Menstrual cups compared: Hello Cup vs JuJu vs Saalt Soft vs Lunette
A menstrual cup is one of the highest-impact reusable swaps available, and one of the hardest to buy well, because fit is personal and almost nobody talks about the specifics. We tested four widely available cups against the same protocol.
Our scores
Spec chart
The numbers and features that actually change the buying decision.
| Ever EcoHello Cup Menstrual Cup (Medium) Our pick | JuJuJuJu Cup Model 1 | SaaltSaalt Soft Cup | LunetteLunette Cup Model 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Medical-grade TPE | Medical-grade silicone | Medical-grade silicone | Medical-grade silicone |
| Price | AU$49.00 | AU$49.95 | AU$54.00 | AU$52.00 |
| Body firmness | Medium | Medium-firm | Soft | Firm |
| Sizing system | Small / Medium / Large | Four models by cervix height and flow | Small / Regular | Model 1 / Model 2 |
| Made in | New Zealand | Australia | United States | Finland |
| Stated lifespan | Up to 5 years | Up to 5 years | Up to 10 years | Up to 5 years |
Bench results
Same protocol, same day, same room. Method is listed under each test.
| Ever EcoHello Cup Menstrual Cup (Medium) Our pick | JuJuJuJu Cup Model 1 | SaaltSaalt Soft Cup | LunetteLunette Cup Model 1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seal on first attemptPunch-down fold, recorded across 15 insertions per cup by three testers. | 13 of 15 | 13 of 15 | 10 of 15 | 14 of 15 |
| Suction releaseRated 1-5 for ease of pinching the base to break suction. | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Stain resistance20 boil cycles plus a diluted staining agent soak, assessed under daylight. | Slight tint | No visible change | Slight tint on pale colours | No visible change |
| All-day comfortSelf-reported discomfort score after 8 hours of wear, averaged across testers. | Barely noticed | Barely noticed | Not noticed at all | Mild rim awareness |
Quick answer
Hello Cup is the best all-rounder and the one to buy if you are starting out: medium firmness, near-perfect first-attempt seal, easy release, and the strongest value in the group. JuJu is the better choice if you know you have a low cervix, because it is the only brand here that sizes by anatomy rather than a generic small and medium. Choose Saalt Soft if cramping or bladder sensitivity has ruined cups for you before, and Lunette if you want the firmest, fastest seal and have used a cup before.
Fit beats brand
The single most useful thing in this article is not a ranking. It is this: cup comfort is mostly a function of cervix height, and most people never measure it. A cup that sits too low presses uncomfortably; one that sits too high is hard to remove. JuJu publishes clear guidance and four models against it, which is why it outscored its raw comfort numbers.
What the bench showed
Firmness is the trade-off axis. Lunette, the firmest cup, sealed first time 14 out of 15 attempts, but rated worst for release and had the most rim awareness at eight hours. Saalt Soft is the mirror image: unmatched comfort, perfect release score, and the least reliable pop-open. Hello Cup and JuJu sit in the middle, which is exactly why they are the safest recommendations.
Staining was less dramatic than folklore suggests. After 20 boil cycles and a staining soak, the two silicone cups showed no visible change, and both the TPE Hello Cup and the pale Saalt colourways picked up a faint tint that has no bearing on function.
The sustainability maths
An average person uses somewhere in the order of 10,000 disposable period products in a lifetime. Even a conservative five-year cup life displaces around 1,000 of them, for roughly fifty dollars. There is no other swap in our database with this ratio — not a coffee cup, not a tote bag, not a bottle.
Who should not buy one
Cups are not the right answer for everyone. If you have an IUD, check with your practitioner first. If insertion is painful for any reason, a disc or period underwear is a gentler entry point. And if you have no reliable access to a private sink, the practical friction is real.
Our take
Hello Cup wins because it is the least demanding cup to live with. But this is the rare category where the second, third and fourth placed products are all the right answer for someone specific, and we would rather you match the cup to your body than to our ranking.
How we tested
Three testers each wore each cup for at least one full cycle. Bench work covered 15 recorded insertions per cup using a punch-down fold, a 1-5 suction-release rating, 20 boil cycles followed by a staining soak, and self-reported comfort scores at eight hours. We bought every cup at retail.
The products in this test
Hello Cup Menstrual Cup (Medium)
Anyone ready to leave disposable period products behind.
- 30ml
- 25g
- TPE (medical-grade)
JuJu Cup Model 1
People with a low cervix who want an Australian-made cup sized properly.
- 30ml
- Medical-grade silicone
- Leakproof
Saalt Soft Cup
People with bladder sensitivity, cramping or pelvic pain.
- 30ml
- Medical-grade silicone
- Leakproof
Lunette Cup Model 1
Light-to-moderate flow, and anyone who wants a fast, confident seal.
- 25ml
- Medical-grade silicone
- Leakproof
Well-evidenced: 6 pieces of evidence behind this head-to-head.
We publish the receipts rather than asking you to trust a score. Here's exactly what this head-to-head rests on.
Commercial note: buy links are affiliate links and may earn us a commission. No brand pays for placement, scores, or a mention, and no brand sees a verdict before you do.
Frequently asked
- Which menstrual cup is best for beginners?
- Hello Cup. It is medium-firm, so it pops open reliably, but forgiving enough to release easily, and it sealed on the first attempt 13 times out of 15 in our test.
- Which menstrual cup is most comfortable?
- The Saalt Soft Cup. Its softer silicone body scored highest for all-day comfort and was the easiest to release, at the cost of a slower, less certain seal on the first try.
- How long does a menstrual cup last?
- Makers state five to ten years. In practice, replace when the silicone feels tacky, cloudy or loses its spring. Even at five years, a cup replaces roughly 1,000 disposable products.
- Does the material matter, TPE or silicone?
- Both are medical grade and body safe. TPE, as used by Hello Cup, tends to feel slightly softer out of the box. Silicone holds colour and resists staining marginally better in our boil-cycle test.
Sources & notes
- In-house wear and bench testing, June 2026
- All products purchased at retail; none supplied by brands