Consumer Council Tests 36 Sanitary Napkin Brands, One Takes 73 Seconds to Absorb
AM730 · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Consumer Council released results on September 15, 2026 from testing 36 winged sanitary napkin brands sold in Hong Kong. The products were purchased from personal care stores, supermarkets, and online platforms, then categorized into four groups by length: 22-25cm (12 samples), 26-29cm (12 samples), 30-35cm (6 samples), and 40-43cm (6 samples). Prices ranged from approximately HK$1 to HK$5.60 per pad. While all samples passed chemical and microbial safety assessments, absorption speed varied dramatically across brands, and nearly half of the products had inadequate labeling practices.
Key Points
- One product, the LadiM Graphene Sanitary Napkin Day Use 24.5cm, required 73 seconds to fully absorb, exceeding the mainland recommended standard of 60 seconds and receiving only 3 points for absorption performance
- Among the 12 samples in the 22-25cm group, absorption times ranged from 7 to 73 seconds, a difference of up to 10 times between the fastest and slowest products
- Fifteen samples received a perfect 5-point overall rating, including the Kleannara Organic Cotton Sanitary Napkin from Korea, which offered the best value at HK$1.01 per pad with 10-second absorption, and Kotex Night Use Ultra Thin Sanitary Napkin with an impressive 3-second absorption speed
- Five samples had moisture content between 10.7% and 12.8%, exceeding the mainland standard of 10% for factory products, potentially increasing risks of quality degradation and microbial growth during storage and transportation
- Nineteen samples failed to label main ingredients or surface materials in Chinese or English, while 5 lacked local supplier information and 6 showed only production dates without expiry dates
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong consumers, this report exposes gaps in product quality and labeling that directly affect daily comfort and health decisions. Slow absorption can cause moisture-related discomfort and increase leak risk during menstruation. The findings also highlight the need for stronger local regulations—currently Hong Kong has no mandatory requirements for sanitary napkin packaging to display local supplier details, production dates, expiry dates, or main ingredient information, leaving consumers without essential guidance for making informed purchases .
For Hong Kong consumers, this report exposes gaps in product quality and labeling that directly affect daily comfort and health decisions. Slow absorption can cause moisture-related discomfort and increase leak risk during menstruation. The findings also highlight the need for stronger local regulations—currently Hong Kong has no mandatory requirements for sanitary napkin packaging to display local supplier details, production dates, expiry dates, or main ingredient information, leaving consumers without essential guidance for making informed purchases .