FabLittleBag reviews thread; find out what MNers think about the innovative tampon disposal bags NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We asked 500 MNers (and 150-200 of their teenage daughters) to try FabLittleBag during their periods – this is the thread for their reviews, comments and feedback. Some testers were also teenage girls (daughters of MNers).

The team at FabLittleBag say – “our new bags use clever finger loops to make tampon disposal easy, discreet and hygienic. The biodegradable bags are opaque and seal closed. They provide confident disposal every time, anywhere. We believe they are the best solution to tampon disposal. Period.
They come in a handbag pack of 5 perfect for ensuring confident disposal when out and about, and a bathroom pack of 20 to keep at home next to your tampons. You top up your handbag pack from your bathroom pack as needs be”.

FabLittleBag’s are available now at Waitrose, Ocado and www.fablittlebag.com – plus they will be available at Wholefoods from March. Bathroom Packs of 20 bags £2.99 and the re-fillable HandBag Pack £1.99 includes 5 bags for on the go use.

Questions for testers (if you and your DD took part please answer for her as well: together or separate posts)

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
Any problems with them?
Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
Would you continue to buy them?
Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
Any other thoughts?

Selected testers who add feedback as required will be entered into a prize draw where two winners will each win a £100 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

PS: see here for info on what FLB are doing as a DIRECT result of this feedback from MNers.

Answers on behalf of my DD (15 years old)
How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
I didn't use it much because I am not used to it and I kept forgetting that I got it.
Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
I used it at home once. because it was new and I wanted to try it. But I forgot to keep it on me and ended up using it in my room to dispose of my make up wipes.
Any problems with them?
No.
Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
No
Would you continue to buy them?
No
Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
Probably
Any other thoughts?
I can't remember to use it. Idea is good but not very practical.

Hi thank you for sending me these to try :)

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?

Very easy and handy to have. I usually wrap in tissue and put tampons in bins but I'm always conscious of a possible smell leakage etc

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them

I kept them in my handbag for when I was out and about at work or friends houses

Any problems with them?
No I had no problems

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?

Not really, I have never flushed tampons, ways placed in a bin wrapped in tissues. They did make me feel more comfortable when at a friends house that they wouldn't leave a smell or mess in her bin

Would you continue to buy them?
Possibly, they are good to keep in my bag for using at friends or places that do not have proper sanitary bins

Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users? Possibly, if I heard people flush them because they can't bear to put it in the bin at people's houses

Any other thoughts? A great idea but expensive for every day use

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally? fine, very simple
Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them at home, and at college
Any problems with them? nope
Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How? I knew not to flush pads but not tampons, now i know the damage it can do
Would you continue to buy them? not unless the price is lowered
Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users? yes if they are rich
Any other thoughts? id rather use nappy sacks/small food bags, but i will no longer flush

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
Really good. Simple to use but really useful.
Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
I used them at home and at friends/relatives homes.
At home I used them and disposed in the bathroom bin as its lidded but at relatives one has no bathroom bin and one a non lidded bin so I used the fab little bags, sealed them and popped them into my handbag to dispose of at home.
It was great. Usually I have to carry nappy sacks and hope they don't leak in my handbag.
Any problems with them?
Nope.
Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How? Only when at home as i usually wrap in tissue and bin but in this warm weather these bags mean no smells come from my bin either.
Would you continue to buy them?
If they were slightly cheaper. They would more than double the amount I'd spend on San pro as I get through quite a few tampons per period.
Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
Definitely!
Any other thoughts?
Nope

Answers on behalf of my DD1 (17)

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally? Fine

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
She used them wherever she happened to be.

Any problems with them? No

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How? Not really

Would you continue to buy them? No, wrapping in toilet roll is just as easy and cheaper

Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users? Yes maybe

Any other thoughts?

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
I found them easy to use and they came in really handy.

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
I used them in the bathroom at home and when out at work, at friend's homes or in town.

Any problems with them?
No problems using them, the instructions were clear and they were easy to use.

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
I always bin tampons anyway but the bags made it far easier to dispose of without wasting loads of toilet roll doing so.

Would you continue to buy them?
I would if they were a but cheaper, I don't think they are great value for money at the current price.

Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
Yes I would recommend them to friends.

Any other thoughts?
Thanks for making me aware of FabLittleBags, I think they're an innovative product and there is a gap in the market for them if only they were a little cheaper.

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
Very convenient and handy to take away places
Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
I used them when visiting friends and family homes or where there was toilets without sanitary bins and dd used them at home
Any problems with them?
No problems as such but did feel like the bags could have had more stretch in them and sticky part could be more secure
Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
It made it much cleaner and less mess etc, teen dd felt reassured that other siblings didn't know what was in the bag etc and felt better when out in public
Would you continue to buy them?
Personally I always have nappy bags on me for dog waste and they are much cheaper and accessible, however as dd is quite young if they help her and are easy to buy I may
Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users? Yes
I would recommend to people of all ages as very easy and handy i think they are great for younger women who are just starting to make them feel less self conscious
Any other thoughts? I really like the unique concept would be interested in a larger size for pads/panty liners ands it would be nice for a different colour or pattern

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
pretty easy but I found the handles for my fingers a bit tricky to start with.

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
At home, at work

Any problems with them?
No, although a bit small.

