o.b. Silk Ease Non-Applicator Tampon, Regular Absorbency

Pros: Compact, easy to use, comfortable, no leak or odors!
Cons: Nothing worth mentioning.

Don't you hate that sticky, warm, icky feeling when using pads? I used to hate having my period and for those reasons. I hated being a woman during my period. I tried all kinds of pads of all different brands and even those imported from different ...

Pros: Better Glide. Same absorbency as the original.
Cons: Uncomfortable to use.

"Silk Ease." Seemed like a good idea. Regular o.b. can be difficult to use when a bit vaginally dry.

I bought Silk Ease at Target, as they did not have any boxes of the original o.b. on the shelf.

The new shiny coating does help marginally in insertion and removal, but it removes most of tampon's flexibility. I'm sad to say it feels a bit like leaving another brand's applicator inside for 8 hours. Very pokey.

Better glide, yes. Same absorbency, yes. Same comfort, no.

Pros: Compact, convenient, better for the environment
Cons: None

I've been using OB tampons for several years now and just recently tried the Silk Ease version - which I prefer.

OB tampons in and of themselves are unique because they feature no applicator and are smaller than traditional tampons (like tampax, playtex, etc..). They fit easily and conveniently into your palm, pocket or purse. They come individually wrapped in plastic, with a little tab that helps you unwrap them when you're ready to use them.

The Silk Ease tampons are covered in a silky-cotton layer that makes them easier to insert, especially if you've just removed one and are a little dry. To insert them, all you do is move the string in a circle to make a little hollow space in the bottom. Then you put your finger in that space and insert the tampon as far as you can. No applicators to pinch or get stuck (yikes!). Also, you're creating less waste by avoiding all that extra packaging and applicator material.

In addition to regular absorbancy, the Silk Ease OBs also come in multipacks with regular, super and superplus absorbancies.

Pros: Small and discreet
Cons: painful to insert and remove, expensive, leak like crazy, uncomfortable, etc. etc.

When I first started using tampons I used these because I'm petite and thought they would go in better w/o an applicator...well they did and I thought they were the greatest b/c they were the only brand I tried. They leaked like crazy (I had to wear a maxi pad w/ the tampons to catch all the leaks and change them every 2 hours), they hurt going in and out and i could always feel them "in" me but I ingnored it. When I finally decided to try and applicator tampons, I bought some Playtex Beyond tampons...I've had much better results and would definatly not use anything else. If you love your o.b's, please just give Playtex beyond a chance and see what you like better.

Pros: easy to use. very portable.
Cons: hard to find consistently in any one store. ** No longer in production.

*****UPDATE*****
I've learned that OB discontinued the SilkEase line and has replaced them with OB Pro Comfort. I've ordered 3 boxes, but have not had a chance to use them yet.
****************

I've always been happy with ob products, but had a hard time with inserting regular non-applicator tampons. The silk ease are easy to use, every time. No getting stuck up there sideways. They're far more transportable, and are much easier to pack in and pack out. There's nothing worse on a river trip than taking up half your drybox with applicators that you then have to deal with after they're used.
My only gripe is that now that I'm hooked, they're hard to find around town. They'll be at one store for a while, then disappear, only to pop up someplace else I've looked several times before. They'll carry them for 3-5 periods, then they'll be gone again. I wrote to OB, who recommended drugstore.com, but they don't have them. Also bums me out to have to order tampons over the internet and cough up a shipping charge on top of the purchase price.

Pros: Tiny and discrete. Don't pinch. No messing with applicators you can't grip.
Cons: Don't expand properly. Leak around. Shoot for the moon with a good sneeze.

While I loved that these things are tiny, and you don't have to mess with applicators that don't applicate all too well, one good sneeze and you're screwed.

Tiny, smooth and projectile shaped does not bode well for sudden coughs or sneezes. I found that the outer covering not only seemed like it was making it harder for these things to puff up enough to stay in place/absorb/stop leakage around it, but they also made it way smoother and easier to uhh... dislodge.

These are great for light flow days, or maybe really tight people, but I've had nothing but trouble with them otherwise, which has led to way too much mess and embarrassment for my tastes. I'll be sticking to Tampax for now... :/

Pros: Easy to insert. Three absorbency levels. Pretty comfortable to wear. Easy and discreet to transport.
Cons: One word: Leakage. Sometimes netting slips off during removal, which makes for a fun afternoon...

I wrote to o.b. because I was having a difficult time finding their Silk Ease tampons, which I love, and lo behold, a rep. writes back, telling me they've decided to take them off the market. Has something changed? I see Amazon.com is carrying them, and Drugstore.com is too. Hmm...

Pros: Small, easy insertion
Cons: Causes itching and irritation, not as absorbent as the old tampons

I have been a consumer of OB tampons since the 70s and been extremely happy with this product. However, since they have included the silk ease I have been experiencing irritation, itching and frequent yeast infections. I am super sensitive to products of any kind and am very upset with this change. Does anyone know of a nice, small cotton tampon that works??

Pros: somewhat easier to insert
Cons: outer 'shell' is just like dry weave. doesn't expand therefore it leaks. Dislodges too easily.

I have been using regular ob tampons for about 10 years. I accidentally bought the silk ease kind at the local store because it was all that they had. By the time i got home, i had leaked somewhat, and just as someone had mentioned earlier, i was TOO easily removed. Avoid any coughing or sneezing with this product. I swear by the original OB but this ones just not for me.