Ultra Normal Pads vs Chlorine Free Maxi Pads: which is safer?
Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Maxi Pads is the clear pick. Kotex Natural Ultra Normal Pads carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Kotex Natural
Ultra Normal Pads
PFAS grade
Good 60/100
Overall grade
Good 52/100
Verdict
Skip
Hazard flags
⚑ 2
Material
Cotton, rayon, adhesive, undisclosed absorbent core
Confidence
35%
PossibleUndisclosed adhesive composition
PossibleUndisclosed absorbent core material
Our pick
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 Undisclosed adhesive composition and Undisclosed absorbent core material on the Kotex Natural and not on the Seventh Generation.
- We flag Fragrance allergen content on the Seventh Generation and not on the Kotex Natural.
- The Kotex Natural is Cotton, rayon, adhesive, undisclosed absorbent core where the Seventh Generation is organic cotton, wood pulp, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 40 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 Kotex Natural grade, at 35% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric: 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