Angie T.
I have a pretty heavy flow, the saalt large disc, and large cup are two of my favorites. along with the Yukki Large. To give reference large cups and disc fit my body and flow very well!! This cup was awful for me! I used it for four cycles, it was hard to insert and when I got it in it was never in right. It being so big I could not get it to sit correctly. I leaked as if I was not wearing a cup. I have been wearing cups for almost 13 years, so I consider my self a pro at getting cups inside myself, this one was just too dang big around. Once in it also hurt. I could feel it all day. I have never felt a cup in all 13 years once tucked away comfortably. I wanted to love this cup but I am so sad I had to toss it and waste 45 bucks. It was just too big. So ladies make sure you can handle an extra large sizing because this one is BIG.
Jacquelyn P.
This is definitely a large and stiff cup. It seals great with no leaks, better than any thing else I’ve tried, but I have constant pressure in the rear making it feel like I need to poop all the time.
Linda W.
Great experience. Easy shopping, check out etc.
And this merula xl is
Thanks for the videos recommending it.
Brooke J.
It was great! Between PeriodNirvana on TikTok and the website I learned what type of cup would work best for me. I was currently using a Diva Cup2 that I purchased as my first time cup for trial and error. I was noticing that I was slightly leaking and didn’t understand why. Between TikTok and the site I quickly learned why. I loooooove this style cup for my cervix because it is highly and the cup fits me perfectly.
Suzanne G.
I have used a diva cup before and got this cup based on the results of the quiz. I am a heavy bleeder so the XL made sense in terms of that, but it was too big to be comfortable inserting and removing it. I’m thinking about going down a size because other than that I liked it.
Jessie B.
I had a Yuuki cup for years and loved it. I lost it somehow... I had been looking for a replacement for over a year! I finally found a cup I love as much as my Yuuki.
Deborah W.
I will never use tampons again! I was truly amazed how clean I felt. It was almost like I wasn't even having my period. I was so impressed with it that I've been telling all of my female students about it.
Latina V.
Indeed quite big, so it was hard to insert (and briefly painful when taking out if it accidentally pops partially open again). Tried punchdown and 7/triangle folds, will maybe try something like origami next time so that the merula's wide base is smaller too, not just the entrance point. Otherwise, beyond thrilled with the ease of getting a seal and no leaking during my heaviest days. I can do a full workday without fussing outside of the comfort of home and I can go the full night without period panties. Even though it feels like a bit of pressure compared to my Lena Soft (mostly unnoticeable a few minutes after putting it in), I did feel like maybe my cramps were better actually. I have an average height cervix that sometimes dangles and can recommend for similar folks. Thanks period shop for making it easy to get this cup!
Dominique I.
I love it! It's the solution to my extremely heavy period
Jessica C.
So far this is the best cup I've used. It is definitely larger than average, which is great for my extremely heavy days. It is also SUPER comfortable to wear, despite the larger size. My favorite feature by far though is the silicone material does not immediately stain, in fact, almost seems to repel liquids, including menstrual fluids. I'm interested to see how this cup holds over time, but one period in, it has made a believer out of me!
LaTashia B.
After doing my research and finding period nirvana on YouTube, I found my Goldilocks! Yay! Works well for my high cervix. It only leaks if it’s time to change. Love it! My go to Menstrual cup if I don’t use a disc. Easy insert, easy output, and no mess at all! Thank you!
Crystal S.
The Merula XL…two words…Gamer Changer! This cup is way better than any cup I’ve tried. Once it’s in there it stays put until you are ready to take it out. I bleed extremely heavy. With other cups, they start to slide down when they’re full. I did not have this problem. I’ve slept with it in as well. It’s wonderful not having to get up in the middle of the night because your tampon gave up the fight! And with the tampon shortage, this cup is right on time. I highly recommend the Merula XL if you are a heavy bleeder!
Danielle D.
I was so excited for this. Most cups don't hold their seal for me because I have a lot of scar tissue, so I thought maybe this larger one would work. It did hold its seal but it was so big it hurt when inside, and don't get me started on taking it out. It was far less messy but hurt quite a bit.
Wendi M.
Fast, easy, exactly what I was looking for
Brandelyn L.
