I hate towels. Only used them for my very first period and then went straight onto tampons, also had to use them post birth obviously.
I use non applicator tampons, the applicator ones I don't like as IME because they expand lengthways, they are more likely to leak and you can feel them as they have moved down lower. Widthway expanding non applicator ones much better. I think the applicator ones are not great at getting it comfortably in place either, maybe some of those who haven't had much luck with them hadn't tried non applicator ones?
Rarely have I leaked when wearing a tampon, if I did, it was because I was not able to get to a loo.
I think that medical issues aside [like vaginismus] most people that can't get on with tampons for reasons like being able to feel them, haven't learnt to use them properly. Vaginas are incredibly stretchy,they can cope with a penis and babies passing through, tampons are nothing compared to those!
My Mum told me to practice inserting them by lying on my back on my bed, with my knees up then apart [like when you have a smear] once I got the hang of it, inserting them while seated on the loo, or standing was fine.
I also think for various reasons, some women can be a bit funny about touching themselves 'down there' IYKWIM and that puts them off tampons.