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
possibly, if I could afford them. They are a really good idea.

Would you continue to buy them?
No, too expensive. I'm a single parent on a tight budget!

Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
Yes, I would.

Any other thoughts?
bigger bags would be nice and significantly cheaper - they don't need to be high end!

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
I really like the concept, it makes disposing of tampons a lot more discreet and hygienic.

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
I used the bags at work, in the gym and at home. I used the handbag ones at work and at the gym until I ran out and then used the standard pack after that and at home.

Any problems with them?
None at all.

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
I usually wrap my used tampons in tissue and dispose in the bin. I found these bags very handy with no risk of any blood seeping through the tissue.

Would you continue to buy them?
I will definitely continue to buy them.

Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?

I will wholeheartedly recommend these to other women who use tampons.

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
Really good - I liked them very much and thought they were a great idea. Lovely & compact.

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
I used them at home and occasionally while at work if they didn't have a sanitary bin (I work in schools). At home it stopped me from 'flushing' and was a clean way to dispose of used tampon. I thought the little loops so you could open it one handed was a very clever idea.
I use an applicator tampon, so I always had to put the tampon in the bag first, then rested the bag on the side of the bath (or on the floor), then put the applicator parts in the bag afterwards too. Great little glued strip at the top to seal it all up.

Any problems with them?
No, none - all good.

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
Yes, definately. It has made me think about no longer flushing them away and that I need to be more aware of the environmental issues. I have always considered myself to be 'green-ish' (recycling always, taking my own bags to supermarket for years, washable nappies, cycling rather than driving etc) but I have always flushed away tampons. Mainly because there was no-where else to put them (apart from an open bin!)

It has actually opened up a conversation with my SIL who told me she is very eco during her periods and uses a 'cup' type device to catch everything that she then rinses out. Who knew..?! Apparently they are available from eco/green websites.

Would you continue to buy them?
Yes - I would like it more it they were made of paper (but I guess this would also need to be plastic coated? So might not make a difference?!)

Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
Yes I would.

Any other thoughts?
These would be excellent if you targeted them at the 'outdoor' womens' market (camping / hiking / biking / skiing / sailing etc) I was cycling in the New Forest a while back and desperately needed to change my tampon with no loo in sight (as suspected when out & about on bikes!) Luckily I found a tree to crouch down behind & also even more luckily I had lots of tissues to wrap the used tampon up in. But storing it in my pocket & hoping it didn't leak wasn't much fun. One of these little bags would have been brilliant on that trip!

Thanks for the chance to test them. Good product.

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?

Okay, I found them a bit fiddly to use, especially when using the super absorbancy at the start of my period.

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them

I used them when out and about at the shops, at work and in the home

Any problems with them?

Just found them a bit small for the larger tampons

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?

I'm not sure if they have made me change how I dispose of tampons but they have certainly made me think twice about flushing them, I never would have thought about the impact this has before! I didn't even know products like this existed. It is a good idea.

Would you continue to buy them?

I think they are a bit expensive for all they are so no I don't think I would. Maybe if they were on special offer.

Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?

I would recommend the idea behind the product but think they are too expensive to recommend the actual product.

Any other thoughts?

Make them less expensive! Have more advertising on the product snd more information on the impact of flushing tampons.

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
Simple to use - myself and daughter
Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
Used them at home and when out and about e.g.at the gym. Daughter - also used at school
Any problems with them?
No - myself and daughter
Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
No. As it's quite expensive. Myself and daughter
Would you continue to buy them?
No - myself and daughter
Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
Only if they were very environmentally friendly. Daughter - no
Any other thoughts?
Too expensive for what they are - myself and daughter

Good idea. Used when at a friends house. Ideal for situations when no bin. Too expensive to use on a daily basis at home but will keep some in my bag for when out and about. Not sure if I'd buy more given the price and its only occasionally I really feel the need for them. I don't flush (although did until a couple of years ago) and usually it's not a problem. Agree with a previous poster, would be good if you're camping etc when toilet facilities can be poor. Bigger ones/size of these would be good for pads too.

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?
I liked using them. They were small and discreet and easy to carry around for when needed.

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
I used them at home and at work.

Any problems with them?
They were too small for the super absorbency tampons.

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons?
How?
Yes definitely. I only recently discovered that tampons shouldn't be flushed. They are a simple solution to tampon disposal.

Would you continue to buy them?
They are quite expensive. I would probably buy them to use when out and about rather than at home.

Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
I don't think I could imagine speaking to anyone about tampon disposal.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks for all the feedback - am pleased to say NunoBettencourt's DD and TenaciousOne win the £100 John Lewis vouchers!

How did you find it using the FabLittleBags generally?

I liked the idea and the waste aspect behind them, and they were easy enough to use and certainly made it easier when out and about

Where did you use them? Please describe how you used them
I used them out and about. They were small enough to be kept the pocket in the changebag so I used them for disposal of tampons.

Any problems with them?
I don't think the one fingered opening was actually very useful personally I opened them ready before I removed my Tampon

Do you think they have changed how you dispose of tampons? How?
Yes in the sense that I will now bin then rather than flush

Would you continue to buy them?
Would you recommend them to other women who are tampon users?
no, simply because of the expense! It is rather expensive for what is, and I could just as easily use a nappy sack