Always Sanitary Towels Review: Every Size Explained and Compared

Always sanitary towels are sold across a single numbered system, Size 1 through Size 5, that runs from regular daytime flow up to extra heavy overnight. The same numbers appear on every Always line, so once you know your size you can move between Ultra Thin, Infinity, Maxi, Radiant, and Pure Cotton without relearning the scale. This guide explains what each size and line is actually for.

If you have ever stood in the aisle unsure whether “Size 3” means longer, thicker, or more absorbent, you are not alone. Always uses one axis (the number) for absorbency and length together, and a separate axis (the line name) for the pad’s construction and feel. Get both right and you leak less, change less often, and stay more comfortable. Below is the full breakdown, a size-to-flow comparison table, and honest notes on who each line suits.

How the Always sizing system works

In 2017 Procter & Gamble, the maker of Always, introduced a sizing framework it markets as Always My Fit. The idea is simple: pick your number based on flow, and the pad’s length scales up with it. Sizes 1 to 3 are positioned for daytime protection, and Sizes 4 and 5 are positioned for overnight and the heaviest flow. As the number climbs, the pad gets both more absorbent and longer, because back-of-pad coverage is what stops leaks when you are lying down or when flow is heavy.

Here is the naming Always uses across most lines:

• Size 1 (Regular): the shortest and least absorbent, for regular daytime flow.
• Size 2 (Super): a step up for moderate to heavy daytime flow.
• Size 3 (Heavy / Extra Heavy): longer, for heavy daytime flow.
• Size 4 (Overnight): longer still, built for sleeping and for heavy days.
• Size 5 (Extra Heavy Overnight): the longest and most absorbent in the range.

One thing worth clearing up: the number is not a flow measurement in milliliters. It is Always’s own scale. Menstrual pads and tampons are regulated in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as medical devices, but the FDA’s standardized absorbency ratings (junior, regular, super, super plus, ultra) apply to tampons, not pads. Pad “sizes” are set by each manufacturer, so an Always Size 4 is not guaranteed to match another brand’s “overnight.” If you want to understand how absorbency is measured on the tampon side, our explainer on how much blood a tampon holds walks through the FDA’s gram ranges.

Reading your flow honestly

Most people underestimate how much length they need overnight and overestimate how much thickness they need by day. A useful rule: if you are changing a daytime pad more than every three to four hours because it is full (not because of odor or comfort), size up one number rather than doubling up. If you wake to back-leaks, the fix is almost always a longer pad (Size 4 or 5), not a thicker one. For a deeper look at matching products to a genuinely heavy period, see our guide to sanitary pads for heavy flow.

Always sanitary towels: size, flow, and best use at a glance

The table below maps the numbered sizes to flow level, relative length, and the situation each is designed for. Lengths are directional (they increase with size across every line) rather than exact millimeter figures, because Always does not publish a single universal length per number and it varies slightly by line.

Size	Always name	Flow level	Relative length	Best for
Size 1	Regular	Light to regular	Shortest	Everyday daytime, lighter days, teens starting out
Size 2	Super	Moderate to heavy	Short-medium	Standard heavier daytime flow, work or school
Size 3	Heavy / Extra Heavy	Heavy	Medium-long	Heaviest daytime hours, first two days of a period
Size 4	Overnight	Heavy, overnight	Long	Sleeping, long stretches without a change, postpartum tapering
Size 5	Extra Heavy Overnight	Very heavy, overnight	Longest	Heaviest nights, early postpartum, flooding-prone cycles

A practical way to use this table: choose your daytime size (usually 1 to 3) and your nighttime size (usually 4 or 5) separately. Very few people need the same pad around the clock, and buying two sizes is more comfortable and often cheaper per use than forcing one size to do both jobs.

The Always product lines explained

The number tells you absorbency and length. The line name tells you what the pad is made of and how it feels. Here is how the main Always sanitary towel lines differ.

Always Ultra Thin

Ultra Thin is the slim, discreet option built on a traditional absorbent core (cellulose-based fluff plus an absorbent gel layer). It is thin enough to be nearly invisible under clothing and is the line most people picture as a “normal” pad. It comes in the full Size 1 to Size 5 range, with and without wings, and in scented and unscented versions.

Best for: anyone who prioritizes a barely-there feel, active days, and light to moderate flow. Because the core is thinner, very heavy flow may mean changing more often than with a foam-core pad.