I love my Merula XL. I purchased the one from PeriodShop as a backup to the one I already had. Its the only menstrual cup I've used that does not leak. I have a very heavy flow! Once you get it in you can't even feel it. It's like not being on your period at all. I would say that it may be difficult for a first time menstrual cup user to use. It is extra large and firm. It just takes practice.
Rhiannon S.
I’ve always had a heavy period, and it only got worse once I was put on blood thinners. I tried the cheap cup from Amazon to dip my toes in the waters of period cups, and after it started to discolor, I decided it was time to switch. The Merula XL cup is glorious. It’s a thicker material than my other one which took a little getting used to, especially when I remove it, but it is AWESOME. Also the fox bag is adorable.
Tammi H.
I have a high cervix with a heavy flow. I'm a 48 year old female with zero pregnancies and a Paraguard IUD. This is the only cup that doesn't leak for me! The insertion and removal take some getting used to because of the firmness and round shape of the cup, but it's worth building the skills.
Felicia G.
I had large fibroids, I had a myomectomy, now I have small fibroids and I still bleed like crazy. Until mid last week, I was changing my other cup (another brand) every 30min-1hour for 4 days. With this I only have to change it twice, none at night! Even when I change it twice it is only half full. I wish I knew about this years ago it would have alleviated a lot of suffering! Thank you.
Brittany M.
I’ve been searching for a high capacity cup that will work for a low cervix and this one is perfect. After trying dozens of cups I think I may have actually found my perfect cup.
Alexandra C.
Well..I am super old (57) to be getting my period and have been hesitating for too long from buying another menstrual cup..but the cup I have been using is not doing the job with the my flow change (pre menopausal crime scene flow-I guess). I am also an avid tennis player and hiker. It came down to running off the tennis court to the bathroom during a match for me to look at getting a new cup. WELL literally the Merula XL is a game changer. I had a very important match, of course got my period, and used the Merula XL cup for the first time. I did do a trial fit and walked around to see if it was comfortable, I was surprised it was. Game day absolutely no leaking and no discomfort. I am 5' 6" 125 and wear small and size 6. Looking at this cup I thought it was way too big. It wasn't. I wish I had gotten this sooner. I want to thank Kim Rosas and Period Shop for being here for women and women's health. If I ever get to talk periods with anyone I praise you and your work. Thank you.
Caroline K.
bad - couldn't make it work :(
Bethany B.
It works wonderfully but there is definitely a learning curve to it! It can be difficult but not impossible, take your time and keep going.
Tia M.
I know a lot of ladies say that this cup is too big or uncomfortable etc but when you fill a saalt cup in an hour or less, a little discomfort is acceptable. It’s firm and I can feel it but it’s not uncomfortable. That’s not to say that I dislike my saalt cup. It just can’t keep up on my heavy days and I end up living in the bathroom. The Merula XL cup gives me piece of mind. I don’t have to fight to get it open, no dancing around the bathroom to see if it’ll open. It is large but more capacity is what I needed. I also have a high cervix and it moves higher once my period starts. This cup naturally slides into the proper place for me. The finger loops are long enough that I can reach it without having to dig and jam my hand up there. For reference, my finger goes in about 2 inches BEFORE I can feel the bottom loop of this cup on my heaviest day. So is this cup a god send for me? Absolutely! Is it for everyone? No.
I’m a 40 yrs old Mom of 2 with a super heavy period and a high cervix. If you are similar to me, give this cup a try!
Mell S.
After being a Lena Cup user for about a year, I really needed to find something that could manage the heaviest days of my cycle. The Merula XL had wonderful reviews on this site and I decided to finally give it a try. Boy am I happy that I did! Wearing this cup on my heaviest day, I was able to wear it for a full workday without having to empty it. Usually, I have to empty my Lena Cup once or twice during the day. The cup is a bit larger than my Lena Cup so it took a bit of finagling to get it to sit right. But once I figured out the nuances of this new cup, it became easier to insert every time. I am so grateful for Period Nirvana for having brands of menstrual products I've never heard of before. It truly helps to find the right fit.
Tay E.
Great! Definitely had a learning curve, tricky at first to get it to pop open. Once I figured this out, it helped a bunch. The punch down fold worked best
Lara B.
I had been dreading having a period after 10 blissful years on Depo Provera. My periods used to be hell and 10 years ago the only thing available to me was tampons. I could cry with happiness, I am so relieved at the experience I've had with Merula XL. Yes it is big and firm and intimidating at first but I didn't really have anything to compare it with being a first time cup user.
