Extra Heavy Overnight Maxi Pads vs Chlorine Free Maxi Pads: which is safer?

Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Maxi Pads is the clear pick. Always Extra Heavy Overnight Maxi Pads carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Always Extra Heavy Overnight Maxi Pads

Always

Extra Heavy Overnight Maxi Pads

PFAS grade

Poor 25/100

Overall grade

Bad 0/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 5

Material

cellulose, absorbent core, plastic backing with unspecified waterproof coating

Confidence

45%

PossibleWaterproof coating composition (unspecified)

ReportedMicrofiber and plastic backing degradation

PossibleAdhesive leachables

Our pick

Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Maxi Pads

Seventh Generation

Chlorine Free Maxi Pads

PFAS grade

Excellent 100/100

Overall grade

Excellent 96/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 1

Material

organic cotton, wood pulp

Confidence

78%

PossibleFragrance allergen content

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Waterproof coating composition (unspecified), Microfiber and plastic backing degradation, Adhesive leachables and Contact dermatitis from undisclosed additives on the Always and not on the Seventh Generation.
  • We flag Fragrance allergen content on the Seventh Generation and not on the Always.
  • The Always is cellulose, absorbent core, plastic backing with unspecified waterproof coating where the Seventh Generation is organic cotton, wood pulp, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 75 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Seventh Generation is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the Always grade, at 45% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More period pads, see the full ranking