Always Infinity (FlexFoam)

Infinity replaces the traditional fluff core with FlexFoam, a flexible foam material that bends with your body and pulls liquid in rather than holding it in bulky layers. Always markets FlexFoam as absorbing more than a comparable thin pad while staying flexible. The practical difference is real: foam-core pads tend to feel thinner for the same absorbency and flex better when you move or sit for long periods.

Best for: heavier flow, long wear windows, and anyone who finds traditional pads feel bulky or “clumpy” once wet. Infinity is a strong overnight choice in Size 4 or 5.

Always Maxi

Maxi is the classic thicker pad on a traditional core. It trades slimness for a reassuring, substantial feel and is often the most economical line per pad. It runs the full size range including Size 5 Extra Heavy Overnight with wings.

Best for: people who prefer the security of a thicker pad, postpartum use where cushioning is welcome, and budget-conscious buyers who do not mind the extra bulk.

Always Radiant

Radiant is the premium, design-forward line. It uses FlexFoam like Infinity but is marketed with a softer cover, more discreet packaging, and (in most Radiant products) a light fragrance. It spans Sizes 1 to 5.

Best for: buyers who want the flexible foam core plus a softer top sheet and do not mind, or actively want, a scent. If you are fragrance-sensitive, read the scent note below before choosing Radiant.

Always Pure Cotton with FlexFoam

Pure Cotton pairs the FlexFoam core with a top layer made with cotton, the part of the pad that touches your skin. It is Always’s answer to demand for more natural-feeling materials against the body, and it is unscented across the range. It comes in Sizes 1 through 5.

Best for: anyone who wants the absorbency of foam but prefers a cotton cover on the skin, and those avoiding fragrance by default.

Wings versus no wings

Wings are the side flaps that fold under your underwear to anchor the pad and shield the edges. On Always, wings are standard on most Size 2 and larger pads and optional on the smallest sizes. The trade-offs:

• With wings: better lateral leak protection, the pad shifts less, edges of your underwear stay cleaner. This is the right default for medium to heavy flow and for anyone who is active.
• Without wings: slightly less bulk, faster to change, and fine for very light days, liners, or if you dislike the feel of flaps. Some people also find wingless pads sit better in certain underwear cuts.

For overnight (Size 4 and 5), always choose wings. The combination of length plus wings is what keeps the pad in place while you turn over.

FlexFoam versus the traditional core

This is the single most useful distinction to understand, because it decides how a pad feels once it is doing its job.

• Traditional cellulose core (Ultra Thin, Maxi): absorbent fluff plus a gelling agent. It works well and tends to cost less, but at higher saturation it can feel bulkier and can “clump” as the fluff swells.
• FlexFoam core (Infinity, Radiant, Pure Cotton): a molded foam that flexes and holds liquid within the foam structure. It generally stays thinner and more flexible when wet and resists the clumping feel. It usually costs a little more per pad.

Neither is universally “better.” For light days or a tight budget, a traditional core is perfectly good. For heavy days, long wear, or overnight, most people find the foam core more comfortable. If you experience genuinely heavy periods, our sanitary pads for heavy flow guide compares foam-core options in more detail.

Matching an Always pad to your situation

• Regular office or school day, moderate flow: Ultra Thin or Pure Cotton, Size 2 with wings.
• Heaviest daytime hours (first two days): Infinity or Radiant, Size 3 with wings.
• Overnight, average flow: Infinity or Ultra Thin, Size 4 with wings.
• Overnight, very heavy flow or flooding: Infinity, Radiant, or Maxi, Size 5 Extra Heavy Overnight with wings.
• Postpartum (first days): Maxi or Infinity Size 5 for length and cushioning, moving down to Size 4, then Size 3 as bleeding tapers. Skip fragranced lines while healing.
• Light days, spotting, or discharge: Size 1 Regular, or a panty liner if a full pad is more than you need.
• Sensitive skin: Pure Cotton (unscented, cotton cover) or an unscented Ultra Thin.

The fragrance and sensitive-skin note

Some Always lines, Radiant in particular, are commonly sold scented, while Ultra Thin, Maxi, Infinity, and Pure Cotton are all available unscented. Fragrance in menstrual products sits against sensitive skin for hours, and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) consistently advises people prone to irritation or contact dermatitis to avoid added fragrances in products that contact the skin. The vulvar and perineal area is thin-skinned and easily irritated, so if you have ever had itching, redness, or a burning sensation from a pad, switch to an unscented option before assuming the pad itself is the problem.