I learned to hike my leg up on the bathroom sink and go with the punch down fold which after a few tries I got the hang of no problems at all. I find it easier if I let the cup open lower down and then push it up.
I had no issues with leaks and first he first time in my life I had a good nights sleep without worry of leaking. I kept waking up to check and nothing. I have even been able to do Pilates on heavy springs and this has been life changing for me.
I wish this cup had been invented when I was younger it could have saved me years of anxiety and humiliating situations.
I haven't even come close to filling the cup even on my heaviest days which is surprising as I thought I had a really heavy flow.
The only issue I had was cramps, when I took it out and reinserted it I could feel pressure which caused cramps on a few occasions but not every single time. One time it did make me feel sick but I think that was mixed with normal menstrual cramps.
I may look in the future to change to something softer and less capacity I do have the Nixit aswell but for now the absolute security of Merula XL has got me covered.
Kelsey J.
I feel it’s to large and due to tamest uncomfortable
Katina B.
Okay, learning to use this cup has been a journey! After FIVE cycles, I've finally gotten the hang of this cup! I kept running back to my Lumma disc because this cup would leak like nobody's business. I could never get it to open up right, I felt bulky, like it was pressing on everything, it was so uncomfortable and caused cramping.
The reason I wouldn't give up on this cup is because even though discs *technically* have higher capacity, I didn't feel I was benefitting from the advertised capacity on account of the disc being smooshed in the cavity. If you have a job where you're on your feet, maybe there's less pressure, but I'm at a des all day, so there's that.
Pros: This cup is firm enough that it mostly keeps its shape when it's inside, so I'm getting the FULL 40-50 ml capacity.
Pros: When the cup is properly inserted (with a proper seal) I don't feel it at all (I have a high to very high cervix).
Pros: I get longer wear time out of this cup than I do the 68 ml Lumma or the 70 ml Nixit.
Pros: Less messy to change.
Cons: This cup requires a lot of manipulation to get in properly and open up. I'm not sure if my canal is more narrow than the average woman or if this cup is just too darn big, but I finally figured out that I really needed to PUSH my finger against the vagina walls to give this thing room to pop open. We're talking about more than just the typical running the fingers around the cup. I had to those walls out because poking or squeezing the cup got me nowhere. There was so much suction that when one side would pop open, the opposite side would cave in.
Anywho, I finally have it figured out. The cup is comfortable, I don't feel it at all, and I get longer wear time out of it than with a disc (6 hrs at a time on heavy days instead of 4). I'm a happy camper!
Sarah W.
After some issues with my previous cup, and amidst the frustrations of a heavy period requiring me to empty it every hour or so for two days, I wanted to try something new. This cup felt like the opposite of my previous one (saalt soft), which I had chosen due to being sensitive to the feel of having a cup in. It came out almost every bowel movement, and its capacity just wasn't cutting it. This new cup totally changed my period experience! I'm glad I risked trying something completely different.
Kristal G.
Happiness is German engineering, Italian cooking, and Belgian chocolate…I have tried many different cups before this one and this is the first cup that has not leaked once. Even overnight. Not once.
I can get almost any cup to work well for me during the day but at night it’s another story. My pelvic muscles relax but my cramps intensify. My cervix moves from average height to way out of reach. And my flow is ridiculous-growing up my mom used to make me sleep on towels when I was on my period-I’m not kidding. To add to all of this, my cervix, I have discovered, is not perfectly centered, but sits to the left, and this probably explains a lot of my nocturnal menstrual cup woes. I mean, I’ve tried the Saalt Regular, the Super Jennie Size 2, the Tampax Heavy Flow, and even the Venus cup Large, and I’ve woken up to a big, bloody mess in the middle of the night with every single one of them.
Not with the Merula XL.
I love this cup so much I’ve ordered another one in case something happens to this one.
And look how cute the pouch is! Perfectly performing cup, adorable pouch. I’m sold.
Charla
I started my cup journey with one I found at Target, but found I didn’t like the bullet shape and struggled with it staying in.
I found this through the quiz and liked the shape and large capacity.
I cut off both rings on the bottom and now it looks a bit like a small cauldron, but no worries on removal or inserting.
I did find that I need a bit of lube to help on dryer days, but nothing a bit of water based lubricant can’t fix!
Love this cup!
