HANNAHDOBSON will give you a 15% discount.

Review Info

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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