Practical guidance:

• Choose unscented if you have sensitive skin, are postpartum, are prone to yeast infections or irritation, or simply prefer no added scent.
• If you want the foam core without fragrance, Pure Cotton with FlexFoam is the natural pick because it is unscented and uses a cotton top layer.
• Fragrance masks odor rather than removing it. Changing the pad on time is the actual fix for odor, not scent.

For more on choosing gentle products across your whole routine, our menstrual hygiene hub collects related guides.

Honest pros and cons

What Always does well

• One consistent size system across every line, so switching lines is easy.
• Wide availability, including reliably on Amazon in multipacks, which lowers the per-pad cost.
• Real choice on the two things that matter most: core type (foam vs traditional) and scent (scented vs unscented).
• A genuine long-and-absorbent overnight option in Size 5 with wings.

Where it falls short

• The numbered sizes are proprietary, so they do not translate cleanly to other brands.
• Scented lines can irritate sensitive skin, and the scented-versus-unscented split is not always obvious on the shelf.
• Foam-core lines cost more, and the cheapest option (Maxi) is also the bulkiest.
• Like all disposable pads, the plastic content is significant if environmental impact is a priority for you.

The bottom line

Buy Always by two decisions, not one. First pick your number: a daytime size (1 to 3) and a separate nighttime size (4 or 5). Then pick your line by how you want it to feel: Ultra Thin or Maxi for a traditional core, Infinity or Radiant for flexible FlexFoam, and Pure Cotton if you want foam with a cotton, unscented cover against the skin. Choose wings for anything above the lightest days, and default to unscented if your skin is at all reactive. Get those two axes right and the range does exactly what it is designed to do.

Amazon and most drugstores carry the full lineup in multipacks, which is the cheapest way to keep both a daytime and an overnight size on hand. For related reading, explore the menstrual hygiene hub or start from our homepage guide to sanitation towels.

Frequently asked questions

What do the Always pad sizes 1 to 5 mean?

The numbers are Always's own absorbency-and-length scale, not a milliliter measurement. Size 1 is Regular for lighter daytime flow, Size 2 is Super, Size 3 is Heavy, Size 4 is Overnight, and Size 5 is Extra Heavy Overnight, the longest and most absorbent. Sizes 1 to 3 are pitched for daytime and Sizes 4 and 5 for nighttime, with length increasing as the number rises.

What is the difference between Always Ultra and Always Infinity?

Ultra Thin uses a traditional cellulose-based absorbent core, while Infinity uses a flexible foam core Always calls FlexFoam. The foam version tends to stay thinner and more flexible when wet and resists the clumpy feel of a saturated fluff pad, which is why many people prefer Infinity for heavy days and overnight. Ultra Thin is slimmer at rest and usually costs a little less.

Which Always pad should I use for heavy flow?

For heavy daytime flow choose Size 3 with wings, ideally in a FlexFoam line like Infinity or Radiant. For heavy overnight flow choose Size 5 Extra Heavy Overnight with wings, which is the longest and most absorbent in the range. Length plus wings is what prevents back-leaks when you are lying down, so prioritize a longer pad over a thicker one.

Are Always pads scented, and is that a problem for sensitive skin?

It depends on the line. Radiant is commonly sold scented, while Ultra Thin, Maxi, Infinity, and Pure Cotton are all available unscented. The American Academy of Dermatology advises people prone to irritation to avoid added fragrances in products that touch the skin. If you have sensitive skin, are postpartum, or are prone to irritation, choose an unscented option such as Pure Cotton with FlexFoam.

Do I need Always pads with wings?

Wings improve lateral leak protection and keep the pad from shifting, so they are the sensible default for anything above very light days and essential for overnight Size 4 and 5 pads. Wingless pads are slightly less bulky and fine for light days, spotting, or liner use. Most Always pads Size 2 and larger come with wings as standard.

What is Always Pure Cotton and how is it different?

Pure Cotton with FlexFoam pairs Always's flexible foam core with a top layer made with cotton, the part that touches your skin. It gives you the absorbency and flexibility of the foam core with a more natural-feeling, cotton cover, and it is unscented across the size range. It is a good fit for anyone who wants foam-core performance but prefers cotton against the skin or is avoiding fragrance.