Fernanda M.
It’s my first time using this cup not sure if I like yet! I have a really heavy period, the cup is a great sizes , hold a lot and this is a plus . But the material is too hard and I’m having a hard time to put it in and take off . For sure I will give another try, hopefully I will get used to it
Shelia S.
The Merula XL is the third cup I have tried. I have used the Diva Cup and the Saalt Cup but found that with both of those cups they were not lasting as long as expected. After doing the period quiz, I was recommended the Merula XL and was super excited. I had no idea that there were even higher compacity cups out there for heavier periods! I was happy to find a cup that would last throughout the night and give me a longer wear time than my previous cups. I have now used the Merula XL for 2 cycles and it has been a struggle. It is definitely a firmer cup, but I didn't realize how difficult it would be to insert. I have always preferred the C fold, and I had to change to the punch down fold because of the firmness of the Merula, but the cup does not always open properly, which is causing leaks. I also have some pain while wearing the cup. Removing it also causes some pain because I can't get the diameter small enough to remove, so I am having to wiggle the cup out, which can be quite messy at times. Plus, the rounded shape of the cup makes it more difficult to be able to push the cup into place, like I have done in the past. I did know that the cup was a firm cup, but I was not aware at how much more firmer it was compared to the other two cups I have used in the past.
Nicole H.
Quiz was awesome. I took it a couple times and purchased the Merula XL. It was ok. Pretty big of a cup. I have a high-average length to cervix, but I still found this cup to be decently large/too big for me. It was painful to put in and to take out, but when it was in, it was fine. I didn’t have much problems except the fact that it did make me cramp quite a bit. I would recommend if you can fit the XL option cups for heavy flow. I think this cup is good for activewear and when they say this cup is firm, ITS FIRM.
Jessica L.
I took the quiz because my other cup was causing some leaking. This cup is amazing! Super comfortable, not worried about leaking, and way easier to remove! 5 stars for sure!
Michael M.
This item was hard to insert and hurt. i gave up trying to use it. i got it because it was rated well for people who bleed ALOT and I have endo after comparing different cups i settled on this one.
Leora M.
Merula xl midnight is my 2nd cup. I started with the diva cup 2 (for 5 years-which was great) but I switched over for 2 reasons:
I love the extra capacity! And I’m a fan of the black color so I don’t have to deal with soaking in hydrogen peroxide to take care of stains!
So far this is a bit of a learning curve switching from diva to merula... instead of the c fold I’ve found the punch down fold works better. And the fact that there are no air holes means the cup doesn’t pop open as readily. But I think once I get use to the minor adjustments it’s going to be perfect for me. I love the capacity and the sleek black color! Absolutely no leaks and very comfortable. Really glad I decided to switch.
The diva cup is still a great option... and I would definitely recommend more for beginners. Just was not a fan of the staining due to clear color!
Alianna P.
I really love the Merula XL! It's the only cup that I can wear for 12 hours straight and not have a single leak. Previously I tried both the small and regular Saalt and the Merula OS. While I love both of my Saalt cups, I can only go 7 hours on my heavy day with the regular. I find that my cervix dips into all of my cups, thus compromising the capacity. The XL has a wide diameter so my cervix can comfortably dip inside, and the cup length (without the stem) is shorter than the Saalt regular. I am active with an average height cervix, and the XL never budges when I exercise. I found that the XL opens and seals better than the OS. If you need more capacity and have a medium to high cervix, I would try the Merula XL!
Latoya H.
GREAT! I have tried using a cup before, and it was always hit or miss.. meaning I’ve had a lot of accidents with it. I was interested in a cup because I am a heavy bleeder to the point that I take meds for it. I am also very sensitive to pads and I just don’t like tampons. Anyway, I was definitely gonna give up on the cup idea, because I was having problems with it. But, I told myself that’s just one of many others on the market. So, my search began. I came across your site and decided to take a chance. WOW.. I am so glad I did! This cup is amazing! With my first cup I had to wear a pad for extra security but, with my new cup I don’t have to! Don’t have to empty the cup as much either! Sometimes, it’s a little difficult to use but, I love it! No complaints here! Thank you for creating this amazing product.
Jen A.
I thought super Jennie was my Goldilocks for my super heavy period, but Kim suggested I try this Merula and I was forever changed. It became my first choice option and SJ became my back up. Love it!