The Cup Buddy is a small plastic spoon-like device designed to help remove your menstrual cup. In my Cup Buddy review (aka the P*ssy Stick in my group chat,) I’ll share how it worked for me and who I think this product is good for. Originally started via Kickstarter, the Cup Buddy is for sale via Etsy and you receive two devices for $8 plus shipping.
Why Removing Cups Can Be Difficult
Menstrual cups work by creating a suction while in the vagina, and for some people, this seal can be hard to break. Not breaking the seal during cup removal can lead to an uncomfortable, and even painful, experience. Plus it makes the cup feel like it’s stuck! It could be that the cup itself is being difficult (cups without suction holes are notorious for this) or that it’s hard to reach high enough to break the seal. Another possibility is that, due to your size or a disability, removing the cup and breaking the seal is difficult. The Flex Cup, which I’ve also reviewed, is another option with a stem that breaks the seal for you. Or, a menstrual disc, which is an internal product that doesn’t create a suction.
Cup Buddy Review
The Cup Buddy didn’t work as intended in my testing but as I explain in the video, it’s possible with more practice I could get on with it. I do have to balance my product testing with my own comfort (and the many products lined up I need to try) so after two tries I decided my vag had done enough. With it being hard plastic it wasn’t the most comfortable experience and digging around in the dark with no clue where I was poking made it that much worse.
On their product description, it states “The Cup Buddy is a menstrual cup tool. It can be used to help open up a cup (run along the outside of the rim to help make space for the cup to open up), and it can be used to break the suction to remove a menstrual cup easily!” I didn’t have any issues with a cup not opening and couldn’t try this product for aiding in opening a cup.
Menstrual Cup Tools
Tools to remove cups, like the screw-removal cup I tried a few years ago, are harder for me to use without the tactile advantage fingers have. I understand that in some cases, like the Cup Buddy, it does help people. The screw-cup is a whole other story (it did not go well and I don’t imagine it working in any scenario.) Not being able to feel the cup as the tool is quite difficult. Imagine trying to unlock a door with a coat hanger but you can’t see the lock!
I’m not the customer for this but I wanted to share my experience and review in case it helps someone out. Sometimes, I review products for my own curiosity and that was the case with the Cup Buddy. It was neither an unexpected surprise win nor an epic fail. My vagina, while mildly inconvenienced, wasn’t traumatized so that’s something.
I think I might be one of the people who would benefit from using this product. I have short fingers, so I can’t reach high enough to break the seal. I can grab the stem of my Ruby Cup at the very end, and that’s about it. I think if I grab it and follow along the cup vertically with the Cup Buddy, I can break the seal and pull it out. That’s the theory anyway: I just ordered it.
Even though you didn’t have the best time with it, I’m glad you posted about this, as it was hard for me to find anything that could help until I stumbled across your post. Thank you!
Glad my post was able to help!