Diva Disc Review | First Look At The New Reusable Menstrual Disc From DivaCup

Introducing the new Diva Disc, a reusable menstrual disc from the top menstrual cup brand in the world, DivaCup. Period Nirvana has your first look and in this limited early launch you will only find Diva Disc sold at Period.Shop or direct from Diva’s own store. You will find a full Diva Disc review video in this post along with Diva Disc dimensions, comparison images, and more details.

Diva Disc Details and Dimensions

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What Makes Diva Disc Unique – Overview of Features

It’s designed for a low cervix or average cervix but would still be considered a “one size fits most” diameter. It can still be used by those with a higher cervix but it might be harder to reach than a disc with a longer removal tab or stem.

It’s oval in shape versus round, which should help prevent the pesky rotation issue notch style discs frequently have- that is in combination with a pull tab on the front of the disc, which will also keep the disc from rotating in the body.

It has a pull tab to help you remove the disc with ease and has anti-slip grips on the underside. The pull tab is a wide loop attached beneath the rim. The size has pros and cons – it will fit any size finger easily but it might not be tight enough to stay secure around the finger. Engaging your thumb as the disc exits the body is a good idea at first for security until you know how secure the loop fits your finger.

Diva Disc is grey – this is also the first time Diva has introduced any color to one of their internal period products. DivaCup has only offered their flagship DivCups in clear since 2003, despite virtually all of their competitors offering tinted products.

Diva Disc is on the softer firmness side, I would rate it a 2 putting it closer to softer discs like Nixit and Ziggy. Firmness is always subjective – the DIva Disc feels soft like a Nixit but the rim has a bit more structure.

Diva Disc has a Leakproof Shield

The most unique feature of the Diva Disc is the Leakproof Shield – a thin membrane spanning the front rim of the disc that for most should prevent accidental leaks from a disc slipping down. It also prevents most intentional auto-dumping (good or bad depending on who you ask.) I love self-emptying discs but they’re not for everyone.

The downside of the leakproof shield is the potential for slower leaks that happen when auto-dumping is prevented. This can of course be avoided if you empty your disc before it gets too full. And if you rely on the auto-dumping feature of menstrual discs to go longer before a full removal, the leakproof shield will mean you do need to empty more frequently.

How Diva Disc to Other Brands

The Diva Disc is the first menstrual disc to design against the “self-emptying” nature of discs. It’s also oval in shape and has a loop for easier removal.

Diva Disc is an average firmness, coming in at a 2 on the Period Nirvana firmness scale. Other discs in this firmness would include Nixit.

It’s closest to the Hello Disc in the style of removal, but can only be worn in one style and is best for a low – average cervix. You won’t want to trim off the connected loop of Diva Disc.

In size the Diva Disc is a bit hard to pin down because it’s a narrow oval – the longest side puts it closer to larger diameter discs that are considered “large” or “one size.” However, the width of the disc is quite a bit narrower and closer to smaller diameter discs. The oval shape coupled with the loop should prevent the pesky “rotation” that happens to round discs with notches. This means the loop will be easy to find at each removal.

Check out our Menstrual Cup Comparison Chart for more side-by-side menstrual disc comparisons.

Best Way to Insert Diva Disc

The Diva Disc is a soft enough firmness that keeping the disc folded while inserting is easy. As with all discs, you will fold it lengthwise to make it narrow. The side of the Diva Disc with the loop enters your body last. While inserting angle your disc towards the tailbone. Once inserted as far it can go, tuck the front rim into place as high as possible.

Best Way to Remove Diva Disc

The Diva Disc has a removal tab attached to the front rim. You will insert a finger or a finger and thumb and pull the loop. This along with the leakproof shield can result in no-mess or low-mess removals, unlike most other menstrual disc designs. You may still want to bring your thumb into the equation once the disc is easy to reach for full security.

Menstrual discs do not create the same kind of “vacuum suction” menstrual cups do in the body. This means you can just pull the Diva Disc out by the loop without the need to break any suction.

Importance of Diva Disc

DivaCup hasn’t launched a truly new product in 2 decades but there is more excitement to it beyond that already bid deal fact. As an industry history nerd and keen observer of this market I also think the fact that the biggest brand in the world has designed a disc is telling of how quickly this product is gaining popularity. The disc concept isn’t new, SoftCup launched their disposable disc in the 90s – but people have been using their diaphragms as menstrual products for even longer. I want to take a tiny bit of credit for making discs popular with my videos but that’s not the only factor at play here. I also think I want to take a tiny bit of credit for making grey a popular reusable period product color if I want another small bit of an ego boost. Real ones know why! I’ve been holding onto this secret for so long and anxiously waiting to see how people will react to a new Diva product because it is a big f-ing deal.

When I first recieved the disc I could already tell it was a promising design concept and something missing from existing discs. I was also thoroughly impressed that Diva took the time to look at pain points other designs weren’t addressing, including the disc I helped design because every disc can’t be IT for all. The Hello Disc wasn’t yet public which means Diva’s version of a loop for removal was not at all inspired by the Hello Disc. The big feature of the leakproof shield is one I wouldn’t put on a disc because I like self-emptying, but it is a feature of discs that not everyone sees as a selling point and I can’t blame them. Instead of rushing out just another simple round disc or copying some of the features of other designs, Diva put a lot of time into using their r&d resources for something distinct. I can already tell you that it’s going to immediately be a popular product.

Diva Disc Review

Since almost every menstrual disc works really well for me it should be no surprise that the Diva Disc was mostly a success. I can’t say it tops my favorite disc which is the Hello Disc, but it was an overall positive experience and certainly comfortable. 

Insertion was easy enough – I was very mindful of taking notes if the leakproof shield would interfere with any insertion or “catch” on things. For me, that was never in the way or an issue I faced. Since it’s softer it can be easier to hold and insert than firmer discs like Hello or Cora Disc. Firmness isn’t nearly as big of a deal breaker in comfort or performance as with cups with the exception of very sensitive folks who can still feel pressure from a disc. In that case, a Diva Disc firmness is a good option. Firmness can play a role in if or how often a menstrual disc performs the self-emptying function. By design, this disc is meant not to self empty and the shield can also help prevent the messier aspect of removal of discs. This doesn’t mean it is impossible to leak but there is a bit more peace of mind for new users there. This shield is both a good move for marketing – people are scared of auto-dumping at the wrong moment (which is actually a leak) but it’s functional. Nothing irks me more than brands adding “features” that are all marketing gimmick and have no real benefit at best, or make cleaning or using the product worse. 

Somehow I did still manage to have one real “auto-dump” with the Diva Disc. The disc must have been completely full after a full night.

Firmness

The softer firmness meant that in my own testing I had the disc slip out of place a few times. Once when I inserted and it immediately felt low in my body, I went back in about 10 minutes later and tucked again super high and it stayed. In the other instance, I coughed the disc out of place entirely and because it was full, the leakproof shield was not at all enough. I was a bit stunned by this happening. I’ve read that discs have come out of place for others, none of them had that leakproof shield like Diva Disc, but I guess if the entire disc shifts nothing can stop a full disc from leaking. The smaller overall size than what I typically wear and it being softer are likely the reason this happened for me. I am so confident testing discs I wasn’t wearing leakproof underwear like I usually do when testing a new cup. So that was pretty fun. 

Comfort wise it was nearly perfect. I became aware of the loop on the final day of my cycle and decided to remove the disc and switch to period underwear since my period was so light by that point. On other days of my cycle I never detected the loop.

The loop did make removal easier – if compared to other disc brands it’s far easier and less messy to remove than Nixit, Ziggy, Cora Disc, Saalt Disc, Flex Disc reusable, and Lumma Disc. The reason I don’t rank it easier than Hello Disc is because while the loop is super functional and easy to find, it’s not super tight meaning I can’t empty and dump the Diva Disc with a single finger the way I can with Hello Disc. But for anyone who wants something smaller, or softer, the Diva Disc is as close to that easy removal experience as the Hello Disc. I had about 50/50 success having 0 blood on my fingers removing Diva Disc, which is a lot better than any disc without removal aids.

Leaks

I did have that one massive leak which is kind of on another level. But, I also experienced a few very very minor mystery leaks. I want to say this is shape and firmness based – the only other disc I really leaked with was Ziggy and it is also oval. But the leaks with Diva were far less noteworthy. I also wondered if these are somehow related to the shield and maybe some blood was lightly going around each side when I would have normally auto-dumped, and then residually able to appear as tiny baby leaks. Since it was only on heavy days I think this makes sense in my head as a plausible reason, because on lighter days I didn’t see any light or wiping leaks. So in this way, the shield is beneficial in preventing certain potential leaks and auto-dumping but can facilitate potential overflow leaks in a residual way when the disc is very full when a disc without the shield would empty itself instead.

Cleaning was easy and the leakproof shield never felt cumbersome in the same way that certain cups do when they add spillproof rims. For cups, those rims feel gimmicky but I do think this disc’s shield can be good for a lot of people.